New Human Rights Video and Educational Materials Based on Velvet Revolution

ign="center">				country's recent history has already been forgotten,
Agora Productions recently released the first-ever				makes the film all the more pertinent for young
comprehensive film and educational materials package				viewers. Directed by Primetime Emmy Award winner
documenting the inspiring struggle of the Velvet				Cory Taylor and completed in 2009, "The Power of
Revolution - a bloodless achievement not unlike those				the Powerless" has already been broadcast in 40
of Nelson Mandela in South Africa or Mahatma Gandhi				countries on 10 television networks, featured in 20
in India.				international film festivals, won multiple awards, and is
The documentary and educational materials are now				currently being used by human rights organizations to
being utilized by many universities including Stanford,				encourage dissidents struggling in non-democratic
Harvard, Duke, UCLA, and recently by students in a				countries including Burma. click here to see the trailer.
course entitled âPolitics Under Authoritarian				Educational Materials Description
Ruleâ for upper-division undergraduates,				Packed with lessons, maps and resources for
mostly juniors and seniors at the University of Iowa.				teachers, a companion CD-ROM and booklet were
According to Professor William Reisinger, who				developed to help students and others gain a
teaches the course, ââ¦ the response				comprehensive understanding of this historic period.
was highly favorableâ by all students who				These materials delve deeper into the biographies of
watched the film. After viewing the film, Professor				those featured in "The Power of the Powerless," and
Reisinger asked students to fill out a survey detailing				expand on the documentary's themes, exploring
their opinions of the subject matter portrayed in				subjects such as the abuse of authority, and the
âThe Power of the Powerless.â In				importance of civic engagement. Through exposure
one question he asked students to compare this				to the Czechoslovak experience under communism,
documentary to others they have seen. On a scale				students will be challenged to examine today's
of 1-5 with 5 being excellent and 1 being poor and				pertinent human rights issues while gaining a deeper
asked them what score would they give it? Out of				appreciation for the importance of promoting and
37 students the film received an average 4.1 score.				defending human rights. Two educational versions of
The majority of students also marked on a separate				the DVD, booklet and CD-ROM Teacher Support
question that they thought âThe Power of				Materials are now available for university and
the Powerlessâ was an excellent film and				secondary schools. Educational Version 1.0 is licensed
that the Professor should definitely show it again.				for k-12 schools, individuals, nonprofits, and civic
âRave reviews, I would say. I will continue				organizations while Educational Version 2.0 is licensed
to use the film,â commented Reisinger. For				to colleges and universities.
more detailed information about the film and				DVD Release Discount
educational materials as well as a 20% discount see				20% DISCOUNT offered to the first 100 teachers,
below:				schools, universities, libraries and civic organizations to
Film Description				purchase any products from our website. To make a
Narrated by Academy Award winner Jeremy Irons,				purchase, just go to and use Coupon Code
"The Power of the Powerless" explores				VELVET2010.
Czechoslovakia's legacy of communist rule and the				To see a detailed list of what's inside each package
struggle against it: From the iron-fisted Stalinist				click here:
government of the 1950s; through the vibrant and				Gabriel is a film and history buff from Los Angeles Ca
politically active Prague Spring of the 1960s; the				helping others to discover great treasures of history
hard-line backlash of the 1970s; and finally the				Report this article
bloodless revolution of 1989. At the heart of the film				This article is free for republishing
is the story of blacklisted playwright VÃ¡clav				Source:
Havel and his fellow dissidents who, for two decades,				Republish this article
spoke out against totalitarianism. The film culminates
with the student-led movement in Prague, which				Ask a Question About this Article
sparked 1989's Velvet Revolution and drew a				>> Psp infrastructure
half-million people into the streets, catapulting				>> Video gaming laws in va.
VÃ¡clav Havel into the presidency. The				>> What is wrong with the live pigeon forge
documentary features rare and never-before-seen				and gatlinburg ,tn webcams
interviews with key figures of the Velvet Revolution				>> Need Allods online gold ,cheap price
including VÃ¡clav Havel. The participation of young				needed?
Czechs in the film, who reveal that much of their