LIHUE — The International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights in Geneva, Switzerland kicks off today, and one of Kauai’s own is on the lineup to share his mana‘o.
Former Kauai councilmember and current president of the Hawaii Alliance for Progressive Action, Gary Hooser, will be speaking alongside people like photographer Moises Saman, author Wendy Pearlman, filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy and actress Vanessa Redgrave.
“It is a huge honor to be invited to speak at an international gathering such as this,” Hooser said.
He continued: “My hope is to share our story with the international community and perhaps learn from them how they were able to convince their respective governments to fight back against big money and corporate influence.”
Dedicated to film and human rights, the International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights runs concurrently with the United Nations Human Rights Council’s annual March session.
The goal of the 10-day festival is to highlight some of the most pressing human rights issues of the day.
Gender and equality, political and geographical boundaries, war and its consequences — these are just a few of the topics laid out for debate and discussion during the festival.
Pesticide use by agrochemical companies is Hooser’s platform, and he’s hoping his topic will hit close to home for those at the festival.
“Europeans in general, especially the Swiss, are appalled when they learn that corporations based in Switzerland are using restricted use pesticides on Kauai that are banned in Switzerland and throughout Europe,” Hooser said.
He hopes to keep the issue in the spotlight, and to ultimately “successfully pass laws protecting the health and environment.”
Hooser’s panel discussion is set for Tuesday, March 13, after the screening of the movie “Poisoning Paradise.”
About 450 people are expected to watch the film and attend the following discussion.
Previous guests to the festival include Nobel Prize-winners Shirin Ebadi and Joseph Stiglitz; activists Pussy Riot, Femen and Rokhaya Diallo; diplomats Samantha Power and Leila Shahid; lawyers Luis Moreno-Ocampo and Fatou
Bensouda.
“I am in awe of the distinguished company into which I have been invited. And I am deeply grateful for the generosity of the organizers in paying for the travel expenses associated with my participation,” Hooser said.
This is fantastic recognition for Gary and the the causes he so ably represents. As countries around the world ban these pesticides, it should be clear even to the skeptics that Gary has been right about these issues. And he has paid a price for being a thought leader — there are many angry skeptics who have personally attacked him. So I say hooray for him and this recognition.
Ooh, Saint Gary, carrying the weight of his own delusional world on his shoulders… Foaming at the mouth to get out and spread his gospel of BS…
“And I am deeply grateful for the generosity of the organizers in paying for the travel expenses associated with my participation,” Hooser said.
God forbid that you should have to pay your own way, Gary.
“…governments to fight back against big money and corporate influence.” Happy dreams, Gary. As long as government retains the power to destroy businesses or their competitors there will NEVER be an end to lobbying, influence peddling and corruption. It seems progressivism is a mental condition that inhibits the ability of its adherents to understand logic and economics.
RG DeSoto
What an honor for Gary Hooser!! Way to go, and puts Kauai in the international spotlight.
This is hilarious!! What does Hooser know about human rights? lol!!
And when he is going to wean himself and HAPA off big money and corporate influence? What a joke!!
Bravo Mr Hoosier…!
The Ag poison companies that poison Kauai’s air, water, and land, are based in Switzerland but are banned from using their own Ag poisons in their own native country; as well as many neighboring countries.
Yet for a dime, and a few toxic jobs, these same companies, are allowed to profit from and poison Hawaii Nei, and here on Kauai it is poisoning the babies in pregnancy.
Poison toxicity is an accumulation process, more poison every day until, like heart and vascular disease and cancers, the symptoms finally start poking out somehow and somewhere in and on your body and you march off like a good citizen to the “end of the line of life” Processing Center, where you get the Big Adios and are put in the soil, some of that same soil you failed to protect while you were alive and had the chance to protect will now house your polluted body for…eternity. That doesn’t sound HEAVENLY to me…!
Mahalo,
Charles