In an unprecedented collaboration –The Real Aid Campaign in association with the world’s largest organisation of media professionals - The International Federation of Journalists are co-presenting a landmark documentary film, Disparity, in what sets out to become the World's Biggest Film Screening. IFJ national affiliates, who represent 600,000 media professionals in more than 140 countries, will be invited to host screenings of the film during this historic 24-hour world premiere event across all the time zones from 17th October, 2019, The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.
The World’s Biggest Film Screening-
On the eve of the UN General Assembly campaigners have issued an urgent call for world leaders to tackle one of the greatest threats facing the world - inequality. From Sydney to Washington celebrity activists,Nobel Laureates will join the call for action to tackle the systemic disparity which blights the world. Activists, students and civil society groups will be invited to co-host events, along with global influencers; opinion formers, cultural icons, bloggers & vloggers who will sharing this vital message on social media.
In Disparity film activist Renu Mehta exposes the reality behind the $150bn foreign aid industry. With narration by Sir Ben Kingsley, led by 8 Nobel laureates, an all-star cast from all continents dispel the mistakenly held beliefs about foreign aid.Disparity will bypass the traditional film industry to be available for free viewing and sharing, initially in 6 languages on the Tiger Tim media YouTube channel to enable as many people as possible to send a message demanding more inclusive, human-centred and progressive foreign aid policies and greater press freedoms.
Mehta said ‘Giving to global charities is great but it’s not enough, if people want to fix the structural problems of rampant inequality and poverty that ravage more than half of the world's populations people should watch and share this film and act. So, I am urging those who care to spare 100 minutes away from their box sets, reality tv shows and gaming consolesto watch a film not only about our human counterparts but our very own future. For those who can’t afford a streaming service you simply need internet access to speak out - to help change the destinies of those trapped in poverty. Anyone anywhere who creates a Disparity view on YouTube will be taking a stand.’
The campaign will launch the IFJ Development Portal; by sharing empirical data, story leads, case studies and more on one portal, journalists can play a key role in helping to build a more convincing case and a stronger call for aid policy reform.
IFJ Deputy General Secretary Jeremy Dear said ‘Media at its best exposes fraud, challenges beliefs and brings about change. Nowhere is such an analysis more vital than in the field of development. Billions are poured in to aid yet globally disparity and poverty are on the rise. Independent media reporting is the gateway to democracy; intrepid journalists who uncover aid injustices and inequalities are at the forefront of driving accountability and progressive policy reform and we want to work as part of this campaign to encourage more investigations, more scrutiny and more social justice’
But this is about more than a film. The premiere marks the launch of the Real Aid Campaign which is actively transforming aid policies to deliver more aid more directly through frontline organisations. If enough citizens form a critical mass around the world, their voice CAN force governments to respond, leading to sweeping and systemic changes in aid policy.
The Campaign will launch new initiatives on the 17th of every month to tie in to and build support for the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) framework. HE Jose Ramos Horta, Nobel Peace Laureate is co-chairing the Campaign.
Mehta said ‘These bold journalists who I believe are the unsung heroes of development, are speaking out and standing up for justice are at the nexus of democratic reform. So it’s important to recognise that by protecting media freedoms we are enabling the journalists to advance all freedoms for all peoples. I am therefore extremely excited by what this IFJ global partnership with Real Aid can achieve towards informing and energising our global citizenry.’
CONTACTS
For interview requests with Real Campaign Founder Renu Mehta and HE Jose Ramos Horta or any comments:
Paul Hetherington, Real Aid Rapporteur, Email [email protected]+ 44 207 791 1717, + 44 7732158128 (mobile)
For interview request with film premiere event co-organiser and IFJ spokesperson
Jeremy Dear, IFJ Deputy General Secretary, Email: [email protected] +32 2 235 22 15, +32 479 07 71 94 (mobile)
‘Real Aid’ is a global campaign to advance the MM Aid Model; a proven, working and scalable Model to improve the quality of, and increase the quantity of international development aid. Pioneered by Nobel Laureate Economist Sir James Mirrlees and Fortune Forum charity founder Renu Mehta the MM Model has the potential to unleash $100bn of REAL AID annually when taken up by the richer target nations.
The UK Government led the way in adopting and adapting the MM Aid Model’s core ideas delivering over £250m of Real Aid funds via their flagship UK Aid Match to ‘on the ground’ organisations, improving over 100m lives around the globe.www.real-aid.org
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) supports journalists and their unions whenever they are fighting for their industrial and professional rights and has established an International Safety Fund to provide humanitarian aid for journalists in need.
The IFJ, the world’s largest organisation of journalists, represents 600,000 media professionals from 187 trade unions and associations in more than 140 countries. Established in 1926, the IFJ is the organisation that speaks for journalists within the United Nations system and within the international trade union movement. www.ifj.org
Disparity Film features comments and interviews with-
Prof. Abhijit Banerjee, Poverty Action Lab MIT, Prof. Noam Chomsky, Prof. of Linguistics and Philosophy, MIT, Sir Paul Collier, The University of Oxford, Amir Dossal, Former UNOP Director, Global Partnerships Forum Chair, Dr. Ian Goldin, Prof. of Globalisation and Development, Oxford University, Dr. José Ramos-Horta, Nobel Peace Laureate, Dr. Mo Ibrahim, Tech Billionaire & Philanthropist, Tawakkol Karman, Nobel Peace laureate, Kerry Kennedy, President, Robert F Kennedy Human Rights Activists, Sir Ben Kingsley, Oscar winning Actor (Narration), FW de Klerk, Nobel Peace Laureate, Philippe Leruth, Former President, International Federation of Journalists, Sir James Mirrlees, Nobel Laureate for Economics, Jan Pronk, Former Minister for Development, The Netherlands, Prof. Kailash Satyarthi, Nobel Peace Laureate, Prof. Amartya Sen, Nobel Laureate for Economics, Salil Shetty, Former Amnesty International, Secretary General, Prof. Peter Singer, Moral philosopher, Princeton University, Dame Stephanie Shirley, UK Founding Ambassador for Philanthropy, Clare Short, Former UK Secretary of State for International Development, Hernando de Soto, Economist, Institute for Liberty and Democracy, Dr. Danny Sriskandarajah, CIVICUS, Former Secretary General, Prof. Lord Stern, London School of Economics, Prof. Joseph Stiglitz, Nobel Laureate for Economics, Ruby Wax, Comedian & Mental Health Campaigner, Dame Vivienne Westwood, Fashion Designer & Activist, Prof. Muhammad Yunus, Nobel Peace laureate.
WATCHDisparity Trailer now