DOCUMENTARY ON HUMAN RIGHTS


According to Ms. Onyshchenko, the festival is held within the framework of the III International Festival of Documentary Films on Human Rights “Ukrainian Context”. The main goal of the event is to draw the viewer’s attention to human rights problems through the means of non-fiction cinema. The festival opened in May of this year in Kyiv. Since then, the festival has been traveling across Ukraine – in addition to Chernihiv, it will be held in Lviv, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Odessa, Mykolaiv, Kharkiv, Sumy and Simferopol.


Victoria Onyshchenko spoke about the features of this year’s festival. “The Ukrainian audience will have a unique chance to watch documentaries that have received international recognition,” said V. Onyshchenko. “The presented works have received awards at festivals in Germany, Italy, France and were even nominated for an Oscar. In total, 72 films from 22 countries of the world are presented at the festival.


In Chernihiv, the Documentary Film Days will last four days. During the first two days, schoolchildren and students of the city will be able to watch documentaries. They will not only watch the films, but also discuss problems during discussion clubs with famous public figures, journalists and human rights activists. On the third and fourth days, the festival will open its doors to all visitors. Chernihiv residents will be able to meet with the festival producer Gennady Kofman, director Mykhailo Tkachuk and other interesting people.


That the problem with human rights in Chernihiv region, as evidenced by the results of monitoring conducted by the coalition of public organizations “Chernihiv Monitoring Committee for the Protection of Human Rights”.


The work of the Monitoring Committee is carried out through

:


  • permanent operation of public reception centers (free legal assistance to citizens);

  • sending information requests to authorities;

  • systematic publication of information on the state of human rights in the region;

  • appeals regulatory and legal acts of government bodies that violate human rights;

  • developing recommendations for government bodies on ways to improve the situation with respect for human rights;

  • conducting educational, informational and civic actions aimed at


    improving the level of legal culture of citizens and overcoming problems related to


    human rights violations in the region.


The activities of the monitoring committee are carried out within the framework of the project “Monitoring the observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the Chernihiv region” with the support of the Endowment for Democracy of the US Embassy in Ukraine. With the results of research by journalists Chernihiv human rights activists Viktor Tarasov and Serhiy Burov presented the results.



Viktor Tarasov (Chernihiv Public Committee for the Protection of Human Rights) and Serhiy Burov (NGO “M’ART”) reported that according to the results of the research, the most closed to the public among the government bodies are the prosecutor’s office, the Security Service of Ukraine, and the health department of the Chernihiv Regional State Administration. The bodies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Department for Religious Affairs of the Chernihiv Regional State Administration, and the regional department of education and science comply best with the legislation on access to information.


In January 2007, the Monitoring Committee will compile a report on the results of its work. The report will be included in the national report of human rights organizations “Human Rights in Ukraine – 2006”, which is being prepared by 12 Ukrainian human rights organizations. “Preparing such a report is a traditional means of bringing to the attention of the public – both national and international – information about violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms in order to improve the situation,” emphasize the coordinators of the All-Ukrainian project “Human Rights – 2006”.


Citizens who apply to the coalition’s public reception centers most often face problems with observing socio-economic rights. These include labor rights, the right to social assistance, peaceful possession of one’s property, and a fair trial. The most common complaints from citizens are about the work of the prosecutor’s office, police, and municipal services. Many appeals concern violations of labor legislation by employers. Citizens are also concerned about the construction of playgrounds in certain areas of Chernihiv.


The participants of the press conference urged citizens not to delay in case of violation of their rights. They advise to contact human rights organizations and defend their rights. In their opinion, it is necessary to educate the authorities on the observance of human rights. Human rights activists also count on the support of the media in covering successful examples of defending human rights.


For additional information and reports on human rights violations in Chernihiv region, contact the public reception desks:



·


Chernihiv, Gorkogo St., 57 / 1; tel./fax: 625-381; e-mail:





Contact person: Viktor Tarasov



·


Chernihiv, Prospekt Myru, 21-a, room 15; tel/fax: 7-41-10; e-mail:


Contact person: Serhiy Burov




Film festival screening schedule:







26




1




session: 11.00 – 12.24

Children of Beslan, 60 min.; Little Kateryna, 24 min.;




2




session: 12.45 – 13.56

Positive Children, 26 min.; All Children Are Born Seeing, 45 min.









3






session: 14.15-15.20

Vogp Beaii, 53 min., Once upon a time, 12 min.





4





session:

15.40 – 17.01

Children from Leningrad, 35 min., Girls, 46 min.














27












October















session: 1

1.00 – 12.44

Sisters in Law, 104 min.;










2






session: 13.10 – 14.33

The community can, 36 min., Chemistry in Belarusian, 47 min.,





3




session:

15.00-16.18

Positive children, 26 min., Citizens of Beslan, 52 min.












28







of the festival:




Gennady Kofman



— festival director, director, member of the National Union




of Ukrainian Cinematographers




Mykhailo Tkachuk



– director of the film “The Mystery of the Norilsk Uprising” (Ukraine)




17.45



The Mystery of the Norilsk Uprising, 90 min.




2nd session




19.30



Positive People, 65 min.




20.35



Women’s Happiness, or Men’s Dignity, 25 min.




21.10



Larisa Bogoraz – inevitable fate, 39 min.




21.50



Circles, 24 min.








29







October







17.00 meeting with a representative of the Belarusian Association of Journalists




17.30




17.30




18.17



Freedom Jeans? Ukrainian Context, 10 min.




18.27



Eastern Song, 26 min.




2


session




19.10



Magnum Mysteria

, 50 min.


20.00



Chernobyl-2, 28 min.




3



session




20.40



Alexander Askoldov. The fate of the commissioner, 52 min.


21.35



Weightlessness, 57 min.