http://news.linktv.org Link TV News Videos (Filtered by topics: Nonviolence) en-us Fri, 15 Mar 2013 11:25:00 -0700 Copyright 2011 Link Media, Inc. http://news.linktv.org/videos/syrian-opposition-activist-arming-rebels-not-the-answer?start=0 Today marks the second anniversary of the uprising against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a conflict that has killed more than 70,000 people and created at least 1 million refugees. We're joined by Rim Turkmani, an astrophysicist and member of the Syrian Civil Democratic Alliance who's in New York meeting with Security Council members discussing possible political solutions to the situation in Syria. Turkmani warns that Syrian voices for non-violence are being ignored as foreign actors on both sides of the conflict fuel an armed conflict. "There is a systematic effort to marginalize people like us inside Syria and focus only on the armed rebels -- they are the ones stealing all the headlines," Turkmani says. "Why? Because yes, there are certain actors, regional and international, who see this as a proxy war and as an opportunity to fight their international opponents. It's a struggle over Syria, over power, and the Syrians are falling victim to that." <br /> Fri, 15 Mar 2013 11:25:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/syrian-opposition-activist-arming-rebels-not-the-answer Syrian Civil War, Syria, Proxy war, UN Security Council, Bashar al-Assad, Nonviolence, Syrian conflict peace proposals , Rim Turkmani, Syrian people, François Hollande Today marks the second anniversary of the uprising against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a conflict that has killed more than 70,000 people and created at least 1 million refugees. We're joined by Rim Turkmani, an astrophysicist and member of the Syrian Civil Democratic Alliance who's in New York meeting with Security Council members discussing possible political solutions to the situation in Syria. Turkmani warns that Syrian voices for non-violence are being ignored as foreign actors on both sides of the conflict fuel an armed conflict. "There is a systematic effort to marginalize people like us inside Syria and focus only on the armed rebels -- they are the ones stealing all the headlines," Turkmani says. "Why? Because yes, there are certain actors, regional and international, who see this as a proxy war and as an opportunity to fight their international opponents. It's a struggle over Syria, over power, and the Syrians are falling victim to that." http://news.linktv.org/videos/united-by-grief-israeli-and-palestinian-fathers-call-for-non-violent-intifada?start=0 As protests grow in the West Bank over the death of a Palestinian inside an Israeli prison, we speak to a pair of Israeli and Palestinian fathers who've responded to personal tragedies with activism for peace. Bassam Aramin and Rami Elhanan united after the killings of their daughters -- Aramin's at the hands of an Israeli officer and Elhanan's in a Palestinian suicide bombing. Once dedicated fighters for their respective causes, they have since renounced violence and become leading voices for peace. Their stories are told in the new documentary film, "Within the Eye of the Storm." With talk of a third intifada potentially breaking out in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Aramin and Elhanan join us to discuss their shared journey and why they believe both Israelis and Palestinians should join a nonviolent uprising against the Israeli occupation. <br /> Tue, 26 Feb 2013 10:28:00 -0800 http://news.linktv.org/videos/united-by-grief-israeli-and-palestinian-fathers-call-for-non-violent-intifada West Bank, Nonviolence, Israeli–Palestinian conflict, Israel, Third Intifada, Israeli-occupied territories, Palestinians, Palestinian prisoners in Israel, Civilian casualties, Palestinian territories As protests grow in the West Bank over the death of a Palestinian inside an Israeli prison, we speak to a pair of Israeli and Palestinian fathers who've responded to personal tragedies with activism for peace. Bassam Aramin and Rami Elhanan united after the killings of their daughters -- Aramin's at the hands of an Israeli officer and Elhanan's in a Palestinian suicide bombing. Once dedicated fighters for their respective causes, they have since renounced violence and become leading voices for peace. Their stories are told in the new documentary film, "Within the Eye of the Storm." With talk of a third intifada potentially breaking out in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Aramin and Elhanan join us to discuss their shared journey and why they believe both Israelis and Palestinians should join a nonviolent uprising against the Israeli occupation. http://news.linktv.org/videos/democracy-now-june-8-2012?start=2850 Bradley Manning appears at a pretrial hearing in a military court ahead of his September trial, as a new book documents his trajectory from a difficult childhood to his current predicament. And more from the Democracy Now! interview with the filmmakers behind "Five Broken Cameras," a new documentary that tells the story of a West Bank village's resistance to the Israeli separation barrier. Plus headlines, and more.<br /> Fri, 08 Jun 2012 12:05:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/democracy-now-june-8-2012 Bradley Manning, WikiLeaks, Whistleblower, United States v. Bradley Manning, United States, Court-martial, Trial, Military justice, 2012 al-Qubair massacre, Bil'in The new documentary film, "Five Broken Cameras," tells the story of Palestinian farmer Emad Burnat, who got his first video camera to film his son growing up, but he went on to document the residents of his village Bil'in resisting the Israeli separation wall. Over the course of the film, one camera after another is smashed or shot as Burnat films his village's resistance movement. Focused largely on the experience of Burnat and his family, the film explores the intersection of their life with Palestinian and Israeli politics. Emad Burnat and the film's co-director, Israeli filmmaker Guy Davidi, join us for part two of our look at the film. Click here to watch part one of the interview. On Thursday, we first told you about a new film that tells the story of a Palestinian farmer, his wife and four small children in the West Bank village of Bil'in. Emad Burnat got a video camera in 2005 when his youngest son, Gibreel, was born. At the same time, the Israeli army began building a separation wall between Bil'in and a nearby Israeli settlement, cutting off residents from the olive tree groves that were their livelihood. Burnat turned his camera on his fellow villagers as they responded with nonviolent protests, including marches to the wall every Friday. The result is 5 Broken Cameras, a prize-winning documentary by Burnat and his Israeli co-director, Guy Davidi. Today, they join us for part two of our look at the film. But first, this is a clip narrated by Emad Burnat. An 11-year-old boy is killed in Nil'in. Snipers shot him near his home. Immediately after the funeral, a 17-year-old boy is also killed. Clinging to nonviolent ideals isn't easy when death is all around. Emad Burnat, narrating an excerpt from his new film called 5 Broken Cameras. Focused largely on the experience of Emad Burnat and his family, the film explores the intersection of their life with Palestinian and Israeli politics. When I film, I feel like the camera protects me. But it's an illusion. I film my brother Khaled's arrest. My mother and father try to stop the jeep. I keep thinking, "What should I do?" I have to believe that capturing these images will have some meaning. An excerpt from the documentary 5 Broken Cameras. During the course of the film, one camera after another is smashed or shot, as Emad Burnat films his village's resistance movement, by Israeli soldiers or settlers. With each camera, a part of his story unfolds. Well, Emad Burnat is here in the United States for the opening of his film, from Bil'in in the West Bank, along with his partner on the film and co-director, Israeli filmmaker Guy Davidi. 5 Broken Cameras is winning awards around the world, is in theaters now. It's playing here in New York at the Film Forum through June 12th, which will host a Q & A with the filmmakers after tonight's 6:30 screening. We welcome you both to Democracy Now! There's so much to talk about in this film, which is why we brought you back. Emad, that last clip that we just played, you are filming your brother being arrested, your parents throwing themselves at the truck and pleading with the Israeli soldiers, yet you are just behind this camera. Yeah, I was filming at the same moment, and I saw my brother get arrested, and I saw my mother and my father trying to block the jeep and to stop to take out my brother from the jeep. But I said, I cannot do nothing, just to keep filming, because to keep filming is—the camera is a very important witness. And I thought that maybe I can help him with this footage, to protect him or to protect my family or to use the footage in the court. And at times like that, when no matter what's going around, happening around you, you're fixated on that camera, the sense that you have of your role there at that point? Yeah, I think I was always connected to the camera. The camera became my friend. So I thought that I have to keep filming, even when my brother arrest or my friend arrest or—so, it's very important. And yet, you started by filming—you got this camera to film your youngest son being born and growing up. Yeah, I got the camera at the same time when the struggle started in my village. So I thought that I have to film the resistance in my village and to be part in this with my camera, and to film my family and my son growing up and watching what's going on outside. Well, at one point in the film, Israeli police come to your house at night. Your sons answer the door with you. Let's go to that clip. Open up! Now it's my turn. I take the camera to protect myself. I ask you to stop filming. I can film in my own house. Show me your ID. Get my ID. What's the matter? This is a Closed Military Zone. "The military has declared this area a Closed Military Zone. Anyone found in a Closed Military Zone must evacuate the area at once. No one can enter or remain on the premises." You are now in violation of that order. I ask you to stop filming. I am a journalist. I can film. This is a Closed Military Zone. Stop filming. Put down the camera. I am a journalist, and I'm in my own home. Put down the camera. That is an order. Turn the lens to the wall. Give it to your son. He can put it down. Emad, the police interrogated you, accused you of throwing rocks, and arrested you. They put you under house arrest. Talk about this and about how the soldiers reacted to you. Yeah, the soldiers, they were always trying to stop me, by shoot my camera or shoot me. And I've been arrested twice. They came to my house, and they arrested me. And they told me—so I was filming in the same time to protect myself, because I thought—I felt that the camera protecting me. And yeah, I was arrested, because they want me to stop filming. And I was in house, arrested outside my house, outside the village. They want me to be outside and far from the village. So, they use many ways to— So, how long were you held when you were imprisoned? I was in prison for about 20 days in bad conditions. And I was outside the house, outside the village. You were deported. Yeah, I was deported outside the village for 45 days. It's not only the political situation that was a lot of pressure; inside your house there was pressure. Your camera is always on, whether you're filming the family or demonstrations against the separation wall. I want to ask you about your wife's reaction to all that was happening. This is a clip from near the end of 5 Broken Cameras. What did they say? They said they were going to arrest me again tonight. What will you do? What can I do? See what's happening to us because of your filming! Now they're taking you. You never know what they're up to. If they take you, what will we do, the kids and I? You saw what they did to you before. But you never learn! I've told you to stop a thousand times! Stay home with your kids and find something else to do! Why didn't you? Why, Emad? If they come, what will we do? What will I do? And the kids? It happened once, twice. I can't take it a third time. Stop! Enough with the filming! I am so tired. Stop with the filming! Your wife, Emad. Yet, you didn't, and you filmed through these years, from when your baby was zero to right through to when he was five years old. We watch him grow up, and we watch this movement against the separation wall and the occupation grow up, including the killing of people you know. Yeah, actually, in the beginning, I started filming, and it was normal, and everything was OK. But when my first camera was broken and I was injured few times, so my wife started to be worried about me. So I've been to jail, and I was far from the house, from the kids. And they were suffering without me, far. And she just—when I came, she want me just to be safe and to stop filming. Guy? Yeah, Guy Davidi, I wanted to ask you—this whole concept of this Closed Military Zone, where people are not even allowed to film inside their own homes, is this generally known in the rest of Israeli society that these kinds of conditions are prevalent on the West Bank? You know, it's not because that I'm an Israeli that I can access to why people decide to do this decision, you know? This is a—this is reality when the relations between people are completely influenced by violence and by fear and paranoia. This is part of what Palestinians experience that's coming from our paranoia, from Jewish cultural traumas and the sense of being the ultimate victims. Well, we're going to leave it there. The film is called 5 Broken Cameras, and it's beginning to air around the United States and around the world. I want to thank Guy Davidi and Emad Burnat for joining us. http://news.linktv.org/videos/democracy-now-june-7-2012?start=2830 Dozens of New York lawmakers and several advocacy groups are convening on Capitol Hill today to call on the Justice Department to investigate the NYPD's controversial "stop-and-frisk" policies. Eight American Muslims from New Jersey have filed a federal lawsuit calling on the NYPD to stop its intelligence-gathering program that targets Muslim and Arab communities. And we discuss the award-winning new documentary, "Five Broken Cameras," which tells the story of a Palestinian farmer who got a video camera to record his son's childhood, but ended up documenting the growth of the resistance movement to the Israeli separation wall in the West Bank village of Bil'in. Plus headlines, and more. Thu, 07 Jun 2012 10:43:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/democracy-now-june-7-2012 NYPD, New York City stop-and-frisk program, New York City, Michael Bloomberg, US Department of Justice, African American, Hispanic and Latino Americans, Bil'in, Syria, United States The award-winning new documentary, "Five Broken Cameras," tells the story of a Palestinian farmer who got a video camera to record his son's childhood, but ended up documenting the growth of the resistance movement to the Israeli separation wall in the West Bank village of Bil'in. The film shows the non-violent tactics used by residents of Bil'in as they join with international and Israeli activists to protest the wall's construction and confront Israeli soldiers. We speak with the film's directors Emad Burnat, a Palestinian, and Guy Davidi, an Israeli. http://news.linktv.org/videos/mosaic-news-110311?start=346 <p>Pro-democracy activists in Bahrain stage "Flood Manama 3", "Freedom Waves" flotilla sets sail to besieged Gaza, Libya continues to face medical shortages, and more.</p> Thu, 03 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/mosaic-news-110311 Israel, Iran, Protest, Military strike, 2011 Libyan Uprising, Libya, Nuclear program of Iran, Gaza, Israel Defense Forces, Civilian casualties Israel says it is getting ready to intercept a Gaza-bound aid flotilla which has set sail from Turkey. Hamas meanwhile has denounced that threat, calling it Israel's official piracy. Activists say the Canadian and Irish boats are carrying 27 people including journalists and crew members along with 3,000 dollars worth of medicine. The activists say they did not publicize their action which is called the Freedom Waves to Gaza, to prevent Israel from stopping it. They say they are unarmed and will defend the flotilla through non-violent means. http://news.linktv.org/videos/mosaic-news-090711?start=532 Syria snubs head of Arab League while security forces launch fresh assault on Homs, Gaddafi's disappearance fuels speculation about his whereabouts, US appeals to Palestinian Authority to abandon UN statehood bid, and more.<br /> Wed, 07 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/mosaic-news-090711 Protest, Syrian Civil War, Israel, Syria, Bashar al-Assad, Pakistan, Bomb, Civilian casualties, Saudi Arabia, 2011 Libyan Uprising Presenter, Male #1 A Syrian revolutionary website published an online manual to help the peaceful protestors face the security campaigns against them during their demonstrations. More specifically, the guidebook gives lessons for non-violent protests. Omar Harguz reports. Reporter, Male #2 "A Syrian Protestor's Guide for Effective and Successful Demonstrations: Dear Syrian protestor, do not let them win the peaceful battle over you, you are the perpetual winner of non-violence." This is a guidebook published online by the Ahrar Syria Association in cooperation with the Syrian website Mondas. It gives guidelines to protestors for the best ways to make masks that protect them from tear-gas. The guidebook advises protestors to maintain the peaceful nature of the revolution in all of their actions, especially in direct confrontations. In addition, it suggests that protestors wear thick clothing to ease the pain of beatings and running shoes so they can easily escape during clashes. The guidebook also requests that protestors not carry any notebooks or documents with information of their friends and acquaintances, especially those who participate in the movements, or passwords for their online accounts. The guidebook suggests a number of ways for the Syrian youth to gather and rally, as well as quick evacuation routes through side streets. The guidebook calls on protestors not to vandalize public property, and not to use or carry any form of weapon in order to preserve the peacefulness of the revolution. However, while the guidebook contains numerous suggestions for how protestors can defend themselves if they are subject to assaults from the shabeha, it does not provide any advice for what to do when they are subject to gunfire, rocket-propelled grenades, or nail bombs, which is happening right now in several Syrian cities. http://news.linktv.org/videos/julia-bacha-pay-attention-to-non-violence?start=0 In 2003, the Palestinian village of Budrus mounted a 10-month protest to stop a barrier being built across their land, but coverage of the protest was limited. Brazilian filmmaker Julia Bacha asks why we only pay attention to violence in the Israel-Palestine conflict. Fri, 02 Sep 2011 17:19:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/julia-bacha-pay-attention-to-non-violence Israeli–Palestinian conflict, Nonviolence, Budrus, Israeli West Bank barrier, Palestinians, West Bank, Jerusalem, Israel, Separation barrier, Julia Bacha In 2003, the Palestinian village of Budrus mounted a 10-month-long, non-violent protest to stop a barrier being built across their olive groves. Did you hear about it? Probably not. Brazilian filmmaker Julia Bacha asks why we only pay attention to violence in the Israel-Palestine conflict -- and not to the nonviolent leaders who may one day bring peace. ---- I'm a filmmaker. For the last 8 years, I have dedicated my life to documenting the work of Israelis and Palestinians who are trying to end the conflict using peaceful means. When I travel with my work across Europe and the United States, one question always comes up: Where is the Palestinian Gandhi? Why aren't Palestinians using nonviolent resistance? The challenge I face when I hear this question is that often I have just returned from the Middle East where I spent my time filming dozens of Palestinians who are using nonviolence to defend their lands and water resources from Israeli soldiers and settlers. These leaders are trying to forge a massive national nonviolent movement to end the occupation and build peace in the region. Yet, most of you have probably never heard about them. This divide between what's happening on the ground and perceptions abroad is one of the key reasons why we don't have yet a Palestinian peaceful resistance movement that has been successful. So I'm here today to talk about the power of attention, the power of your attention, and the emergence and development of nonviolent movements in the West Bank, Gaza and elsewhere -- but today, my case study is going to be Palestine. I believe that what's mostly missing for nonviolence to grow is not for Palestinians to start adopting nonviolence, but for us to start paying attention to those who already are. Allow me to illustrate this point by taking you to this village called Budrus. About seven years ago, they faced extinction, because Israel announced it would build a separation barrier, and part of this barrier would be built on top of the village. They would lose 40 percent of their land and be surrounded, so they would lose free access to the rest of the West Bank. Through inspired local leadership, they launched a peaceful resistance campaign to stop that from happening. Let me show you some brief clips, so you have a sense for what that actually looked like on the ground. (Music) Palestinian Woman: We were told the wall would separate Palestine from Israel. Here in Budrus, we realized the wall would steal our land. Israeli Man: The fence has, in fact, created a solution to terror. Man: Today you're invited to a peaceful march. You are joined by dozens of your Israeli brothers and sisters. Israeli Activist: Nothing scares the army more than nonviolent opposition. Woman: We saw the men trying to push the soldiers, but none of them could do that. But I think the girls could do it. Fatah Party Member: We must empty our minds of traditional thinking. Hamas Party Member: We were in complete harmony, and we wanted to spread it to all of Palestine. Chanting: One united nation. Fatah, Hamas and the Popular Front! News Anchor: The clashes over the fence continue. Reporter: Israeli border police were sent to disperse the crowd. They were allowed to use any force necessary. (Gunshots) Man: These are live bullets. It's like Fallujah. Shooting everywhere. Israeli Activist: I was sure we were going to die. But there were others around me who weren't even cowering. Israeli Soldier: A nonviolent protest is not going to stop the [unclear]. Protester: This is a peaceful march. There is no need to use violence. Chanting: We can do it. We can do it. We can do it! Julia Bacha: When I first heard about the story of Budrus, I was surprised that the international media had failed to cover the extraordinary set of events that happened seven years ago, in 2003. What was even more surprising was the fact that Budrus was successful. The residents, after 10 months of peaceful resistance, convinced the Israeli government to move the route of the barrier off their lands and to the green line, which is the internationally recognized boundary between Israel and the Palestinian Territories. The resistance in Budrus has since spread to villages across the West Bank and to Palestinian neighborhoods in Jerusalem. Yet the media remains mostly silent on these stories. This silence carries profound consequences for the likelihood that nonviolence can grow, or even survive, in Palestine. Violent resistance and nonviolent resistance share one very important thing in common; they are both a form of theater seeking an audience to their cause. If violent actors are the only ones constantly getting front-page covers and attracting international attention to the Palestinian issue, it becomes very hard for nonviolent leaders to make the case to their communities that civil disobedience is a viable option in addressing their plight. The power of attention is probably going to come as no surprise to the parents in the room. The surest way to make your child throw increasingly louder tantrums is by giving him attention the first time he throws a fit. The tantrum will become what childhood psychologists call a functional behavior, since the child has learned that he can get parental attention out of it. Parents can incentivize or disincentivize behavior simply by giving or withdrawing attention to their children. But that's true for adults too. In fact, the behavior of entire communities and countries can be influenced, depending on where the international community chooses to focus its attention. I believe that at the core of ending the conflict in the Middle East and bringing peace is for us to transform nonviolence into a functional behavior by giving a lot more attention to the nonviolent leaders on the ground today. In the course of taking my film to villages in the West Bank and in Gaza and in East Jerusalem, I have seen the impact that even one documentary film can have in influencing the transformation. In a village called Wallajeh, which sits very close to Jerusalem, the community was facing a very similar plight to Budrus. They were going to be surrounded, lose a lot of their lands and not have freedom of access, either to the West Bank or Jerusalem. They had been using nonviolence for about two years, but had grown disenchanted since nobody was paying attention. So we organized a screening. A week later, they held the most well-attended and disciplined demonstration to date. The organizers say that the villagers, upon seeing the story of Budrus documented in a film, felt that there were indeed people following what they were doing, that people cared. So they kept on going. On the Israeli side, there is a new peace movement called Solidariot, which means solidarity in Hebrew. The leaders of this movement have been using Budrus as one of their primary recruiting tools. They report that Israelis who had never been active before, upon seeing the film, understand the power of nonviolence and start joining their activities. The example of Wallajeh and the Solidariot movement show that even a small-budget independent film can play a roll in transforming nonviolence into a functional behavior. Now imagine the power that big media players could have if they started covering the weekly nonviolent demonstrations happening in villages like Bil'in, Ni'lin, Wallajeh, in Jerusalem neighborhoods like Sheikh Jarrah and Silwan -- the nonviolent leaders would become more visible, valued and effective in their work. I believe that the most important thing is to understand that if we don't pay attention to these efforts, they are invisible, and it's as if they never happened. But I have seen first hand that if we do, they will multiply. If they multiply, their influence will grow in the overall Israeli-Palestinian conflict. And theirs is the kind of influence that can finally unblock the situation. These leaders have proven that nonviolence works in places like Budrus. Let's give them attention so they can prove it works everywhere. Thank you. http://news.linktv.org/videos/mosaic-news-071411-world-news-from-the-middle-east?start=1149 Afghan civilian death toll hits record high, Syrian security crackdown targets artists and intellectuals, the Yemeni people accuse Saudi Arabia of sowing chaos in their country, and more.<br /> Thu, 14 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0700 http://news.linktv.org/videos/mosaic-news-071411-world-news-from-the-middle-east Syria, UN General Assembly, Sudan, Israel, Syrian Civil War, Damascus, Deir az-Zour, Afghanistan, Yemen, Bahrain The contentious boycott is creating waves in the international community. The European Union has expressed concern over the possible ramifications of the legislation. A spokesman for EU Foreign Policy Chief, Catherine Ashton, said that while the EU recognizes Israel's sovereignty in the legislative process, it raises concern over the effect that this bill may have on the freedom of Israeli citizens and organizations to express non violent political opinions. The EU will continue to discuss the matter with Israeli authorities. Similar comments were expressed by the US State Department.