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Presidential candidate and contested winner of the 2006 and 2016 Presidential Elections in Uganda, Dr. Kizza Besigye (Forum for Democratic Change) in the groundbreaking feature documentary, A Brilliant Genocide. 

[PREVIEW] Dr. Kizza Besigye in A Brilliant Genocide from Ebony Butler on Vimeo.

Photo of Kizza Besiege Courtesy of Echwalu Photography.

[May 8, 2016 Kampala, Uganda] THE PEOPLE’S PRESIDENT, Dr. Kizza Besigye of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) Uganda features in the groundbreaking feature documentary “A Brilliant Genocide“. Besigye discusses Ugandan dictator Gen. Yoweri Museveni’s 30 years of brutal repression with a military-style regime to entrench himself in power permanently.

Many people, including international observers, argue that Kizza Besigye was the actually winner of the controversial 2006 and 2016 elections in Uganda. Besigye is currently conducting a defiance campaign against the regime despite being under house arrest in Kampala.

Watch this space and the political climate in Uganda heats up with the people finally standing up to the regime despite the potential dangers involved.

See this clip at www.vimeo.com/atlanticstar/abgbesigye 

More pre-release clips at www.vimeo.com/channels/abgmedia

Join the conversation and share the stories on ABG on Twitter or Facebook!

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SIGN THE PETITION HERE

Cut Off U.S. Weapons To Gen Museveni Uganda’s Murderous Dictator:

Dear President Obama,

As you know on Feb. 18 Uganda held elections that were universally condemned by credible observers including by the U.S. as flawed and having not been free, fair or credible; they were also marred by violence against opposition leaders and their supporters by state security agents.

The Ugandan military has since escalated its human rights abuses by inflicting brutal repression against civilians.

The U.S., which is a major security partner of the Ugandan regime, providing arms and training for its army – in addition to $700 million in financial support — must at the very least suspend this relationship as required by the Leahy Amendment which “prohibits the U.S. Department of State and Department of Defense from providing military assistance to foreign military units that violate human rights with impunity.”

With respect to the Feb. 18 vote, former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo condemned the Ugandan regimes’ vote suppression in opposition strongholds; he said the delays in delivery of election material were “inexcusable.”

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President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama greet His Excellency Yoweri Museveni, President of the Republic of Uganda, in the Blue Room during a U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit dinner at the White House, Aug. 5, 2014. (Official White House Photo by Amanda Lucidon)

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Our very important film #ABrilliantGenocide was lucky enough to be included in the Official Selection for feature documentary film’s at the Julien Dubuque International Film Festival, a festival that in 2013 MovieMaker Magazine voted ‘one of the top 25 coolest film festivals in the world‘. 

This week in Iowa ‘A Brilliant Genocide’ will be having two special screenings at the festival so please spread the word as the sooner people are aware – the sooner there will be change in Uganda!! Schedule and Tickets available here or at the door. (please share on social media as you never know who knows someone in that part of the world!)

The Julien Dubuque International Film Festival acknowledges emerging filmmakers from around the world, with a strong emphasis on discovering new talent, supporting cause-related films and bringing together all elements of film making.

‘A Brilliant Genocide‘ reveals the truth of what took place when Uganda’s lifelong President took power 30 years ago. An untold story of human suffering that continues today in silence. 

We are calling for Obama to Cut Off U.S. Weapons To Gen Museveni Uganda’s Murderous Dictator Who Stole Elections!

SIGN THE PETITION HERE and help make a difference!

#ABrilliantGenocide #SpeakTruthToEmpower #EndTheSilence #JulienFilmFest

 

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[UPDATE] GREAT NEWS, WE WON BEST FEATURE DOCUMENTARY FILM AT THE LOS ANGELES WOMEN’S INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL! 

A Brilliant Genocide is screening this Sunday in L.A as a part of the LA Women’s International Film Festival! (see details below)

The next opportunity to see the film will not be until the 7th and 14th of April in Florida at the Palm Beach International Film Festival – Which the festival is promoting the film as their strongest and most powerful documentary this year!

If you care about human rights, about Uganda, Africa… about people, about truth, about justice…about humanity, and if you are in the California or Los Angeles area over Easter – then please attend the screening of A Brilliant Genocide this Sunday the 27th at 3.30pm at L.A Live Cinemas Hollywood.

Tickets $10 at http://www.lawomensfest.com or at the door at L.A Live, 9. (read about the festival below!)

#SpeakTruthToEmpower
#ABrilliantGenocide

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It is with pleasure and excitement that I announce the new title of our feature documentary… ‘A Brilliant Genocide‘.

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Pre-release teaser video from A Brilliant Genocide (scroll down) 

After 6 years filming, researching and editing this film, it has naturally evolved and transformed into a much different film that we set out to make in 2009 when it all began. 

We spent 3 years on the Joseph Kony / child soldier path – and the issue of children / child soldiers and other related  human rights abuses that are of much interest to us – we condemn the use of children in war, and the abuse of any child in any way, in any part of the world. 

However, the film is no longer 100% focused on the issue of children at war and Joseph Kony’s war in northern Uganda. The film remains very much connected with Kony and his use of child soldiers- but along our 6 year journey we found some completely untold ‘hidden’ stories that we felt were even more important to bring to light.

What we discovered and continue to discover, is that the world has been fooled, as I was 6 years ago, about Joseph Kony and his war in northern Uganda. There’s another side to this story that has never been told, and we have been on a journey for the past few years to find out the truth and the backstory that has received zero media attention – and even worse than that – the people responsible for these concealed human rights abuses, are those who have been supported by the west for 30 years, and who are still in office today. And the West is still today supporting the regime, while the regime continues to enjoy complete impunity for their crimes. 

We have discovered that Kony, although blamed for the war and the suffering, is just the tip of the ice-berg. We have found that Kony did have a reason, a very legitimate reason, for his rebellion, and although his acts of violence and child abductions are deplorable, and in no way justified – he has a reason for what he has done, and in his mind his actions are justified. The truth that no one who knows will admit – will bring many people – the bigger criminals and the puppeteers who have orchestrated this war and allowed it to continue – to account. The people we have spoken with call the situation in Uganda ‘a global conspiracy of silence’. And what we will be showing in our film is that indeed it has been, and sadly continues to be so today. 

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Artwork by Linda Zacks
Artwork by Linda Zacks

It’s been busy few months in the studio editing this documentary… With plans for completion by the end of the year!

Soon we will have a new title for the film and website/facebook/twitter etc – But you’ll have to wait a few months for that special release!

Right now we are working every single day and night to complete this film and get the story out there!

We currently have an 87 minute edit that’s working well. We are close – but still there’s lots of post production work to be done including animating maps, securing archive material, sound design, narration, translating, subtitling and much more – But nevertheless we are getting there! 

Please stay with us… Your support is integral to getting the truth told and to give not only a voice but also justice to the voiceless victims of a most tragic war in Northern Uganda that warrants the attention of the world.

Please also follow us on Facebook at wwww.facebook.com/childtroopers  as that’s where we update regularly!

Many thanks for your support!

 

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This is a short video clip (sneak peek only) from an interview with Adam Branch for our documentary, at Makerere University (Kampala, Uganda) earlier this year.

The interview touches on military intervention in the hunt for Joseph Kony and the LRA, in Uganda and neighbouring countries such as the DRC  (Democratic Republic of Congo) and CAR (Central African Republic).

Adam Branch is senior research fellow at the Makerere Institute of Social Research, Uganda, and assistant professor of political science at San Diego State University, USA. He is the author of Displacing Human Rights: War and Intervention in Northern Uganda. (http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/profile/adam-branch.html)

Follow our documentary and it’s production on:

Facebook at www.facebook.com/childtroopers and

Twitter at www.twitter.com/madvsbad

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Our team are on the move again, traveling the globe in search of the truth and the untold, unreported stories about the war in northern Uganda.

This week we will be traveling to New Zealand to conduct interviews with Ugandan expats. We then plan to visit London early January to continue our research and interview exiled Ugandans who want to tell their story, that has been silenced and suppressed by international media for far too long.

To follow our journey please check into http://www.twitter.com/madvsbad and follow us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/childtroopers

Don’t forget to also subscribe to this blog and share it with friends!

Wish us luck, as the road ahead could get rough!

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What’s the difference between the actions of a WARMONGER & WARLORD?

Take Uganda‘s President Yoweri Museveni & LRA (Lord’s Resistance Army) leader Joseph Kony for example… One’s totally MAD and the other’s just plain BAD… And both are BRUTAL despots and responsible for horrific crimes against humanity. (although Museveni has full impunity whereas Kony isn’t so privileged)

People would assume that the President (also known as M7) is the lesser of the two evils, but we are not so easily convinced. What are your thoughts?

So who’s worse? It’s a classic case of Mad Vs Bad…

& Please join our exciting new Facebook Group for some really interesting & controversial postings at: Mad Vs Bad. 

You can also join the conversation on Twitter by following @madvsbad and @atlanticstar233 – PEACE OUT, EB x

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In 2009 I spent quite some time with the students and former child soldiers at Friends of Orphans Rehabilitation Centre in Pader, Northern Uganda. I was also lucky to re-unite with many of the youth when I returned to Northern Uganda earlier this year!

The short video clip below is from my first trip, and was taken on my second day at Friends of Orphans, just as I was getting to know the young women and children, who had in their recent pasts served as child soldiers in Joseph Kony‘s LRA (Lord’s Resistance Army).

The video is classic… Enjoy!

Ebony at Friends of Orphans from Ebony Butler on Vimeo.

Although my method is not a common technique used in child soldier rehabilitation and re-integration efforts (in fact I think it may have never been used anywhere in the world before this!) I do know for a fact that it works – and if not kissing, at least being friendly; funny; open and a little bit ‘Ebonesque’!

The students at FRO Uganda opened up to us immediately after the little kiss with Moses, and I do believe this helped in building the strong relationships we had with the students. Getting everyone laughing and happy was a great building block that lead to many of the former abductees, both boys and girls, wanting to become friends and engage in conversation, which then lead to them confiding in and trusting us. This also resulted in the beginning of new and long-lasting friendships, which have stood the test of time…

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