October 16, 2009

CHICAGO – Beginning Oct. 18 through December, at least 89 ABC Television affiliate stations plan to air "Ready to Forgive: An African Story of Grace" hosted by Immaculée Ilibagiza. Ilibagiza is a survivor of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda and author of "Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust."

The broadcast is a production of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) through the National Council of Churches USA and the Interfaith Broadcasting Commission. It was funded in part by a grant from Odyssey Networks.

The documentary is a story about forgiveness and was shot entirely on location in Uganda. "Through 20 years of war, the Acholi people of Northern Uganda endured rape, torture and child abduction," according to information on the ELCA Web site.

"Thousands died. Many were displaced in squalid camps. Others are still missing. Despite all of this, the Acholi are united in a belief that the only real solution is reconciliation and forgiveness," according to the Web site.

ABC-TV affiliate stations that have agreed so far to air the program represent 55 percent of the network's affiliates, said Ava Odom Martin, director for public media, ELCA Communication Services. Martin is executive producer.

In a review of the program, Cliff Vaughn, managing editor and producer, EthicsDaily.com, said "genuine forgiveness ... lies at the core of the hour-long documentary."

"‘Ready to Forgive' is laced with on-location photography and plentiful interviews – not only with survivors of attacks, but also members of the Lutheran World Federation and others in Uganda who have worked to restore peace to Northern Uganda after more than 20 years of conflict," Vaughn wrote.

The 60-minute documentary was adapted from the MOSAIC Television series, a former ELCA production. The ABC-TV broadcast has been updated with new footage and interviews. Tim Frakes, an independent television producer, Lombard, Ill., is the program's writer and producer.

Information about the documentary is at http://www.ELCA.org/readytoforgive/, on the ELCA Web site. A listing of broadcast dates and times is at http://www.interfaithbroadcasting.com/ on the Web.

Cliff Vaughn's review is at http://www.ethicsdaily.com/news.php?viewStory=15034, on the Web.

ELCA News Service