From: Marshall Burns
To: Kenya Friends
Sent: Tuesday, March 06, 2007 17:57
Subject: Free showing of movie "The Empire in Africa" on Saturday

Dear Friends,

     Yesterday, you received an invitation from me to a free class on how to create a website. Now, thanks to the additional generosity of Charles Macharia, we are able to extend the time of the room at Ufungamano House, so that I can also offer to show an important movie about war in Africa.

THE MOVIE

     The recent Hollywood movie, "Blood Diamond," tells the story of war and greed over shiny stones in Sierra Leone. But it tells the story with a horrible bias that presents European interests as the brave saviors of backward and barbaric Africans slaughtering each other.

     A less-well-known documentary called "The Empire in Africa" came out last year that tells the story from a different perspective.

     Here’s a synopsis: “The rebels who started the civil war in Sierra Leone 15 years ago wanted only one thing: to reclaim the richness of the country from foreign corporations in order to end the exploitation of its people. In response, the international community decided to wage a war on this country with bombs, executions, torture, rigged elections and manipulation of the international media, creating one of the worst humanitarian disasters of the 20th century.”

     And here's another: "Filmed during the last month of a civil war in Sierra Leone, which lasted eleven years and resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and the displacement of more than 2 million people, THE EMPIRE IN AFRICA provides a heart-breaking look at a war exacerbated by western interests and challenges the international community to accept responsibility for the continued exploitation of Africa."

     I have made copies, with permission of the movie's director, for some friends in Kenya, but they have so far been unable to play these disks on local computers. So after my website class on Saturday, I will play the movie for whoever wishes to see it.

     More information about the movie is available at http://www.TheEmpireInAfrica.com .

     It is my hope that this information about how European and American (and now Chinese) interests continue to manipulate and destroy your continent will help people here look for ways to escape from their grip and build a brighter future for Africa.

WHEN AND WHERE

      Time: Saturday, March 10 at 4:00 pm.
           (after completion of my free class on creating websites)

      Location: Ufungamano House
           State House Road
           next to University of Nairobi's Mamlaka hall of residence

      Duration: 1-1/2 hours. Discussion of the movie and African politics to follow.

      Cost of admission: None

      State House Road can be accessed from University Way at City Centre, then cross Uhuru Highway and turn right to walk up State House Road about one kilometre. Ufungamano House is a red brick building on left side of State House Road at the Mamlaka Road Junction.

      The room is reserved for up to 100 people. If more than that show up, I don’t know if you will be allowed to stand or sit on the floor, or if you will not be allowed into the room. Please feel free to come for the movie without coming to the class, but I cannot be sure if there will be room for more people who arrive after the class.

      TECHNICAL WARNING: I am in the countryside this week and may not have an opportunity to test the projection equipment with my computer before Saturday morning. I am being assured that the projector should work with my computer to show the movie, but as you know, unanticipated technical problems can arise. I hope you will not make a special trip to see the movie only to be disappointed if something goes wrong with the equipment and it cannot be shown. If that is the case, I hope the people who assembled will still stay for a discussion of African politics and what can be done to bring about a better future on your continent.

Best regards,
Marshall Burns
(Roc)
www.MBurns.com