Friday, September 7th, 2012
4 pm – 7 pm
Elebash Recital Hall
CUNY Graduate Center, 365 5th Ave, New York City
Free and open to the public

Dear Mandela is the remarkable story of Abahlali BaseMjondolo – Zulu for ‘people of the shacks’ – the largest movement of the poor to emerge in post-apartheid South Africa. Dear Mandela was awarded the ‘Best South African Documentary’ prize after its World Premiere at the Durban International Film Festival, and top prize, the ‘Grand Chameleon Award’, at its US premiere at the Brooklyn Film Festival.

Discussion to follow screening with:

• Directors Dara Kell and Christopher Nizza
• Willie Baptist, a formerly homeless father who came out of the Watts uprisings, the Black Student Movement, and working as a lead organizer with the United Steelworkers has 40 years of experience organizing amongst the poor including with the National Union of the Homeless, the Kensington Welfare Rights Union, the National Welfare Rights Union, the Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign, and many other networks. Willie serves as the Poverty Initiative Scholar-in-Residence and is the Coordinator of the Poverty Scholars Program.
• Moderated by David Harvey, author of Rebel Cities (Verso, 2012).