Issue: Transformation Section: Collaboration Close Up
The PeaceJam Foundation had a large turnout for the UN premiere of their film, Mayan Renaissance, which was held at the United Nations on Wednesday, May 16, 2012. The film was presented during the United Nations’ Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.
The film received a standing ovation, which was followed by a lively question-and-answer period with the film’s director, Dawn Engle, and executive producer, Ivan Suvanjieff. “We were thrilled with the audience’s response. Everyone really seemed to love this film,” Engle said.
“Mayan Renaissance” is a feature-length film that documents the glory of the ancient Maya civilization, the Spanish conquest in 1519, five hundred years of oppression, and the courageous fight of the Maya to reclaim their voice and determine their own future, in Guatemala and throughout Central America. This elegant, beautiful and thought-provoking film shares their vision for the future their call for a long-foretold renaissance of Maya culture and wisdom, and their 100-year plan to lead humanity forward, from the year 2012 on. The film stars 1992 Nobel Peace laureate and Maya leader Rigoberta Menchú Tum. All of the images, voices, expert commentary and music in the film come directly from Central America, from the heart of the Mayan world.
Dawn Engle is an activist and filmmaker, and she has been nominated seven times for the Nobel Peace Prize. Previously, she has directed and written award-winning documentaries and films such as PeaceJam and 2012: The True Mayan Prophecy. She also co-authored the book PEACEJAM: A Billion Simple Acts of Peace, published by Penguin in 2008. In 1994, Dawn Engle and Ivan Suvanjieff began working together to create PeaceJam, which was launched in March 1996. Currently, Suvanjieff serves as the president of PeaceJam and Engle as the foundation’s executive director. PeaceJam has been recognized nationally as an award-winning service learning program and internationally for excellence in peace education.
For more information on Mayan Renaissance, visit www.mayanrenaissance.org. For more information on the PeaceJam Foundation, visit www.peacejam.org.