SOCIAL MOVEMENTS FEATURED

Venezuela | Brazil | Bolivia | Kenya | Tanzania

Kenya

Kenya was selected because (until recently) it was considered the most "stable" of African countries. Its capital, Nairobi, is one of the most prominent cities in Africa and home to several international companies and organizations. Government and business leaders have become adept at presenting a pro-business front to the global community.

To film, we timed our travel to coincide with the World Social Forum in January 2007 and learned of the deep-seated problems lurking underneath the surface.

A former British colony, Kenya's evolution has been marked by race and land issues. After the Presidential election in December 2008, the country's unrest became evident when rioting broke out in the streets. Currently, the country is going through its worst drought in over a decade with over 4 million Kenyans at the point of starvation.

We were introduced land issues through the Kenya Land Alliance and Action Aid Kenya. Featured in the film are community members of:

Namuncha Maasai Community Group who are pastoralists and as such are not recognized as land-holders.

The people of Yala Swamp who have had their lands and livelihoods devastated by the American company, Dominion Group, which was allowed to build a rice farm in a wetlands area as part of a Structural Adjustment Program.

Kenya is one of the largest producers of tea, which is also their #1 export. We spoke with tea pluckers who had to sneak off the company property in order to tell the truth about their working conditions.

Through Silvano Borruso, a Georgist in Kenya, we were introduced to the people living in Kibera, the largest slum in East Africa, who are part of a community organized group known as STAWI.

Stawi - Since we met this group, friends and family of Cinema Libre Studio, have been contributing to their Orphan and Vulnerbale Children's (OVC) feeding program; started a micro-loan program and are developing a decorative pillow-making cooperative.