Malawi

Excerpts from the up coming film

ADVISORY

Malawi Media Project Launched

Democracy Council Documentary: Dictatorship to Democracy

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                       CONTACT:                        Paul Findley                             

                                                                                            (310) 479-2441, pfindley@democracycouncil.org

 

 

Los Angeles, CA: Oct. 26 – The Democracy Council (www.democracycouncil.org) today announced the launch of a new film project documenting the peaceful transition from 30-years of dictatorship to democracy in Malawi. 

 

Democracy Council program officers, filmmaker Seanne Winslow and political scientist Daniel Wehrenfennig, in collaboration with the Malawi Public Affairs Committee, will produce an educational documentary film of the remarkable transition from dictatorship to democratic elections which will air on Malawi television in 2007. 

 

 “This story of a peaceful uprising and move to democracy is more noteworthy given the heightened debate over nation-building efforts in Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia” said Jim Prince, President of Democracy Council.”

 

Unlike the conflicts elsewhere, “the popular revolution was led by a coalition of all the major religions and tribal factions,” said Wehrenfennig. “Upward pressure by the grassroots forced the dictatorship into holding a constitutional referendum”, continued Wehrenfennig.  In 1994, Hastings Kamuzu Banda, self appointed President for Life of Malawi, was forced form power after thirty years.  On June 14, 1993, the people of Malawi, despite being the second poorest nation in the world, voted overwhelmingly in favor of multi-party democracy, paving the way for free and fair elections.

 

End.