In the 1960s, Gandhi's nonviolent weapons were taken up by black college students in Nashville, Tennessee. Disciplined and strictly nonviolent, they successfully desegregated Nashville's downtown lunch counters in five months, becoming a model for the entire civil rights movement. Featuring civil rights pioneers, Jim Lawson, Diane Nash, John Lewis and Bernard Lafayette.

Wadi Fuqin, a small Palestinian village in the West Bank, is a well preserved model of a traditional agricultural way of life developed thousands of years ago. The community has harnessed the water flowing from the valley’s eleven springs to nourish their fields. Kilometers of canals direct the spring water to storage pools and onwards to the many fruit and vegetable fields.
Currently, this natural landscape and agricultural way of life is endangered by many threats. To the east, the massive development of the Beitar Ilit Settlement is posing an immediate danger to the springs. To the west, the planned separation wall encroaches ob more springs and traps the village in between the wall and the settlement. Granted special permits, some of the villagers are economically forced to work in the settlement’s construction site. With few options for survival, these workers face the trauma of building the very walls that threaten their own existence.
Read more on NPR: npr.org/blogs/pictureshow/2013/02/26/172896989/the-palestine-thats-not-in-the-headlines

Inspired by the tragic story and images of Albatross chicks on Midway Island dying slow and agonizing deaths due to ingested plastics consumed in error by the seabirds.....

PEACE IN OUR POCKETS is a documentary film that offers an engaging profile of Sisi ni Amani--Kenya, an NGO strengthening civic engagement and preventing electoral violence in Nairobi's slums in the lead up to the March 2013 national elections.

The film follows community organizers as they use grassroots engagement strategies, text messaging and a groundbreaking Debate Program to promote peace, reduce ethnic tensions, and engage individuals from underserved communities in positive political action. The film explores political and social issues through the voices and life experiences of Kenyans committed to strengthening democracy and peace in their country.

PEACE IN OUR POCKETS is a film in progress to be completed following the March 2013 elections. Learn more about the film and about how you can support the project at: peaceinourpockets.com

directed + produced by Mo Scarpelli

translations by Omar Sankoh, Osman Sesay
production assistance by Omar Sankoh, Osman Bah
music by The End of the Ocean, 4di, Keenan O'Meara

special thanks to Sandra Lako

rakefilms.com