bangkit.net

11am to 8pm
Central Market Annexe, 3rd Floor
Kuala Lumpur

Join us for a day of joyous dance, song, music and food as we celebrate the lives of labourers, migrants and refugees in Malaysia! Listen to their stories, look at their photos, taste their traditional food, and see cultural performances from Burma, Nepal and the Philippines. Watch documentaries about the lives of migrants and refugees. See what you can do to protect and help migrants and refugees in Malaysia.

FREE ADMISSION!
Come join in the fun!

*This programme is organised by the Migration Working Group in conjunction with 50:44, a coalition of civil society groups celebrating the 50th year of the Independence of Malaya and the 44th year of the Federation of Malaysia (see: www.50-44.org)

PROGRAMME

11am - 8pm “Photo Exhibition: Fleeing Persecution, Seeking Refuge” (Gallery A)

Burned villages, forced labour, wounds from a land-mine explosion, hiding in the jungles… fleeing to Malaysia… struggling with memories, missing family, afraid of getting arrested, whipped, deported and handed to smugglers at the border, unable to go to school…

Through their own photos, ethnic minorities from Burma tell about their lives at home, why they fled, and the struggles they face while living in Malaysia.

11am - 8pm A World Without Strangers: Support Migrants and Refugees in Malaysia (Gallery A)

Talk to Malaysian activists and trade unionists about the urgent issues faced by migrants and refugees Malaysia. Find out what we are doing, and see how you can be a part of protecting and assisting migrant and refugees in our borders.

11am - 3pm Food Tasting and Handicraft (Gallery A)

Come and taste traditional food and sweets from other countries; see if any handicraft catches your eye.

Documentary and Film Screenings (Gallery C)

11am - 12pm “Breaking Labour”

Malaysia’s rapid economic growth in recent decades has spawned an unbridled recruitment of migrant workers numbering up to three million. This documentary film traces the migrant workers who suffered in detention camps in Malaysia and tells the stories of those who are still struggling in Malaysia seeking for justice. It reveals the dreams of potential migrant workers and their hopes for a better life. It chronicles the quest for survival in and out of detention camps of migrant workers from Bangladesh, India, and Indonesia.

The screening of this documentary is followed by a short discussion facilitated by Tenaganita.

1pm -2pm “Shoot on Sight: The Ongoing SPDC offensive against villagers in northern Karen State, Burma”

This documentary details the horrendous situation that villagers in northern Karen State, Burma are facing and includes testimonies from villagers and prison porters affected by this offensive and information on the offensive, reasons behind the attacks and focuses on the impacts that this campaign has on the grassroots people.

The screening of this documentary is followed by a short discussion with refugees facilitated by Amnesty International Malaysia.

5pm -7pm “Shooting Dogs”

Joe Connor has come to teach in Rwanda because he believes he can make a difference. When the school becomes a haven for thousands of Rwandans fleeing the genocide, Joe promises his brightest pupil, Marie, that the UN soldiers will protect her from the hordes of extremist militia baying for blood outside the school. But when the UN abandon the refugees, Joe and the school’s headmaster, Father Christopher, face an agonizing dilemma: should they leave or should they stand firm with the Rwandans.

Run Time: 115 Minutes
Cast: Claire-Hope Ashley, Hugh Dancy, Dominique Horwitz, John Hurt, Susan Nalwoga, Steve Toussaint
Director: Michael Caton-Jones

6pm - 7pm Light Snacks (Gallery A)

Songs from Afar: A Celebration of Culture (Gallery B)

A distant moon, birds soaring to new lands, the thrill of newfound love, broken hearts, the opening of new horizons…

Come for a series of performances by ethnic groups from other countries, who share about their lives and cultures through songs and dances from their homelands. Let them tell you of their origins, their loves, hopes and dreams.

Performance times:
12pm - 1pm

2pm - 3pm

4pm - 5pm

7pm - 8pm

50:44 Malaysia Merdeka - Remembering the people that built this nation

Come and join us in a celebration of everyday people, people like you and I! People that have helped built this nation for the past 50 years since Independence and 44 years since we became Malaysia.

This celebration that is happening from 6th-16th September (Malaysia Day!) will bring together people from all parts of Malaysia including Sabah and Sarawak and friends from outside of Klang Valley! Civil society organizations together with communities are joining hands to celebrate your struggles and your forgotten stories with 10 days of
forums, conference, road shows, workshops, theatre, gatherings, parties, films, books, exhibitions and more!

Come and celebrate YOU!

We are launching the 10 Days Celebration on August 4th, Saturday from 9am to 11 am at Central Market Annexe, Third Floor. We will be premiering a video on the hidden markers in Malaysian history as well as getting people who have been through those events to share with us their true stories.

Come and see for yourself a taste of what is to come for that 10 power packed days!

A coalition of CSOs interested in supporting the celebration has already been formed. We hope that more NGOs will join this coalition. Contact us for more details!