Burma VJ screening | Canalside Community Food

Dear Canalside,

I am writing to you because, as part of Transition Towns, I know that you hold good produce and ethical production to be very important: I work with very different “produce”. I am a member of Amnesty International, a leading worldwide organisation that deals with human rights issues. We campaign for freedom in many different countries, and the campaign that my school group is focusing on at the moment is Burma. In this case, the “produce” is democracy. The people of Burma have been ruled by a military junta for many years, and after the horrific events of 1988 and 2003, continue to call for democracy, freedom and an end to military rule. The first general elections in 20 years have been scheduled for early November, and this makes it a key time for campaigning. It is important for the international community to place pressure on the government to ensure it adheres to human rights standards it has previously flouted.

With this in mind, I am organising a screening of the film “Burma VJ” by renowned film-maker Anders Osterngaard. This film shows the events of the Saffron Revolution of 2003 through the eyes of the courageous video journalists who documented it and risked death and torture to get the footage out of Burma. It is an inspiring story which has won numerous awards. The screening at Gaia Foodstore (Leamington Spa) is scheduled for Wednesday 3rd November, from approximately 7:30 to 9:00, and I would be very grateful if you could publicise this as much as possible, and attend yourself. Snacks and chai will be available and entry to the screening is just 2 pounds. All money raised will go to Amnesty International.

Thank you for taking the time to read this,

Yours faithfully,
Amardeep Singh Dhillon (16)