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Ammon News - AMMONNEWS – The Arab Youth Forum, entitled Change Makers and set to continue until December 8, was held on the sidelines of the second Karama Human Rights Film Festival 2011 today. The three-day Forum will be attended by a large number of international keynote speakers and Arab youth from across the region. The first day of the Forum saw the presentation of topics such as: The Power of Social Media by Dr. Rasha Abdulla; The Power of The Documentary by director Youssef Al-Deek; The Power of Written Journalism and The Limits of Freedom of Expression and Its Regulations in the Region by Sayed Mahmoud. It also showcased real stories from the field by Arab youth from Egypt, Yemen, Tunisia, Palestine, Jordan, Bahrain and Lebanon.

The second day of the Forum will cover several topics which include a discussion session on Democratization of the Media by Osama Al Zain; The Importance of Professional Career Documentation and a presentation covering exclusive news conducted by BBC’s Samir Farah; The Power of People’s Stories by Damian Clarke of Al Jazeera International; A Summary of Enacted Laws and Individuals’ Awareness in that Regard by Legal Aid Founder Samar Muharib; and Capacity Building by Abla Amawi, the UNDP’s Director of Capacity Building Programs. Additionally, a presentation on films from an Egyptian and Arab historical perspective will be delivered by Film Director Khairy Bishara, highlighting the importance of film in creating change. Workshops entitled The Art of Press Release Writing and Between Accuracy and Speed, Citizen Journalism, will also be conducted by Saad Hattar. On its third day, the Forum will discuss future plans and introduce a project that outlines methods of documenting past and future events in the Arab World.

Karama’s other parallel activities will include a seminar on December 8 entitled Right to Life and the Arab Spring: Prospects for Abolition of the Death Penalty, in collaboration with Penal Reform International. On December 10, two French seminars entitled 1789, Official Birth of Human Rights and The International Protection of Human Rights will be held in collaboration with the Institut Français in Jordan.

The second Karama Human Rights Film Festival 2011, which is organized and partly funded by Ma3mal 612 Think Factory, is held in partnership with the Royal Cultural Center (RCC) and in collaboration with Jordan’s Ministry of Culture. It is supported by a number of UN organizations, embassies’ cultural centers, local organizations and private sector companies. The Festival showcases a varied set of local, regional and international human rights films focused on a wide range of issues, with the attendance of a large number of well-known actors and directors on a daily basis and until December 10, designated as International Human Rights Day. All festival screenings and events are open to the public.