American human
rights activist Kerry Kennedy on Thursday asked jurors at the
Giffoni Film Festival to join her in a dance to invoke rain in
Darfur, highlighting people's struggles with lack of water in
Sudan.
The daughter of Robert F. Kennedy has come to Italy to take
part in the Giffoni Doha Youth Media Summit, which manages and
promotes cultural events for children and youth.
"The sun shines for ten months in the year in Darfur,
Sudan," said Kennedy. "Therefore the inhabitants invoke the rain
with a dance. I ask all of you to join me in this dance in the
hope the rain arrives in those sun-burnt lands," she said.
She encouraged the festival's more than 700 jurors to take
part in the dance, which included hand clapping and finger
snapping.
In a joint initiative with Italian police, she also raised
the issue of road safety, urging young people to look out for
their friends when driving.
"We can protect our friends from bullying, from violence
and from many horrible things. But above all we can protect them
when they are driving a vehicle. It is extremely important for
their life," she said.
When asked on the sidelines of the conference about her
view on America's legalisation of gay marriage, she said she
hoped the country could be an example for others.
"Finally the moment has come to celebrate marriages between
people of the same sex as normal marriages," she said. "I hope
that America can become an example for other countries," she
said.
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