ISLAMABAD: Ahead of the Human Rights Day on December 10, the German embassy hosted the screening of Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy’s ‘Ho Yaqeen’, the second documentary in the UN’s ‘Human Rights Through Cinematography’ project on Sunday.

Kai Muller-Berner, head of the economic section at the embassy said:”These movies help refresh the narrative around human rights especially in the face of terror where human rights are seen as a burden. They show that human rights are universal and that everyone has some inalienable rights and dignities.”

Neil Buhne, UN Resident & Humanitarian Coordinator, said: “Talking about the universality of human rights, we must remember that Pakistan was one of the first 48 signatories to the Human Rights Declaration and today the 195-member countries of the UN have signed that Declaration.”

Vittorio Cammarota, Director of the UN Information Centre in Islamabad, said: “The film is a groundbreaking, six-part documentary series that tells the stories of the people who spearheaded efforts for a brighter Pakistan and follows them as they pursue their ideals, realise their aspirations and work for change.”

Episode 1 of the series traces the story of Sabina Khatri, founder of the Kiran School in Lyari. In many ways, Lyari is a microcosm of the various afflictions that plague Pakistan today.

Deeply divided along ethnic lines, Lyari is haunted by civil unrest, violence and cyclical poverty.

Sabina chose to tackle the root of the problem by opening a Montessori in the heart of Lyari. Today, the Kiran School serves as an oasis for children and parents. It is a place full of hope, laughter and bright futures.

Episode 4 is a story of Syeda Fatima’s crusade against bonded labour - a cruel but undeniable reality in Pakistan.

Abused, overworked and neglected, brick kiln workers in Punjab are slaves to rich exploitative kiln owners.

Fatima has dedicated her life to ensuring that bonded labourers are given equal rights and freedom. Fatima’s story is embedded with passion, unrelenting motivation and a deep sense of empathy.

Facing threats to her life, Fatima continues to wage war against modern day slavery, an evil that many pretend does not even exist.

Episode 5 takes viewers to the Thar Desert where Ali Akbar is fighting for access to drinking water.

The desert is known for its harsh living conditions where the unrelenting terrain and extreme weather are coupled with limited access to basic resources.

People have to walk for miles under the scorching sun to bring back water in containers for consumption, much of which is contaminated with fluoride which has led to cases of dental and skeletal fluorosis and paralysis.

Ali Akbar, who is from Thar, is working to change this situation so that locals can have access to drinking water.

Evocative and inspiring, each of the three episodes showed change makers, individuals who have taken on societal problem as a personal crusade.

Published in Dawn, December 7th, 2015