Nepal’s Africa Film Festival

May 23-25, 2011

Russian Cultural Center, Kathmandu Nepal
Hon. Ek Nath Dhakal

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Universal Peace Federation – Nepal is proud and honored to be

one of the main supporters of the first African Film Festival in

Nepal. We congratulate the College of Journalism and Mass

Communication and its founder Dr. Manju Mishra for this

innovative initiative. We also congratulate her staff, especially

Yvonne and Catherine, along with all the other sponsors for

their encouragement and backing.

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Today we were supposed to have a bandha. But as we all know

it was called off. We are all here today!!!

There are political and economic reasons for calling off the

strike; but I also believe there are unseen reasons. One of them

is surely to allow this film festival to take place. This is a very

important occasion.

This program is not a stand-alone event; it is not merely the

showing of ten films on various aspects of African life over

three days. There is a vertical, spiritual element to this festival.

First of all, this Film Festival is connected with the United

Nations’ Africa Day celebrations observed on May 25. The

Universal Peace Federation has been asked by the Africa Union

to be the main organizers of this event in New York City, the

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headquarters of the United Nations. This is the second year in a

row that we have been given this honor. Last year the Chief

Guest at our gala event in New York was the Secretary-General

of the UN, H.E. Ban Ki-moon.

In Nepal last year we held the Africa Day celebrations at our

Peace Embassy building in Naxal. We are so happy that this

seed has spouted into the event we are holding here today. Again

congratulations to all the partners and players.

Africa Day is the annual commemoration of the 1963 founding

of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), presently

recognized as the Africa Union (AU). The African Union is

comprised of 53 member states and has brought together the

continent of Africa to collectively address the challenges it has

faces, such as armed conflict, climate change, and poverty.

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UPF will send our reports and photos from this event to New

York and this Africa Film Festival in Nepal will be seen and

read about by millions of people.

Secondly, here in Nepal we are going through a very critical

transitional period in our nation. There is something we can

learn about Africa from this film festival that can help us move

forward.

Two heroes, two Nobel Peace Prize winners, emerged out of

Africa’s struggle to end racism: Nelson Mandela and

Desmond Tutu.

Nelson Mandela was the first South African president to be

elected in a fully representative democratic election. He was the

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leader of the armed wing of the African National Congress and

overcame 28 years of unjust imprisonment and bitter

resentment. On the day of his release he declared his

commitment to peace and reconciliation. His decision to put the

nation above himself and even above his own party prevented a

bloodbath in South Africa.

Desmond Tutu headed up the Peace and Reconciliation

Commission. He had to balance justice with forgiveness. How

do you forgive without it being appeasement? How do you find

justice without it becoming retaliation or revenge? These are

hard issues; we in Nepal can learn from South Africa.

In conclusion, I want to again thank you all for coming and

making the first Africa Film Festival a grand success.

Namaste!
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