International
Children’s Film Festival
The association is developing an International Children’s Film Festival. Culture Exchange, to promote peace, love and understanding throughout the world. Film & Performing Arts Festival for children to be sponsored by international organizations. Developed by Ahmed Radwan & Jeffrey Taylor.
INTRODUCTION
The primary goal of The International Children´s Film Festival (The Festival) is to help advance the country´s reputation as a global player for children’s causes worldwide, in particular in terms of cultural exchange and opportunity through creativity. The project management team is already in contact with international experts whose concepts for addressing and solving children’s issues – such as those of street children to name just one – will be integrated within the overall Festival concept. Their ideas will also be presented and discussed during The Festival and offered to other countries interested in implementing them.
The Festival and Child Welfare
An international team of highly qualified psychologists and evaluators is already on board to prepare topics that are suitable for children of different age groups. Conferences and open forums focusing on these topics are planned to accompany The Festival, thereby highlighting its mission of supporting child development and welfare.
The topics for consideration are:
Health, Education, Sustainability, Dealing with the environment, Ethical and moral values, Freedom of speech, Internationality, Children’s rights, Dignity and Respect.
Mediation in the Middle East and Europe
In the 1970s Bruno Kreisky had advocated as a chancellor politically the mediation between Israelis and Arabs. In the following years there were hardly any initiatives worth mentioning on the part of Austria to continue this dialogue.
However, at the turn of the millennium, the Egyptian-born Austrian international film producer Ahmed Radwan shifted efforts from political to the cultural level.
Consequently, Ahmed arranged a number of meetings between Arab and Israeli media people as well as peace activists at various film festivals. He also organized joint Austrian feature film projects utilizing workers from all over the Middle East, thus allowing Israeli and Arab artists to cooperate and establish working relationships.
These efforts were later continued by high-ranking personalities from both Israel and the Arab countries in the sense of a ‘Peace Movement’ and were actively supported by the Austrian Federal Chancellery and the Austrian Foreign Ministry.
Radwan’s efforts impressed the Holocaust survivor and founder of the Israeli film industry Zvi Spielmann, as well as Branko Lustig the film producer of "Schindler's List" and also a Holocaust survivor. In this spirit, Branko Lustig developed film projects with Ahmed Radwan until his death last year, which are committed to the goal of peace and building intercultural dialogue.
In memory of the Oscar winner Branko Lustig, the film project "Miriam & Maryam" will now be launched. The story is about an 18-year-old European woman of Israeli descent who discovers that she was switched at birth whilst in the United Arab Emirates, and who sets out in search of her biological parents.
World Coptic Community to nominated, for a Nobel Peace Prize
Proposal to the Nobel Prize Committee
- Dealing peacefully with oppression and persecution over many centuries.
- Continuous attempt to live together peacefully with the people of the surrounding area.
- Care and help for people of other faiths in Egypt.
- Constant readiness for dialogue.
Throughout history, the Copts of Egypt have been among the most understanding communities in the world, faithful to their homeland and religion. Copts are personally and humanly close to the Muslims, although their religious convictions are somewhat different to Islam.
Copts have at all times attempted to find love in their daily life and have never reverted to violence of any kind.
The majority of the Copts have remained in the country despite experiencing discrimination in their professional life, a further sign of their loyalty to their homeland.
The Coptic Egyptian minority has specific characteristics that enable it to approach other ethnic groups and religious communities and promote peaceful coexistence.
In the 5th century A.D., after the Council of Chalcedon (451 A.D.), the first persecutions of the Copts or rather the majority of the Copts in Egypt began. At that time, the majority of the Egyptian population was Coptic Christian, but after the Council it was divided into Miaphysitists (who saw Christ as man and God in one being) and Nestorianists (who represented the divinity and appearance of Jesus in a juxtaposed manner). Here the Nestorianists of Constantinople were supported, and began to act against the majority (the Miaphysitists). Thus the Copts were persecuted by the Eastern Roman Church and the Emperors Marcianus and Leo I. Although this persecution decreased over the next 200 years or so, the anti-Coptic sentiment of the Greek Orthodox remained. With the conquest of North Africa by Islam the next persecution and fighting began, which has continued until today, however, despite this, the Copts were not tempted to leave.
In Egypt itself the Copts have been a minority for many centuries. They represent only about ten percent of the population. Nevertheless, they feel committed to the state and the population as a whole. Their specific work ethic allows them to generate over a third of Egypt's national income. They are very well qualified to do so and many relatives, scattered all over the world send financial contributions back to their homeland. Copts feel obliged to send these contributions to the homeland in order to promote the creation of community values for the benefit of all.
Copts are often victims of violent attacks by radical minorities in Egypt. Although many Copts die in such terrorist attacks, the Coptic community has always refrained from taking revenge and counter-violence. In Upper Egypt, where in recent years terrorist attacks against the Copts have frequently been carried out, the Copts have always avoided expressing blanket suspicions or even mobilizing against their Muslim neighbours simply because they belong to the same religious community as the alleged terrorists. This peaceful behaviour has inspired local Muslims to help rebuild with their Coptic neighbours who were victims of the attacks,
Copts have always attached great importance to education and training, and especially in a multi-religious Egypt.
The Coptic World Community deserves to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for its contributions to world peace.
Help for a fulfilled life for homeless children all over the world
The initiative aims to promote and support ideas that advance society and help other institutions to implement their positive initiatives. One principle of our intended implementation is not to acquire any financial resources or to take money in hand, but rather to cover everything exclusively with real, purpose-dedicated resources. We will not actively seek donations, nor should our community be an organization that seeks donations.
We intend to focus the attention of society, public institutions and companies on worthwhile projects and motivate those involved to become actively and creatively involved in the care of children.
For example, a state can donate a piece of land on which a building (school, hospital or orphanage) is to be constructed by a company. Other companies could donate the facility, and states and/or public institutions could take on the management and personnel responsibilities, while governments and prominent individuals in the countries concerned would assist in raising awareness of the project.
Project Objectives:
- Eradicate the phenomenon of street children
- Achieving a safe life for these children
- Avoiding this phenomenon in the future
- Creation of qualified jobs for many people in the regions
Material support
- Each affected country to seek a trusted local organization or management team to implement the project.
- Land or buildings from the state or private individuals or otherwise allow construction companies to donate their services.
- Different manufacturers take over the necessary funding needed, e.g. furniture companies take over the supply of furniture, etc.
A local institution, which will manage the whole project under the supervision of the state and will attract the attention, interest and sympathy of the population with the help of a well-known public figure
Psychological research methods
Street children beg for food, drinks, clothes, etc. It is a wrong way to send children into child labor without parental help, because it robs them of their childhood. A life in dignity requires that the fundamental needs of housing, physical reproduction and education be met, as well as entertainment, sports and emotional well-being. Personal and loving care by trained and experienced specialists such as sociologists and psychologists is essential. An introduction to the social and cultural life of each country is also indispensable, as young people should become full and recognized members of their community and one day be able to take their future into their own hands.
The project is possible and realistic if there is a solid and binding plan and well known personalities can be found as promoters. Let us together turn the lives of desperate young people into a hopeful future.