Johanna Richter
Film as a tool for human rights education?
A Case study on a new method counteracting Female Genital
Mutilation (FGM) in Burkina Faso.
The dissertation project is focussing on the impact of film on
human rights education. While giving examples of successful
filmprojects (documentary/ feature) which have changed laws of
countries, been the root of international peace projects or
which are used as a tool for awareness rising of human rights
violations, the study will focus on a strategy against FGM in
Burkina Faso.
Research Focus and Question:
How to implement film as a tool against FGM? How to strengthen
consciousness of human rights within a country through film,
when the human rights violations are deeply entrenched in the
cultural heritage of the population?
Methodology:
A multi-method of political and media science is applied. The
aim is to reach a greater understanding of the diversity and
complexity of the subject and to finally give suggestions of
how “human rights education” trough film is possible regarding
the topic FGM.
Data will be collected through document review, participatory
observation, semistructured and structured interviews with
stakeholders of NGO’s, the populations of the villages etc,
and focus group discussions. Video observations of the
villagers watching the film “L’EXCISION. UN THEME POUR TOUT LE
MONDE” during the “Discussion Cinemas” will deliver additional
data for the media - effect analysis.
Johanna Richter holds
Deutschen Wirtschaft".
a
scholarship
at
the
"Stiftung
der