Wednesday, April 11, 2012

The Peace Agency


Never underestimate what one determined individual can accomplish. Sue Useem of Spotted Frog Productions has just completed a documentary entitled The Peace Agency about the work of Lian Gogali (see above) .

The Peace Agency is a character and dialogue-driven story about an extraordinary woman, her school, and her students and graduates in the city of Poso, Indonesia, an area that is recovering from a fierce Muslim-Christian fighting. The school transforms its all‑female class into agents of peaceful change and gender equality. The students, many of whom have been victims of violence, trauma, and rape, learn how to fight for women’s rights and reduce abuse in a country where women are still often regarded as second-class citizens. Many of the graduates devote their lives to community service to ensure that women will be respected and treated as full citizens of the community.   

The documentary features the school’s charismatic leader, the exceptional and diminutive Lian Gogali. She is a single mother, living in poverty, unable to walk after a car accident crushed her leg. A force of nature, Lian is the founder and leader of a school that is helping to redefine the future of Poso. 

Check out the trailer.