This World

What effect does discussion have
When the ears of this world are deaf
What does demonstrating change
When the eyes of this world are blind
What effect does goodness have
When the mind of this world is clouded by evil
What does waiting change
When this world forgets about it
What effect does respect have
When this world doesn't respect itself
What does being peaceful change
When this world fails to recognize it

What choices do we have
When all that matters to this world is war.

Hope and pride is written in their eyes

South of the other refugee camps, in the middle of the beautiful sand dunes lies Dahla. The calmness and the goodness of the people meet you like the warm winds that blow across the sand dunes. The isolated location gives rise to the lack of many material things, but who needs this when the wonderful hospitality and care is so deeply rooted in its inhabitants.

Dahla is the perfect place for a filmfestival. The filmfestival that is arranged every year in Dahla attracts people from all over the world. The program covers various aspects of Saharawi culture and history and thus foreigners that present at the festival will enhance their knowledge about the Saharawi people and their situation. Also this event is a highlight for the population of Sahara as it attracts Saharawis not only from the other refugee camps, but also from various corners of the world to celebrate their identity and culture together.

The Saharawi culture is unique and the Saharawis protect and guard it carefully. The Saharawi identity is rooted in their culture and although change is a constant process many of their traditions are practiced the same way today as before the Moroccan occupation and before the Spanish colonization. As documentaries speaking about the rich Saharawi culture were shown at the filmfestival one could observe the pride in the eyes of the Saharawi audience as they were reminded once again of their heritage and origin. In addition to movies, the traditional camp that had been put up at the place of the festival gave a good picture of the traditional Saharawi life. It exhibited traditional artifacts used in the nomadic life in the “bedie”. Here one could also pass by to taste the traditional Saharawi tea, admire the extraordinary arts and crafts as well as fabrics and clothes, but most importantly feel the vibe of the amazing hospitality of the Saharawi people.
The program during the day consisted of learning about the Saharawi culture, but also attending various workshops related to expressing identity and culture through media. These workshops practiced writing stories, doing photography, acting, filming, recording and directing. Most of the workshops were organized by foreign teams who involved Saharawis in their work thus exchanging ideas and experiences.
In the evenings people gathered under the clear stars to watch movies and documentaries. One of the nights a documentary about the Saharawis situation was shown. This documentary covered all aspects of the conflict. It talked about the nomadic life of the people of the Sahara, the Spanish colonization, the freedom movements and the forming of Polisario, the Madrid agreement followed by the Moroccan and Mauritanian invasion, the war, the refugees, the building of the wall, the situation today with the extreme living conditions in the refugee camps in Algeria and the horrible human rights violations carried out in the Western Sahara that is still occupied by Morocco.
The documentary showed the Intifada, the peaceful demonstrations by Saharawis expressing their right to self determination. It portrayed Saharawis telling their story about being discriminated, tortured and imprisoned for reasons such as simply being Saharawi.
Watching the documentary touched me deeply, but what had the strongest effect was to watch it together with several dozen Saharawis who each and every one are personally affected by the conflict. All of them have family and friends in the occupied territories who are being suppressed and who can not live freely under the Moroccan authority. They all have family members who died in the war or while seeking refuge in Algeria.

The Saharawis are victims not only of deprived human rights and their right to live independently, but they are victims of economic interests that powerful countries have in their natural resources. It is unbelievable that the world can turn a blind eye to the situation of the Saharawis.
Where is the humanity? Where is the justice?

One thing is for certain, the unity of the Saharawis is stronger than the world's power greed. They've been through more than anyone though would be possible and they have not sacrificed this much just to give in to the injustice in this world.
To observe and feel the strength, persistence and unity of the Saharawis and the support that they receive from all corners of the world is what moved me the most during the time of the festival in Dahla.
The suffering of the Saharawi people will not continue for long. They have sacrificed and they have been patient, but the world has failed them. They are ready to take the situation in their own hands and to reclaim their rightful freedom.