I AM ROHINGYA: A GENOCIDE IN FOUR ACTS was presented courtesy of Innerspeak as part of the Rising Up for Human Dignity Film Series.

I AM ROHINGYA: A GENOCIDE IN FOUR ACTS  is a powerful documentary that chronicles the journey of fourteen Rohingya youth who take to the stage in order to depict their families' harrowing experience in Burma and beyond; before, during and immediately after the escalation of military violence in their native homeland, the Arakan region of Burma; their unforgiving escape by foot and by boat to makeshift camps in Bangladesh; and their eventual resettlement in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario.

With no prior acting experience, the decision to re-enact the stories of their people becomes a courageous act of resistance, demonstrating to the world that they will not be erased, and they will not be silenced.

Panel discussion included directors Yusuf Zine and Kevin Young, actor Ruma Ruma and Rohingya activist Sirazul Islam.

Partners for this presentation include Americans for Rohingya, Friends of Rohingya USA, American Jewish World Service, Alliance for Peacebuilding, and STAND.

The Rising Up For Human Dignity Film Series is brought to you by World Oregon, PSU Holocaust and Genocide Studies Project, Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education, Amnesty International USA Group 48,  and Never Again Coalition

About the panelists:

Yusuf Zine is a producer, writer, and director of I Am Rohingya: A Genocide in Four Acts. He wrote and directed the theatre production entitled I Am Rohingya, which was the main focus of the award-winning feature documentary. Yusuf graduated from Wilfrid Laurier University with an MA in Social Justice. He also works as a professional actor in the Toronto industry in film, television and theatre.

Kevin Young is a producer, cinematographer, and director of I Am Rohingya: A Genocide in Four Acts. He started his career as a freelance location sound recordist who has traveled the world with the Discovery Channel while also working freelance at CTV/TSN on shows such as The Beaverton, Canada AM, and Trade Centre - in both the live studio environment and as a post sound mixer.

Ruma Ruma is an 18 year old Rohingya activist with an interest in math and sciences. After graduating high school, she hopes to attend the University of Waterloo for science. Her life before was living in the poverty of the refugee camps in Bangladesh as a Rohingya. She came to Canada in 2007 when she was six years old with her family. Currently she is very active and volunteers a lot. She was one of the stars of a play and documentary called ‘I Am Rohingya”, a production that tells the world about the Rohingya genocide. She is invited to many political programs and meetings, and attends most of the film screenings in different cities around the world for Q&As. Her passion is in the medical field. Ruma loves speaking for those who are not given a chance to speak up for themselves.

Sirazul Islam is a genocide survivor of Rohingya origin. Sirazul was born in Kutupalong refugee camp in Bangladesh, where he spent 8 years before being resettled to the UK through the United Nations. Islam is now studying Law at the University of Manchester, whilst volunteering for the British Rohingya Community (BRCUK) as a youth advocate. BRC works for the Rohingyas in the UK and maintains a grassroots connection in Bangladesh. 

Now is the time to ACT!

I Am Rohingya is a great example of the power of creating space for youth to make decisions on how to best raise awareness and bring an end to atrocities.

Learn more about the Youth Peace and Security Act (YPS) - to establish a US policy of support to youth peacebuilders worldwide and increase US support for youth, peace and security efforts worldwide. Never Again Coalition is a member organization to the coalition, led in part by Alliance for Peacebuilding and Peace Direct, to support this legislation. Make a video in support of YPS - A how-to guide to making a video to support YPS can be found here.

Sign - Refugees International has just launched a petition urging U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to call the crimes committed against the Rohingya what they are: genocide. Please stand with the Rohingya and sign the petition HERE.

Join the campaigns from International Campaign for the Rohingya and Burma Campaign UK to ask companies to stop doing business with the Burmese military. Even if you’ve taken action with them before, please check their websites again. Burma Campaign UK added 31 new companies to their “Dirty List”.

Learn more about the Rohingya crisis by exploring the US Holocaust Memorial Museum’s new online exhibition, “Burma’s Path to Genocide,” showing how years of escalating exclusion and persecution of the Rohingya at the hands of the Burmese military eventually resulted in genocide. 

Help support Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh - Restless Beings is one of the few organizations that didn’t evacuate the camps before the COVID19 lockdown and now is in desperate need of funding for the very basics, food and protective gear. Each kit that they put together provides food for a family for one month. Donate here.