why you should come and see this film

What does it mean to forgive? And, what if forgiving is the key that unlocks your own authentic freedom?

Forgiveness and reconciliation are being fleshed out in Rwanda, Africa. I know, because a few short weeks ago, I was there. To highlight the outrageous courage and radical acts of reconciliation in post-genocide Rwanda, we are hosting a screening of As We Forgive; the film voted Best Documentary at the 2008 Student Academy Awards. As We Forgive, directed by Laura Waters Hinson and narrated by Mia Farrow, is the story of two Rwandan women who choose to meet face to face with the men who slaughtered their family members during the 1994 genocide.

My work in Rwanda was in cooperation with an international movement known as The P.E.A.C.E. Plan in which the acrostic for P.E.A.C.E. stands for: Promote reconciliation, Equip servant leaders, Assist the poor, Care for the sick, and Educate the next generation. The P.E.A.C.E. Plan (www.thepeaceplan.com ) is a project with goals that support locally sustainable development worldwide. For a few incredible weeks, we got to help local leaders in Rwanda acquire simple skills that, when passed on, may change their tomorrows. In fact, I plan to return in 2010 to continue the work that has begun in the Karongi district of western Rwanda, and my 17-year-old daughter, Julia, will be jumping on board, as well. All proceeds from the film screening of As We Forgive will directly benefit P.E.A.C.E. Plan initiatives in Rwanda next year and the Living Bricks project. The organization known as Living Bricks (www.livingbrickscampaign.org ) is providing the raw building materials for genocide offenders who are making restitution by building homes for the family members of the people they killed. Both the P.E.A.C.E. plan and Living Bricks are part of a movement that celebrates the restorative power of forgiveness.

The screening of As We Forgive will be held at the Wilton Town Hall Theatre on Sunday November 15th at 4:30pm. The suggested donor ticket price is $6. For those who wish to learn more about present-day Rwanda and how a nation is setting an example for the world as they erase ethnic boundaries and rebuild their country, all are invited to stay after the screening for some Rwandan coffee and stories in the common room.

Please join us.