Our Philosophy
“To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness. What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives. If we see only the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something.“If we remember those times and places—and there are so many—where people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act, and at least the possibility of sending this spinning top of a world in a different direction. And if we do act, in however small a way, we don’t have to wait for some grand utopian future.
“The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory.”
Howard Zinn
“In the course of history, there comes a time when humanity is called to shift to a new level of consciousness, to reach a higher moral ground. A time when we have to shed our fear and give hope to each other. That time is now.”
Wangari Maathai
Our mandate is to gather Vancouver’s diverse social justice community to a festival that allows for reflection, provides a forum for discussion and prompts participants to action. While the issues are often difficult, we feel it is important to provide tools and ideas for solutions.
With this festival we want to provide opportunities for you to be involved in:
Awareness
By learning more about the world around us, we gain understanding of others’ perspectives. We hope the films you see will challenge you to explore new ideas and begin new conversations.
Analysis
The best way to process what we learn, experience, or witness is to reflect, discuss, and explore further what we have learned. We hope that the films you see at the festival will spark dialogue.
Action and collaboration
Until we take action, our opinions are not fully expressed. Visit the Social Justice bazaar to learn about volunteer, leadership, and positive action opportunities with locally-based organizations.
“To be truly radical is to make hope possible rather than despair convincing”.
Raymond Williams
