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While around seven p.m. a decent amount of people finally flooded the entrance hall of ArCuB, the eagerness and anticipation of everyone involved in the organization culminated. And obviously it corresponded to the crowd's as it was clearly for Luna Amară that most of the poeple appeared – keen on having the concert started at last.

But it were Vlaicu Golcea and Marta Hristea who opened with a calm and yet energetic performance, teaching the excited audience a lesson of meditative manner. It seemed as if it was up to them to keep the crowd focused on the actual reason of this evening – their rare electronic beats and measured vocals somehow indicated the way towards the festival's agenda.

Presenting this respective agenda, festival director Monika Štĕpánová and Alexandru Solomon, in charge of film selection, expressed how passionate they are about this festival and its topic. And also Czech Ambassador Petr Dokládal described the festival's aim to raise awareness of issues of human rights as crucial to Czech Republic's foreign policy as well as to the Czech Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

In order to achieve the necessary awareness for the most recent violations of human rights, Dokládal indicated how important it is not to forget about the own past, shared by so many Eastern Euopean Countries, but to seriously deal with the violations of human rights under different previous political regimes.

But still, human rights are frequently violated, as Andrei Pleşu declared in a statement read by Stefanie Ricarda Roos from Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, and though showing films might not be a solution, it keeps people remembering. Roos herself pointed out that protecting human rights in our daily lives is a common responsibility which is crucial for building a present and even a future.

And also Jacques Rupnik, patron of One World Romania along with Andrei Pleşu, stated that, sadly, the general globalized progress does not at all correspond to a globalized progress of acknowledgement and compliance of human rights. For this reason, it is up to society itself to start demanding and arguing for human rights.

That this responsibility should also include other nations is the most appealing demand of the evening, formulated by Ashin Sopaka, a Buddhist monk and moreover Burmese dissident, who reminded us that we are so lucky that our countries have been freed twenty years ago. But as we are One World, even One Planet, we shall not forget that there are still nations struggeling under the pressure of military regimes and their disregard of human rights.

Luna Amară, of course, were the bright shining stars of the evening, making their fans dance in their seats and break into songs when performing their smash hits – they attracted people who have never ever heard about the One World festival before.

But still, while celebrating this great opening, the reality of the violation of human rights, not only embodied by Ashin Sopaka but also by the trailers shown to introduce the festival's program, had entered the auditorium more than expected, so that having that much fun seemed odd, at least for a second.

Sure enough though, in the end it all makes sense because it' s about a positive approach to life, as pathetic as that may sound. Where else should the conviction and energy to stand up for a topic that important come from than out of joy?

Hopefully, this joy and passionate acitvity shown arouses interest and awareness concerning issues of human rights among a lot of people. At least, I guess, we surely will even have the last available seats in the cinemas occupied.