Of broken homes, family portraits and unborn children - Universal Children's Day

"The one thing all children have in common is their rights. Every child has the right to survive and thrive, to be educated, to be free from violence and abuse, to participate and to be heard. "- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

Is divorce violence against children? The writer of this article seems to think so.

Penelope Trunk thinks “Divorce is immature and selfish: Don’t do it”

Are the kids better off when the parents “stay together for the kids” or are they better off when the parents divorce? It’s a heated debate that will continue even as the divorce rate continues to rise. But whatever side of the fence you are on, you cannot deny the anger and angst in these rock songs about children and divorce.

Stay Together for the Kids by Blink 182


Broken Home by Papa Roach


Blurry by Puddle of Mudd


Family Portrait by Pink


Serve the Servants by Nirvana


“Every child has the right…to participate and to be heard. "- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

"Natasha had great prospects and dreams for herself and her generation, but all crashed when her dreams were cut short..." - Synopsis of "Losing My Pride"

Nigerian filmmaker Ayo Donaldlove allows the child in his short film "Losing My Pride" to actively participate and to be heard. My colleague Luci Doll said of this short film: "Film is an art-form meant to elicit a reaction from the viewer. "Losing my Pride" certainly achieves that. From the beginning to its gruesome conclusion, it is a sadly familiar story, consistently surprising in it's retelling of an age old tale. The use of rock in the sound-track was unexpected, and surprisingly appropriate. Very nicely used."

"Losing My Pride" was one of five short films submitted to ROFFEKE from Nigeria and was the only one accepted. You can read more about “Nollywood: Punk Filmmaking in Nigeria” here

The debate continues as to when a child becomes a child but no matter which side of the fence you are on, when you watch Donaldlove’s short film, you will agree that it is a powerful short film that allows the child to be heard. You can watch it here

Another powerful short film is the animation "The Sound of Road" by Barzan Rostami, also a 2015 ROFFEKE Official Selection. There is no monologue by the child but he/she speaks volumes. You can watch it here

For the children and the flowers are my sisters and my brothers
Their laughter and their loveliness could clear cloudy days
Like the music of the mountains, and the colours of the rainbow
They're a promise of the future and a blessing for today
- "Rhymes and Reasons" by John Denver

Happy universal children’s day!

Rock 'n' Roll, Rifles and Remembrance Day

I began writing this post at 11am (Kenyan time) on the 11th day of the 11th month. In 1918, these three 11’s marked the end of the first World War hostilities; Remembrance Day (for we from Commonwealth nations) or Armistice Day or Veterans Day (for Americans). Today’s blog post is in honour of all those brave men and women who served or are serving in the Armed Forces.

Did you know that:

1. Elvis Presley, Jimi Hendrix, Maynard James Keenan (Tool), Ray Manzarek (The Doors) and other famous rock stars served in the Armed Forces? Read more about it here

2. The World War Memorial Statue on Kenyatta Avenue (formerly known as Delamere Avenue) in Nairobi was erected in 1924 “ to the memory of the native troops who fought: To carriers who were the feet and hands of the army: And to all other men who served and died for their King and Country in Eastern Africa in the Great War, 1914-1918”?


3. Roger Waters (Pink Floyd) and Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine) took part in the “Music Heals” concert? The concert’s aim was to create awareness about MusiCorps, a program that uses the healing power of music to help wounded war veterans with their rehabilitation.

4. In 1984, a Kamba veteran of both World War 1 and World War 2, Mzee Kitiku wa Mukuu, claimed that he was one of the three African soldiers depicted in the War Memorial monument, specifically, the barefooted gun bearer with a walking stick. He was known by his Kamba nom de guerre Mukua Ivuti (Gun Bearer) and according to WONI.WITU: “It is most likely that he was an aide to a European officer. He gained fame when he eliminated a notorious German sniper during the battle of Mbuyuni in the present Taita-Taveta in 1916.” He goes on to write that: “For the Akamba, the war was pointless as they were unaware of European quarrels and they wanted no part in it. However, the colonial government forced many young men to join the non-combatant section of the military known as the Carrier Corps.”

http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=6181
5. “Afraid to Shoot Strangers” by Iron Maiden “ is a political track based on war and how governments and generals are using soldiers as pawns when they don't really want to kill anyone. Written around the time of the first Gulf War” (From Songfacts.com)

Below is the short film of the same name, submitted to ROFFEKE by Luis Camacho Campoy



6. “While Kings George VI and his father King George V before him seem to have rewarded the British soldiers who fought the wars for the crown with large chunks of protectorate land, very few of the so-called ‘native troops’ and ‘our glorious dead’ were ever rewarded for their contribution in the victory of the allied forces in the wars. They actually came back home and were still treated as third-class citizens.” (From enchantedlandscapes.com)