“Are You Aware?”

That’s what San Diego City College’s Amnesty International Club is asking in their event flyers around campus.

Amnesty International is a nonprofit organization that is trying to raise awareness to students at City College about issues around the world that don’t necessarily affect us here but do have a major negative effect on our neighboring countries.

Like their advertising motto says “Just because it’s not happening here, doesn’t mean it’s not happening now.” The topics that Amnesty is trying to raise awareness include: the death penalty, human trafficking, women’s rights and torture. For instance, the death penalty subject covers important issues such as other countries still use tactics such as hanging, stoning and decapitation. Human trafficking topic covers the fact that every year, 500,000 girls are “sold like cattle” into the sex industry, according to www.hrw.org. Women’s rights faces issues like, around the world women suffer from rape, domestic abuse and other forms of violence.

These are just a few general details in what the Amnesty International Club discusses. In order to open a discussion of these issues, they have set up an event, The Film Forum Festival, for the students and the public. This event will let students view films and listen to speakers discussing their own experiences and struggles about the topics that they are covering.

The event will take place in room D-121A (right across from the Associated Student Government building) on Oct. 20-23.

The event dates and times are as follows:

Oct. 20, 9:30-12:30: International Rescue Committee presenting “Darfur Now”

Oct. 21, 9:30-12:30: Survivors of Torture presenting the film “Taxi to the Dark side”

Oct. 22, 1:00-4:00: Bilateral Safety Corridor Coalition (Human Traffic) presenting the film “Trade”

Oct. 23, 1:00-4:00: Mexico Solidarity Network (Women’s Juarez Topic) presenting “Preguntas sin respuestas”