A film night about Western Sahara, the former Spanish Sahara, at ACMI presented by Melbourne Filmoteca: Latin American, Spanish & Portuguese Film Group and the Australia Western Sahara Association.
One of the films will take us through the highs and lows of Mariem Hassan’s eventful life to discover her as a courageous and enduring character as we witness her artistic transformation into one of the most charismatic and respected figures of the world music scene.

When: Tuesday 30 March 2010 at 7.30 pm

Where: ACMI (Australian Centre for the Moving Image)
Federation Square, Flinders St, Melbourne
All welcome    Flyer about the event

Tickets: $14, $11 (concession) on sale at box office: (03) 8663 2583
or online at http://www.acmi.net.au/ticketing

Further details: http://www.melbournefilmoteca.org/next.html

Irene Jacob: Valentine Dussaut
“THE RUNNER”  (2010, in-production)

The TRAILER for the long-form documentary, “The Runner” is now on YouTube >>

The story of a World Champion long-distance runner from Africa’s last colony, the Western Sahara:
… As he approached the last 200m in the lead of an 8km race, he pulled out a Sahrawi flag – illegal in Morocco and a symbol of the “Sahrawi Intifada” – and waived it across the finish line. Knowing he would be arrested on arrival in Morocco, he immediately sought political asylum in France and has been there ever since.
Continue reading →

This excellent UK site, the Free Western Sahara Network, aims to bring together many different groups working for WS around the world.

The official launch of this new network took place on 12th June in the Houses of Parliament preceded by a delegation to 10 Downing Street led by MP’s, MEP’s, representatives of the Polisario Front, campaigners, and supported by High Commissioners and Ambassors from several nations. See The Guardian – Western Sahara’s lingering crisis – 12/6/09 and See USA Today – Delegation to Downing Street – 12/6/09

By ALFRED de MONTESQUIOU, Associated Press Writer
LAAYOUNE REFUGEE CAMP, Western Sahara (AP)—Marathon runners from more than two dozen countries raced through the rock-strewn desert of Western Sahara on Monday to celebrate the 33rd anniversary of the conflict-ridden territory’s call for independence.
Continue reading →

EL PAÍS, 19 April 2008
The actor is part of a strong Spanish contingent supporting Sahrawi film festival

The world’s only film festival to be held at a refugee camp opened Friday in the Algerian desert. Several prominent actors and directors from Spain, including the Oscar-winning Javier Bardem, are scheduled to attend Fisahara, the International Film Festival of Western Sahara. Continue reading →

The Oscar winner jetted off to southwestern Algeria near the border with the Western Sahara to partake in the cinema gala’s fifth installment Thursday and took time out of his schedule to visit the Dakhla refugee camp in Tindouf, Algeria. There, the 39-year-old was welcomed with open arms by numerous exiled Sahrawi families.
Find out more >>

You are invited to the book launch of International Law and the Question of Western Sahara, with Stephen Zunes at the Institute of International Law and Humanities (IILAH) in the Melbourne Law School, 185 Pelham Street, University Square, Carlton (opposite University of Melbourne’s main gates on Grattan Street), on Friday 7 December at 5 for 5.30pm-7pm.
International Law and the Question of Western Sahara, edited by Karin Arts and Pedro Pinto Leite and published by IPJET (International Platform of Jurists for East Timor) 352pp, hardback. 
Books will be on sale at the launch at the give-away price of $30.
Book launch flyer >>

19 Apr 2007 15:55:00 GMT
Source: WFP
Location: Algiers
WFP (World Food Programme) has welcomed a €1 million contribution from the Humanitarian Aid Department of the European Commission (ECHO) to provide food aid to the vulnerable Western Saharan refugees in Algeria.
Read Reuters article >>