On May 28, 2014, concerned citizens and activists gathered at the Mayfair Theatre for the Ottawa premiere of “Seeds of Hope” followed by a panel discussion. The evening was presented by the British High Commission in Ottawa and the International Campaign to Stop Rape & Gender Violence in Conflict ahead of the UK’s Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict in June. In this feature-length documentary, award-winning BBC/Al Jazeera filmmaker Fiona Lloyd-Davies explores how in the war-torn eastern Democratic Republic of Congo—one woman shines a beacon of hope for survivors of rape. Masika Katsuva, herself a survivor, has built a centre providing medical, practical, and psychological support which has helped over 6,000 women and children. Together, they cultivate crops of maize and beans—and share their experiences, to heal and rebuild their lives, and to plant their seeds of hope. The film was followed by a panel discussion moderated by CBC News Ottawa anchor Lucy van Oldenbarneveld and featuring filmmaker Fiona Lloyd-Davies, Senator Mobina Jaffer (Chair of the Standing Committee on Human Rights), Congolese-Canadian activist Yvette Yende-Ashiri (President, Fédération Femmes Enfants Avenir Monde) and Nobel Women’s Initiative Executive Director Liz Bernstein. Film Trailer:http://vimeo.com/74962149
Submitted by Sarah Onyango
