Kerry Kennedy, president of the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights and daughter of Robert F. Kennedy, will arrive here on Tuesday, Feb. 22, to launch, through a series of events, the global human rights initiative Speak Truth To Power.
Ms. Kennedy and Phnom Penh-based Theary Seng will join local human rights activists, academics, and dignitaries to introduce Speak Truth To Power (STTP)—a book, play, photo exhibit, and human rights curriculum — to students, teachers, and the public.
Speak Truth To Power, based on Ms. Kennedy’s book of the same name, is a multi-faceted program of the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights. Its goal is to use the experiences of courageous human rights defenders from around the world to educate students and the public on the significant struggles of our time, such as environmental activism and the fight for equality and democracy, and urge them to act.
The events in Cambodia will include an exhibit by Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Eddie Adams; the play “Speak Truth To Power: Voices from Beyond the Dark,” by Broadway playwright Ariel Dorfman (adapted from Ms. Kennedy’s book), performed by the Phnom Penh Players; and a panel discussion on global human rights issues and the role of human rights in education.
Pannasastra University of Cambodia (PUC) will host the events, which are open to the public, free admission.
Seminar: Human Rights in Education
Wednesday, 23 February 2011, 3 – 5:30 P.M.
PUC Auditorium, Norodom Blvd.
Panel discussion on the role of human rights education and opening of Speak Truth To Power Photography Exhibition. Followed by a Press Conference and Photo Exhibition.
Keynote address by Prime Minister Hun Sen or his Human Rights representative H.E. OM Yentieng (TBC)
Remarks by Kerry Kennedy, Theary Seng, U.S. Ambassador Carol Rodley, Dr. Kol Pheng, Dr. Kek Galabru and others.
Representatives from education, legal and other sectors will discuss global human rights and the role of human rights education in Cambodia.
Photography Exhibition
Wednesday, 23 February 2011 following Seminar
The exhibit features portraits of prominent human rights defenders by the late Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Eddie Adams. Launched at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., the exhibit has traveled to more than 20 U.S. cities and is currently on a global tour on four continents.
The Play: Speak Truth To Power, Voices from Beyond the Dark
Thursday, 24 February 2011, 5:00 – 7:00 P.M.
PUC Auditorium, Norodom Blvd.
“Speak Truth To Power: Voices From Beyond the Dark,” a play adapted from Kerry Kennedy’s book Speak Truth To Power by Broadway playwright Ariel Dorfman. The play has been staged in cities worldwide, including London, Madrid, Rome, Milan, Sydney and Seoul, and performed by leading actors and students throughout the world. In Cambodia, the play will be performed by the Phnom Penh Players.
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The Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice & Human Rights was founded in 1968 by Robert Kennedy’s family and friends as a living memorial to carry forward his vision of a more just and peaceful world. Today the impact of the RFK Center extends around the globe, through cutting-edge programs promoting human rights and social justice and empowering new generations of leaders.
www.rfkcenter.org
CIVICUS: Center for Cambodian Civic Education (“CIVICUS Cambodia”) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan educational, non-governmental organization registered with the Cambodian Ministry of Interior dedicated to promoting an enlightened and responsible citizenry committed to democratic principles and actively engaged in the practice of democracy and reconciliation in Cambodia and the larger, globalized world. Up to now, Cambodia has had only a society of “survivors”, not of “representatives” or “citizens”. Cambodians as survivors are either “survivor-authoritarian” if the person is in a position of power or “survivor-subject” if an average person. The principal goals of CIVICUS Cambodia are to help Cambodian citizens develop (i) an increased understanding of the institutions of Cambodian constitutional democracy and the fundamental principles and values upon which they are founded, (ii) dialogue as a norm of communication, peace-building and reconciliation, (iii) the skills necessary to participate as effective and responsible citizens, and (iv) the willingness and ease to use democratic procedures for making decisions and managing conflict. In its engagement of citizens, CIVICUS Cambodia gives a special emphasis to (i) students—from elementary to university level—and the generation born after the Khmer Rouge era, (ii) female (both girls and women) participation, and (iii) elected representatives. www.civicus-cam.org
