freeDimensional

Support freeDimensional with a year-end donation

2008-12-17T09:39:00.000-08:00

Dear friends of freeDimensional,

As we struggle to adjust in these difficult economic times, your support of freeDimensional is more important than ever. The unfortunate truth is that social injustices increase when economies falter. By making a tax-deductible donation to freeDimensional today you will help us save more voices tomorrow. The equation is that simple. The need is that strong.

Donate now:
https://www.networkforgood.org/donation/ExpressDonation.aspx?ORGID2=371511158

After establishing a mobile office-in-residence for much of 2008 in Cairo, this year freeDimensional has relocated that office to Sao Paulo, Brazil. Hosted by our Sao Paulo partner center, Casa das Caldeiras, our presence in Brazil will allow us to engage in the Conectas Human Rights Colloquium, the World Social Forum and other initiatives. We've managed this while maintaining our office and programs in New York.

Thanks to you and your support we've been able to help people like Issa Nyaphaga. In 1990, Issa began working as a political cartoonist for a satirical newspaper, "Le Messager Popoli". He was opposed to the political regime in Cameroon, and was tortured and jailed for publications that spoke out against the regime. In 1996, he escaped from his country to seek asylum in France where he lived until 2007 when he moved to New York. Issa Nyaphaga is not only an artist, but also an advocate of freedom of expression.

With your help we can extend our work further. Click here to donate to freeDimensional online through Network for Good:
https://www.networkforgood.org/donation/ExpressDonation.aspx?ORGID2=371511158

Or, send a check to us at the following address:
freeDimensional
c/o Alexandra Zobel, Treasurer
589 Park Place Apt. 13
Brooklyn, NY 11238
U.S.A.

Here's just a little snapshot of how freeDimensional worked with Issa Nyaphaga in 2008:
- During freeDimensional's Action Lab on Economic Migration Project fD worked with one of Issa's political cartoons to incorporate it in an international media intervention that was launched in Dakar, Senegal, during the Dak'Art Biennale.
- In early fall of '08 Issa traveled to New Orleans for the Artist As Refugee symposium at Louisiana Art Works and to Bilbao, Spain for the Censorship Festival. During both trips he was accompanied by fD staff, where they helped to secure a show for his art and have his work included in New Orleans' first Biennale (Prospect 1) as well as create new and unique opportunities for the network (fD is now the international nominator for artists to the Censorship Festival).
- In NYC, fD forged a new friendship with an artist residency program (Harlem Studio Fellowship- HSF). fD used an invitation by the artHARLEM tour to be part of their arts festival in October '08. In turn fD partnered with HSF for the festival and was able to secure Issa with a three month residency at HSF leading up to his show at the ArtBreak Gallery in NYC in January 2009.

Thank you for your support. To stay informed regarding all of our activities, please be sure to visit our web site at http://freedimensional.org. Your involvement drives our work. Your support fights injustices.

All the best,
Todd Lester
Executive Director
freeDimensional

Germany / Kunst-Stoffe: Residency programme committed to exploring issues of value and waste

2008-12-10T22:28:00.000-08:00

Kunst-Stoffe Berlin / Germany, offers a residency to artists of all disciplines. Openings are from 1st of May to 30th of September 2009.

Kunst-Stoffe is a cultural organisation committed to exploring issues of value and waste. We pursue this mission in three areas of activity: Kunst-Stoffe maintains an ongoing and changing exhibition of unwanted materials and makes them available for creative practitioners. Furthermore we carry out and present projects investigating aesthetics and strategies of reuse. Along with that, we offer workshops and facilities to provide a practice ground for creative exploration of the ideas of sufficiency and subsistence.

The residency includes free housing for the period of stay and offers work space at Kunst-Stoffe. The artist will have a small studio at exclusive disposal and additional indoor and outdoor workspace, as well as limited access to a shop for wood, metal and crafts work. The participant will be asked to contribute a flat fee of 50€ per month towards running costs for the work facilities. Living and travelling expenses have to be covered by the participant. Kunst-Stoffe will provide support in the acquisition of travel grants if desired. At the end of the stay the artist is invited to collaborate on organising a public event (exhibition / open studio / performance) in order to share some of the process of working in Berlin with a wider audience.

Interested artists may send an electronic application, consisting of the following:

A letter of intend describing the applicants interest in working in the context of Kunst-Stoffe

Documentation of no more than two previous projects

A project proposal, outlining the activities planned in Berlin and a proposed time schedule.

Please note: Applications not meeting these criteria will not be considered.

If you have further questions please check on the website or contact Corinna Vosse via e-mail: info(at)kunst-stoffe- berlin.de.

Deadline for applications is January 31, 2009.

Kunst-Stoffe
Berliner Str. 17
13189 Berlin
www.kunst-stoffe- berlin.de
info(at)kunst-stoffe- berlin.de

Photojournalism Competition on Human Rights

2008-12-03T05:04:00.000-08:00

This competition open to all offers an excellent opportunity for photographers to have their works recognized and to show their engagements in the field of human rights. The partnership with the Montreal Human Rights Film Festival (MHRFF) guarantees an exceptional visibility for this competion's first edition. The photographs will be presented in an exhibition in the hall of cinema du Parc. Slide shows will also be displayed before the MHRFF screenings. About 25 000 persons will be present throughout the events.

The Competition ends on January 15, 2009

For more information go to www.anthropographia.org

The Company Theatre :: India :: Residency Opportunity

2008-11-21T04:40:00.000-08:00

TCT WORKSPACE INTERNATIONAL RESIDENCY 2009
INFORMATION SHEET

THE COMPANY THEATRE

The Company Theatre (TCT) is a theatre organisation with over 15 years of experience in the creation, sustenance and dissemination of theatrical work. Its ensemble of activities includes several performances, theatre workshops and seminars, performance-related studies, theatre festivals and international collaborative ventures.

Over the last five years, our efforts have been directed towards the fruition of our most ambitious project: The Company Theatre WORKSPACE - an international residency for theatre research & performance. The dream now realized, rests on 5 acres of land, surrounded by the inspiring environs of a lake, mountains and open fields in the Indian countryside. It is three hours away from the bustling city of Mumbai, near the thriving hill-station of Lonavala in Maharashtra. Led by its founder, theatre director and performer Atul Kumar, this is a facility that provides performance artists with uninterrupted time and space to further research and creative work.

TCT WORKSPACE

Today’s urban landscape, the world over, is marked by a pace of living that struggles to race against time and the constant pressures of maintaining one’s livelihood. The artist’s search has often suffered against the back-drop of the all-consuming city, his focus often shifted from exploration to plain existence. The importance of steady training as a way of life cannot be undermined for the performance artist. It is his fuel and nutrition, which can slowly get diminished in a product-oriented world, where the artist tends to move from one performance to the next without pausing to reflect on his art.

TCT Workspace offers the performer a refuge where one can rejuvenate and put into one’s craft the necessary rigour and focus to create new work. Although most of The Company Theatre’s members belong to urban backgrounds, in its riaz (a term mostly used in the field of Indian classical music referring to dedicated & laborious study, devotion and practise), TCT Workspace also turns to traditional Indian disciplines and practices that nurture the performer’s most potent instrument – his body. Here, the artist’s body is encouraged to tune into a very simple and basic lifestyle where it is free from the overwhelming distractions of a city.

Alongside the emphasis on training, TCT Workspace is also a laboratory that focuses on inter-cultural and inter-disciplinary exchange. It is The Company Theatre’s constant endeavour to bring together artists from different backgrounds and disciplines in order to connect and create with each other by sharing skills and experiences.

For more information on the company theatre workspace please visit www.thecompanytheatre.net

RESIDENCY 2009 AT A GLANCE

The Company Theatre is now launching its first creative project in TCT Workspace. The duration of this project is 7 months. It will commence in July/Aug ‘09 and culminate in a production that will tour India in Jan/Feb ‘10. This project will take place in 3 phases and detailed information on each phase is provided in Annexure 2.

The first 3 months will be spent in training, craft work and research. During this phase, The Company Theatre will invite experts and teachers from various performance disciplines that are valuable to and can be directed to fortify the performer’s process. Amongst others, these disciplines include Yoga, Kalerippayattu and Voice Training from Hindustani Classical Vocal Tradition.

The following 3 months will involve rehearsal for a full-fledged production. This will be a devised performance piece, to be directed by Atul Kumar- the artistic director of The Company Theatre. This will be a time to meet and workshop with certain renowned practitioners of Modern Indian Theatre who will be invited for short stays during this period to work with the participating artists. For this project, The Company Theatre will also invite selected skilled and experienced Indian performance artists to participate in the final performance.

To ensure an extremely focused and concentrated learning and sharing process amongst participants the project has decided to invite only 6 foreign and 2 Indian artists.

The final phase of the project will include dissemination of the performance. After the residential project closes, The Company Theatre will take the performance to audiences in major Indian cities including Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore and New Delhi.

The Company Theatre invites applications for its first residential project from performers in the creative genres of theatre, contemporary dance and music. Through this project, The Company Theatre is keen to initiate a long-term collaboration with the participants.

ANNEXURE-1
STRATEGIC DETAILS

The project will provide the participants with the following:

1. Three meals per day will be provided for the entire duration of the project. At the time of touring the final production the participants will be given per-diems to cover food costs.

2. Accommodation and bathroom supplies will be provided in individual furnished cottages with attached bathrooms and hot water.

3. Free laundry service for the entire duration of the residency.

4. Free Pick-up and Drops to International airports on arrival in India and at the end of project.

5. All local transportation around the residency and inter-state travel during the Indian tour will be taken care of by TCT.

6. Free domestic phone calls within India and common internet access will be provided.

7. Basic medical care and first aid will be available alongside services of doctors and hospitals close to the residency in case of any need.

8. At least 1 visit to another performing arts residency in India will be undertaken. This visit will be to another part of the country and all costs involved will be borne by TCT.

9. The Company Theatre will sponsor passes for all participants to select performances of dance, theatre and music in the cities of Mumbai and Pune.

10. A basic stipend will be offered to all participants per show performed during the Indian Tour. This will be competitive with payment to Indian artists per show in Indian Rupees.

All participants must arrange the following:

International Return Airfares
Visa to India
Participation Fee
Personal Insurance

The Company Theatre can, with select applicants, mutually help raise funding for the above from cultural consulates and other grant making bodies:

WHO CAN APPLY & HOW

Artists of any age involved in performance activity or with a background of performance training are invited to apply. Performers from the following disciplines may apply: Theatre, Mime, Clown, Puppetry, Contemporary Dance and Music. All artists applying must be open to physically exploring the rigorous training and skill exchange that will be practiced during the period of riaz and should be willing to participate in the final performance that will be rehearsed and toured at the end of the residency.

Applications must be made both on e-mail as well as in hard copy (details in the application form). The application material will not be returned to the participants.

All the selected participants will have to enter into an international contract with The Company Theatre. The decision of The Company Theatre in selection of the participants will be binding once this contract has been signed.

The language required for this project is English.

The participation fee for the project (duration: 7 months) is € 8000.
The selection process starts from 31st Nov ’08 on first come first served basis and will be finalised by 31st Jan ’09.
Last date for receiving applications is 31st Dec ’09.

ANNEXURE 2
THREE PHASES OF THE PROJECT

PHASE- 1

This will be a 3 month period (July/Aug 2009 to Sept/Oct 2009) of basic training, learning and skill exchange where all the following activities will be practiced on a regular basis.

KALERIPPAYATTU

Originally a martial art form from the south of India, Kalerippayattu offers various exercises and routines to performers which help them to control and apply breath and energy to their body movements at will. Basic training in this art form prepares performing artists for the stage at a very fundamental level, in terms of their awareness of body and mind, concentration and flexibility. The outcome of this training can be experienced by all performers in the areas of removing natural blocks in the movements of the body and empowering body expression by synchronising physical and mental energies.
Info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalarippayattu
Please note that Kalerippayattu will continue into phase 2 of the project as well. Total duration: 6 months

UZHICHIL

Kalari Uzhichil is a body massage given by a master to the student with hand and foot. Generally, this relieves physical tiredness, promotes blood circulation, relaxes muscles and invigorates body systems. It tones the musculoskeletal system and alleviates general body weakness. By using a very unique technique and special oils, vital body points are stimulated leading to a completely relaxed body and mind.
Info: http://www.sreerangomayur.com/Kalarichikiltsa.htm
Total duration: 14 days

YOGA

Yoga has many forms but basically is a series of fluid body postures and exercises done under the supervision of a master. It is essential for every performer to learn to control and play with the highly potent & complex ‘living instrument’. It is impossible to separate the elements of that instrument - mind, body, breath, and energy. Regular yoga practise helps a performer to build flexibility, focus, stamina, coordination, balance, and a healthy sense of self.
Info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoga
Please note that Yoga will continue into phase 2 of the project as well. Total duration: 6 months

HINDUSTANI CLASSICAL VOCAL MUSIC

An age old classical art form that needs no introduction, Hindustani Classical Music, is based on knowledges in voice culture and voice engineering. These are knowledges acquired over many years that address the musical qualities of voice, its anatomical behaviour and health, breathing apparatus and finally resonance systems in the abdomen, chest, throat and head.

There has always been an understanding that a voice has to sound and behave in a certain manner to be able to do justice to the demands of the performer. Basic training in this art form will help our participants in the areas of greater vocal power and energy, improved vocal quality, texture and tone as well as voice focus and projection.
Info: http://www.itcsra.org/sra_hcm/sra_hcm_index.asp
Total duration: 3 months

EYE WORK FROM KATHAKALI

Kathakali is a well-known dance-theatre form from South India. The eyes being an important medium of communication for all performers, Kathakali eye exercises daily will enable the participants to develop focus and energy in the eyes. This will also include work towards the basic emotions expressed by the eyes; Netrabhinaya (The play/ act of the eyes) based on the Navarasa theories of the ancient treatise of Indian Dance and Drama- Natyashastra.
Info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathakali
Total duration: 1 month

BREATH WORK FROM KOODIYATTAM

Koodiyattam is also a classical dance-theatre form from South India which is a few thousands of years old, now considered a part of humanity’s intangible heritage (UNESCO). Laying stress on breath control and its realization, Koodiyattam can open doors for all performers to stimulate their emotional and psychological expression. This study will rely deeply on breath patterns of everyday life and life around us. The participants will work with primordial rhythms of breath patterns in and around them and explore breath patterns of the basic emotions as prescribed by Natyashastra.
Info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koodiyattam
Total duration: 1 month

RHYTHM WORK

Performers must enhance their work by developing an appropriate inner rhythm of their being. Speed, Intensity, Tempo and Energy are all an outcome of an inner rhythm, its realisation and control. All of this helps the performer to develop a truthful character emotion and a powerful connect between inner feeling and outer expression. Combining knowledges of classical and modern performance cultures, participants will explore the rhythms of postures and gestures, of characters and situations, of stillness and movement.
Total duration: 1 month (2 separate modules of 15 days each)

PUPPETRY (PAVAKOOTHU)

Pavakoothu means shadow puppet play. It is a ritual art form performed during festivals in temples with epic tales as its theme. The puppets are arranged behind a long white curtain stretched across the view line. Behind this curtain a row of burning lamps are placed. The light from these lamps casts the shadow of the puppets on the curtain when the puppeteer moves the puppets. The project intends to explore the craft and the many ways in which it can be extended into a contemporary expression in form as well as content.
Total duration: 1 month

THEORETICAL COMPONENT

Every month The Company Theatre will invite, for a day, a specialist to talk to participants about different aspects and fields of knowledge that have a bearing on the process of a performer. While some of these will be informal sessions, some will also take the form of lecture demonstrations. These have been envisioned as sessions of sharing, discussing, opening up to understand each artist better and also helping a deeper understanding of Indian performance traditions and practices. Almost all of these will further the theoretical understanding of all the practical work that the participants will undertake at the residency.

VISIT TO ANOTHER RESIDENCY

At the end of Phase 1, all participants will visit, for a week, another performing arts residency situated in some other part of India. This will be a chance for them to work in a newer space and introduce themselves to the craft, philosophy and way of life of that particular residency.

BREAK

A week long period is kept aside for participants to unwind and refresh themselves. In this period, all participants may return to Kamshet or visit other parts of India at their own expense.

PHASE- 2

Soon after the break, the participants will be expected to return to the residency where rehearsals towards a performance will begin for the next 3 months. The director, Atul Kumar, who will be present during the Phase 1 as well, will initiate rehearsals immediately into the 2nd phase. Germ ideas for this production will already have emerged and maybe even discussed during the first 3 months of the project. 2 guest artists from India from the field of performance will also be invited at this point to join the project. They will, on their part, bring in their skills, expertise and experience to this process. We truly hope that at this point the project turns into an exchange programme, facilitating a dialogue of skills and knowledges between artists.

SHORT WORKSHOPS

Once every month into the 2nd phase, as required by the growing work and need, the project will invite other performance teachers and practitioners to come in from various parts of India and hold shorter workshops with the participants.

PHASE 3

The performance created out of the project will be performed and toured immediately after the 6 month process in 4 Cities of India-Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore and Delhi. Over a month at least 10 shows will be performed during this tour.

ANNEXURE 3
CALENDAR

TIME ACTIVITY DETAILS

July/Aug 2009 ARRIVAL OF PARTICIPANTS WELCOME
Jul/Aug 2009 TO Sept/Oct 2009 RIAZ- TRAINING PERIOD KALERIPPAYATTU EVERYDAY
YOGA EVERYDAY
HINDUSTANI MUSIC EVERYDAY
UZHICHIL FOR 14 DAYS
RHYTHM WORK 1 MONTH
EYE WORK 1 MONTH
BREATH WORK 1 MONTH
PUPPETRY 1 MONTH
MONTHLY THEORETICAL EXCHANGE
Sept/Oct 2009 VISIT TO ANOTHER RESIDENCY WORKSHOP DESIGNED BY HOST
Sept/Oct 2009 BREAK VISITS OR REST TIME
Oct/Nov 2009 RETURN TO RESIDENCY PREPARE FOR REHEARSALS
Oct/Nov 2009 TO Dec/Jan 2009 REHEARSALS EVERDAY REHEARSALS
MONTHLY GUEST WORKSHOP (3-4 DAYS)
Jan/Feb 2010 SHOWS & TOUR MUMBAI- 5 SHOWS
PUNE- 1 SHOW
BANGALORE- 3 SHOWS
DELHI- 1 SHOW
Jan/Feb 2010 PARTICIPANTS RETURN END OF PROJECT

DAY’S ROUTINE

Phase 1

7 to 7.30 am- Eye Work
7:30 to 8.30 am – Kalerippayattu/Uzhichil
8.30 to 9.30 am – Yoga
9.30 to 10.30 am – Breakfast
10.30 to 11.30 am – Break
11.30 to 1.00 pm – Hindustani Vocal- Voice Work
1.00 to 2.00 pm – Lunch
2.00 to 4.30 pm – Break & Tea-Coffee
4.30 to 6.30 pm – Rhythm Work/Breath Work/Puppet Work
6.30 to 8.00 pm – Discussion Sessions/Break
8.00 to 9.00 pm – Dinner

Phase 2

7:30 to 8.30 am – Kalerippayattu
8.30 to 9.30 am – Yoga
9.30 to 10.30 am – Breakfast
10.30 to 11.00 am – Break
11.00 to 1.30 pm – Rehearsal
1.30 to 2.30 pm – Lunch
2.30 to 4.30 pm – Break & Tea-Coffee
4.30 to 8.00 pm – Rehearsal/Workshop
8.00 to 9.00 pm – Dinner

THE COMPANY THEATRE, G-8, SILVER ANKLET, YARI ROAD, VERSOVA, ANDHERI WEST, MUMBAI- 400 061, INDIA
ph: 91 22 2630 1294, thecompanytheatre@gmail.com, www.thecompanytheatre.net

TCT WORKSPACE INTERNATIONAL RESIDENCY 2009
APPLICATION FORM FORM NUMBER:

RECENT PASSPORT SIZE PHOTOGRAPH

Please fill in block letters with black or blue ink

• First Name: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________

• Last Name: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________

• Permanent Address (where you can be reached): ___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

• Telephone: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________

• Fax: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________

• Email: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________

• Male/Female: __________________________________________________________________________________________________

• Discipline – Theatre/Contemporary Dance/Music: _____________________________________________________________________

• Date/Place of Birth: _____________________________________________________________________________________________

• Nationality: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________

• Marital Status – Single/ Married/ Separated
o Number of Children _____________________________________________________________________________________

• Do you have health insurance?
o Insurer
o Insurance Policy Number ________________________________________________________________________________

• Knowledge of any foreign languages (apart from English): _______________________________________________________________

• Contacts in India, if any: _________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

• Two Names and Contacts of reference from within your field of work: ______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

• Have you previously attended any residency programs? When, Where & Duration:

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

• Any previous Fellowships or Grants that have been awarded to you:

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

• Any previous visits to India – Nature of Visit/Nature of Visa/Duration of visit:

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

• Artistic and Professional Bio-Data/Curriculum Vitae (PLEASE ATTACH SEPARATE SHEET)

• Previous Artistic Works dated by year (PLEASE ATTACH SEPARATE SHEET)

• Why you wish to participate in this residency program? What you hope to achieve for yourself through this program? (PLEASE ATTACH SEPARATE SHEET)

• Enlist any Work Samples attached (by way of video/audio recordings or pictures) Please do not send originals as we cannot return materials:

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

DECLARATION:

I AGREE, IF SELECTED FOR THE RESIDENCY 2009 AT THE COMPANY THEATRE- INDIA, TO BE PRESENT AND PARTICIPATE IN THE ENTIRE PROJECT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS STATED IN THE INFORMATION SHEET.

_________________________ _____________________ ___________________________
PLACE DATE SIGNATURE

NOTE:

• Please use separate sheets wherever necessary
• Feel free to send us any printed material, press coverage, promotional or any other support material of your past work
• Please send a completed application form by e-mail to: thecompanytheatre@gmail.com
• The last date for submission of application is 31st December 2008
• Along with the e-mail application, please send a hard copy of the completed application form with support material to the following address:

THE COMPANY THEATRE
G-8, SILVER ANKLET,
YARI ROAD, VERSOVA,
ANDHERI WEST,
MUMBAI- 400 061
INDIA thecompanytheatre@gmail.com
PHONE: 91 22 2630 1294 www.thecompanytheatre.net

'Civilmedia 08: Cultures - Participation - Dialogue' in Salzburg, December 4 - 6, 2008

2008-11-15T04:07:00.000-08:00

http://civilmedia.eu

Adapting the topic of this year's "European Year of Intercultural
Dialogue" the central question of the 3rd Civilmedia will be:
What meaning, impact and challenges do arise by participatory media
production (Web, Radio, TV) in respect to intercultural dialogue?
The UnConference is participant-driven and again open for your contributions.
There is no conference fee. Concerning accommodation and if you need
support for travel costs, please refer to the organizers.
Please register your participation and suggest your contribution on
http://wiki.civilmedia.eu

Video Civilmedia 2007: http://de.sevenload.com/videos/WtwNo4GL-Civil-Media-07
--

Human Rights Watch Int'l Film Festival's YOUTH PRODUCING CHANGE seeks submissions

2008-11-15T04:00:00.000-08:00

Human Rights Watch International Film Festival
YOUTH PRODUCING CHANGE
CALL FOR YOUTH MEDIA SUBMISSIONS ON HUMAN RIGHTS
*Deadline for submissions: December 10, 2008

The Human Rights Watch International Film Festival in partnership with Adobe Youth Voices seeks youth-produced media works on human rights issues* for its second annual YOUTH PRODUCING CHANGE program to screen in our New York, London, Boston and San Francisco film festivals in 2009-10. YOUTH PRODUCING CHANGE provides a platform for youth to share their perspectives with audiences worldwide.
We are currently seeking film, video and animated works on human rights issues created by youth ages 19 and younger.
For information on how to submit your film, please download our submission form by clicking here: http://hrw.org/iff/2008/submission.html#youth

*Please send us your original films on equality, civil rights, children's rights, politics, women's rights, international justice, HIV/AIDS, the environment, Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender rights, health, the environment, war and conflict, freedom of expression, counterterrorism, gender, refugees, immigration, economic, social, and cultural rights. To learn more about human rights, please visit our website: http://www.hrw.org/

Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights wins Rights & Democracy ’s 2008 John Humphrey Freedom Award

2008-11-15T03:41:00.000-08:00

Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights wins
Rights & Democracy’s 2008 John Humphrey Freedom Award

MONTREAL – Nov. 13, 2008 – Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights is the winner
of Rights & Democracy’s 2008 John Humphrey Freedom Award in recognition of
its courageous pursuit of justice for victims of human rights abuses inside
Zimbabwe.

The organization has played a leading role in the promotion and protection
of human rights across Zimbabwe since its founding in 1996. Guided by a
professional commitment to the rule of law and Zimbabwe’s international
human rights obligations, ZLHR provides essential services ranging from
legal support for victims of state-endorsed persecution to public education
and human rights training for activists and civil society organizations
working at the community level.

In 2003, ZLHR established a project to provide legal support for human
rights defenders facing prosecution. Up to 1,500 Zimbabweans now benefit
from the service each year, and its lawyers have yet to lose a single case
in the project's five year history. Irene Petras, Executive Director of
ZLHR, attributes this perfect track record to both the heroic tenacity of
the project's lawyers and the fact there is rarely any evidence to support
the charges brought against their clients. “Prosecution is used as a tool
of persecution,” she said. Ms. Petras and fellow lawyer Andrew Makoni will
accept the John Humphrey Freedom Award on behalf of ZLHR at an Ottawa
ceremony on Dec. 10, International Human Rights Day.

“Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights provides a vital democratic lifeline for
those who would otherwise have no recourse against state-sponsored abuses
and persecution,” said Dr. Jacques P. Gauthier, Interim Chair of Rights &
Democracy’s (the International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic
Development) Board of Directors. “Its determined, non-violent struggle
against impunity and repression reminds us that, in the end, tyranny is no
match for human dignity and the rule of law.”

Rights & Democracy established the annual John Humphrey Freedom Award in
1992 to honour an organization or individual for exceptional commitment to
the promotion of international human rights and democratic development.
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights was nominated by the Canadian Embassy in
Harare. An international jury selected ZLHR unanimously from a field of
almost 100 candidates.

Named in honour of John Peters Humphrey, the McGill University law
professor who prepared the first draft of The Universal Declaration of
Human Rights, the annual John Humphrey Freedom Award includes a speaking
tour of Canadian cities to help increase awareness of the recipient's human
rights work. This year’s tour will bring Ms. Petras and Mr. Makoni address
public events in Calgary (Nov. 27), Toronto (Dec. 2), Halifax (Dec. 5),
Montreal (Dec. 8) and Ottawa (Dec. 10).

For further information
Please contact Steve Smith (ext 255) at Rights & Democracy, 514-283-6073

Rights & Democracy is a non-partisan, independent Canadian institution
created by an Act of Parliament in 1988 to promote democratic development
and to advocate for and defend human rights set out in the International
Bill of Human Rights. In cooperation with civil society and governments in
Canada and abroad, Rights & Democracy initiates and supports programmes to
strengthen laws and democratic institutions, principally in developing
countries.

Gruber Foundation Invites Nominations for Women's Rights Prize

2008-11-10T11:49:00.000-08:00

Peter and Patricia Gruber Foundation Invites Nominations for
Women's Rights Prize

Deadline: December 15, 2008

The Peter and Patricia Gruber Foundation ( http://gruberprizes.org/ )
is accepting nominations for the Women's Rights Prize, a gold
medal and unrestricted cash award of $500,000 that honors coura-
geous efforts to help achieve gender equality.

The prize honors individuals who have made significant contribu-
tions to human rights that advance the rights of women and girls
around the world.

Only candidates who have been officially nominated on a fully
completed nomination form will be considered for the prize. All
nominations materials must be submitted in English. Self-nomina-
tions are not accepted.

Visit the Gruber Foundation Web site for complete program
information.

RFP Link:
http://fconline.foundationcenter.org/pnd/15015648/gruberprizes

Press Release from the Global Campaign to Stop Killing and Stoning Women

2008-11-10T11:27:00.000-08:00

SKSW Press Release: Condemnation of Stoning to Death of Asha Ibrahim Dhuhulow

Press Release: Condemnation of Stoning to Death of Asha Ibrahim Dhuhulow

29 October 2008

The Global Campaign to Stop Killing and Stoning Women! (SKSW) strongly condemns the stoning to death of Asha Ibrahim Dhuhulow, a 23 year old Somali woman who was publically tortured and murdered Monday in the local square in Kismayu, Somalia.

Accused of adultery, Asha Ibrahim Dhuhulow was buried up to her neck in front of hundreds of people while stones were hurled at her head. She was dragged out of the hole three times to see if she was dead.

Somali Islamist insurgents captured the southern port of Kismayu in August of this year. Witnesses to the stoning said the militants, known as al-Shabaab, accused the woman of adultery and extracted a confession. Although all standard interpretations of sharia, (or collections of Muslim laws,) dictate that adultery must be proven by four eye witnesses in a court of law, the Somali Concern Group reported that the killing was extra-judicial, and that the woman did not receive a trial.

Members of al-Shabaab apparently publicized the execution, killing the woman in front of hundreds of people at the town square. When a relative and others pushed forward to rescue the victim, guards opened fire, killing a child. Islamist leaders have reportedly apologized for killing the child, but offered no such repentance for the stoning of Dhuhulow.

Stoning is a grave and serious violation of International Human Rights Law. Stoning breeches the International Convention of Civil and Political Rights (1966), to which Somalia is a signatory.

Article 6 of the ICCPR states that "in countries which have not abolished the death penalty, sentence of death may be imposed only for the most serious crimes", of which adultery is not.

Article 7 of the ICCPR states that "No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment". This last injunction is reinforced in the 1985 Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT) of which Somalia is a also a signatory.

Although the killing was carried out by non-state insurgents, Article 2 of the CAT states that "each State Party shall take effective legislative, administrative, judicial or other measures to prevent acts of torture in any territory under its jurisdiction."

We urge the state of Somalia to ensure a prompt and impartial investigation into this grave case. Members of al-Shabaab as well as every individual who took part in the stoning must be brought to justice, and the Somali state should take due diligence in taking every possible measure in order to prevent any such violation of women's human rights from reoccurring.

Furthermore, the Global Campaign to Stop Killing and Stoning Women! urges all militias, insurgents, independent armies and other non-state actors in Somalia to respect the human rights of civilians in their communities and unequivocally condemn the practice of stoning.

For more information, please go to www.stop-stoning.org

´Peace made Visible´ calling all artists

2008-11-10T08:36:00.000-08:00

AN INTERNATIONAL CALLING FOR ARTISTS OF ALL DISCIPLINES AND ALL MEDIUMS

The theme is: Peace made Visible, via the symbol of the elephant god Ganesh, known as "the remover of obstacles."
The first events will take place in Cyprus in January and May, 2009. Cyprus is an island that has long known war, and is currently still politically divided, but striving to remove obstacles to a lasting peace and openness. Artists from around the world are being called upon to participate in an event that will make visually manifest the desire for peace. The project will then travel to other sites with obstacles to peace that need to be removed.

There are several ways to participate:
a. Submit preparatory drawings and artist's sketches for an exhibition in a gallery in Nicosia, on the island of Cyprus in January 2009.
b. Submit elephant sculptures for an event and installation, in May 2009, of elephant figures made by artists (and non-artists) on Ledra Street, the border currently separating the two halves of Cyprus .
c. Artists can also participate by getting the word out, helping with the planning, and by volunteering at the event in Cyprus.

ALL ARE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN MAKING PEACE VISIBLE, ARTISTS AND NON-ARTISTS, ALIKE!

For more information:

1)
www.go-ganesha-go.com

2)
Call for artists flyer:

3)
Artist Rose Marie Gnausch will be in New York from November 14th to December 3rd to promote the project, answer questions, and pick up work.
Contact her at: roma@gnausch.net

Nordic Culture Point - Mobility Grants - Open for Application

2008-10-17T05:29:00.000-07:00

Mobility grants open for applications:

This year?s final application round is now open. Only mobility grants are available on this round, and applications should be submitted electronically to Nordic Culture Point by 5 November 2008.

NCP works with partners on islands:

Nordic Culture Point has now four official co-operation partners to help in reaching out to the entire culture field in the region.

? The contribution of Nordic Houses and Institutes is truly appreciated. They help us to include the entire region in the cultural co-operation and, very importantly, to keep us informed of what is happening on the local culture front ?, says Bergljót Jónsdóttir, director of Nordic Culture Point.

Autumn round resulted in almost 250 applications:

Nordic Culture Point received 243 applications on autumn?s first application round. The highest amount of applications was submitted to the module for activities aimed at production and communication . The deadline for applications was 3 September 2008.

Nordic Culture Point
Suomenlinna B 28
00190 Helsinki
Finland

info@kknord.org
www.kknord.org

Global Film Initiative: CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

2008-10-17T05:19:00.000-07:00

Winter 2009 Feature-film Production Grants

San Francisco, CA - October 16, 2008 - In its continuing effort to promote original filmmaking by individuals from around the world, the Global Film Initiative is pleased to announce a call for the Winter 2009 cycle of its feature-film production grants program. Applications will be accepted from October 15, 2008 to January 15, 2009, and decisions will be announced in March 2009.

Global Film Initiative production grants are awarded twice a year, in Winter and Summer, to filmmakers whose work exhibits artistic excellence, authentic self-representation and accomplished storytelling. The granting program furthers the Initiative's mission of contributing to the development of local film industries while offering audiences a variety of cultural perspectives on daily life around the world. Monies received through the Initiative's granting program are used to support completion of film production, and to subsidize post-production costs, such as laboratory and sound mixing fees and access to modern editing systems.

This year, the Global Film Initiative will award production grants of up to $10,000 each to select applicants during its Winter granting cycle. These funds are made available following the Initiative's evaluation of an applicant's completed screenplay and early film-footage, and may include a pre-sale option for exclusive U.S. distribution of an applicant's film by the Initiative. Individuals may submit more than one film for consideration per granting cycle but please note that only applications from qualifying countries or regions will be considered and that production grants are not available for documentary or short films.*

The Global Film Initiative strongly believes in supporting narrative storytelling traditions from around the world and invites all qualified applicants to submit their work for granting consideration. For Applications & Guidelines, please visit:www.globalfilm.org/granting.htm.

Application deadline: January 15, 2009

*The Global Film Initiative accepts grant applications from countries in the following regions: Latin America, The Caribbean, Africa, The Middle East, Asia (excluding Hong Kong, Iran, Japan, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan), and Oceania (excluding Australia and New Zealand).

The Global Film Initiative
The Global Film Initiative is a U.S.-based, 501(c)3 organization specializing in the acquisition, distribution and support of independent film from Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. Founded in 2002 with the mission of promoting cross-cultural understanding through the universal language of cinema, each year the Initiative awards numerous grants to deserving filmmakers from around the world, and supports a touring film series entitled Global Lens. For more information about the Global Lens film series and Global Film Initiative programs, please visit: http://www.globalfilm.org.

Colombian Military and Police Confronting Indigenous Protesters in Cauca ...

2008-10-15T00:34:00.000-07:00

Organizers call for solidarity from the international community

The Association of Indigenous Councils of Northern Cauca, ACIN, reports that today, on the third day of the national mobilization dubbed “Commotion of the Peoples,” all the communities gathered in the locality of La Maria, in the department of Cauca, are completely surrounded by the Colombian Army. Apparently, the security forces are preparing to carry out an armed assault against the civilians involved in the protest, which began on Sunday, October 12th. Organizers estimate that there are over 10,000 people currently at La Maria and surrounding areas.

The communities have blocked a portion of the Pan American Highway that connects the cities of Popayán and Santander de Quilichao in the department of Cauca, in an acto f civil disobedience. They are demanding a face to face meeting with the President to discuss the main points on their agenda.

ACIN reports that in the confrontations today, there were at least two indigenous activists severely wounded, with one possibly fatally. Two other indigenous activists from Tierradentro were detained.

Simultaneously, 4 cadavers were transfered from Corinto to the morgue in the town of Caloto. According to ACIN, up to now, local officials have not allowed indigenous authorities in to identify the victims and examine the corpses.

Prior to the mobilization, which was called to protest against the militarization of indigenous territories, the US-Colombia Free Trade Agreement, and the government of Alvaro Uribe, indigenous leaders warned about the potential for this kind of backlash against the movement. That the government declared a state of internal commotion just two days before the start of the protest gave them more reason to be alarmed.

In an urgent communique put out by ACIN a few moments ago, the organization states: “Everything indicates that this criminal government has initiated a massacre as a response to our indigenous resistance!”

Spokespersons for ACIN are calling on “the world not to serve as accomplices with silence in the face of this criminal regime.”

For more information, contact: http://www.nasaacin.org

2009 Human Rights Advocates Program (HRAP) Application Available

2008-10-15T00:21:00.000-07:00

October 14, 2008

Dear friends and colleagues:

The application for the 2009 session of the annual Human Rights Advocates Program (HRAP) at Columbia University is now available. I would like to ask you to disseminate this information and application to human rights activists based in the Global South as well as grassroots activists in the United States.

HRAP is designed to prepare proven human rights leaders from the Global South and marginalized communities in the U.S. to participate in national and international policy debates on globalization by building their skills, knowledge, and contacts. The Program features a four-month residency at Columbia University in New York City with a structured curriculum of advocacy, networking, skills-building, and academic coursework.

Since 2004, HRAP has concentrated its support on individuals and organizations that address issues broadly related to globalization.

The four-month intensive capacity building program based at Columbia University in New York focuses on the following key issue areas:

* Environmental injustice
* Labor rights violations
* Ramifications of resource extraction
* Public health crises
* Unsustainable development
* Intolerance, xenophobia, and social exclusion related to globalization

Special attention is given to the above issues and their intersection with gender, race, ethnicity, sexual identity, and/or other sources of marginalization.

Participants are selected on the basis of their previous work experience on human rights and globalization, commitment to the human rights field, and demonstrated ability to complete graduate-level studies. Advocates must originate from and reside in either the Global South or the United States. Fluency in English is required. Advocate s must secure institutional endorsement from their organizations for their participation in the Program and must commit to returning to that organization upon completion of the Program. If accepted, they must also commit to participating in the program fully.

This extremely competitive Program will admit approximately six participants. We make every effort to provide full fellowships to cover program costs as well as travel and living expenses for selected Advocates each year.

Completed applications are due by December 19, 2008. Incomplete applications will not be considered. The 2009 HRAP will take place from the middle of August to the middle of December 2009.

For further information or to download additional copies of the application, please refer to our website at: http://hrap.hrcolumbia.org/

Thank you.

Yours sincerely,

Stephanie V. Grepo
Director, Capacity Building Programs
Center for the Study of Human Rights
Columbia University

Aminatou Haidar, 2008 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Laureate

2008-10-03T05:03:00.000-07:00

Aminatou Haidar, 2008 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Laureate, is a Sahrawi human rights defender struggling for the right to self-determination of Western Sahara, the last colony in Africa. Ms. Haidar’s commitment to non-violence and peaceful demonstrations has led many to call her the “Sahrawi Gandhi.”
Ms. Haidar plays a leading role in several human rights campaigns focusing on the release of Sahrawi prisoners of conscience and the right to self-determination of the Sahrawi people. Ms. Haidar supports local organizations that monitor the human rights situation in Western Sahara and the illegal exploitation of its natural resources. She is a member of the Collective of Sahrawi Human Rights Defenders (CODESA), which draws attention to abuses committed by Moroccan authorities.
The conflict in Western Sahara is one of the most long standing and forgotten crises in Africa. Formerly a Spanish colony, it has been under strict military control by Morocco since 1975. For decades, the United Nations has intervened in the conflict in order to reach a political solution. Currently, the UN is facilitating ongoing negotiations between Morocco and the Sahrawi independence movement, the Polisario Front.
The Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award was established in 1984 to honor courageous leaders or activists from around the world who dedicate their lives to overcoming serious human rights violations. The RFK Center for Human Rights engages in long-term partnerships with its laureates and their organizations to help them achieve their social change goals.
For more information, please see the RFK Center Press Release: http://www.rfkmemorial.org/legacyinaction/2008_announce

Call for Entries: Ninth Annual Media That Matters Film Festival

2008-10-02T08:48:00.000-07:00

NINTH ANNUAL
MEDIA THAT MATTERS
FILM FESTIVAL

Call For Entries

"The Media That Matters Film Festival...is unlike most in its insistence on community screenings through the world. The stories are humane, emotionally rich and often humorous despite the heavy subject matter." - The Indypendent
Media That Matters
More than a film festival.

Media That Matters is the premier showcase for short films with big messages. Following a New York City Premiere, Awards Ceremony and industry networking events in June 2009, your film will take part in the Media That Matters international, multi-platform campaign with DVD distribution, broadcasts, streaming and hundreds of screenings across the globe!
Hundreds of thousands of people including educators, activists and nonprofits will watch and use your film. Submit your short film to make a real impact.
Short Films: Keep it short! Under 12 minutes is good, but under 8 is even better.
All Genres: Documentary, animation, PSA, narrative, music videos - be creative!
Social Issues: Any and all. This year we are looking for films on Media Literacy, Human Rights, Elections & Democracy, Sustainability, Sexual Identity—but all social issues are accepted. Youth produced projects are encouraged.
Cash Prize: $1,000 per film.
Submission Fee: $25 for general submissions; $10 for students over 18 (with valid student ID); free for youth 18 and under (with valid ID).
Deadline: All submission materials must be postmarked by January 9th, 2009.
Check website for more details: www.mediathatmattersfest.org/submit.

OURMEDIA 8 (2009) - Call for expressions of interest to host 2009 meeting

2008-09-28T02:27:00.000-07:00

== English ==

At the end of OURMedia 7 in Ghana, several preliminary expressions of
interest for the organization of OURMedia 8 were made. One from Amparo
Cadavid to organize OM8 in Colombia. A second from Sawsan Zaideh and Tamara
Aqrabawe to bring OM8 to Jordan. A third one from Emilia Rebottaro and her
colleagues to organize an OURMedia conference in Argentina. Prior to the
conference Gabi Hadl proposed to organize OURMedia 8 in conjunction with the
next IAMCR conference in Mexico (a proposal that would need someone in
Mexico to take it on).

If local committees are not ready to take on the organization of OURMedia 8
in 2009, they could propose to organize OURMedia 9 (in 2010) or OURMedia 10
(in 2011). There are already two such expressions of interest. One from
Modibo Coulibaly, who was one of the presenters at OM7 on the AFRRI farmers'
radio project, to organize OURMedia 9 or 10 in Bamako, Mali; and another
from Tanja Bosch, University of Cape Town, to organize OM9 in South Africa
in 2010.

***

EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST FOR OURMedia 8

If anyone wants to make or confirm an expression of interest in organizing
OURMedia 8, please bring it forward here.

Deadline for OURMedia 8 EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST is September 30, 2008.

***

PROPOSALS FOR OURMedia 8

After that, we will ask those who have expressed an interest to present a
fully developed proposal.

The OURMedia 8 proposal should include the following elements and will be
discussed against the following criteria.

Ø Reason for organizing OURMedia 8 in your country/city: such as a
especially dynamic community media sector, or the need to galvanize local
forces around policy issues, or distinctive forms of alternative
communication.

Ø Local capacity for organizing OURMedia 8: Who will form the local
committee? What experience do they have organizing events? Are they well
connected with community/alternative/radical communication practitioners and
academics?

Ø Local ability to secure the necessary funding: Recent OURMedia conferences
cost approximately US$60,000.00. Although many academics have access to
funds from their universities, the local committee (with the help of the
international working group) needs to secure funds to cover travel expenses
of activists and practitioners, to pay for conference venues, meals,
refreshments, fieldtrips, etc.

Ø Degree of commitment of local committee: Organizing an OURMedia conference
is a consuming one-year full time task. We need to know that the local
committee is truly committed to making the event a reality.

Ø Local costs (hotels, air fares, food, local transportation, etc).

Ø Visa situation (how easy will it be for people from very different parts
of the world to secure an entry visa?)

We have posted previous conference proposals online as a way to guide the
process.
http://www.ourmedianetwork.org/?q=node/148

Deadline for OURMedia 8 PROPOSALS is OCTOBER 31, 2008.

Decisions will be communicated by NOVEMBER 24, 2008.

***
We also need to form the International OURMedia 8 Working Group. Every year,
an international OURMedia group works together with the local committee. The
conference is designed and implemented primarily by the local committee with
the support of the international working group.

Please let us know if you want to be part of the international working group
responsible for supporting the local organizing committee by writing to Juan
Salazar j.salazar@uws.edu.au , Wilna Quarmyne
administrator@ghanacommunityradio.org , and Clemencia Rodriguez
clemencia@ou.edu .

***

Let's all have a collective discussion about all the options that come
forward. The forum is open ...

***
== Español ==

Al final de la reunión de OURMedia/NUESTROS Medios 7 en Ghana, se
propusieron una serie de expresiones de interés iniciales para organizar
NUESTROSMedios 8. Una fue de Amparo Cadavid para organizar NM8 en Colombia.
Una segunda fue de Sawsan Zaideh y Tamara Aqrabawe para traer a NM8 a
Jordania. Una tercera de Emilia Rebottaro y sus colegas para organizar una
conferencia de NUESTROSMedios en Argentina. Con anterioridad a la
conferencia Gabi Hadl propuso la organización de NUESTROSMedios 8 en Mexico
para coincidir con el proximo congreso de IAMCR (una propuesta que
necesitará de alguien en Mexico que la asuma).

Si los comités locales no están listos para proponer la organización de una
conferencia en 2009 podrian proponer la organización de NUESTROSMedios 9 (en
2010) o NUESTROSMedios 10 (en 2011). Ya existen dos expresiones de interés
para tal efecto. Una de Modibo Coulibaly, quien presentó sobre la radio
campesina AFRRI, para organizar NUESTROSMedios 9 or 10 en Bamako, Mali. Y la
otra es de Tanja Bosch, University of Cape Town, para organizar NM9 en
Sudáfrica en 2010.

***

EXPRESIONES DE INTERES PARA NUESTROSMedios 8

Si alguien desea expresar o confirmar su interés en organizar NUESTROSMedios
8 por favor hacerlo aqui.

La fecha límite para EXPRESIONES DE INTERES es 30 de SEPTIEMBRE, 2008.

***

Propuestas de organización de NUESTROSMedios 8

Luego de esta fecha solicitaremos a quienes hayan hecho llegar sus
expresiones de interés desarrollar una propuesta formal.

La propuesta de organización de NUESTROSMedios 8 debe incluir los siguientes
puntos y será evaluada de acuerdo a los siguientes criterios.

Ø Razón para organizar NUESTROSMedios 8 en su país o ciudad, como por
ejemplo la existencia de un sector dinámico de medios comunitarios, o la
necesidad de fomentar fuerzas locales en torno a asuntos de políticas o
formas distintivas de comunicación alternativa.

Ø Capacidad Local para organizar NUESTROSMedios 8: Quiénes formaran parte
del comité local? Qué experiencia tienen en la organización de eventos?
Están bien vinculados con gente de medios alternativos, comunitarios o
radicales y a círculos académicos?

Ø Capacidad Local para asegurar financiamiento: Las conferencias recientes
de NUESTROSMedios tienen un costo aproximado de US$60,000.00. Aun cuado
muchos académicos pueden acceder a fondos de sus universidades, el comité
local (con la asistencia del comité internacional) deberá conseguir los
fondos para costear gastos de activistas y productores de medios, así como
gestionar financiamiento para visitas, alimentacion etc.

Ø Grado de compromiso del comité local: Organizar una conferencia de
NUESTROSMedios podria requerir un año de trabajo a tiempo completo. Queremos
saber que el comité local esta verdaderamente comprometido con hacer del
evento una realidad.

Ø Costos locales (hoteles, pasajes aéreos, alimentación, transporte local,
etc).

Ø Situación de Visas (cuan fácil sería para gente de diferentes partes del
mundo viajar y obtener visas).

Hemos puesto a disposición las propuestas anteriores como una forma de guiar
el proceso.

http://www.ourmedianetwork.org/?q=node/148

LA FECHA LIMITE PARA PRESENTAR PROPUESTAS DE ORGANIZACION VENCE EL 31 DE
OCTUBRE, 2008. Las decisiones serán comunicadas el día 24 de Noviembre,
2008.

También se requiere volver a formar el comité internacional. Cada año un
grupo de trabajo internacional trabaja en conjunto con el comité local. La
conferencia es diseñada e implementada principalmente por el comité local
con el apoyo del grupo de trabajo internacional.

Por favor dejen saber su interés de ser parte de este grupo de trabajo
internacional escribiendo a Juan Salazar j.salazar@uws.edu.au , Wilna
Quarmyne administrator@ghanacommunityradio.org , y Clemencia Rodriguez
clemencia@ou.edu .

***

Comenzemos por tener una discusion colectiva acerca de todas estas opciones.
El foro esta abierto ...

###

== Français ==

A la suite de l¹organisation de NOSMédias 7, à Accra, nous recevions de
plusieurs manifestations d'intérêt préliminaires pour l¹organisation de
NOSMédias 8.

La première nous vient d¹Amparo Cadavid qui propose d'organiser NM8 en
Colombie l¹an prochain. Une seconde proposition nous vient de Sawsan Zaideh
et Tamara Aqrabawe de l'organiser en Jordanie. Une troisième nous vient
d'Emilia Rebottaro et ses compatriotes pour organiser un rassemblement de
NOSMédias à Patricios, en Argentine. Il y a aussi l'idée de Gabi Hadl
d'organiser NM8 conjointement avec la prochaine conférence IAMCR au Mexique
(une proposition qui nécessiterait quelqu'un au Mexique).

Si certains comités locaux ne sont pas prêts à assumer l'organisation de
NOSMédias 8 pour l¹an prochain (2009), des propositions pour les conférences
suivantes sont aussi les bienvenues : NOSMédias 9 (en 2010) ou NOSMédias 10
(en 2011). En fait, il y a déjà une manifestation d'intérêt de Modibo
Coulibaly, un des présentateurs à la NM7 sur le projet agriculteurs de radio
de l'AFRRI, d'organiser NOSMédias 9 ou 10 à Bamako, au Mali. Nous avons
aussi entendu Tanja Bosch à la fin de NM7 évoquer la possibilité (en
partenariat avec ses collègues/collaborateurs) d'organiser NOSMédias 9 en
2010.

***

MANIFESTATIONS D'INTERET POUR NOSMédias 8

Si quelqu'un voulait montrer ou confirmer de l'intérêt pour l'organisation
de NOSMédias 8, veuillez vous manifester dans ce forum.

Date limite pour les Manifestations d'intérêt pour NOSMédias 8 est le 30
septembre 2008.

***

propositionS NOSMédia 8

Après ce délai, nous demanderons à ceux qui se sont manifestés de préciser
leur proposition.

La proposition NOSMédia 8 doit inclure les éléments suivants:

Ø Argumenter sur les raisons qui vous amènent à souhaiter organiser NOSMédia
8 dans votre pays/ville: par exemple, un secteur de médias communautaires
particulièrement dynamique, ou la nécessité de mobiliser les forces locales
autour des questions de politique, ou mettant en évidence des formes
nouvelles ou endogènes de pratique de communication alternative.

Ø Pourvoir à l¹accueil et l¹organisation sur place (comité local) pour
l'organisation de NOSMédias 8: Composition du comité local - De qui
sera-t-il formé? Quelle est leur expérience dans l'organisation
d'événements? Quelle est leur relation/connexion avec des praticiens de
médias locaux (communautés/réseaux alternatifs/partenaires universitaires Š)

Ø La capacité locale à assurer le financement nécessaire. Pour information,
les dernières conférences de NOSMédias ont coûté aux environs de US$60,000.
Bien que de nombreux universitaires aient accès à des fonds de recherches
émanant de leurs institutions, le comité local (avec l'aide du groupe de
travail international) doit obtenir le financement nécessaire pour couvrir
les frais de voyage de militants et de praticiens, pour payer pour les lieux
de conference, les repas, les rafraîchissements, les excursions, etc.

Ø Degré d'engagement du comité local: Organiser une conférence NOSMédias est
une tâche devorante à temps plein pendant une année. Nous avons besoin de
savoir que le comité local est véritablement résolu à faire l'événement une
priorité et une réalité.

Ø Dépenses locales (hôtels, billets d'avion, de la nourriture, transports
locaux, etc);

Ø Visas : Sera-t-il facile pour les participants de différentes régions du
monde d'obtenir un visa d'entrée?

Nous mettons à votre disposition les propositions des conférences réalisées
pour les précédentes conférence afin que vous puissiez voir à quoi elles
ressemblent et puissent vous guider dans la vôtre.

http://www.ourmedianetwork.org/?q=node/148

La date limite de présentation pour les propositions d¹organisation d¹OM8
est le 30 OCTOBRE 2008.

Les décisions seront communiquées le 24 novembre 2008 au plus tard.

***

Nous avons également besoin de former le Groupe de travail NOSMédias 8.
Chaque année, un groupe de travail international NOSMédias travaille et
collabore avec le comité local. La conférence a été conçue et mise en ¦uvre
principalement par le comité local avec l'appui du groupe de travail
international.

S'il vous plaît, il est important de nous faire savoir si vous voudriez
faire partie du groupe de travail international chargé d'aider le comité
local dans l¹organisation par ecrivant a Juan Salazar j.salazar@uws.edu.au ,
Wilna Quarmyne administrator@ghanacommunityradio.org , et Clemencia
Rodriguez clemencia@ou.edu .

Commençons-nous une discussion collective sur les options qui se presentent
ici. Le forum est ouvert ...

Free Inquiry at Risk: Universities in Dangerous Times

2008-09-27T12:07:00.000-07:00

A Social Research Conference at The New School
Commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the University in Exile
Free Inquiry at Risk:
Universities in Dangerous Times
Join us as a group of experts discuss trends that are reshaping universities around the world. What are the benefits and what are the risks to academic freedom and free inquiry as universities navigate rapid globalization, international collaborations, massification, corporate partnerships, growing franchises, regime change, and other conditions of duress?
Keynote Event: Aryeh Neier, President, Open Society Institute in conversation with endangered scholars from Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Belarus, and China.
The New School
Tishman Auditorium, Alvin Johnson/J. M. Kaplan Hall
66 West 12th Street, New York City
Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, October 29th, 30th, and 31st, 2008

Conference Tickets: $30 ($10 for a single session)
Free for Full-time Students and New School Alumni

To register or for more information:
call 212.229.5776 x3121,
email socres@newschool.edu,

or visit us online at www.newschool.edu/freeinquiry.

05/08 NEWSLETTER FROM THE HUMAN RIGHTS HOUSE NETWORK (06/2007)

2008-09-27T12:04:00.000-07:00

1) HRH Bergen: Rafto Laureate 2008 brings hope to eastern Congo
The 2008 Professor Thorolf Rafto Memorial Prize is awarded to Pastor Bulambo Lembelembe Josué for his dedication to end the plight of the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
See also: HRH East and Horn of Africa: Renewed fighting displaces 100,000 more civilians in eastern Congo

2) HRH Network: HRHF expresses concern about intolerance against homosexuality
In three separate letters, to the authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kenya, and Uganda, the Human Rights House Foundation has expressed its concern today with recent manifestations of intolerance against homosexuals. In all three cases, the verbal abuse and harassment, threats, incitement to violence and unlawful arrests have only resulted in silence from the authorities.
See also: HRH Nairobi: Sexual minorities' rights defender verbally abused, threatened and harassed

3) HRH Nairobi: Kenyan police behind hundreds of extra-judicial killings and disappearances
The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights has released its follow-up report on the so-called Mungiki killings, the large scale extra-judicial killings and disappearances that have taken place, predominantly in and around Nairobi, but also elsewhere in the country. The report leaves no doubt that the several hundred killings were ordered, directed or coordinated by the top leadership of the Kenyan police, acting jointly with a common purpose. Read KNCHR´s key findings below.
See also: HRH Nairobi: New report on the Mt. Elgon violence paints and even grimmer picture

4) HRH London: Ebadi on free expression in Iran
At the beginning of September, four female bloggers were sentenced to prison in Iran. In a recent interview with Index on Censorship, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Shirin Ebadi reflects on the current state of free expression in the country.

5) HRH Belarus: Can human rights newsletters be classified as 'extremist material'?
18 September, a preliminary meeting of the litigants on the case initiated by Hrodna Regional Department of KGB, asking the court to classify a newspaper, some books, human rights newsletters and music CDs as «extremist materials» took place at the District Court of Hrodna (Western Belarus). Human Rights activists are concerned about the troubling precedent such a clasification might have, if articles of the ´Law on Counteraction of Extremism´ could be used against dissidents.

6) HRH Bergen: Western Sahara human rights defender wins 2008 RFK Human Rights Award
Aminatou Haidar is to be presented with the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award for her campaign on behalf of the self-determination of Western Sahara and against government abuses and disappearances of prisoners of conscious. The ceremony will take place in Washington, D.C the morning of November 13th, in the Russell Senate Office Building´s Caucus Room.
See also: HRH Bergen: State company reported for buying goods stolen from Western Sahara

7) HRH Oslo: Nepal to deport Tibetan exiles
About 6.000 Tibetan refugees in Nepal are at risk of deportation, back to Tibet. The figure equals 30% of the 20.000 Tibetan refugees living in four camps in Pokhara, Nepal. In an attempt to satisfy China, Nepal has announced its intentions to deport the 6.000, who have entered Nepal illegally or have never been granted a refugee certificate. Only in the last few days, since 9 September, 132 Tibetan activists have been arrested in Nepal. They all face imprisonment and deportation.
See also: HRH Oslo: Two Tibetan documentary filmmakers held for past six months

**************************************************************************

Niels Jacob Harbitz
Prosjektleder / Project Manager for Africa
Redaktør / Editor, www.humanrightshouse.org
Human Rights House Foundation
Office: Tordenskiolds gate 6 b, 0160 Oslo
Tel.: (+47) 22 47 92 47 / 22 47 92 45 (dir)
Fax: (+47) 22 47 92 01
Private Mob.: (+47) 915 26 584
Websites: www.humanrightshouse.org / www.menneskerettigheter.no
Email: niels.jacob@humanrightshouse.org

artHARLEM: freeDimensional's Action Lab on Economic Migration featuring the "Taking to the Sea" project

2008-09-21T07:11:00.000-07:00

freeDimensional's Action Lab on Economic Migration will be on display at Harlem Studio Fellowship during artHARLEM, Oct 4 & 5

Weblinks:
www.freedimensional.org
www.hsfny.wordpress.com/
www.hoast.org/

freeDimensional (fD) is a platform of collaboration linking community art spaces to social justice movements globally. fD conducts advocacy on behalf of vulnerable groups and produces tactical media to illustrate critical, contemporary issues. fD uses existing resources in the art, media and entertainment sectors in order to engage and financially underwrite direct actions, raise awareness and instigate change.

The freeDimensional Action Lab on Economic Migration has been in development since 2006. Starting with an fD resident artist in NYC, Bara Diokhane and the Gowanus Canal “Empty Vessel” Boat Project, and leading up to the artHARLEM tour on October 4/5, the project has no intention of slowing down. The project has found a great deal on momentum in 2008. Beginning with an event during New York City's Immigrant Heritage Week, on to a one week workshop on Economic Migration at the Santa Fe Art Institute and ending the spring season of events with a media intervention in Dakar, with their partner center the Atelier Mustapha Dime, during the Dak'Art Biennale.

Moving from the spring to summer has found fD working with a new and dynamic research project on Economic Migration, "Taking to the Sea". Taking to the Sea is interested in looking at Egyptian Economic Migration by the sea. fD will feature Taking to the Sea during artHARLEM. fD plans to bring Taking to the Sea to a new audience in New York City and connect it to other projects on migration that are also ongoing. There are a number of community based organizations that are focused on Economic Migration from Central America to the US as well as West Africa to Europe that fD has been working with. fD looks to further the discussion by bringing organizations and community art spaces to work together to focus on the situation at hand.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Harlem Studio Fellowship is a residency program for international artists. Conceived by Ruggero Montrasio and curated by Raffaele Bedarida, the program invites two or three young artists every three months.

artHARLEM is a community based not-for-profit organization that manages H.O.A.S.T.(Harlem Open Artist Studio Tour) and other curatorial events throughout New York City.

world map on alternative media // mapa sobre a mídia alternativa no mundo

2008-09-17T23:47:00.000-07:00

Pesquisador está construindo mapa sobre a mídia alternativa no mundo
O Atlas da Mídia Alternativa já conta com mais de 30 veículos, da América do Sul, do Norte, Europa e África. A iniciativa é do doutorando da Universidade de Rennes 1, na França, Benjamin Ferron.
O responsável por cadastrar os dados dos veículos alternativos brasileiros e dos países vizinhos é o jornalista Chico Sant’anna.
Chico explica que Ferron já vem desenvolvendo trabalhos sobre a mídia alternativa. A primeira iniciativa do pesquisador foi disponibilizar na internet uma bibliografia de trabalhos referentes a este tipo de imprensa. A tese dele é sobre o papel das mídias alternativas nos processos de autonomia dos territórios Palestinos e de Chiapas, no México.
Acesse o mapa em construção em http://maps.google.fr/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=fr&oe=UTF8&msa=0&msid=112584705072733905782.000455856e71585b474ef
Dados sobre mídias alternativas devem ser enviados para o e-mail chicosantanna@hotmail.com,com o nome do veículo e um breve relato acerca do seu propósito, seja impresso, rádio, TV e internet.

Stephan Smith Reclaims Arab Name @ Joe's Pub (Sept 22) +New Album w/ Hal Willner

2008-09-15T11:56:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,

In the coming week, Iraqi-American recording artist and Freemuse Ambassador, Stephan Smith, is formally announcing his decision to reclaim his Arab name, Stephan Said, and telling the story of how, when he started his career, executives at major labels told him he "could never have a career in the US with an Arabic name."

He is celebrating the event with a concert for Iraqi Refugees at Joe's Pub in New York City, where he'll be debuting the songs from an all-star album he's just finished with Grammy winning producer Hal Willner, which will come out in early 2009. An invite to the show is up at www.stephansaid.com

Best regards

Ole Reitov
____________________________________________________

F R E E M U S E - Freedom of Musical Expression
OLE REITOV, PROGRAMME MANAGER
Nytorv 17, 3rd floor,DK-1450 Copenhagen K, Denmark
Tel: +45 33 32 10 27
Fax: +45 33 32 10 45
E-mail: ole.reitov@freemuse.org
Web: www.freemuse.org
- the world's largest database on music censorship
________________________________________

Violence in opening of IX Indigenous film/video festival in Bolivia

2008-09-15T10:56:00.000-07:00

Compañeros,

Saludos. Reenvio Note de Prensa de los organizadores del IX Festival
Internacional
de Cine y Video de los Pueblos Indígenas respecto a la violencia vivida de
Santa Cruz.
Se agradece difusión.

Nota de prensa suspensión del festival en Santa Cruz

La violencia y el racismo acallan la fiesta del cine indígena en Santa Cruz

La Paz, 10 de septiembre, 2008

Los actos de violencia vividos el pasado 9 de septiembre en la ciudad de
Santa Cruz han obligado a suspender, por cuestiones de seguridad, los
actos previstos en esta ciudad en el marco del IX Festival Internacional
de Cine y Video de los Pueblos Indígenas. Después de la toma por parte
de los grupos de choque de la oposición "cívica" de diferentes instituciones
públicas y medios de comunicación afines al gobierno, se temen ataques
a los participantes de dicho festival. Este es el motivo que ha obligado a
las
organizaciones indígenas originarias convocantes a suspender el
festival en Santa Cruz.

Desde 1985 la Coordinadora Latinoamericana de Cine y Comunicación de
los Pueblos Indígenas, CLACPI, junto a Organizaciones Indígenas y
aliados de diferentes países, impulsa el desarrollo de los Festivales
Internacionales de Cine y Video de los Pueblos Indígenas. En esta
edición, la violencia y la intolerancia han acallado el mensaje de los
pueblos indígenas y originarios de muchas partes del mundo.

Después del triunfo de la violencia y la sinrazón, el festival no
tiene más remedio que trasladarse ahora a la ciudad de La Paz, donde
estaba previsto su inicio el próximo domingo 14 de septiembre, con la
presentación de la película "El grito de la selva", primer
largometraje de ficción indígena producido en Bolivia. En esta
película se narra la lucha de los pueblos indígenas de la amazonía
boliviana por defender su territorio del avasallamiento sufrido por
parte de grandes latifundistas. Precisamente, estos latifundistas y
otros grupos opositores, son los que ahora pretenden frenar el proceso
de emancipación que viven los pueblos indígenas en nuestro país.

Sin embargo, la violencia de los intransigentes no impedirá que el IX
Festival Internacional de Cine y Video de los Pueblos Indígena
consiga: afirmar el pleno reconocimiento social, político y cultural
de los pueblos indígenas; resaltar el valor de la imagen y la
comunicación para celebrar un mundo plural en el que los pueblos
indígenas puedan construir el futuro que buscan; motivar la producción
de obras cinematográficas y videográficas que dan voz y que los
retratan dignamente; ni fortalecer los lazos que unen a las y los
comunicadores indígenas y no indígenas de diferentes continentes
luchando por un mundo más justo y por el pleno reconocimiento del
derecho a la autodeterminación.

Comité Organizador
IX Festival Internacional de Cine y Video de los Pueblos Indígenas
www.clacpi.org
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------

Press release suspension of the 9th CLACPI festival in Santa Cruz

Violence and racism quell the indigenous film festival in Santa Cruz.

La Paz, Sept. 10, 2008

The violence experienced on September 9 in the city of Santa Cruz has forced
organizers to suspend, for security issues, the events planned in this city
to
launch the IX International Festival of Indigenous Peoples Film and Video.
Following occupations by "civic" groups of the opposition of different
public
institutions and communication media centers related to the government,
fearing potential attacks to participants of the festival. These have
reasons forced
the indigenous organizations to suspend the Festival in Santa Cruz.

Since 1985, the Coordinator of Latin American Cinema and Communication
Indigenous Peoples, CLACPI, alongside indigenous organizations and allies of
different countries, promotes the development of International Film and
Video
Festivals of Indigenous Peoples. In this edition, violence and intolerance
have
silenced the message of Indigenous and originating in many parts of the
world.

After the triumph of violence and unreason, the festival has little choice
but to
now move on to the city of La Paz, where the film "The Cry of the Jungle",
the first
indigenous feature film produced in Bolivia, was planned to start next
Sunday
September 14. This film narrates the struggle of indigenous peoples
defending
their territory in the Bolivian Amazon in the face of subjugation suffered
at the
hands of large landowners. These landowners and other opposition groups are
precisely those who now seek to halt the process of empowerment of
indigenous
peoples living in our country.

However, hardline opposition violence will not prevent the Ninth
International
Festival of Film and Video of Indigenous Peoples from: asserting full
social,
political and cultural recognition of indigenous peoples; highlighting the
value
of images and communication that uphold a pluralistic world in which
Indigenous
peoples can build the future we seek; motivate the production of film and
video
works that give voice to indigenous peoples and that portray indigenous
peoples
with dignity; strengthening the ties that bind and Native and non-indigenous
people from different continents fighting for a more just world and for the
full
recognition of self-determination rights.

Organizing Committee
IX International Festival of Indigenous Peoples´ Film and Video.
www.clacpi.org

Amalia Córdova
Latin American Program Manager
Film + Video Center
Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian
1 Bowling Green, New York, NY 10004
Tel: +1 212-514-3735
Fax: +1 212-514-3725
Email: cordovaa@si.edu
www.nativenetworks.si.edu /
www.redesindigenas.si.edu

Abierta convocatoria al XIV Festival de Cine y Video Indígena!

Declaración en nombre de la Asociación Latinoamericana de Educación Radiofónica, ALER, la Junta Directiva: SOBRE LA SITUACIÓN EN BOLIVIA

2008-09-15T08:48:00.000-07:00

A pocos días del Referéndum Revocatorio que dio amplio respaldo popular al gobierno constitucional del Presidente Evo Morales, grupos de poder económico asociados a mezquinos intereses políticos de locales y del imperio norteamericano arrastran a Bolivia a la violencia descontrolada para truncar el proceso de cambios emprendido en ese país.

La situación se ha agravado en las últimas horas, especialmente en las zonas gobernadas por Prefectos que lideran reclamos separatistas, donde bandas armadas escondidas bajo el nombre de "comités cívicos", han desatado violentos ataques contra diversas instituciones, las que han sido objeto de saqueo, destrucción e incendios provocando ya varias muertes.

Utilizando el racismo como una herramienta para defender sus intereses lesionados y tratar de recuperar el poder que están perdiendo gracias al proceso de cambios, los ataques están dirigidos especialmente contra los pueblos indígenas, sus organizaciones y las instituciones que trabajan con ellos.

En este escenario, radios asociadas a ERBOL y ALER han sido atacadas o amenazadas. Tenemos bajo amenaza a nuestros compañeros de radio Alternativa de Santa Cruz; radio San Miguel de Riberalta, Beni; radio Aclo de Tarija; radio Ichilo, provincia Yapacani, Santa Cruz.

Frente a estos graves hechos, la Asociación Latinoamericana de Educación Radiofónica, ALER, manifiesta:

1.- el dolor por la pérdida de vidas humanas y la más activa solidaridad con el pueblo de Bolivia y su voluntad , con el gobierno constitucional del Presidente Evo Morales Ayma, la nueva Constitución de ese país y en, general, el proceso de cambios allí emprendido.

2. el apoyo y acompañamiento fraterno y solidario a la Red ERBOL, Escuelas Radiofónicas de Bolivia y sus Radios Asociadas, especialmente a las comunicadoras y los comunicadores amenazados y a las radios silenciadas.

3.- advertimos sobre la gravedad que significa el silenciamiento de medios de comunicación que siempre han estado al servicio de la convivencia en paz, la justicia y los derechos de la población especialmente de los pueblos indígenas y sus organizaciones.

4.- repudiamos el racismo, las agresiones y la violencia en todas sus formas, contra el pueblo boliviano y su Gobierno.

5.- reclamamos al gobierno de Estados Unidos, para que cese su descarada intervención en Bolivia .

6.- solicitamos a los Gobiernos de la región y a los Organismos internacionales a pronunciarse de inmediato en defensa del orden constitucional y el derecho de Bolivia a decidir su propio destino y a dar pleno respaldo al gobierno legítimamente electo por la voluntad popular .

7.- ofrecemos, desde la Asociación y cada una de las radios afiliadas en todo el continente, nuestra colaboración en todo lo que sea posible para erradicar la violencia, buscar formas de entendimiento a fin de encauzar los reclamos que hubieren y lograr el respeto de los derechos del pueblo boliviano.

Quito, 11 de septiembre de 2008, a 35 años del golpe contra el Gobierno Constitucional de Salvador Allende en Chile.

Junta Directiva de ALER
Gerardo Lombardi, Presidente
Néstor Busso, Vicepresidente
Liliana Berta, Directora
Mario Maida, Director
Guillermo Siles, Director

Council of Europe Report on 'Promoting social cohesion. The role of community media'

2008-09-06T23:37:00.000-07:00

'Promoting social cohesion. The role of community media', authored by
Peter Lewis, has just been published on the Council of Europer
website at
http://www.coe.int/t/dghl/standardsetting/media/MC-S-MD/H-Inf(2008)013_en.pdf
(Home page of the Media division at
http://www.coe.int/t/dghl/standardsetting/media/)

Mexican government closing down free radios ran by indigenous communities in the Mexican State of Oaxaca

2008-09-05T09:38:00.000-07:00

Septiembre 04 2008
Periódico NOTICIAS
Cierra PFP radios piratas en el Istmo

Agentes de la Policía Federal Preventiva (PFP) y de la Secretaría deComunicaciones y Transportes (SCT) iniciaron el desmantelamiento de radios piratas en más de tres municipios de la región del Istmo, quetransmitían de manera ilegal.

EDWIN MENESES/CORRESPONSAL
SALINA CRUZ

El operativo inició este miércoles en este municipio, donde al menos20 elementos de la Policía Federal Preventiva apoyados porrepresentantes de la SCT, a bordo de tres camionetas, tomaron porsorpresa a los propietarios de las radios Miramar y Océano confrecuencias 98.3 y 102.1 FM localizadas en el barrio Juárez de estaciudad.

Los agentes federales recogieron primero en las instalaciones de la radio Océano una computadora, una pequeña mezcladora y un transmisor debajo alcance y micrófonos, equipo con el que transmitían losresponsables de esta radio.

Posteriormente, a las 12:00 horas se dirigieron a la calle Tuxpan delbarrio Juárez, donde ingresaron a otra radiodifusora pirataidentificada como radio Miramar, donde también recogieron todo equipode transmisión.

Horas más tarde (14:00 horas), los elementos de la PFP arribaron aotras radiodifusoras piratas, en el municipio de Tehuantepec,identificadas como Radio Tehuanita con frecuencia 105.7 ubicadas enbarrio San Sebastián y la radio Tehuantepec con frecuencia 98.5localizada en el barrio Laborío.

Este operativo continuó en la Heroica Ciudad de Juchitán, a las 16:00horas y hasta el cierre de edición las radiodifusoras con frecuencias89, 89.5 de FM y la TNT, fueron cerradas.

Se esperaba que en las siguientes horas, el operativo contra las radiopirata se extendiera a otros municipios de la región del Istmo,mientras tanto estaban en la mira más radiodifusoras del municipio deJuchitán como la 89.9, 94.5. 94.9, 91.7, 106.9, 92.9, 95.1, 102.5,105.1, 89.1, 94.1, 105.9, 104.5, 88.1.

Estos operativos que implementó la PFP y la SCT, se basaron en unadenuncia que hicieron varias empresas ante el presidente de la ComisiónFederal de Telecomunicaciones, de la Secretaría de Comunicaciones yTransportes Héctor Osuna Jaime, en el sentido de que se atendiera laproblemática que se vive en la región del Istmo.

Y se fundamentaron en lo establecido por el artículo 104 Bis de la LeyFederal de Radio y Televisión, el cual establece que sin concesión opermiso del Ejecutivo Federal no se puede operar o explotar estacionesde radiodifusión.

http://www.noticias-oax.com.mx/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8721&Itemid=49

Colombia: Pilgrimage to the Peace Village of San José de Apartadó

2008-08-31T03:32:00.000-07:00

GRACE Pilgrimage - Caminata por la Vida
www.grace-pilgrimage.com

by the Grace Foundation, in cooperation with the Universidad de la Resistencia, the Peace Village of San José de Apartadó and the Peace Research Village Association.

Walking Together for Peace
Peace Pilgrimage
01 - 05 October 2008

Creating Knowledge for a Peace Culture
Educational Camp
07 - 17 October 2008

For 5 days a group of approximately 400 people from all over the world will Walk for Peace in Colombia led by Sabine Lichtenfels, Padre Javier Giraldo and Benjamin von Mendelssohn.
Passing through villages and hamlets surrounding the area of San Jose, an area unprotected between the fronts of civil war, participants will be confronted with the threatened reality for Colombian peasants and how they can be part of developing global peace strategies for crisis areas around the world.
Together with the inhabitants of the Peace Village San José de Apartadó and other Colombian peace communities, each Pilgrim will show with this peace action their commitment to create a global peace force that no longer stops at national borders.
The Grace Pilgrimage - Colombia 2008 is the 3rd Pilgrimage led by Sabine Lichtenfels in the name of Grace and was inspired by the long standing cooperation between the Tamera peace research centre in Portugal, the Peace Village San José de Apartadó in Colombia and the Peace Research Village Association in Germany.

Colombia 2008 will also see the very first event of the Global Campus Initiative - a world wide education programme bringing together theory and practice in all relevant areas of life that will support a future without war. At present the Global Campus comprises of Tamera peace research centre (Portugal), Universidad de la Resistencia (Colombia) and the Holy Land Trust (Palestine).

About the Peace Community and how this action will support it

Eleven years ago the inhabitants of San José de Apartadó, located in the Northern part of Colombia, joined forces and founded the Peace Village. Between the fronts of the civil war they maintain non-violent resistance against murder and eviction. During these years more than 170 inhabitants of the village - women, men and children - have been murdered by the military, paramilitary and the guerrillas.
Despite all the attacks and threats the inhabitants of San José carry on, practice the spirit of reconciliation, and work their fields. Their vision is a Colombia without war and displacement, a positive future for their children, a self determined life in dignity and a command of ecological, technological and social know-how for a sustainable life.
The Pilgrimage and Global Campus Initiative support this vision in 2 ways:-

1. Bringing International presence to one of the most violent areas of the world. Approximately 100 internationals will take part in the pilgrimage, alongside Colombians and can act as witnesses or 'eyes of the world', both seeing firsthand the conditions for many Colombians and acting as protectors. The Pilgrimage will also be accompanied by journalists and media professionals.

2. The deepest wish of the Peace Village´s inhabitants is to see a positive future for their children and to receive education in peace professions and technical aspects of sustainability. For this we will begin in October a training program with a global perspective incorporating the most important areas of life: community, sustainable technology, love and sexuality, ecology, spirituality and the political. The aim of the Global Campus is to create such programs throughout the world.

How you can support

1. Take Part - International participation is essential for all actions in Colombia as a protection circle for Colombian peasants and displaced persons who experience violations from the various factions. Taking part is also a sign of a profound Yes to being part of the Global transistion from violence to peace. For more information on participation please contact Andrea Regelmann at info@sos-sanjose.org

2. Contribute to the Colombia Pilgrimage Appeal - The Pilgrimage is a non profit initiative and donations go directly to financing both the pilgrimage and the Global Campus Initiative.

Bangladesh: Training Workshop on Community Radio - How to Get Started and Keep Going

2008-08-31T02:37:00.000-07:00

Training Workshop on Community Radio: How to Get Started and Keep Going
Community Radio Initiators Ready to Run the Stations Soon in Bangladesh
Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC) along with other like-minded organizations has been conducting advocacy with the Government for community radio in Bangladesh since its inception. As a consequence, the Ministry of Information recently formulated Community Radio Installation, Broadcasting and Operation Policy 2008.
Primarily 116 organizations were identified as eligible of policy approval for community radio in a meeting of the National Regulatory Committee held in the Ministry of Information on Tuesday 15 July, 2008. On 23 July 2008 Ministry of Information sent an official letter to Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) and Home Ministry to issue security permit for the selected 116 community radio stations. As a consequence, investigation by three Government intelligence wings are working in the field level to find out required integrity, quality and legal status of the CR initiators.
From the community radio related experience, BNNRC feels deep urge that there should be an all out national initiative to train up manpower for the smooth operation of the community radio stations. With this view, BNNRC has set up a Community Radio Academy. From this academy training courses, technical support and research and development support will be given to the community radio stakeholders round the year.
In this backdrop, with main focus on the role of community radio in developing life and livelihood of the rural communities, Community Radio Installation, Broadcast and Operation Policy – 2008 and technical operation of Community Radio and strategy of work-plan for sustainable operation of community radio, Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC) organized a daylong training workshop on Community Radio: How to Get Started and Keep Going in Bangladesh at IDB Auditorium in Dhaka on Wednesday, 27 August, 2008.
A total of 136 representatives from 98 community radio initiators including non-government development and research organizations took part in the workshop.
Session 1 and 2: Key Concept and Guideline of Community Radio and Community Radio Policy in Bangladesh and statutory Requirements to Operate the Community Radio
Chief Executive Officer of BNNRC AHM Bazlur Rahman presented welcome address and presented key concepts of community radio operation and CR policy 2008 in the workshop. In his presentation, he said, it is high time the community radio initiators could design a business plan and work plan for a full-fledged community radio studio and station in the respective community location. So, every initiator should have a clear concept of the policy level and technical level expertise regarding setting up a community radio.
In this regard, Mr Rahman presented a pictorial discussion on four types of broadcasting systems, special features, preparation works, frame-work and community involvement in a community radio station. During the question-answer session, CR initiators demanded reducing the importing tax from the community radio equipments and minimum charge for BTRC frequency allotment for community radio as it is the starting period of CR operation in Bangladesh.

Session 3: Community Radio Technology
Technical Expert of Community Radio Academy Mr. Sohel Awrangzeb presented a paper on technical aspect including studio set up, equipments, production and broadcasting techniques and budget for a community radio station. In his presentation, Mr Awrangzeb gave a pictorial description of pre and post readiness of the studio, transmission, indoor and outdoor broadcasting, recording, editing and program production system of a community radio station. Through question-answer session, participants came to know the technical aspects in details regarding commencement of community radio operation.

Session 4: Gender Relations and Development (GRD) in Community Radio Operation
At the forth working session, Consultant of BNNRC Mr. A H M Abdul Hai presented a paper on Gender Relations and Development in Community Radio Operation while Researcher of Institute of Hazrat Muhammad (SAW) Ms. Shaila Simi was in the chair. A proposed gender policy in community radio mentioning women's access to the airwaves, women's representation on air, special needs of minority women, women's representation at all levels of station management, use of appropriate technology and funding and capacity building for women's radio complying with the gender policy for CRS by AMARC-WIN AP was presented at the workshop.
The respondents called for greater access to leadership, management, finances and the whole cycle of CR set-up. They also recommended changes in the program contents and participation in the various stages of production. Among the recommendations of the policy include training for women; use of free and open source software, a quota of at least 30 per cent for women's leadership and representation; and special radio programs for women. The policy also suggested more practical measures such as space allotment for child-care; flexible working hours; women-friendly equipment set-up and broadcast schedules; adequate lighting and security at the station; and transportation arrangements for women who live in remote areas.
Session 5: Plenary Session
At the plenary session, participants expressed their valued suggestions regarding way forward to enhance their capacity and skills in program production, broadcasting, technical set-up and operation of community radio stations. In this respect, NGO leaders stressed on the regular training and capacity building workshops for the community radio human resources from Community Radio Academy.
They also gave much emphasis on the active role of National Institute of Mass Communication (NIMC) in arranging training courses on community radio operation. They hailed the BNNRC initiative of opening national help desk in its secretariat for all out information and technical support to the community radio initiators and establishment of Community Radio Academy.
From this academy training courses, technical support and research and development support round the year are highly expected by the community radio stakeholders. Moreover, conducting a national baseline survey on CR, producing a national geographical map marking the CR locations, developing training curriculum, handbook and arranging annual conference have been planned under the activities of CRA.
In the workshop, development organizations declared their commitment of distributing a large number of free radio sets among their stakeholders to ease the community radio listening for the poor community people.

Bazlu
_______________________
AHM. Bazlur Rahman-S21BR
Chief Executive Officer
Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication(BNNRC)
&
Member, Strategy Council
UN-Global Alliance for ICT and Development (UN GAID)

House: 13/1, Road:2, Shaymoli, Dhaka-1207
Post Box: 5095, Dhaka 1205 Bangladesh

Phone: 88-02-9130750, 88-02-9138501
01711881647 Fax: 88-02-9138501-105

E-mail: ceo@bnnrc.net, bnnrc@bd.drik.net
www.bnnrc.net

fD Partner OMI INTERNATIONAL ARTS CENTER WELCOMES EIGHTEEN WRITERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD FOR THE 2008 FALL SESSION AT LEDIG HOUSE

2008-08-31T01:41:00.000-07:00

Owen Sheers (Wales, Fiction/Poetry)

The Omi International Arts Center is proud to welcome its fall residents to the Ledig House Writers Residency Program. The session will run from September 12th – November 21st. A community reading has been scheduled for Saturday, September 27th. It will take place in the new Visitors Center at the Omi International Arts Center (59 Letter S Road in Ghent). The residents will read from their work at 5PM and there will be a BBQ to follow. Additionally, there will a New York City event on Sunday, November 9th, at 7pm. The residents will present a reading as a part of the KGB series at 85 East 4th Street in the East Village. All events are free and open to the public.

In the fifteen years since its founding, the Ledig House International Writers' Colony has invited nearly five hundred writers and translators from over fifty countries to Columbia County and opened up a vital cultural byway between the Hudson Valley and the rest of the globe. In the last year alone Ledig House has hosted writers from twenty countries including Australia, Germany, India, Denmark, the U.K., Italy, Romania, Hungary, Guatemala, Iran, Bosnia, and Sweden. Here are some details regarding the incoming group of residents, which include a Vietnamese poet, a Korean translator, and an Estonian writer – just to name a few:

Jennifer Vanderbes (US, Fiction)
Gazmend Kapllani (Greece, Fiction)
Marie Le Drian (France, Fiction)
Simona Mambrini (Italy, Translation)
Luísa Costa Gomes (Portugal, Fiction/Translation/Playwriting)
Alex Lee (South Korea, Fiction/Translation)
Tishani Doshi (India, Fiction)
Ki wa (Estonia, Fiction)
Hoang Hung (Vietnam, Poetry/Translation/Journalism)
Owen Sheers (Wales, Fiction/Poetry)
Rebecca Morrison (UK, Fiction/Translation)
Mikolaj Lozinski (Poland, Fiction)
Ayse Kulin (Turkey, Fiction)
Ole Steen Hansen (Denmark, Nonfiction)
Ellen Sussman (US, Fiction)
Lisa Katz (Israel, Translation)
Scott Nadelson (US, Fiction)
Sharon Rotbard (Israel, Fiction)
Inez Baranay (Australia, Fiction/Nonfiction)
Paul La Farge (US, Fiction/Translation)
Niloufar Talebi (US, Translation)
David Knowles (US, Fiction/Screenwriting)

For information please call 518-392-4568 ex. 100

Brussels: Grand Opening: KRAN>>FILMSPACE

2008-08-22T04:38:00.000-07:00

Grand Opening of KRAN>>FILMSPACE
August 28th, 8PM
Come and join us for drinks

on Sint Goriks 26 Place Saint-Géry, 1000 Brussels
www.kranfilm.net

------------ English version -----------
Come celebrate the grand opening of our new KRAN>>FILMSPACE, featuring a multifunctional furniture designed by Architect Mikkel Marcker Stubgaard (DK). The project is using the limitations of the given space to shape and compress its different functionalities, wrapping them into one interlocking movement.
Enjoy free drinks, music by DJs Dan Mintz (US) & Tal Hadad (F), and "Read My Lips", a video by artist Mette Bartholin (DK).
Kran Film is a international collective of people working with film from a non-traditional approach. Its mission is to create a network that empowers its members to exchange experience and knowledge, expand their production and distribution possibilities, and showcase their works to the general public. Kran Film instigates collaboration, screening and archiving relevant works and connecting with engaged film artists from around the world.
Kran Film Collective encourages films that can evolve, exchange, and revolutionize. We push for social justice in a global sphere that has become segregated and isolated, both humanly and spatially. Breaking with the hegemonic media landscape, Kran Film wants to unite through creativity. DIY.
Kran Film is an emerging nonprofit organization based in Copenhagen and Brussels.
Visit us at...

------------ French version ------------
Grand Ouverture de Kran Film
28 Août, 20:00

Place Saint-Géry 26
1000 Bruxelles
www.kranfilm.net
Venez célébrer la grande ouverture de notre nouveau Kran>>FILMSPACE, avec ameublement multifonctionnel conçu par l'architecte Mikkel Marcker Stubgaard (DK). Le projet utilise les limites de l'espace pour former et compresser ses différentes fonctionnalités, enveloppant leur imbrication dans un mouvement.
Profitez des boissons gratuites, de la musique par DJ Dan Mintz (US) et Tal Hadad (F), et "Read My Lips", une vidéo de l'artiste Bartholin Mette (DK).
Kran Film est un collectif international de personnes travaillant avec le média de film d'une façon non- traditionnelle. Sa mission est de créer un réseau qui permet à ses membres d'échanger des expériences et de connaissances, de développer leur production et possibilités de distribution, et de présenter leurs aeuvres au grand public. Kran film incite à la collaboration, le dépistage et l'archivage des aeuvres et les liens avec les artistes de film engagés, du monde entier.
Kran Film Collective encourage les films qui peuvent évoluer, échanger et révolutionner. Nous soutenons la justice sociale dans une économie globalisée qui est devenu séparés et isolés, à la fois spatialement et humainement. Rompant avec l'hégémonie du paysage médiatique, Kran film veut unir à travers la créativité. Bricolage.
Kran film est une organisation à but non lucratif basé à Copenhague et à Bruxelles.
Pour plus ample d'information, visitez notre site ...

------------ Dutch version ------------
Kran Film Grand Opening
28 augustus, 20.00 uur

Sint Goriks 26
1000 Brussel
www.kranfilm.net
Kom mee de grote opening van onze nieuwe KRAN>>FILMSPACE vieren, met multifunctionele meubels ontworpen door de architect Mikkel Marcker Stubgaard (DK). Het project maakt gebruik van de beperkingen van de beschikbare ruimte om de verschillende functies te vormen en te comprimeren, door ze in een samenhangende beweging te verzamelen.
Genieten van gratis drankjes, muziek van DJ's Dan Mintz (VS) & Tal Hadad (F), en "Read My Lips", een video van de kunstenaar Mette Bartholin (DK).
Kran Film is een internationaal collectief van mensen die werken met de film vanuit een niet-traditionele benadering. Haar missie is het creëren van een netwerk dat haar leden toelaat ervaringen uit te wisselen, kennis en productie-en distributie- mogelijkheden uit te breiden en tegelijk ook als etalage dient van hun werk aan het grote publiek. Kran Film stimuleert samenwerking, de screening en het archiveren van relevante werken en in contact komen met die filmkunstenaars uit de hele wereld.
Kran Film Collective ondersteunt films die kunnen evolueren, uitwisselen en revolutioneren. Wij ijveren voor sociale rechtvaardigheid in een globale sfeer die gescheiden en geïsoleerd is geworden, dit op zowel menselijk als ruimtelijk vlak. Kran Film wil verenigen door middel van creativiteit en DIY (Doe-het-zelf) met als doel het dominante medialandschap te doorbreken.
Kran Film is een nieuwe non-profit-organisatie gevestigd in Kopenhagen en Brussel.
Visit us at...

------------ Artists -------------------

Mikkel Marcker Stubgaard graduated in Architecture 2000 after having studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Copenhagen and the University of Fine Arts, Berlin. He has since worked in internationally renowned architecture practices such as Behnisch and partners, Stuttgart, Dissing+Weitling and currently B.I.G., Copenhagen on a variety of large-scale projects and competitions in both Europe and North America. Alongside this he has collaborated on smaller scale more site-specific projects spanning from landscape installations to interiors:
BRIGHT, 2005, collaboration with Fanny Stenberg, Kabine Art Gallery, Copenhagen, DK
part of Statens Kunstfonds idearsexhibition, 2004, Architecture Bienale, Venice, IT
TVÆRS, 2002, collaboration with Rebeca Arthy, Stadtflur/ Nørrebroparken, Copenhagen, DK
part of C.U.D.I. group-exhibition, 2001, Brandts Klædefabrik, Odense, DK
FACADE ATTACK, 2001, collaboration with Rebeca Arthy, Vollsmose, Odense, DK
Dan Mintz is a composer and performer of electronic music. Originally from New York, where he was a founding member of the duo Fighter Pilot and more recently the experimental ensemble Va Va China, Dan frequently collaborates with musicians, video artists, and filmmakers. He has released two albums, and occasionally been seen DJing parties in Brussels.
Tal Hadad (1976) has developed along the last 4 years a large project called Global heart me, a new concept of music creation and broadcasting where the common music tendencies of global cities (Istanbul, Beijing, Sao Paulo) become experimental territories that inspire events, albums and exhibitions. His musical works are closely related to multimedia, visual and performance arts. He has collaborated in sound projects with diverse artists as Cao Fei or Mark Leckey. His latest inteventions have talken place in Le Plateau, Paris (2008, with Cao Fei), Kunst Werke Art Center in Berlin (2006) and DIAF contemporary art festival in Beijing (2006), or ISM Istanbul and Istanbul Biennial (2005).

Tal Hadad (1976) définit avec Global heart me une conception innovatrice de création et de diffusion musicale où les musiques et les tendances communes aux "villes-mondes" constituent le territoire d'expérimentation et d'élaboration d'événements, de concepts d'albums et d'expositions, allant au-delà des pratiques musicales pour rejoindre le champ des arts visuels, du multimédia ou des arts vivants. Hadad a collaboré dans des projets sonores avec des nombreux artistes comme Cao Fei ou Mark Leckey. Ses dernières interventions ont eu lieu au Plateau, Paris (2008, avec Cao Fei), Kunst Werke Art Center in Berlin (2006) et DIAF contemporary art festival à Pékin (2006), ISM Istanbul dans le cadre de la Biennale d'Istambul (2005).
Mette Bartholin was born 1975 in Aarhus, Denmark. Since 2000 she is living in Germany. In Berlin she learned to make Milchkaffee while officially attending Gender Studies at Humboldt University. Later she went to Hamburg to continue her Art Studies that she had commenced in Denmark. By now she also makes quite a good caipirinha and when she makes videos you'll often see her performing for the camera. On good days she would say that its about Identity on other ocations she has no idea. www.myspace.com/mettschen
------------ Latest News ----------------

The film PINE NUTS by Lasse Lau was selected in this years Lebanese Film Festival 7th edition / ..Ne.A Beyrouth, August 21st - 26th, 2008.
http://www.neabeyrouth.org/en/festival/

Contact Information
email: lasse@kranfilm.net
web: http://www.kranfilm.net

ASWAT and GALZ International Fundraising Tour

2008-08-20T00:31:00.000-07:00

ASWAT – PALESTINIAN GAY WOMEN AND GAYS AND LESBIANS OF ZIMBAWE
INTERNATIONAL FUNDRAISING TOUR

For Immediate Release
24.07.2008
Contact Persons:
Aswat (Rauda Morcos): aswat@aswatgroup.org
GALZ: (Fadzai Muparutsa)gender@galz.co.zw
Haifa and Harare, July 2008– In September 2008 Palestinian Gay Women (ASWAT) and the Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe (GALZ), both Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Transsexual, Queer, Questioning and Intersex (LGBTQI) organisations from the Global South, will embark on an international fundraising tour of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Canada.
ASWAT and GALZ exist in countries facing similar situations of violence, harassment and persecution. Where the LGBTQI community are treated with unequal human rights and in a lot of cases no human rights whatsoever. The queer community in both countries exist under daily threat of judgement and brutality.
These organisations have been built within communities that lack understanding of sexuality and gender identity. They come together as advocates for the rights of LGBTQI people; in hosting talks with funding agencies, working with the media and press, giving lectures on university campuses, colleges and other interest groups and individuals and to mobilise resources for our work, hence advocating and outreaching on the local, national, regional and international level.
We will highlight the challenges that LBTQI women experience in hostile environments by singling out the violence affecting women, and the inability of many to enjoy their rights to bodily integrity and sexual citizenship. We strive to provide a safe environment for LBTQI women within our societies and seek to create a culture of acceptance and tolerance towards the issue of homosexuality.
The tour dates and places:
5th – 6th of September in Hamburg, Germany (GALZ only)
3rd -7th of September in Toronto, Canada (Aswat only)
8th-16th of September in New York City, U.S.A (Aswat and GALZ)
17th-20th of September in Seattle, U.S.A (Aswat and GALZ)
21st-25th of September in San Francisco, U.S.A (Aswat and GALZ)
26th-28th of September in Boulder, U.S.A (Aswat and GALZ)
29th of September-3rd of October in London, U.K (Aswat and GALZ)

For supporting the tour and more information contact:
Aswat (Rauda Morcos): aswat@aswatgroup.org
GALZ: (Fadzai Muparutsa)gender@galz.co.zw

CSHR welcomes the 2008 Human Rights Advocates Program participants

2008-08-19T04:10:00.000-07:00

For Immediate Release August 15, 2008

Contact: CSHR Capacity Building Programs: 212-854-7373
Kristina Eberbach- kre2104@columbia.edu; Stephanie Grepo- sg2670@col umbia.edu

PROVEN HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCATES TO HIGHLIGHT
THE IMPACTS OF GLOBALIZATION IN MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES

Columbia University welcomes 2008 Human Rights Advocates

NEW YORK, New York – Six leaders in human rights advocacy will arrive in New York City on Monday, August 18th, marking the beginning of the 20th annual Human Rights Advocates Program facilitated by the Center for the Study of Human Rights (CSHR) at Columbia University. These remarkable defenders focus on contentious issues including migrant labor in the United States and Indonesia, sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo, HIV/AIDS discrimination in Mexico, and economic exploitation in India and Liberia. The Human Rights Advocates Program (HRAP) is one of the few programs in the city that works to strengthen local human rights leaders predominately from the Global South while integrating them into the academic community at Columbia University and connecting them to an international network of influence.

These human rights leaders, who work in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Indonesia, India, Liberia, Mexico, and the United States, defend the rights and voices of communities with the least access to decision-making processes. In the midst of a rapidly globalizing world, these advocates work assiduously to expose and address the exploitation and suffering of the local populations in their home regions.

All six advocates will be in residence at Columbia University from mid-August through mid-December and during that time they will engage in an intensive program designed to build advocacy skills, knowledge, and networks, while simultaneously advocating for their respective causes to individuals, organizations, government bodies, and the general public. HRAP has an international reputation for building the capacity of proven grassroots leaders who are committed to bringing these skills back to their home countries and continue their work in human rights. Advocates will engage with the United Nations, international financial institutions, relevant NGOs, government agencies, and academic institutions in order to achieve a mutually beneficial exchange of ideas and knowledge with individuals of influence in their respective fields.

“We are happy to welcome this year’s Advocates to Columbia. Th eir experience and knowledge will enrich our community and it is our challenge to reciprocate in kind and ensure that the program continues to enhance their strengths and contributes to their knowledge, so they are better equipped to pursue their goals of advocating for human rights,” said Elazar Barkan, Co-Director of CSHR.

Advocates will return to their home countries in mid-December to continue their work in the communities they defend.

---
Editor’s Note: All Advocates will be available to speak to the media during their stay in New York from mid-August to mid-December 2008. For further information, please contact Stephanie Grepo at (212) 854-2321 or sg2670@ columbia.edu.

For full biographical summaries and more information about HRAP see the Program’s website: http://hrap.hrcolumbia.org/participants.htm

2008 HUMAN RIGHTS ADVOCATES

Alejandro Rivera
Vice-President and Adjunct Coordinator of Programming and Evaluation, Collective for Family Health (CIFAM)
Mexico
Mr. Rivera serves as the Vice-President and Adjunct Coordinator of Programming and Evaluation at the Collective for Family Health, where he advocates for the rights of rural urban youth, sex workers, trans-gender and people living with HIV/AIDS in the state of Chiapas. He has helped to empower young people to advocate for sexual and reproductive rights on a national level, and has developed programs aimed at sensitizing medical and administrative personnel in jails to the harmful effects of abuse and discrimination.

Amalia Pulungan
Program Officer, Institute for Global Justice
Indonesia
Ms. Pulungan works as a Program Officer at the Institute for Global Justice to foster the participation of marginalized groups, such as women, farmers, and migrant laborers in democratic processes. Prior to the WTO Ministerial meeting in Hong Kong in 2005, Ms. Pulungan brought together fishermen, migrant laborers, peasant groups, and the media to successfully protect agriculture tariffs.

Anbu Sengoarasi Aganezhmaivanan
Program Officer, Tamil Nadu Women’s Forum
India
As Program Officer at the Tamil Nadu Women’s Forum, Ms. Aganezhmaivanan fights for the rights of women affected by poorly-implemented microcredit schemes. She has successfully lobbied women’s cases through international letter writing campaigns and demonstrations, and set precedents for access to justice and fair practice. At present Ms. Aganezhmaivanan is engaged in making microcredit systems more equitable for women in India.

Paola Carolina Delgado
Membership Director, South Florida Jobs with Justice
USA
Ms. Delgado is the Membership Director at South Florida Jobs with Justice and supports immigrant workers in South Florida in their struggle for fair wages and an effective voice in the workplace. As a part of her work, she developed a campaign that brought together union struggles in Colombia and Florida on the issue of worker conditions in the flower industry. This campaign was the starting point for a working committee that regularly holds community forums and press conferences to advocate for industry workers.

Peter Mulbah
Director, Skills and Agricultural Development Services
Liberia
As Director of the Skills and Agricultural Development Services Organization, Mr. Mulbah seeks to protect the rights of rural people adversely affected by deforestation by multinational logging corporations and contamination of groundwater and surface water by mining practices. Mr. Mulbah has successfully enabled indigenous participation in the establishment and management of a national protected area in Liberia.

Roger Luhiriri
Doctor, Panzi Hospital
Democratic Republic of Congo
Dr. Luhiriri serves as a physician and leader at Panzi Hospital, the only center for victims of sexual violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) where he specializes in treating traumatic fistulas. Dr. Luhiriri also helps to guide the hospital’s other services for survivors of sexual violence, including psychological support, vocational training and childcare and has been instrumental in organizing initiatives to help women participate in community decision making and policy reform.

--

China: Detained AIDS Activist

2008-08-19T03:12:00.000-07:00

CHINA: FREE DETAINED AIDS ACTIVIST

(New York, August 18, 2008) -- The Chinese government should immediately release prominent AIDS advocate Duan Jun (段军), Asia Catalyst said today. Duan Jun was detained while traveling to Hong Kong to resume a short-term internship with a leading AIDS organization.

On August 16, Duan Jun left Hong Kong, where he was halfway through a summer fellowship at AIDS Concern, and crossed the border to Shenzhen to renew his travel permit. He planned to return to the Hong Kong office by 1 pm on August 18. When he did not arrive, Hong Kong colleagues called his cell phone. Duan Jun said that he had been stopped at customs for several hours. In a later phone call he said that he was being held at another location and could not say more.

"The Beijing Olympics should be a time for celebration of world unity and athletic achievement, not a time for detention," said Sara Davis, executive director of Asia Catalyst. "We call for the immediate release of Duan Jun."

Duan Jun is one of eight Chinese AIDS advocates to whom Asia Catalyst has awarded summer fellowships at AIDS organizations overseas. The purpose of the fellowships is to help nonprofit leaders avoid the risk of detention during the Olympics, while building their management skills at larger and more established organizations.

Henan authorities refused to release the passports of two Asia Catalyst fellowship recipients, Li Xige and Zhu Bingjin, saying that they were not allowed to leave the country during the Olympics.

Duan Jun is also from Henan. According to reliable reports, 19 people with AIDS from Henan were detained over the weekend while traveling to Beijing to protest.

Four other AIDS advocates on Asia Catalyst fellowships have safely arrived at AIDS organizations in the U.S., Hong Kong and Malaysia. All the fellowship recipients planned to return to Beijing at the end of August.

"None of the Asia Catalyst fellows planned to speak to the media or protest while overseas," Davis said. "As always, Chinese authorities generate more bad press when they detain peaceful AIDS advocates than when they simply allow them to get on with their work."

Duan Jun is the 35-year-old founder of AIDS Care Home (关艾之家), an organization in Henan province providing support to children affected by AIDS. He has been prominent as a national advocate of AIDS treatment access, and as a representative to the Country Coordinating Mechanism of the Global Fund to Combat AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

Asia Catalyst partners with activists in Asia to inspire, create and launch innovative, self-sustaining programs and organizations that advance human rights, social justice and environmental protection. For more information, please see www.asiacatalyst.org.

--
Sara L.M. Davis, Ph.D. ("Meg")
Executive Director, Asia Catalyst
PO Box 20839
New York, NY 10009
Phone: +1-212-260-6440
www.asiacatalyst.org
www.songandsilence.com

Fundraiser for freeDimensional & CD Release Party for Tomas Doncker "SMALL WORLD"

2008-08-13T13:32:00.000-07:00

AUGUST 28th @ SHRINE World Music Venue www.shrinenyc.com
Come out and support the CD release of "Small World" by Tomas Doncker.
It's a $5 cover and 50% goes to freeDimensional! Come out and show your support!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tomas Doncker “Small World” press release
Singer/Songwriter/Producer/Guitarist Tomas Doncker Releasing World/Soul
EP "SMALL WORLD"

Brooklyn based Singer/Songwriter/Producer/Guitarist Tomas Doncker is
releasing his World/Soul EP "Small World" due out in August
independently on his own label GroovySexMusic. This new collection of
songs mixes the flavors of World Music with the in-depth Soul
progressions that makes up the sound of Tomas Doncker. His music has
been described as earthy, sultry and sophisticated, focused on
poignant lyrics and soulful grooves. His music appeals to a global
community that bridges the unity of listeners with spirit and harmony.

The first single "Children of Darfur" has caught the interest of such
humanitarian organizations as FreeDimensional, The Solar Cooker Project and Jewish World Watch. Co-producing the new EP
with Tomas is master percussionist Daniel Sadownick along with the
production team of Hollins Steele. The album is being recorded at The
Steele Factory www.thesteelefactory.com in Brooklyn, NY.

He has recently finished up recording the EP Small World after touring
around the country in support of his CD "InsideOut". He has used the
same band to record both recordings and has received critical acclaim
around the country for their live performances in New York, Chicago,
Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington, DC. His longtime band is
comprised of Daniel Sadownick on Percussion(Steely Dan/Matisyahu/Raul
Midon), Booker King on bass(Santana/Lila Downs), Etienne Lytle(Freddy
Jackson/Elizabeth Withers) and rising star Camelia Qabazard on
backinig vocals.

"Small World" features guest appearances by Soul and World music
luminaries Martha Redbone, Karen Bernod, Audrey Martells, Keith
Fluitt, KUKU,Ayib Dieng,Karma Johnson and Caitin Meissner.

Tomas has upcoming dates in NYC at The Blue Note, Brooklyn Academy of
Music, Shrine Cafe, Solomon's Porch, Frank's Lounge and has just been
asked to participate in the New York City River to River Music
Festival which brings Free music to the public.

Tomas Doncker's music is available on www.iTunes.com, www.CDbaby.com,
www.dustygroove.com and www.myspace.com/tomasdoncker

Norway: fD member, NKD opening

2008-08-07T05:11:00.000-07:00

i n v i t a t i o n
to the grand opening of

telemegaphone dale
by Erik Sandelin & Magnus Torstensson

call a fjell !

14:30 Saturday 02.08.

http://www.nkdale.no/Telemegaphoneinvite.html

Mexico: fD member Call for Applications - La Residencia Interdisciplinaria en Arte y Ecología en la Hacienda de Guapamacátaro (due Aug 25)

2008-08-07T05:06:00.000-07:00

La Residencia Interdisciplinaria en Arte y Ecología en la Hacienda de Guapamacátaro (Michoacán, México) es un proyecto anual dirigido a artistas de diferentes disciplinas, científicos y activistas, dedicado a impulsar el desarrollo cultural, ecológico y socio-económico de la región.

The Interdisciplinary Residency in Art and Ecology at the Guapamacátaro Hacienda (Michoacán, México) is an annual program for artists from different disciplines, scientists and activists, aimed at fostering socially and ecologically-conscious cultural development in the region.

espacio público / public space
1-28 DE FEBRERO, 2009 / FEBRUARY 1-28, 2009

Qué es el espacio público? Como se diferencía del espacio privado? Cuáles son las implicaciones sociales y ecológicas de crear arte en espacios públicos? Estas y otras preguntas serán exploradas mediante colaboración, experimentación, y la creación de obras de arte in-situ en la Hacienda y pueblos vecinos. Disciplinas: Artes Escénicas (Música, Danza, Performance, Teatro, Marionetas, etc); Artes Plásticas (Pintura, Dibujo, Fotografía, Cine/Video, etc); Escultura; Diseño y Arquitectura; Humanidades y Ciencias Sociales (Antropología, Sociología, Filosofía, etc); Ciencias Naturales (Ecología, Hidrología, Biología, Geología, etc).

Artistas invitados: Shawn Landis (Seattle, USA) y Julia Mandle (Nueva York, USA)
Un máximo de ocho personas adicionales serán seleccionadas por convocatoria
CONVOCATORIA: www.guapamacataro.org/2009
FECHA LIMITE: 25 de Agosto, 2008

Imágen: "Kalch", performance in-situ de Julia Mandle, Nueva York, 1998.

What is public space? How does it differ from private space? What are the social and ecological implications of creating art in the public realm? These and other questions will be explored through collaboration, experimentation, and the creation of site-specific works around the hacienda grounds and in nearby towns. Disciplines: Performing Arts (Music, Dance, Performance, Theater, Puppetry, etc); Visual Arts (Painting, Drawing, Mixed-Media, Photography, Film/Video, etc); Sculpture; Design and Architecture; Humanities and Social Thought (Anthropology, Sociology, Philosophy, etc); Natural Sciences (Ecology, Hydrology, Biology, Geology, etc).

Invited artists: Shawn Landis (Seattle, USA) and Julia Mandle (New York, USA)
Up to eight additional participants will be selected by application
APPLICATION DETAILS: www.guapamacataro.org/2009
APPLICATION DUE: August 25th, 2008

Macedonia: ‘CHAIN REACTION’ 3rd meeting of Upgrade! International (11–14 Sept 08)

2008-08-07T04:29:00.000-07:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – WEDNESDAY 6 AUGUST 2008

4 day festival curated by the Upgrade! International community

‘CHAIN REACTION’
3rd meeting of Upgrade! International
11 – 14 September 2008
Skopje, Macedonia

GROUP EXHIBITION I SCREENING PROGRAM I PUBLIC INTERVENTIONS
LECTURES I WORKSHOPS I LIVE A/V PERFORMANCES
The 3rd Upgrade! International meeting Chain Reaction will take place in Skopje,
Macedonia from September 11th to 14th, 2008. Growing from the Upgrade! International
community, this event takes the form of a city-wide digital art and networked culture
festival including exhibitions, screenings, live local and streamed performances and a
program of critical and active lectures and workshops exploring numerous facets in the
field of digital art.
Chain Reaction brings together artists, curators and art producers from more than 20
cities worldwide (Asia, Canada, Europe, North America, South America, South Africa,
New Zealand)
The artistic program shows current tendencies in the use of hardware and software
development for artistic means. The artists presented here are the emergent creative
force on the international new media art scene. Some of the works have been part of
other exhibitions and festivals, and others have been created exclusively for this event.
One of the dominant principles that have emerged in this collection of works is the
blurring of the boundaries between art, cultures, technology and physical surroundings.
This blurring is not about fading out; it is about illuminating and distributing new kinds of
practices. It is about multiple modes of participating, navigating and deconstructing.

Chain Reaction explores issues of cultural development and growth in the local region as
well as within digital networks. Exhibiting works and presentations from over 20 cities
across the world, the organizers expect this event to be a catalyst for dialog, future
collaborations and new cultural understanding.
Event info: www.line.org.mk
For any further press information or high resolution pictures please contact:
line@line.org.mk

--

ABOUT Upgrade! International [http://www.theupgrade.net/]

Upgrade! is an international, emerging network of autonomous nodes united by art,
technology, and a commitment to bridging cultural divides. Its decentralized, non-
hierarchical structure ensures that Upgrade! (i) operates according to local interests and
their available resources; and (ii) reflects current creative engagement with cutting edge
technologies. While individual nodes present new media projects, engage in informal
critique, and foster dialogue and collaboration between individual artists, Upgrade!
International functions as an online, global network that gathers annually in different
cities to meet one another, showcase local art, and work on the agenda for the following
year.

ABOUT THE PRODUCERS

Event producer
Line Initiative and Movement/Upgrade!Skopje [http://www.line.org.mk/]

Co- producers
Public Art Lab/Upgrade!Berlin [http://www.publicartlab.org]
NOMAD/Upgrade!Istanbul [http://www.nomad-tv.net/]
Inter Space/Upgrade!Sofia [http://www.i-space.org/]
Upgrade!Belgrade [http://www.upgrade.beocity.com/]

The TAXI Project: a play about freedom of expression, home, and exile (Toronto)

2008-07-21T12:14:00.000-07:00

July 28th - August 9th, The Alchemy Theatre, 133 Tecumseth Avenue

The TAXI Project – an initiative of PEN Canada and the Art for Real Change Collective – is an original play exploring issues of freedom of expression and the complex realities of living in exile.

Written by four members of PEN Canada 's Writers in Exile Program (Emma Beltran, Martha Kuwee Kumsa, Sheng Xue, and Goran Simic) the play follows four characters forced to leave their home countries and the struggle to create a new life in Canada .

Following the play will be a reading and discussion by members of the Writers in Exile Program.

RSVP to Josh Bloch 416-703-8448 x23 or jbloch@pencanada.ca.

Daytime performances will be accompanied by an interactive workshop and will be attended predominantly by youth.

EVENT DETAILS

PERFORMANCE DATE: July 28th – August 9th

Previews July 28th – July 31st

Opening Night Friday, August 1st

Monday – Thursday 2:00pm

Friday and Saturday 7:30pm

LOCATION: The Alchemy Theatre, 133 Tecumseth

(One block South of Queen and West of Bathurst)

TICKETS: Pay what you can. There is limited seating so please make reservations in advance.

PEN Canada Contact: Josh Bloch jbloch@pencanada.ca 416-703-8448 x23

The TAXI Project Team:

Written by Emma Beltran, Martha Kuwee Kumsa, Sheng Xue, Goran Simic with Erica Kopyto and Weyni Mengesha

Starring Miranda Edwards, Patrick Garrow, Mayahuel Tecozautla, DianaTso

Directed by Weyni Mengesha

Set/Costume Design by Jackie Chau

Video Design by Simon Clemo

Stage Managed by Chris Humphrey

Sound Design by Thomas Payne

Lighting Design by Gillian Wolpert

Members of the Writers in Exile Program speaking at TAXI Project presentations include:: Zdenka Acin, Reza Baraheni, Aaron Berhane, Qasim Farah, Saghi Ghahraman , Benedicta Madawo, Luis Matta, Fereshteh Molavi, Benjamín Santamaria Ochoa, Sheng Xue

Sponsors: Ontario Trillium Foundation, Ontario Arts Council, Toronto Arts Council, NOW Magazine

Human Rights Media Training in Chicago, Atlanta, LA, & NYC

2008-07-19T13:21:00.001-07:00

This upcoming fall, leading human rights organizations, Breakthrough, The Opportunity Agenda, WITNESS and communications firm, Renna Communications will be conducting four two-day communications workshops in cities around the U.S.

The events will be held in Chicago (Sept. 12-13), Atlanta (Sept. 19-20), Los Angeles (Oct. 3-4), and New York City (Oct. 24-25).

Workshops will teach:
Latest public opinion research on human rights
Human Rights framing and messaging strategies
Hands-on media training for print and broadcast
How to use video in human rights campaigns for different audiences
How to do effective video story telling and interviews
How to distribute video using online sites such as YouTube and the WITNESS Hub
Media production and outreach with special attention paid to: right to health care, racial justice, immigration and due process.
We ask that participants make a commitment for the FREE full two-day workshop. There are forty available seats in each event.

For more info, and to reserve your spot, contact Tony Stephens, Communications Associate for The Opportunity Agenda, at tstephens@opportunityagenda.org.

ALERTA Chile: AMARC preocupada por allanamientos de la policía de investigaciones a Radio La Voz

2008-07-19T12:36:00.001-07:00

RED DE SOLIDARIDAD
INTERNACIONAL DE AMARC
ALERTA
..............................

Chile, 18 de julio de 2008
AMARC preocupada por allanamientos de la policía de investigaciones a Radio La Voz

La emisora comunitaria La Voz, ubicada en la comuna de Estación Central de Santiago de Chile, emitió una declaración pública el pasado 4 de julio donde denuncia la realización de varios allanamientos por parte de personal de la policía de investigaciones que vienen ocurriendo desde el 30 de junio de este año.

Llama la atención que estas situaciones se presenten cuando el propio gobierno ha elaborado un proyecto de ley sobre radios comunitarias que busca regularizar la situación de estos medios y darle mejores condiciones para su funcionamiento.

Esta emisora, que tiene una cobertura de transmisión no mayor a tres kilómetros, desarrolla un importante trabajo para abrir espacios a las opiniones, problemas y vivencias de los pobladores de su zona desde "una visión critica, con alto contenido social, cultural y por supuesto educativo”.

En su declaración llaman a la solidaridad para “no permitir este tipo de atropellos contra nuestras iniciativas, contra nuestro trabajo y sobre todo con nuestra labor como medios alternativos”.

AMARC-ALC expresa su solidaridad con la emisora y manifiesta su gran preocupación al gobierno de Chile porque no se trata del primer hecho de estas características que ha ocurrido en los últimos meses contra emisoras comunitarias y alternativas (ver alerta sobre Radio 1° de Mayo en http://legislaciones.item.org.uy/index?q=node/621).

Gustavo Gómez
Director Programa de Legislaciones y Derecho a la Comunicación
AMARC-ALC

The Cape Town 2008 Transitional Justice Fellowship Program

2008-07-12T07:03:00.000-07:00

October 20, 2008 to November 8, 2008
The International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) is pleased to announce its 2008 intensive course in Transitional Justice: a 3-week professional development course for 20, based in Cape Town, South Africa.
OBJECTIVES
The course aims to build transitional justice capacity and to foster long-term partnerships among transitional justice practitioners
TOPICS
The course covers key topics in transitional justice theory and practice, integrating gender-based considerations. Participants will receive a rigorous theoretical introduction to the field, coupled with case studies to enhance practical knowledge including: ongoing challenges of prosecutions, truth commissions, institutional reforms, memorialization, and reparations. The curriculum will be supplemented with weekly sessions led by expert field practitioners, site visits to local NGOs, and case studies of transitional justice initiatives across Latin America, the Middle East, Asia and Africa.
PROFILE OF CANDIDATES
Participants will be selected from among lawyers, journalists, teachers, human rights professionals, social workers, or other democracy practitioners in similar professions from mainly African countries grappling with transitional justice issues. Participants must be senior-level professionals with a demonstrated commitment to ensuring that their society deals with the past in a just and responsible manner.
SELECTION PROCESS
Selection for fellows is rigorous and will be undertaken by a team of ICTJ experts and peer reviewers. Participants will be expected to contribute to relevant activities in his or her country/region after course completion.

http://www.ictj.org/en/workshops/fellowhsips/cape_town/index.html

9th International Indigenous Film and Video Festival Bolivia (Last Call for Entries)

2008-06-22T03:46:00.000-07:00

9th International
Indigenous Film and Video Festival

Bolivia, September 10-20, 2008

Deadline for submission of films and videos:
Jun 20, 2008.

Call for Submissions

Celebrating the struggle of the world¹s indigenous people

The Indigenous and Original Peoples and the Peasants of Bolivia are inviting

The indigenous peoples of the world
The sister organizations in the continent
The organizations of communicators and media activists who identify with the
indigenous peoples

All of the people and organization who produce, foment, and distribute the
cinema and video of the indigenous and original peoples and of the peasants

Participate actively in the

Ninth International Film and Video Festival of the Indigenous Peoples

Which we will celebrate in La Paz and in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia
September 10 - 20, 2008.

Through this event and the movement it generates we seek to affirm the full
social, political and cultural recognition of the indigenous peoples. We
wish to highlight the value of the image and of communication in order to
celebrate a plural world in which we as indigenous people can construct the
future we desire. We encourage the production of cinematic and video works
that give voice to our peoples and depict them with dignity. We strengthen
the ties that unite the indigenous and non-indigenous communicators who are
fighting for a more just world and for the full recognition of our rights to
self-determination.

We would like to share with all of you our cultures, experiences, and
projects. We would like to learn about your proposals and points of view.

IX INTERNATIONAL FILM AND VIDEO FESTIVAL OF THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES

Submission Requirements and Award Criteria:

Deadline for submission of films and videos:
Jun 20, 2008.

The films and videos will be selected and awarded prizes according to the
following criteria:

* Reflects the rights to freedom and self-determination of the indigenous
and original peoples and peasants
* Foments the respect and dignity of the indigenous peoples
* Calls attention to and denounces the violation of rights, the persecution
and the genocide suffered by the indigenous peoples
*Promotes gender equality and the rights of indigenous women
*Contributes to strengthening indigenous identity and culture
*Highlights cultural expressions in situations of disappearance and
assimilation
*Contributes to the organizing processes and the struggle of the indigenous
peoples
*Expresses the notion of development from an indigenous perspective
*Promotes intercultural dialogue
*Defends the right to communication
and the creative use of aesthetic and narrative resources

Awards and Honorable Mentioning
We are considering the following acknowledgements:

For the
Defense of the Indigenous Peoples¹ Rights
Preservation of the Indigenous Peoples Identity and Culture
Process of Social Organization of the Indigenous Peoples
Best Fiction with Indigenous Participation
Testimonial and Documentary Value
Promotion of Gender Equality and the Rights of Indigenous Women
Creativity and Contribution to Indigenous Narratives
Tele Sur award
Unesco Award Cámaras de la Diversidad

Five prizes will be awarded in Indigenous Art and prizes will be awarded in
audiovisual equipment. Special mention will be made whenever the judges
consider appropriate as an incentive for creative and production processes.

Participants and Topics

All film and video productions that expose any topic related to the
economic, cultural, organizational, social and political issues concerning
the indigenous peoples are eligible.

Genre/Format/System

The Festival is open to all genres and formats, except commercial programs.
For organizational purposes the organizers will group works into the
following categories:

Fiction
Documentary
Docudrama
Animation
Experimental

Cinema: Acceptable formats are: 35mm, 16mm, Super 8mm
Video: HDV, DIGITAL (Mini DV DVCAM DVCPRO), DVD, BETACAM, S-VHS, VHS
We prefer videos in NTSC format but will also accept other systems.

Productions that directly promote political parties, governmental or
non-governmental institutions will not be considered.

Language

Priority will be given to works that can be understood by a Spanish speaking
audience.

Works in other languages, especially indigenous languages will be accepted
if they are subtitled in Spanish or submitted with a transcription into
Spanish.

Production Date

The submitted works shall be filmed after January 1st, 2005, and shall not
have been screened at the VIII International Indigenous Film and Video
Festival, celebrated in Mexico in 2006.

Submission and Return of Material

To send materials and promotional materials:

Please indicate clearly that the material has no commercial value and is
destined for a cultural event. The works submitted should be accompanied by
the inscription forms, photographs and other promotional
materials/translations, etc. Please send everything to:

CLACPI Bolivia

CEFREC CAIB
Calle Otero de la Vega 812 2do Piso, zona San Pedro
Tel. Fax 2490094
Casilla 9368
La Paz BOLIVIA

This Call for Submissions and the inscription forms may be downloaded from
the internet at:

www.plandecomunicacionindigena.org

www.clacpi.org

Expenses incurred for sending materials are the responsibility of the
participants. Materials will be returned by the organizers free of charge.

Contacts.

Festivalindigena9bolivia@yahoo.com

IX FESTIVAL EVENTS

Itinerant Festival in the communities (15 days before urban events)

Santa Cruz de la Sierra, 10/ 13 de september 2008
La Paz, 14 / 20 de september 2008

Forum on the Indigenous Peoples of the World and of Bolivia
Official Screenings of the IX Festival
International Film and Video Screening about indigenous struggles
10 year retrospective on indigenous audiovisual communication in Bolivia
Presentation on Oaxaca and the VIII Festival, Mexico 2006
VI International Cinema and Communication Meeting of the Indigenous Peoples
Presentation of the Poor Cinema (Cine Pobre), Gibara, Cuba
Roundtable: The Image of Indigenous Women in the Media
Panels on diverse topics. Participation of the production crews responsible
for work competing at the festival
Cultural events
CLACPI General Assembly

Working Group on Television Co-production

Creation of an Indigenous Production Series

We invite outstanding productions of the IX Festival to contribute toward a
Television Series with 13 episodes, each lasting 55 minutes to be shown on
Tele Sur.

We invite those attending the IX Festival to present production proposals on
the topics of territory and selfdeterminations in order to create a
television series with 13 episodes, each 55 minutes, for Tele Sur.

Call for submissions issued by:

Latin American Coordinating Committee for the Cinema and Communication of
the Indigenous Peoples (CLACPI); Sole Union Confederation of the Peasant
Workers of Bolivia (CSUTCB); Confederation of the Indigenous Peoples of
Bolivia (CIDOB); The Union Confederation of the Migrant Colonizers of
Bolivia (CSCB); National Federation of Indigenous, Original, and Peasant
Women of Bolivia Bartolina Sisa; the National Council of the Ayllus and
Markas of the Qollasuyu (CONAMAQ).

ORGANIZERS:

CLACPI IX Festival Commission
National Preparatory Committee
CEFREC-CAIB

Human Rights House Network - Newsletter (4/08)

2008-06-20T04:37:00.000-07:00

1) HRH Network: HR defender hospitalized after police beating in Azerbaijan
The Human Rights House Foundation (HRHF) is seriously concerned about the alleged threats and beating by Azeri police last Saturday of Emin Huseynov, a well-known human rights defender. The gross violations followed in the wake of the police´s breaking up of a marking of Che Guevara´s 80th birthday in the Alaturka Cafe in Baku.

2) HRH Oslo: HRH F concerned about media crackdown and opposition harassment in Uganda
The Human Rights House Foundation (HRH F) is deeply concerned about recent infringements on basic rights and freedoms of both the media and the opposition in Uganda. While the media have experienced temporary detention of editors and journalists, confiscation of equipment and material, and initiatives by the authorities to further tighten relevant legislation, including the Constitution, the opposition has been subjected to arrests and interrogation, violations of the right to assembly, and physical attacks on leading members.
See also: HRH Uganda: The two ways to suppress the media: The frightening and the effective
See also: HRH Uganda: Ugandan government rapes free press as an act of 'love'
See also: HRH Network: Media freedom in Eastern Africa: paradoxes - and severe suppression

3) HRH Oslo: Kyrgyzstan: Questioned for six hours at the Ministry of Interior
Two employees of the Norwegian Helsinki Committee´s office in Bishkek, Elena Mamadnazarova and Ivar Dale, were questioned at the Ministry of Interior (MVD) for six hours yesterday. The two were questioned about the activities of the office, about their legal grounds of residence in the Republic of Kyrgyzstan and the registration of the Norwegian Helsinki Committee´s (NHC) office. By the end of the questioning, NHC reached an agreement with the MVD.
See also: HRH Oslo: The Norwegian Helsinki Committee in Kyrgyzstan raided

4) Vacant position: Director of the Human Rights House in Vilnius. Deadline: 25 June. For more information, click here.

5) HRH Belarus: Draft bill on mass media worries BAJ
Wednesday 11 June the Belarusian Association of Journalists finally received the draft bill on mass media. BAJ is dissatisfied with numerous elements including re-registration of journalists and the regulation of publications of the Internet. The authorities want to get the bill passed by Parliament as soon as possible, but BAJ reminds them to their promise to discuss it with civil society and European experts.
See also: HRH Belarus: HRH F expresses regret over imprisonment of human rights defender
See also: HRH Belarus: HRH F expresses concern over harassment of human rights defender

6) HRH London: Index honoured at Amnesty awards
Index on Censorship magazine has been awarded the Amnesty International Media Award for best periodical at a ceremony in London. The award was given for a series of articles from the issue 'How Free is the Russian Media?'. The magazine was praised for its ´brave, impassioned journalism´.

7) HRH East and Horn of Africa: International outcry over assassination of Somali journalist leader Nasteh Dahir Farah, 28, Vice President of the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ), was assassinated on Saturday, 7 June 2008, in Kismayu, Southern Somalia. The Somali journalists community condemned the assassination, and received immediate moral support from throughout Eastern Africa.

8) HRH Network: Steadfast in Protest - Observatory's annual report for 2007 is out
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), releases its 2007 Annual Report today. The report focuses on the year- round fight for human rights and includes contributions from Hina Jilani, right, Desmond Tutu, Barbara Hendricks, José Ramos Horta, Adolfo Pérez Esquivel and Wei Jingsheng.

**************************************************************************
This newsletter is the free of charge news and background service from the Human Rights House Network, an international forum for cooperation and exchange between independent Human Rights Houses. The network currently consists of approximately 90 human rights organizations in about fifteen different countries. The Human Rights House Foundation in Oslo is the secretariat for the network and responsible for producing and distributing this newsletter, currently reaching close to 12.000 subscribers.

If you receive this newsletter for the first time, it is either because someone already subscribing has recommended that we add your email address to the list of subscribers, or because we have other reasons to believe that you might be interested in some or all of its content.

Consider it an offer. If you want to continue to receive this newsletter, you don't need to do anything.

To unsubscribe, please send an email to:

unsubscribe-newsletter@humanrightshouse.org

For more news and background information, go to www.humanrightshouse.org

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Sent by:
Niels Jacob Harbitz
Editor
Human Rights House Foundation
--
Niels Jacob Harbitz
Prosjektleder / Project Manager for Africa
Redaktør / Editor, www.humanrightshouse.org
Human Rights House Foundation
Office: Tordenskiolds gate 6 b, 0160 Oslo
Tel.: (+47) 22 47 92 47 / 22 47 92 45 (dir)
Fax: (+47) 22 47 92 01
Private Mob.: (+47) 915 26 584
Websites: www.humanrightshouse.org / www.menneskerettigheter.no
Email: niels.jacob@humanrightshouse.org

CPJ: Record Numbers of Journalists Forced Into Exile

2008-06-20T04:08:00.000-07:00

Committee to Protect Journalists
330 Seventh Avenue, New York , NY 10001 USA Phone: (212) 465‑1004 Fax: (212) 465‑9568 Web: www.cpj.org E-Mail: media@cpj.org

Web: www.cpj.org
Contact: Abi Wright
E-mail: awright@cpj.org
Telephone: (212) 465-1004 x105

CPJ: Record Numbers of Journalists Forced Into Exile
Iraq and Somalia hardest hit

New York, June 18, 2008—Journalists were forced into exile at a record pace in the last 12 months, with at least 82 leaving their native countries under threat or harassment, according to a survey released today by the Committee to Protect Journalists. More than half of the journalists fled the conflict-ridden countries of Iraq and Somalia .

The rate of journalists going into exile—about seven per month—is double the average that CPJ has recorded since it began compiling such data in 2001. The majority fled after being assaulted, threatened with violence, or threatened with death.

The exodus of reporters from Iraq and Somalia has thinned the reporting ranks in two important conflict zones. Kidnappings and death threats drove out at least 22 Iraqi journalists in the last 12 months, CPJ found. The Chicago Tribune’s Paul Salopek told CPJ that the 21 cases of Somali journalists in exile represent “a journalist community from an entire country on the run.”

“CPJ is concerned when threats, imprisonment and harassment force any journalist from his or her home, but when the media are driven out en masse as in Iraq and Somalia, a vital piece of those societies is being lost,” said Joel Simon, CPJ’s executive director.

Issued to mark World Refugee Day, June 20, CPJ’s survey focuses on journalists who were forced to run because of their work and who remained in exile for at least three months. More information about journalists in exile is available from CPJ’s Journalist Assistance program.

CPJ is a New York–based, independent, nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide. For more information, visit www.cpj.org.

fD media partner launches the Chimurenga Library

2008-06-15T10:56:00.000-07:00

Chimurenga (www.chimurenga.co.za) celebrates the long history of independent print publishing in and about Africa with the launch of the Chimurenga Library at the Cape Town Book Fair, June 14 – 17, 2008.

The Chimurenga Library is a virtual archiving project that profiles pan African cultural and counter cultural paper periodicals, both living and extinct, which have been influential platforms for dissent and which have broadened the scope for print publishing on art, new writing and ideas in Africa .

More than 20 periodicals will be featured in the Library at launch and the project will continue to grow online. Publications featured include: Staffrider ( Johannesburg , South Africa ), Unir Cinema ( Saint-Louis , Senegal ), Y-Mag (the first 5 issues, Jhb, SA); Souffles ( Rabat . Morocco), L'Autre Afrique (Paris, France), Okyeame (Accra, Ghana), Greg Tate (uncollected writings, New York, US), Savacou (Kingston, Jamaica), Glendora Review (Lagos, Nigeria), Moto (Harare, Zimbabwe), Joe (Nairobi, Kenya), Lamalif (Casablanca, Morocco), Ecrans d'Afrique (Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso), Revue Noire (Paris, France), Tstotso (Harare, Zimbabwe), Third Text (London, UK), Frank Talk (Durban, South Africa), Two Tone (Harare, Zimbabwe), Hei! Voetsek! ( Cape Town , SA), Civil Lines ( Delhi , India ), Chief Priest Say (Fela Kuti's newspaper columns, Lagos , Nigeria ), Mfumu' eto ( Kinshasa , DRC), Hambone ( San Francisco , US ).

It is a collaborative project that brings together participants from around the world to share their personal experiences and perceptions of these publications. Writers and artists participating in the project include Ivan Vladislavic, Khulile Nxumalo, Tacey Rose, Patrice Nganang, Anthony Joseph, S’bu "The General" Nxumalo, Aryan Kaganof, Akin Adesokan, Sam Kahiga, Judy Kibinge, Patrice Felix Tchicaya, Olu Oguibe, Rustum Kozain, Aryan Kaganof, Zoulikha Bouabdellah, Petina Gappah and many more.

Visit the Chimurenga Library online at www.chimurengalibrary.co.za or at Stand F11 at the Cape Town Book Fair, Cape Town International Conference Centre, South Africa , June 14 - 17, 2008.

The Chimrenga Library is supported by Lettera27 and is part of the WikiAfrica imitative. The website is designed by François Naudé.

Chimurenga - who no know go know
www.chimurenga.co.za
www.myspace.com/whonoknowgoknow
Chimurenga 12/13: Dr. Satan's Echo Chamber - Out now!

Summer 2008 Art Omi International Artists' Residency

2008-06-15T09:59:00.000-07:00

Art Omi International Artists' Residency
June 29 - July 21, 2008

Art Omi International Artists' Residency is proud to announce the 2008 Artists-in-Residence: 31 artists from 19 different countries, including our first artists from Armenia, Bolivia and Thailand, will be at Art Omi from June 29 to July 21, 2008.

Hani Alqam, Jordan
Rodrigo Bruna, Chile
Pierluigi Calignano, Italy
Robert Carter, UK/USA
Seth Chwast, USA
Blane de St. Croix, USA
Ivars Drulle, Latvia
James Hancock, Australia
Abhishek Hazra, India
Peregrine Honig, USA
Donna Huanca, Bolivia/USA
Jeong Hae-Yoon, Korea
Meital Katz-Minerbo, Israel
MIOON, Korea
Julia Kunin, USA
Julie Lequin, Canada
Ly Hoang Ly, Vietnam
Luciana Lyrio, Brazil
Farheen Maqsood, Pakistan
Jiradej Meemalai, Thailand
Kate MccGwire, UK
Barnabas Ndudzo, Botswana
Morgan O'Hara, USA
Luana Perilli, Italy
Taras Polataiko, Ukraine/Canada
Arshak Sarkissian, Armenia
Xaviera Simmons, USA
Mary Ann Strandell, USA
Tiffany Sum, China/USA
Daniel Templeman, Australia
Maeung Gyun You, Korea

Micaela Giovannotti, curator and writer, and Martha Schwendener, critic and writer, will be Critics-in-Residence. Both Micaela and Martha are based in New York City.

Art Omi International Artists' Residency is located in Columbia County, New York, two hours by train from New York City. The selected artists and critics come to Art Omi to work on their projects, share ideas and collaborate, and discuss their practice with important critics, curators and gallery dealers from New York City who join the community for one-day studio visits during the second and third week of the residency.

The residency culminates in Open Day weekend, scheduled this year for Saturday, July 19 and Sunday, July 20. Saturday night is an evening of dining and live music. On Sunday, we host a country brunch from 11:00-1:00, while from 1:00 to 5:00 we invite the public to tour the artists' studios and visit The Fields Sculpture Park.
Open Day studio tours are open to all and free of charge. However, non-compulsory donations ($5) will be asked at the door to help us offset the organizational costs.
If you wish to join us for dinner on Saturday ($75.00) and/or for brunch on Sunday ($40.00) please email the director, Claudia Cannizzaro, at artists@artomi.org for more details and also to learn about our special rate for artists.

The mission of Omi International Arts Center is to further communication and exchange among writers, musicians, visual artists and dancers by offering international working residencies in a peaceful country setting. Omi advances the scope of traditional artists' retreats by introducing our residents to gallerists, publishers, critics, agents, curators and collectors who help them cultivate valuable career-networking opportunities.
Omi has always recognized the importance not only of nurturing creative individuals, but also of bringing the arts to the public. This is how Open Day came to be, in which our international residents share their work with the community at large.

Please visit our website www.artomi.org for more information about Omi International Arts Center, The Fields Sculpture Park and all of our residency programs.

ALERTA México: Criminalización de la libertad de expresión en el cierre de la emisora comunitaria Tierra y Libertad

2008-06-11T06:00:00.000-07:00

RED DE SOLIDARIDAD
INTERNACIONAL DE AMARC
ALERTA
..............................

México, 10 de junio de 2008
Criminalización de la libertad de expresión en el cierre de la emisora comunitaria Tierra y Libertad

La Asociación Mundial de Radios Comunitarias y Artículo 19 expresan su más profunda preocupación por el cierre la radio comunitaria Tierra y Libertad el pasado viernes 6 de junio en la Ciudad de Monterrey, Nuevo León.

Más de 100 efectivos de la Policía Federal Preventiva, provistos de armas de alto poder, irrumpieron en las instalaciones de esta emisora, de manera violenta. Más de 200 personas trataron de defender a la radio, sin embargo a fin de evitar un enfrentamiento mayor, finalmente dejaron que los elementos de la policía se llevaran el equipo, el ministerio público que atestiguó los hechos se negó a dejarles copia de la orden de cateo, así como del acta administrativa que están obligadas las autoridades a realizar. Por la presión de la gente se logró que no se llevaran a Héctor Camero, responsable de la estación, sin embargo, el ministerio público le advirtió que tendría que ir a declarar este viernes 13 de junio, sin mediar ningún citatorio por escrito, tal como lo marca la ley.

La emisora Tierra y Libertad, de un vatio de potencia con alcance de unos cuatro kilómetros entre asentamientos de clases populares al poniente de la ciudad de Monterrey, ha sido hasta hoy, y desde hace siete años, una radio comunitaria en la que se trataban temas de educación, de salud, culturales, de derechos humanos y laborales así como de análisis político. Mucho se ha mencionado la “ilegalidad” de esta emisora, sin embargo, la radio Tierra y Libertad solicitó el permiso para operar desde noviembre de 2002, en oficio recibido y sellado con fecha de 11 de noviembre de ese año por la oficina en Nuevo León de la Secretaría de Comunicaciones y Transportes, sin que haya tenido respuesta alguna por parte de las autoridades.

Por lo anterior AMARC México y Artículo 19 manifiestan su preocupación por:

1. No es la primera vez que las autoridades realizan cierre de emisoras sin contemplar el debido proceso al que están obligadas, tal como sucedió con la incautación de equipo de esta emisora. Si esta emisora operaba sin el permiso correspondiente fue porque el gobierno federal nunca dio respuesta a su petición, negándole la oportunidad de operar en el ámbito de la legalidad, producto de un marco normativo en materia de radio y televisión, que permite una profunda discrecionalidad de las autoridades correspondientes, situación que ha sido marcada como inconstitucional por la Suprema Corte de Justicia de la Nación, en la sentencia de la acción de inconstitucionalidad sobre las reformas a la ley en la materia.

2. Es alarmante la negativa de gobierno federal de reconocer y generar un marco normativo adecuado para la radiodifusión comunitaria de acuerdo a los estándares internacionales emitidos al respecto por la UNESCO y la Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos. Cabe recordar que el Estado mexicano se ha comprometido ante ésta última a generar las condiciones para la existencia y desarrollo de las emisoras comunitarias.

3. La libertad de expresión no debe estar enmarcada en el ámbito de la justicia penal. Criminalizar la libertad de expresión y el acceso a la información de lo ciudadanía es un grave atentado contra el Estado Democrático de Derecho, conforme lo establecen los principios 1 [1] y 5 [2] de la Declaración de Principios sobre Libertad de Expresión de la Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos. Aplicar la Ley General de Bienes Nacionales a quien opera sin permiso una estación, en lugar de aplicar la Ley Federal de Radio y Televisión es criminalizar el uso de un soporte técnico para ejercer la libertad de expresión.

La Asociación Mundial de Radios Comunitarias (AMARC México) y Artículo 19 no defienden la ilegalidad ni apoyan a ningún medio informativo que opte por la vía de la violencia o el crimen organizado, ambas organizaciones pugnan por que existan condiciones equitativas y democráticas para que la sociedad ejerza de manera plena su libertad de expresión. Exigimos al Estado mexicano el pleno respeto a la libertad de expresión y al acceso a la información, garantizando la igualdad de oportunidades y la participación ciudadana en los medios de comunicación, y le piden no confundir a la opinión pública con informaciones parciales y amañadas, como en el caso de la Radio Tierra y Libertad.

[1] “La libertad de expresión, en todas sus formas y manifestaciones, es un derecho fundamental e inalienable, inherente a todas las personas. Es, además, un requisito indispensable para la existencia misma de una sociedad democrática”.
[2] “La censura previa, interferencia o presión directa o indirecta sobre cualquier expresión, opinión o información difundida a través de cualquier medio de comunicación oral, escrito, artístico, visual o electrónico, debe estar prohibida por la ley. Las restricciones en la circulación libre de ideas y opiniones, como así también la imposición arbitraria de información y la creación de obstáculos al libre flujo informativo, violan el derecho a la libertad de expresión”.

LIBERTAD YA A JOSE “PEPINO” FERNANDEZ - Detienen y encarcelan al referente de la Unión de Trabajadores Desocupados de Gral. Mosconi

2008-06-10T18:03:00.000-07:00

Comunicado de Prensa, martes 10 de junio de 2008
LIBERTAD YA A JOSE “PEPINO” FERNANDEZ
Detienen y encarcelan al referente de la Unión de Trabajadores Desocupados de Gral. Mosconi
Desde el día lunes 9 de junio, José “Pepino” Fernandez, referente de la Unión de Trabajadores Desocupados de Gral. Mosconi (Salta), se encuentra detenido en una comisaría ubicada en el Departamento de Gral. San Martín. El motivo esgrimido para su arbitraria detención es una causa abierta en el año 2005 a raíz de un corte de acceso que realizaron los desocupados de la región en el gasoducto de Atacama. En aquel momento, ni siquiera la empresa efectuó la denuncia, si no que quien la hizo fue el encargado de la planta. La causa prescribiría en el año 2009, y sorpresivamente fue reactivada en estos días, en medio de un clima de creciente violencia y represión en el norte argentino, como la que está viviendo la comunidad kolla de La Quiaca, que se encuentra en estado de movilización permanente en demanda de mejores condiciones de vida, y la semana pasada sufrió un brutal desalojo luego de mantener tomados el Municipio y el Consejo Deliberante, dejando como saldo casi 40 heridos. Mara Puntano, abogada de la UTD, ha presentado en el día de hoy un escrito solicitando la liberación de Pepino Fernandez. Las sospechas de que su detención forma parte de una maniobra política son más que fundadas: Este jueves 12 de junio la presidenta Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner tiene previsto visitar el Municipio de Gral. Mosconi, con el objetivo de inaugurar un nuevo pozo petrolero, por lo que resulta claro el amedrentamiento que se intenta ejercer sobre los movimientos sociales desde el poder político, en vistas a evitar que se genere algún tipo de protesta por su llegada a la región.
Exigimos la liberación inmediata de José “Pepino” Fernandez, y hacemos responsable al gobierno nacional y de la provincia de Salta por cualquier agresión o atropello que puedan sufrir tanto los integrantes de la UTD de Gral. Mosconi, como las comunidades en lucha en el norte argentino.

CALL FOR PAPERS: Interface - a journal for and about social movements

2008-05-23T03:02:00.000-07:00

Interface is a new journal launched by activists
and academics around the world in response to the
development and increased visibility of social
movements in the last few years - and the immense
amount of knowledge generated in this process.
This knowledge is created across the globe, and
in many contexts and a variety of ways, and it
constitutes an incredibly valuable resource for
the further development of social movements.
Interface responds to this need, as a tool to
help our movements learn from each other’s struggles.

Interface is a forum bringing together activists
from different movements and different countries,
researchers working with movements, and
progressive academics from various countries to
contribute to the production of knowledge that
can help us gain insights across movements and
issues, across continents and cultures, and
across theoretical and disciplinary traditions.
To this end, Interface will seek to develop
analysis and knowledge that allow lessons to be
learned from specific movement processes and
experiences and translated into a form useful for
other movements. In doing so, our goal is to
include material that can be used in a range of
ways by movements – in terms of its content, its
language, its purpose and its form.

We are currently seeking contributions to the
first issue of Interface and welcome
contributions by movement participants and
academics who are developing movement-relevant
theory and research. The theme of this first
issue, which will be published on January 1st
2009, is “movement knowledge”: what we know, how
we create knowledge, what we do with it and how
it can make a difference either in movement
struggles or in creating a different and better
world. We invite both formal research
(qualitative and quantitative) and
practically-grounded work on all aspects of
social movements. We are seeking work in a range
of different formats, such as conventional
articles, review essays, facilitated discussions
and interviews, action notes, teaching notes, key
documents and analysis, book reviews – and beyond
(see details in the guidelines for contributors).

In order to achieve this, research contributions
will be reviewed by both activist and academic
peers, other material will be sympathetically
edited, and the editorial process generally will
be geared towards assisting authors to find ways
of expressing their understanding, so that we all
can be heard across geographical, social and
political distances. The deadline for
contributions for the first issue is September
1st 2008. Please contact the appropriate editor
if you are thinking of submitting an article. You
can access the journal and get further details at
http://www.interfacejournal.net/

The journal will be published twice yearly
(January 15th and September 15th), each time with
a themed core section and a collection of other
articles. Bi-monthly updates (March 1st, May 1st
and November 1st) will highlight practice-oriented pieces in
particular.

Israel: New bill would sentence migrants and refugees to five years in jail

2008-05-21T09:06:00.000-07:00

By Shahar Ilan, Haaretz Correspondent

The Knesset on Monday approved the first reading of a bill to prevent illegal entry into the country. The draft law, passed by a vote of 21-1, would impose a sentence of up to five years in prison on people who cross the border illegally, including refugees and labor migrants, while infiltrators from enemy states, such as Sudan, could be sentenced to as much as seven years behind bars.

The bill also authorizes the state to hold illegal entrants, including refugees, for up to 18 days without bringing them before a judge for arraignment. In addition, it would legally authorize "hot returns" of infiltrators back to Egyptian territory, a practice that endangers their lives.

MK Dov Khenin (Hadash), the sole dissenter in the plenum vote, called the bill draconian, while refugee rights organizations said it contained a number of "terrible" provisions. They also criticized the fact that legislation on such a sensitive subject was entrusted to the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, which does not have experience with migration issues and whose sessions are held in camera, despite the fact that in recent months, Israel has almost completely ceased to treat infiltrators across the southern border as a security threat rather than as refugees or labor migrants.

Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai, who presented the bill to the Knesset, said it was needed because between the beginning of 2007 and the end of March 2008, over 20,000 people entered Israel by crossing the southern border from Egypt illegally. The state's effort to use the old law against border infiltrators met with judicial resistance because it was an emergency regulation enacted in 1954. The current bill is supposed to replace the old law. But since its provisions are extremely harsh, it is unlikely to be an improvement over the emergency law.

"We will turn the Darfur refugees that reach us as a result of a human holocaust and genocide into criminals" if the law is passed, charged Khenin. "These are terrible directives. We need a completely different law, a law that will recognize the rights of the refugees and their status, that is appropriate to an advanced, humanitarian society in the 21st century."

Among the bill's other provisions:

* The enemy states and territories from which infiltrators can be imprisoned for up to seven years include the Gaza Strip.

* An infiltrator who returns to Israel after being deported can be jailed for 7.5 years, or 10.5 years in the case of someone from an enemy state or territory.

* An armed infiltrator, or someone in the company of an armed infiltrator (including refugees who arrive with an armed guide), can be sentenced to 20 years. Knives are considered weapons for this purpose.

Attorney Oded Feller of the Association for Civil Rights in Israel objected to the fact that the bill would permit the detention of suspects for 96 hours without a court order and 18 days without arraignment. Moreover, he said, it would allow officers to issue deportation orders without ever meeting the subject, based only on reports written by a soldier.

--
http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/985061.html

"Newen mapuche": cineasta detenida, material requisado/Chilean filmmaker arrested, all footage siezed

2008-05-21T00:59:00.000-07:00

Saludos,

Reenvio información en inglés y castellano respecto a la preocupante situación de la directora Elena Vargas.
Elena Varela, documentalista, fue detenida el 7 de mayo en Licanray y acusada de "asociación ilícita par delinquir y de dos delitos de robo con violencia".

Se agradece difusión y nos alerta ante las tenaces condiciones en que se intenta hacer cine y video indígena en Chile.

Atte,
Amalia
Amalia Córdova
Latin American Program Manager
Film + Video Center
Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian
1 Bowling Green, New York, NY 10004
Tel: +1 212-514-3735
Fax: +1 212-514-3725
Email: cordovaa@si.edu
www.nativenetworks.si.edu / www.redesindigenas.si.edu

DECLARACION CINEASTA ELENA VARELA DESDE CARCEL DE RANCAGUA

Elena Varela, es directora de orquesta, cineasta y madre. Ha tenido la voluntad, el tesón y la valentía de empezar a contar dos historias incómodas, muy incómodas.

Una de ellas es el documental Newen mapuche. En ella se pretendía contar las percepciones de los comuneros mapuches de la Araucanía frente a toda la represión política y policial que han sufrido por parte del estado de chile solo por recuperar 17 mil hectáreas de parte de las forestales. Para eso postuló a la Corfo para realizar la investigación y desarrollo de este documental. El resultado de la investigación y desarrollo fue un guión literario y otro técnico, una sinopsis audiovisual (ver en www.ojofilm.cl), un plan de producción. Estos le permitieron postular este documental cumpliendo los exigentes requisitos del Fondo de Fomento audiovisual de Consejo Nacional de Cultura y las Artes del Gobierno de Chile, el cual mediante una calificación externa de parte de directores y pares le otorgó la suma de 52 millones 929 mil 710 pesos. Eso fue lo que apareció públicamente en el diario La Nación el 24 de septiembre de 2007.

La otra historia incómoda tiene que ver con memoria histórica de este país y con las violaciones a los derechos humanos y la lucha antidictatorial desarrollada en una localidad del sur de Chile, en Neltume. Elena, también postuló a Corfo y su Fondo de Fomento audiovisual y del cual resultó un guión y una sinopsis audiovisual que se puede ver también en la página web de la productora.

Elena fue detenida el pasado miércoles 7 de mayo en su casa en la localidad de Lican Ray, en la comuna de Villarrica. Rapidamente los los medios de comunicación hicieron su juicio público y han repetido hasta el cansancio la tesis de la investigación policial de que la productora Ojofilm ocupó los dineros obtenidos para financiar acciones terroristas. Esa es la "verdad" oficial.

A continuación hacemos llegar la carta publicada en el sitio oficial de la productora ojofilm. www.ojofilm.cl . Ahí pueden ver las sinopsis de los trabajos. Esperamos que esta declaración pueda romper el cerco comunicacional y se pueda conocer la versión de Elena y de la productora. Vean si pueden transmitirla a otros que sueñan con otro manera de vivir.

Atte.

Puelche Comunicaciones

Carta desde la Cárcel de Rancagua

Elena Varela, cineasta y directora del documental Newen mapuche envió una carta a las autoridades del ámbito cultural y del fomento de la industria audiovisual en Chile. Por los hechos acaecidos que han significado su detención y que hasta el momento no se conoce una declaración por parte de Elena, nos parece adecuado que esta carta sea conocida por la comunidad nacional e internacional.

CARCEL DE RANCAGUA, 14 DE MAYO DE 2008.

“A: Paulina Urrutia, Carolina Leiva, René Inostroza, Arturo Barrios, Leonardo Ordoñez (CORFO).

Señores:
Consejo de la Cultura (CNCA) y Fondo Audiovisual (CORFO)
Presente

Estimados, les escribo desde esta cárcel siniestra y fría, donde no hay árboles, ni flores, ni poesía, ni música, ni cantos. Un lugar donde ha vencido el cemento y las alambradas. Es difícil para mí poder relatar lo que me está sucediendo.

Hace años, desde que comencé a darme cuenta de que existían las cosas hermosas de la naturaleza y las creadas por el hombre, me enamoré de la música, la poesía y el cine. Pero no sólo existen estas cosas sabrosas de la vida. También hay injusticias, hay historias tristes en nuestra humanidad. Hay un espacio de Chile que ha sufrido y ha sido castigado, hay verdades en otros mundos, hay memorias que se olvidan.

En los últimos diez años estuve luchando por la educación artística, por generar espacios de participación y expresión cultural. Fundé la “Escuela de Todas Las Artes”, el “Colectivo de Cine Ojo Film”, la “Orquesta Sinfónica de niños de Panguipulli” y la “Productora de cine Ojo Film”. Realicé muchas creaciones y eduqué a muchos jóvenes, niños y adultos. Fui encargada de cultura en Pucón y muchas otras labores artísticas.
En mi creación he buscado las historias de grupos sociales y político que ha sufrido el atropello en derechos humanos u otro tipo de proceso político, cultural y social. Por mi cámara han pasado todo tipo de actores sociales, personajes, algunos perseguidos antes y ahora.

Porque soy documentalista, soy cineasta, y soy artista.

Creí que el haber participado en el Consejo de la Cultura y en el Fondo Nacional Audiovisual, en democracia, me permitiría mostrar otros mundos, y que de verdad tenía este apoyo. Pero aquí estoy perseguida, inculpada y detenida de cargos que no he hecho. Lo que en verdad he realizado es la búsqueda de memoria, la razón de la lucha de muchos grupos sociales y lo he realizado junto a muchos otros profesionales del área audiovisual y a través de fondos CORFO y CNCA.

Hace cuatro años que investigo el conflicto del pueblo Mapuche con las Forestales y con el Estado, cosa que ha sido muy difícil, por una parte exponerme y entregarme a sus pensamientos y a sus creencias para contar con su mirada, su punto de vista y su razón. Creo haber comprendido esto y por otro lado, la inmensa represión que se ha sometido a sus actores sociales. Yo en medio de esto he logrado recopilar material histórico y realizar un relatado guión cinematográfico construyendo la película cuestionada: “ NEWEN MAPUCHE”.
Este proyecto ha pasado por distintas etapas en su creación; primero CORFO lo apoyó en el 2005. Hoy su tráiler está en página web de CORFO.

Creo en mis capacidades artísticas y concursé al Fondo Audiovisual con el apoyo de destacados profesionales, documentalistas y cineastas, por lo que sé que mi proceso de haber ganado el fondo Audiovisual es algo conquistado con esfuerzo y perseverancia y con mucho amor, porque no decirlo.

Sin embargo, hoy día mis registros audiovisuales, que reúnen la acumulación de historias, testimonios y relatos realizados durante todos estos años han sido requisados por la Policía de Investigaciones, perdiendo mis materiales audiovisuales y exponiendo a muchos entrevistados que han relatado su experiencia, puntos de vista, testimonio e historia en estos documentales. Todo material escrito en investigación de proceso de personajes e histórico, grabaciones y guiones, han sido requisados por la Policía de Investigaciones, los que han montado un relato mediático, ofendiendo mi trabajo y a los trabajadores audiovisuales que han trabajado o laboran conmigo actualmente, inculpándome en calidad de terrorista, asaltante, exmirista y otros cargos por lo cual se me imputa.
Por esto, dudo de la forma y utilización que harán con éstos relatos históricos, ya que están siendo utilizados en mi contra para involucrarme con una historia que ellos no han podido resolver.

Mi detención ha sido siniestra, cual CNI en los años de dictadura, me han interrogado, me han amenazado con mi familia, han dado un montaje mediático denigrando mi labor como cineasta y documentalista.
En mis creaciones queda plasmado mi talento y mi fuerte dedicación en lo que realizo.

Por otro lado, mi equipo técnico fue detenido de la manera más oscura, nuestra casa productora fue allanada, por lo tanto destrozaron y se llevaron muchas cosas.

Yo he sido hasta ahora incomunicada sin derecho a leer, ver noticias y muchos otros derechos.
Por otro lado, entre los detenidos, una de las mujeres resultó ser también del ámbito cultural, ella es la directora de Cultura de la Comuna de Ercilla a quién conocí el año 2005 en un Diplomado en gestión Cultural dictado por el CNCA.
Además, mi otra película, “Los Sueños Del Comandante”, documental apoyado por CORFO 2006, que relata la historia del Complejo Maderero Panguipulli, el Movimiento Obrero Campesino, la Caravana de la Muerte y la guerrilla del MIR en los 80¨. Es decir, la historia social de NELTUME. Todo esto, todo este trabajo, todas las cintas con entrevistados, ha sufrido la misma experiencia, han sido requisados por la Policía de Investigaciones.
Ha sido requisado todo tipo de material audiovisual, grabaciones, entrevistas, material de artes, como, banderas de épocas, lienzos, afiches y otros. Así también material escrito, guión, diarios y libros, entrevistas a ex militantes, mapuches y otros como presos y dirigentes.

Estimados, apelo a su intervención en función de resguardar el material fílmico, la memoria de éstos trabajos, el resguardo de sus actores sociales y mi libertad, porque me encuentro privada de todo derecho y expresión.
Además ruego a Ustedes intercedan por mis derechos como cineasta y creadora y por seguir adelante esta película. Solicito un recurso de amparo para quienes participan en este proyecto incluyéndome a mí y a mi hija América con la que he sido amenazada reiteradas veces.

Junto con esto, el resguardo de material fílmico, la devolución de todas las cintas, celuloides, equipos de filmación y sonido requisado, los materiales de artes que han sido mal utilizados para desprestigiar este hermoso proyecto y mi labor como documentalista, como armas de juguetes, disfraces, banderas, lienzos, platería mapuche, megáfonos, celulares, cámaras fotográficas, fotos, escritos, guiones e investigación escrita, información de currículum, facturas de la empresa, comprobantes de compra de nuestros materiales y otros gastos, los que han sido requisados y que involucran este proyecto.

En nombre del arte, la libertad de expresión y creación artística solicito mi libertad.

En nombre de la dignidad de las personas y todo lo conseguido por los artistas que han luchado por una sociedad más justa, solicito mi libertad y justicia a lo que hemos sufrido.

Atentamente,

Elena Varela López
Realizadora de documentales y cineasta. Nombre: Puelche Comunicaciones
Email de contacto: puelche.comunicaciones@yahoo.es

LETTER FROM FILMMAKER ELENA VARELA FROM THE RANCAGUA PRISON

Elena Varela is an orchestra director, filmmaker and mother. She had the will, determination and courage to begin to tell two very uncomfortable stories.
One of them is the documentary “Newen Mapuche”. In it she intended to reflect the perceptions of the Mapuche communities of the Araucanía region in the face of all the political and police repression that has been suffered at the hands of the Chilean state just to recover 17 thousand hectares for lumber companies. For this she applied to the state’s CORFO fund, to apply funds to research and development of this documentary. The result of the investigation was a narrative and a technical script, a film synopsis (see www.ojofilm.cl), and a production plan. With all these, she was able to apply to the exacting specifications of the national film fund, Fondo de Fomento Audiovisual, of the National Council on the Arts (Consejo Nacional de Cultura y las Artes) of the government of Chile, which through an external selection panel with film directors and other professionals awarded her $52,929,710.00 pesos (115,064.68 USD). This was published in the daily newspaper La Nación on September 24, 2007.

The other uncomfortable history has to do with the historical memory of this country and the violation of human rights and the antidictatorial struggle that took place in a town in southern Chile , in Neltume. Elena also applied to CORFO and its film fund, receiving support and producing a script, a film synopsis that can also be viewed at the production comapny’s website.

Elena was arrested last Wednesday, May 7, 2008 in her house in Lican Ray, near Villarrica, in southern Chile . The media quickly judged her case publicly, repeatedly reporting the investigation police’s thesis that the production company Ojofilm used the funds obtained to fund terrorist actions. This is the officialist “truth”.

Below is the translation of the letter posted on Ojofilm’s website (www.ojofilm.cl). There you can see the synopses of the works. We hope that this statement can break the communicational blackout and let Elena and her company’s version out. Please see if you can resend to others who dream of another way of living.
Sincerely,

Puelche Comunicaciones

Letter from the Rancagua Prison
Elena Varela, filmmaker and director of the documentary Newen Mapuche sent a letter to cultural authorities and supporters of the film industry in Chile . Due to the events that have led to her arrest and to the fact that to this moment there is no public statement released by Elena, we find it adequate to circulate this letter to the national and international community:

CARCEL DE RANCAGUA, MAY 14, 2008.

To: Paulina Urrutia, Carolina Leiva, René Inostroza, Arturo Barrios, Leonardo Ordoñez (CORFO).
Consejo de la Cultura –CNCA (National Audiovisual Arts Council) and CORFO (Audiovisual Fund).

Dear Sirs,
I’m writing from this cold and sinister jail, where there are no trees, flowers, poetry, music or songs. A place where concrete and barbed wire have taken over. It’s hard for me to begin to tell what is happening to me.

Years ago, since I began to realize that there were beautiful things in nature and created by man, I fell in love with music, poetry and film. But there are not just these lovely things in life. There is also injustice, there are sad histories in our humanity. There’s a sector in Chile that has suffered and been punished, there’s truth in other worlds, there are memories that are forgotten.

Over the last 10 years I fought for artistic education, to generate spaces of cultural engagement and expression. I founded the art school “Escuela de Todas Las Artes”, the film collective “Cine Ojo Film”, the children’s orchestra “Orquesta Sinfónica de Niños de Panguipulli” and the media production company “Productora de Cine Ojo Film”. I created many works and educated many children, youth and adults. I was the Education Coordinator in charge of culture in the town of Pucón and took on many other cultural projects.

In my work I’ve sought out the stories of social and political groups that have suffered violations of their human rights, or any other form of political, cultural or social process. My camera has seen all kinds of social actors and characters, some persecuted before, and some now.

Because I am a documentarian, a filmmaker and artist.

Having been awarded funds from the Consejo de la Cultura [Arts Council of Chile, CNCA] and the Fondo Nacional Audiovisual [National Audiovisual Fund], in democracy, I believed that this would allow me to show other worlds, and that I really had this support. But here I am, persecuted, accused and arrested of charges I did not commit. What I’ve really done is research memory, which is the reason behind the struggle of many social groups, and I’ve carried this out with the assistance of many other professionals of the film world through CORFO and CNCA funds.

I have researched the conflict of the Mapuche people with the lumber companies and the state for four years, and it’s been difficult; on one hand, I’ve exposed and opened myself to their thoughts and beliefs, to be able to narrate from their viewpoints and reasoning, which I believe I’ve comprehended. And on the other hand, there is the immense repression that has been thrown upon their social actors. In the midst of this, I’ve collected historic material and I’ve made a narrative film script to produce the film in question: “NEWEN MAPUCHE”.

This project has had many steps in its development: first it was supported by CORFO in 2005. Today the film’s trailer is posted on the CORFO website. I have faith in my artistic capacity so I also applied for funding from the Fondo Audiovisual, and was backed by various accomplished professionals, documentary filmmakers and directors, so I know that garnering this support was achieved with great effort and perseverance, and love, of course.

However, now all my footage- an accumulation of stories, testimonies and histories taped throughout these years- has been seized by the Investigations Police, and is at risk of loss, exposing the many people I interviewed who have told me their stories and expressed their viewpoints, testimonies, or stories in these reels. All written material from the character and historical research in progress, all shoots and scripts, have also been confiscated by the Investigations Police, who have put on a media circus, offending my work and all filmmakers who have worked or continue to collaborate with me, accusing me of being a terrorist, an assailant, an ex-MIR militant, in addition to multiple other charges that I am facing.
Because of all this, I have serious doubts as to the way and use that will be made of my historical narratives, since they are already being used against me to entangle me in a story that they have been unable to resolve.

My arrest has been sinister, just like those perpetrated by the CNI [secret police] in the dictatorship years; I’ve been interrogated, my family has been threatened me, there has been a media montage demeaning my work as a documentary filmmaker.

My work attests to my talent and strong determination towards what I do.
In addition, my technical team was also arrested in the darkest of manners, our production company occupied and searched, suffering damage and loss of many items. I have been isolated, without the right to read or see news among many other rights suppressed. Among the detainees, one of the women also happened to be a cultural worker, the Director of Culture of the town of Ercilla , whom I met in 2005 in an Arts Management Course offered by CNCA.

In addition, my other film, “Los Sueños Del Comandante”, a documentary made with support from CORFO in 2006, which tells the story of the lumber company Complejo Maderero Panguipulli, the peasants worker’s movement, the Death Caravan and the revolutionary MIR guerilla of the eighties. All this work, all these taped interviews, have suffered the same fate; they have been seized by the Investigations Police of Chile.

All my audiovisual material, tapes, interviews, artwork- such as banners, posters and other items- as well as written material such as scripts, diaries, books, archival interviews of ex-political militants, Mapuche and others, including political prisoners and leaders have been siezed by the Investigations Police of Chile.

Dear Sirs, I appeal for your intervention in the task of safeguarding this filmic material and the memory comprised in these works, the safeguarding of their social actors and my freedom, because I find myself deprived of all rights and expression.

I also urge you to intervene for my rights as a filmmaker and artist, and to allow me to move forward with this film. I request the legal action Habeas corpus for those who participate in this project, including myself and my daughter América, who has also been threatened along with me on several occasions.

Along with this, I request the safeguarding of the filmic material, the return of all the reels, tapes, images, film and sound equipment that were seized, the art materials that have been misused to diminish this beautiful project and my work as a documentary filmmaker, such as toy guns, costumes, flags, banners, Mapuche jewelery, megaphones, cellular phones, still cameras, photographs, writings, scripts, research notes, resume information, invoices, receipts for all our materials and expenses, which have all been seized and are involved in this project.

In the name of artistic freedom and creative expression, I request my freedom. In the name of human dignity and everything achieved by artists striving for a more just society, I request my freedom and justice for what we have endured.

Sincerely,

Elena Varela López
Documentary filmmaker. Company: Puelche Comunicaciones
Contact Email: puelche.comunicaciones@yahoo.es

South Africa: Migrants under Attack

2008-05-20T23:59:00.000-07:00

AfricaFocus Bulletin
May 20, 2008 (080520)
(Reposted from sources cited below)

Editor's Note

"Xenophobia is rife in South Africa. However, repression of
immigrants, refugees and undocumented people goes beyond naked
violence in poor communities. Earlier this year, police raided the
Central Methodist Church in Johannesburg, beating up and arresting
immigrants, mainly from Zimbabwe. The state systematically abuses
the rights of immigrants: health workers deny treatment, home
affairs officials demand bribes and police assault immigrants
regularly." - Treatment Action Campaign

With violence increasing against immigrants in South Africa from
Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and other countries, South African President
Thabo Mbeki has denounced the violence
(http://allafrica.com/stories/200805200536.html) and the government
has pledged to take action. But human rights groups say that
actions do not yet match the verbal commitments.

This AfricaFocus Bulletin contains (1) a statement by South
Africa's Treatment Action campaign, with reference to their
extensive report on refugees in South Africa at:
http://www.tac.org.za/community/files/file/et25.pdf, (2) a summary
by the UN's Integrated Regional Information Networks on current
events as well as background on the issue in previous years, and
(3) a statement by the AIDS and Rights Alliance of Southern Africa,
a coalition of groups in South Africa and other Southern African
countries.

For previous AfricaFocus Bulletins and Africa Policy E-Journal
issues on migration and human rights, both in Southern Africa and
globally, see

http://www.africafocus.org/docs07/rem0711.php

http://www.africafocus.org/docs06/mig0609a.php

http://www.africafocus.org/docs06/mig0609b.php

http://www.africaaction.org/docs98/sa9805.htm

http://www.africaaction.org/docs97/samp9702.htm

For extensive background research on issues of migration in
Southern Africa, see the website of the Southern Africa Migration
Project (http://www.queensu.ca/samp).

Migration and the abuse of refugees and "illegal" migrants is an
issue worldwide, not just in Southern Africa. For an extensive
selection of policy papers and documentation, see
http://www.migrationpolicy.org/. For a brief analysis of Migration
and Global Justice, written by AfricaFocus editor William Minter
for the American Friends Service Committee, see
http://www.africafocus.org/editor/afsc0804.php A special
Washington Post series exposed abuses of immigrants in detention in
the United States, see
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/nation/specials/immigration/

Request for video art films for LiteSide festival

2008-05-18T03:15:00.000-07:00

Liteside Festival is a young (3 editions) multi disciplinary festival
in
Amsterdam that highlights cross overs and innovative art from the east
in
/and the west. The festival takes place at the popular location of the
Westergasfabriek. For three days 22, 23, 24 August 2008 - a broad
public
will experience a mix of innovative Eastern and Western forms of dance,
fashion, literature, film, music, clubbing, visual art and performance.

Included in the visual art program will be a video lounge.

We would like to invite video artists to send in their work before the
15 of
June 2008 to the following address:

LiteSide festival

Tav Gail Pilgrim

Van Baerlestraat 83 2hg

1071 AS Amsterdam

The Netherlands

For information on the festival www.liteside.nl,

or contact Alite Thijsen at alitethijsen@gmail.com ( curator visual art
programm or Gail Pilgrim gail@liteside.nl.

ACTION ALERT: Safety, Lives of LGBT Moldovans Under Immediate Threat: Action Needed Now!

2008-05-14T03:16:00.000-07:00

The safety and human rights of LGBT people in the Eastern European nation of Moldova are under threat right now.

The government of Moldova is threatening to arrest Rev. Elder Diane Fisher and Eastern European LGBT activist Florin Buhuceanu if they hold worship services for the LGBT community this weekend.

And they are refusing to provide police protection, despite numerous death threats made against Diane and Florin and the LGBT community there.

The government is also refusing police protection for this weekend's LGBT Pride March in Moldova's capital city of Chisinau, where members of the International Lesbian and Gay Association of Europe and Romania's human rights organization, ACCEPT, are also gathered. All legal procedures were followed to obtain the appropriate permits, and despite early promises, the mayor of Chisinau has withdrawn approval for the march permits.

At last report, the government will allow a maximum of 50 LGBT people and their supporters to march -- but will allow an unlimited number of anti-gay protestors to gather -- all without police protection.

Moldova's government urgently needs to hear -- NOW! -- from people of goodwill around the globe!

Your e-mails will help to protect LGBT Moldovans and their supporters who are taking the first bold steps toward forming a community and seeking equality under the law.

And your e-mails can help stop the threats of arrest and harassment made against Rev. Elder Diane Fisher, activist Florin Buhuceanu, and Moldova's growing, fledgling LGBT community.

Here are four steps you can take to make an immediate difference:

1. Write a brief e-mail to the Moldovan government. Ask them to honor their nation's laws and to allow the peaceful gathering of LGBT people and their supporters. Ask that the rights of LGBT people be protected. Let them know the eyes of the world are focused on Moldova this week.

2. Send your e-mail to as many of the following contacts as possible:

-- Moldovan Ministry of Justice -- secretariat@justice.gov.md

-- Moldovan Ministry of Social Protection -- lucia.gavrilita@mpsfc.gov.md

-- Moldovan Advocate for Human Rights -- cpdom@mdl.net

-- Moldova's Embassy in Washington, DC -- washington@mfa.md

-- Chisinau City Hall (Moldova's Capital City) - primaria@pmc.md

3. Forward this Action Alert to friends, LGBT groups, and listservs.

4. All people of faith are encouraged to hold LGBT Moldovans and their supporters in your prayers, and to pray for a breakthrough from the Moldovan government.

The situation is critical. Time is of the essence. Your help can make a difference. Please, please take action now.

From the MCC Global Justice Team
The Reverend Pat Bumgardner, Chair

'Your Europe - Your Say' Rainbow Paper II - online diversity consultation (until May 16th)

2008-04-28T06:52:00.000-07:00

From now until 16 May you can rewrite how Europe should tackle cultural diversity. Help shape the future by going online and responding to a paper produced by the 'Rainbow Platform' (Civil Society Platform for Intercultural Dialogue, an initiative of the ECF and EFAH). Not only are your comments welcome - you can also rewrite the recommendations and add your own! Just log on to the site http://rainbowplatform.labforculture.org/site/ , quickly register, read Rainbow paper II, and contribute your comments/changes.

The set of recommendations is very much a work-in-progress. Your constructive feedback is absolutely vital. The results will be discussed at a plenary meeting of the Rainbow Platform in Brussels on June 4th 2008 - the same date on which the Platform becomes an officially recognised discussion partner with the EU institutions.

The first Rainbow Paper was released in January 2008 at the launch of the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue and the start of the Slovenian EU Presidency. More than 200 civil-society organisations make up the Rainbow Platform, and they helped produce a paper which discusses how best to practise respect for cultural diversity. A further process of consultation and expert involvement has led to Rainbow Paper II.

This new paper brings many issues of intercultural dialogue to the fore. Should there be a system of monitoring and reporting on the practice of intercultural dialogue, and if so, who should do this? Is it right that the EU should 'mainstream' diversity policies in its various programmes? And what about the intercultural aspect of the EU's external relations? Can there be an agreed 'European standard' for supporting culture?

Let us know your thoughts on these and other matters dealt with in the paper, as well as anything you think has been left out so far. The Platform intends to call on the EU to end the 2008 European Year of Intercultural Dialogue with a set of standard-setting recommendations.
http://rainbowplatform.labforculture.org/site/

fD partner ICORN announces 1st European Hospitality Tribunal (May 15/16 - Stavanger, Norway)

2008-04-13T14:04:00.000-07:00

OPEN PORT - Stavanger, European Capital of Culture 2008
As the Universal Declaration of Human Rights turns 60, the major aim of The 1st European Hospitality Tribunal
is to measure how and to what extent the European political and juridical practises correspond with the
continent’s humanistic values and obligations. How are immigrants and refugees received at Europe’s borders,
and how does Europe integrate its new citizens once they arrive?

Thursday 15 May 2008
16:00 - 18:00 Session I
Xenophobia is not a European Value - Human Rights Should Be
Round table discussion on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights.

Opening speech:
Dr. John Ralston Saul, Canadian essayist, novelist and human rights proponent.

Roundtable interventions by among others:
Bjarte Vandvik, Secretary General, European Council of Refugees and Exiles
Hans Ten Feld, Regional Representative for the Baltic and Nordic Countries, UNHCR
Ursula Owen, founder and former Chief Executive of Index on Censorship
Katrine Camillieri, Human Rights Lawyer Malta, 2007 UNHCR Fridtjof Nansen prize recipient

20:00 Shahrazad – Stories for Life: Performances and readings by writers/artists from the
fringes of Europe

Friday 16 May 2008

09:00 - 10:30 Session II
Immigrants - Your Country Needs Them: On the Risks and Benefi ts of Opening up
Europe’s Borders
Keynote Speech: Philippe Legrain
The speaker will take a comprehensive view, touching upon political, economical, sociological
and legal aspects of the vital immigration issues for today’s and tomorrow’s Europe, countered
by a panel of politicians and commentators from Scandinavia and beyond

11:00 - 13:30 Session III
Open Port or Fortress Europe?

Keynote Speech: Katrine Camillieri, Human Rights Lawyer Malta,
2007 UNHCR Fridtjof Nansen prize recipient
Europe’s Role in the Global Refugee Protection System
Bjarte Vandvik, ECRE Secretary General
Asylum in Europe: UNCHR’s perspective
Hans ten Feld, UNHCR regional representative for the Nordic and
Baltic Countries
Dublin Reconsidered: Launch of New ECRE Report on Sharing Responsibility for Refugee
Protection in Europe
Chris Nash, ECRE Head of Policy and Advocacy

15:00 - 17:30 Session IV
Does Europe Live up to its Human Rights Rhetoric?

Keynote Speech: Moris Farhi, writer, Vice Precident International PEN
What is the Human Rights situation in Europe as the Declaration turns 60? The claims of the
international conventions on civil and political, economic, social, and cultural rights will be
measured against the degree of their implementation and realization by the governing
bodies of Europe as of 2008.

Rendition and Secret Detention – Human Rights on Hold in the “War On Terror”.
John Peder Egenæs, Secretary General Amnesty International, Norway
Unwelcome Minorities in Europe: Chechens, Roma, Kurds. How Are They Treated

When They Seek Refuge in Western European Countries?
Gunnar M. Karlsen, Deputy Secretary General, The Norwegian Helsinki Committee.

Is There Such a Thing as Freedom of Speech in Europe?
Sara Whyatt, Programme Director, Writers in Prison Committee, International PEN.

20:00 Session V (Open event)
The 21st Century is the Century For People on the Move
An independent panel of observing witnesses (“judges”), among them Zimbabwean writer
Chenjerai Hove, and Index on Censorship founder Ursula Owen, have been following the tribunal
speeches and panel discussions. They will present appeals to the public with their concluding
verdicts of the tribunal, and visions and goals to be achieved within the 2nd European
Hospitality Tribunal in Stockholm in 2012.

See www.artsofhospitality.com for programme updates, participant bios etc.

fD partner - LEDIG HOUSE RESIDENTS PRESENT COMMUNITY READING ON APRIL 26TH IN HUDSON, NEW YORK

2008-04-13T08:28:00.000-07:00

COMMUNITY READING ON APRIL 26TH IN HUDSON, NEW YORK

The Omi International Arts Center is proud to announce that the spring residents will read from their work and participate in a discussion of literature and translation. A community reading will take place on April 26th in the Hudson Wine Merchants third floor tasting room at 341 ½ Warren Street from 5-7pm. The residents will read from their work before enjoying a selection of cheeses and wines with all those in attendance. The event is free and open to the public.

In the sixteen years since its founding, the Ledig House International Writers' Colony has invited nearly five hundred writers and translators from over fifty countries to Columbia County and opened up a vital cultural byway between the Hudson Valley and the rest of the globe. In the last year alone Ledig House has hosted writers from twenty countries including Australia, Germany, India, Denmark, the U.K., Italy, Romania, Hungary, Guatemala, Iran, Bosnia, and Sweden.

James Cañón (US, Fiction)

James was born, raised and educated in Colombia. He moved to New York to study English and later earned his MFA in Creative Writing from Columbia University. Honors and awards for his writing have come from NYFA, the Henfield Foundation, the Queens Council on the Arts, and the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts. His stories have appeared in numerous literary journals, and have been anthologized in Bésame Mucho, (Painted Leaf Press), and Virgins, Guerrillas & Locas, (Cleis Press). His debut novel, Tales from the Town of Widows & Chronicles from the Land of Men, has been published in thirteen countries. He lives in Queens, New York.

New Delhi: Persistence Resistance: a festival of contemporary w/ the Magic Lantern Foundation

2008-04-13T08:26:00.000-07:00

ear friend,

I write to invite you for a film festival that we are organising in New
Delhi, India from 28 30 April 2008 at the India International
Centre.

The festival called Persistence Resistance: a festival of contemporary
political films will screen over 100 films in a multitude of spaces. A
write
up and schedule of the film festival is available at:
www.magiclanternfoundation.org

The festival aims to create a cinema space that celebrates the diverse
nature of films in India today. The idea is to showcase the range of
subjects and forms the films work with, and to interrogate the emerging
aesthetics of political filmmaking.
The festival will also carry a section on international documentaries
in an
attempt to explore the notions of internationalism in the present day
scenario of neo-liberal globalisation.
Simultaneously the festival will present films in multiple ways of
seeing,
interacting and engaging by creating installations, outdoor screenings
and
small intimate screening spaces along with regular auditorium
screenings.

Additionally, over three evenings we explore the linkages between art,
literature, theatre, comics, animation, censorship with films.

If you are in India and New Delhi during those days we hope you will
attend
the festival. Please also circulate the information about the film
festival
and apologies for cross posting.

With best wishes,
Gargi Sen
Ranjan De
Priyanka Mukherjee
---------
Magic Lantern Foundation
J 1881 Chittaranjan Park, Basement, New Delhi 110019
P: +91 11 41605239 and 26273244
E: magiclantern.foundation@gmail.com/ magiclf@vsnl.com
W: http://www.magiclanternfoundation.org
--------

Beirut: fD Stakeholder, Joelle Khoury featured in 'Women of Note' Concert

2008-04-08T07:06:00.001-07:00

The Zaki Nassif Music Program in the Fine Arts and Art History Department at The American University of Beirut

You are invited to a concert by

Ensemble Polyphonica and Friends in

Women of Note
vocal ensemble works by
Female Composers of the 12th, 19th, and 21st Centuries

Hildegard of Bingen Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel Nelly Lipuma
MacArthur Genius Grant Award Winner
Meredith Monk
and a new work by Beirut composer
Joëlle Khoury

Monday, April 14, 8.15 pm, Assembly Hall
All Are Welcome

Paul S. Meers, DMus http://staff.aub.edu.lb/~pm05/
Director of Choral Music
American University of Beirut
Nicely Hall 403, office hours 10-10.50 MWF
e.mail: pm05@aub.edu.lb
OR psmeers@gmail.com (in case of "bounce")
961-1-353465, ext. 4041/4350 outside of Lebanon
01-350000, 374444, ext. 4041/4350 inside Lebanon

International Roma Day: an opportunity to celebrate, but also to recall the urgent need for action against the exclusion of Roma

2008-04-08T06:23:00.000-07:00

Brussels, 8 April 2008

International Roma Day: an opportunity to celebrate, but also to recall the urgent need for action against the exclusion of Roma

Today, 8 April, the world celebrates International Roma Day [1]. The European Roma Policy Coalition (ERPC) [2] is taking an active part in these celebrations and highlights on this occasion the important cultural diversity which the Roma, Sinti and Traveller communities bring to the European Union.

But these celebrations are also an opportunity to remind citizens and policy makers of the discrimination and disadvantage which Europe’s largest minority faces on a daily basis. An estimated 7-9 million Roma live in EU member states but to date there is no integrated and comprehensive EU policy specifically targeting discrimination against Roma. Commission officials have acknowledged that “social exclusion and discrimination of Roma communities are well documented and despite all available legislative and financial instruments remain often extreme”. However, these words have not been matched by effective action and change.

The European Roma Policy Coalition therefore urges the European Union to adopt a Framework Strategy on Roma Inclusion, developed in full consultation with Roma communities. This strategy should ensure that Roma communities are protected from discrimination, have equal access to education, healthcare and housing, and are empowered through participation in the civic and economic life of the country.

David Mark, the coalition coordinator, said:
“Celebrating the cultural diversity of the Roma community is all the more relevant as this year is European Year of Intercultural Dialogue. The EU must now ensure that its emphasis on cultural diversity is matched by strong and effective action to ensure the economic and social inclusion of Roma, Sinti and Travellers into European societies and protect them from discrimination.”

For further information, contact:

Sinan Gokcen, Information Officer, Phone: +36-1-413-22-00, E-mail: sinan.gokcen@errc.org, Website: www.errc.org
Georgina Siklossy, Communication and Press Officer
Phone: +32-2-229-35-70, E-mail: georgina@enar-eu.org , Website: www.enar-eu.org

[1] Established in 1971, International Roma Day celebrates a community dispersed throughout Europe, facing enormous economic, social and political challenges.
[2] The European Roma Policy Coalition, launched on 6 March 2008, is a network of national and international NGOs working on different aspects of discrimination against Roma people which calls for the full realisation of the economic, social, cultural, civil and political rights of Roma. The member organisations are: Amnesty International, European Network Against Racism, European Roma Grassroots Organisation, European Roma Information Office, European Roma Rights Centre, Fundación Secretariado Gitano, Minority Rights Group International, Open Society Institute and Spolu International Foundation.

The European Roma Rights Centre is an international public interest law organisation which monitors the human rights situation of Roma and provides legal defence in cases of human rights abuse. For more information about the European Roma Rights Centre, visit the ERRC on the web at http://www.errc.org

To support the ERRC, please visit this link: http://www.errc.org/cikk.php?cikk=2735

European Roma Rights Centre
1386 Budapest 62
P.O. Box 906/93
Hungary
Tel: +36.1.413.2200
Fax: +36.1.413.2201

OSCE Mission in Kosovo marks International Roma Day, urges full integration of minorities

2008-04-07T06:56:00.000-07:00

PRISHTINE/PRISTINA, 7 April 2008 - The OSCE Mission called today for
full integration of the Kosovo Roma, Ashkali and Egyptians into the
Kosovo society...

Full text: http://www.osce.org/item/30558.html

World Indigenous Television Broadcasting Conference was held March 26-28

2008-04-06T05:20:00.000-07:00

The first ever gathering of indigenous television leaders from
throughout
the world was held in Auckland, New Zealand, from March 26-28, 2008.
The
World Indigenous Television Broadcasting Conference - WITBC '08 - is
aimed
at unifying, strengthening and promoting indigenous broadcasters.

A global network of indigenous television broadcasters will be a major
outcome of the inaugural World Indigenous Television Broadcasting
Conference
hosted by M?ori Television at the end of March.

http://witbc.org/
=======

Argentina: Becas Hangar - El Basilisco

2008-04-01T06:19:00.000-07:00

El Basilisco invita a los artistas que vivan y trabajen en la Argentina a postularse para participar de una residencia en Hangar, en Barcelona, de dos meses de duración, entre el 1º de agosto y el 30 de septiembre de 2008.

Cierre de la convocatoria: 12 de abril de 2008

Esta convocatoria está dirigida a los artistas que han completado su etapa de formación y están buscando un período de trabajo intensivo de forma independiente para profundizar en su proceso artístico, y al mismo tiempo poder compartir ese proceso con otros artistas.

Hangar es un centro para la producción e investigación artística fundado en 1997 por la Associació d'Artistes Visuals de Catalunya (AAVC) para dar apoyo a creadores y artistas y ofrecer servicios que se adapten a las necesidades de producción que surgen en el mundo de la creación.

El centro tiene su sede en un edificio industrial rehabilitado en el barrio del Poblenou en Barcelona. El espacio, con 1.800 m2, da cabida a 15 talleres individuales, un medialab, 2 platós, un servicio de alquiler de equipos, técnicos y asesoramiento de producción.

El espacio está subvencionado principalmente por la Generalitat de Catalunya y el Ayuntamiento de Barcelona. La gestión corre a cargo de la Fundación AAVC. Su modelo de gestión y su filosofia, enfocada a la producción y la investigación, hacen de Hangar un espacio único en Barcelona e, incluso, en todo el Estado español.

* las siguientes bases y el formulario de inscripción también se encuentran en: www.elbasilisco.com/aplicacion_hangar08.pdf

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
BASES
El concurso para seleccionar al/la artista que accederá a la beca El Basilisco--Hangar se regirá de acuerdo con las siguientes bases:
1.
Participantes
La participación en este concurso está abierta a todos los artistas visuales residentes en Argentina.
2. Duración
La duración de la residencia en Hangar, Barcelona es de dos meses: El/la artista seleccionado/a residirá en Barcelona desde el 1 de agosto hasta el 30 de septiembre de 2008.
3. Prestaciones y dotación de la beca
La beca El Basilisco--Hangar incluye los siguientes conceptos:
- Un espacio de trabajo compartido en las instalaciones del Hangar.
- Alojamiento.
- 3.000 Euros destinados al viaje, seguro médico, manutención, gastos de producción y desplazamientos locales.

4. Solicitudes
Los/las artistas interesados/as en participar en este concurso deberán rellenar el formulario de inscripción para la beca El Basilisco-Hangar (a continuación) y enviarlo acompañado de un único archivo PDF grabado en un CD o DVD a El Basilisco. (si no sabes como crear un archivo pdf descarga las siguientes instrucciones para Windows. Para Mac puedes crear un .pdf desde el menu "imprimir" en cualquier aplicación.)

Estas bases y el formulario de inscripción también se encuentran en: www.elbasilisco.com/aplicacion_hangar08.pdf

5. Documentación a incluir en el archivo PDF:
5.1 IMPORTANTE: en el nombre del archivo debe estar incluido el nombre y el apellido del solicitante - Ej: antonio_berni.pdf
5.2 Curriculum vitae. (1 hoja Din A4)
5.3 Carta de motivación (1 hoja Din A4)
Dossier de imágenes (un máximo de diez imágenes).
Nota:
Los trabajos en video se presentarán en DVD; sólo un disco por solicitud. La duración del video, o videos, no puede superar los 5 minutos. Los formatos aceptados son los siguientes: FLV,MOV,MP4,AVI. El DVD debe contener por escrito el nombre del autor y la duración del vídeo, con una sinopsis del guión adjunta (de hasta 2.000 caracteres).
Los/las artistas que presenten una animación o un interactivo, en un CD-ROM, deben especificar si es para entorno PC o Mac.
Los/las artistas que trabajen en proyectos específicos para Internet deberán presentar un directorio web.

En todos los casos, la documentación de las obras debe ir acompañada de su correspondiente ficha técnica completa: nombre, año, técnica y dimensiones del trabajo.
6. Envío
Este material debe enviarse por correo postal común a:
El Basilisco
Cnel. García 173
Avellaneda, Buenos Aires
C.P.: 1870
IMPORTANTE: El material debe llegar por correo antes del 12 de abril del 2008.
No recibimos inscripciones por email.
7. Selección
Un jurado propuesto por El Basilisco realizará una preselección de diez artistas. Luego habrá una selección final de un/a artista, que será realizada por un jurado propuesto por Hangar, reunido en Barcelona. Este jurado definirá el/la artista ganador/a de la beca El Basilisco--Hangar.
El nombre del/a artista seleccionado/a será publicado durante la última semana de mayo de 2008.
8. Plazo de presentación
El plazo de recepción de la solicitud finaliza el 12 de abril de 2008.
9. Aceptación de las bases y de la resolución del jurado:
La participación en este concurso comporta la aceptación de sus bases y de la resolución del jurado, así como de los cambios que, a consecuencia de factores ajenos a la Fundación AAVC, se puedan producir con posterioridad.

El Basilisco ofrece esta beca con el apoyo de AECI en colaboración con Hangar.
Más información:
www.elbasilisco.com
www.hangar.org

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
FORMULARIO de inscripción:

Nombre y apellido:
Fecha y lugar de nacimiento:
Domicilio:
Teléfono:
e-mail:

Nombre, dirección de e-mail y teléfono de dos personas como referencias:
1.
2.

Breve texto acerca de los motivos de su interés en participar en una residencia en Hangar, incluyendo una descripción de la actividad en que está trabajando actualmente:

Idiomas: (nivel conversación, escritura, etc.):

Detalles del material enviado: CD o DVD con hasta 10 imágenes; en el caso de material audio visual, fragmentos de hasta 5 minutos cada uno.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

C.V.: Adjuntar un c.v. de hasta una página que incluya los últimos cinco años.

Fechas / disponibilidad:
Estoy libre de otros compromisos y disponible para participar en la residencia en Hangar entre el 1º de agosto y el 30 de septiembre de 2008.
_____ Sí
_____ No

Deseo que el material presentado pase a formar parte del Centro de Documentación y Biblioteca de El Basilisco una vez concluido el proceso de selección.
_____ Sí
_____ No

En caso de ser seleccionado, me comprometo a contratar un seguro de salud de cobertura total internacional durante las fechas solicitadas.

Firma y aclaración:

Enviar este formulario con C.V. y CD (o DVD) de imágenes únicamente por correo SIMPLE (común) a:
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Argentina: Inauguran dos radios mapuches

2008-03-20T07:58:00.000-07:00

Mauro Millan, dirigente mapuche

Foto de Javier Astrada.

Inauguran dos radios mapuches en Argentina
En El Maiten se inaugurará el próximo 24 de marzo la radio Petu Mogeleiñ, emprendimiento de la Organización Mapuche "11 de Octubre" . Su objetivo es llenar "el aire de libertad", según anuncian sus impulsores. Otra emisora es FM de la Tierra, un emprendimiento de la comunidad "José Manuel Pichún" que ya anunció trabajará en conjunto con "Petu Mogeleiñ" y con FM Alas de El Bolsón.
Por Adrián MOYANO I Martes 18 de Marzo de 2008

El mapa del capitalismo en América Latina

Más de 500 personas protestan contra proyectos de Endesa
Párrafos
Mauro Millán, vocero de la organización mapuche, recordó que "comenzó como un sueño y con la necesidad de contar con un espacio que estuviera vinculado directamente con nuestra identidad, que fuera difusor de nuestro pensamiento, tanto filosófico como ideológico.
La inminente puesta en el aire de FM de la Tierra responde a varios propósitos, según explicó Fuentes. "Una de las cosas que siempre venimos discutiendo es que nos han quitado tantas cosas, que llegó el momento de recuperarlas. Y una de las cosas que nos han quitado es el derecho a comunicarnos".
BARILOCHE I El próximo 24 de marzo pasará a la historia para el pueblo mapuche de la región, ya que se inaugurará en El Maitén (Chubut), la radio mapuche comunitaria "Petu Mogeleiñ". Es una experiencia inédita en la zona, de la que toman parte la Organización Mapuche Tehuelche "11 de Octubre", la FM Alas de El Bolsón y desde Italia, la Asociación Ya Basta. La intención es que esa jornada, comiencen las transmisiones de la emisora.

El proyecto comenzó a gestarse unos años atrás. Mauro Millán, vocero de la organización mapuche, recordó que "comenzó como un sueño y con la necesidad de contar con un espacio que estuviera vinculado directamente con nuestra identidad, que fuera difusor de nuestro pensamiento, tanto filosófico como ideológico. También, de alguna manera, como medio de contrarrestar el muro de censura que hay en esta parte del territorio mapuche y nos impide poder explayarnos en libertad, frente a la situación que vivimos como pueblo".

Los preparativos son febriles. "Hay mucho trabajo con respecto a la cuestión material. Se están finiquitando los últimos detalles, recordemos que este es un emprendimiento en el que se unieron voluntades, que involucran a compañeros de esta parte de la Patagonia e inclusive, a militantes sociales de Italia que forman parte de la Asociación Ya Basta. La voluntad de todos concretó este proyecto, en el que no interviene para nada el Estado, ni el nacional ni el provincial. Tampoco están involucradas las agencias internacionales, como el Banco Mundial. Es un emprendimiento que nació y se parió desde la necesidad, transcurrieron varios años pero finalmente, se materializó la idea de contar con una radio autónoma mapuche. Todo esto implica mucho esfuerzo y trabajo, y de alguna manera, remar contra la corriente. Sin embargo, estamos demostrando que el pueblo mapuche tiene la capacidad suficiente para generar sus propias herramientas en pos de nuestro futuro como pueblo, porque esta no es una radio de la 11 de Octubre, sino del pueblo mapuche", aseveró el vocero.

Los obstáculos no desaniman a los impulsores del emprendimiento. "Es un gran desafío que la radio pueda permanecer al aire durante todo el día, con una programación que esté nutrida de nuestro pensamiento y de nuestra ideología. Somos concientes de que hay una oferta radial en esa localidad, que es lo que prácticamente se escucha en la mayoría de las radios. Con algunas excepciones, es una oferta para pasar el tiempo. Pareciera que la gente está condenada por el monopolio de los medios, a escuchar permanentemente chatarra. Nosotros tenemos la necesidad de contrarrestar esa situación y en principio, tenemos la idea de salir al aire algunas horas".

"Aún estamos"

Inclusive desde su denominación, la emisora mapuche procura plantar bandera. "La radio tiene como nombre una consigna que se dispara al mundo, porque estamos anunciando su concreción a todos los países: Petu Mogeleiñ, que significa aún estamos, aún vivimos, aún existimos... La idea que tenemos es que la radio se vaya afianzando poco a poco. Seguramente, no van a haber firmas que quieran auspiciar este tipo de radio. Desde ya, los Benetton no van a financiar la salida al aire de Petu Mogeleiñ, ni tampoco los bolicheros que rodean la comarca, porque de alguna manera, la radio también nace con la aspiración de ser autónoma y de no estar condicionada. Ese es el gran desafío, pero por otro lado, estamos fortalecidos por la presencia de los compañeros, por ejemplo, de la gente de FM Alas, que todo el tiempo nos están orientando en esto de tener un medio radial. Además, ya hay algunos compañeros de Italia que han llegado y bueno, suponemos que vamos trabajar inclusive con la gente de Cuesta del Ternero, que también van a salir al aire pronto, con otra radio mapuche. La idea es enlazar y trabajar de manera colectiva para que cuando se nos presenten las primeras piedras en el camino, estemos fortalecidos".

El puntapié inicial se dará en dos semanas. "La inauguración va a ser el 24, estaremos saliendo al aire por primera vez. Así que es un momento para nosotros muy importante, más en un zona como El Maitén, donde de alguna manera está enquistado este poder que ha levantado muros de censura. Tenemos el gran desafío de que se comiencen a respirar aires de libertad. Para todos los compañeros, hermanas y hermanos mapuches, decimos que ya el 23 nos comenzaremos a reunir. El 24 en horas de la madrugada, comenzaremos con una ceremonia espiritual de nuestro pueblo y la idea es transmitir para la Comarca a través de FM Alas también. Así que invitamos a los que quieran, inclusive a los que quieran aportar desde la música y de la palabra, nos estaremos reuniendo en El Maitén. La frecuencia será 88.7 MHZ", destacó Millán. Entonces, el éter se dejará ganar por voces nuevas, pero para propagar significados ancestrales.

Red campesina

La radio "Petu Mogeleiñ" no será la única voz mapuche que recorrerá en breve el éter de la región. Un camino similar se propone recorrer FM de la Tierra, la emisora cuya salida al aire prepara la comunidad "José Manuel Pichún", del paraje Cuesta del Ternero. Además, ambos proyectos formarán parte de la Red de Comunicación Campesina, que también integrará FM Alas. En consecuencia, se establecerá un interesante vínculo comunicacional entre El Maitén, El Bolsón y ese rincón cordillerano.

Describió el proyecto Ricardo Fuentes, participante del emprendimiento. "En principio, a la emisora la impulsa la comunidad mapuche José Manuel Pichún, que está conformada en la zona. Contamos con la ayuda de FM Alas y de la futura Red de Comunicación Campesina". Todavía quedan algunos días para que se inicien las transmisiones, que se instalarán en el 100.1 del dial.

La inminente puesta en el aire de la nueva radio responde a varios propósitos, según explicó Fuentes. "Una de las cosas que siempre venimos discutiendo es que nos han quitado tantas cosas, que llegó el momento de recuperarlas. Y una de las cosas que nos han quitado es el derecho a comunicarnos. A partir de ahí, empezamos a pensar en un proyecto propio para poder decir nuestras cosas, reconocernos y que nos reconozcan que tenemos la capacidad de hacerlo".
Como toda iniciativa de esta índole, la maduración fue progresiva. "La idea primaria fue de FM Alas, que quiso instalar en la zona una cabina radiofónica para que saliéramos al aire con las noticias de la zona a través de la antena de FM Alas. Con esa propuesta vino el colectivo de Alas, pero después de charlarlo bastante con la comunidad, decidimos ir un poco más allá. Dijimos: por qué no poner nuestra propia emisora y transmitir nosotros mismos... Bueno, la idea fue madurando y hoy estamos ya con la casita en un 90 por ciento armada y con todos los materiales técnicos que hacen falta. A la antena y la torre también las tenemos, en estos días las estamos montando".

El comunicador mapuche aclaró y precisó que "todavía no tenemos fecha de salida al aire y no queremos anunciar algo para que después no se cumpla, porque esto está hecho a pulmón, como van saliendo las cosas... En cuanto al contenido, al pertenecer al pueblo mapuche queremos rescatar todo lo que se ha perdido y lo que por ahí está escondido, lo que tiene que ver con la cultura, la lengua, la cosmovisión y también, repasar lo que queda en los campos con los ancianos, la alimentación y todo lo que tenga que ver con eso. También, difundir las luchas del pueblo mapuche y de otras organizaciones que están luchando contra este sistema".

Las generales de la ley

La situación de la comunidad "José Pascual Pichún" no es muy distinta a la de otras. "Nosotros no escapamos a las reglas generales, estamos dentro del pueblo mapuche y una de las principales luchas es la recuperación del territorio", explicó Fuentes. "En el caso de la comunidad, fue bastante mermado el territorio con respecto a lo que era en un principio y como comunidad, no hemos hecho ninguna recuperación porque consideramos que hace falta un poco más de fuerza interna para hacerlo. Lo que sí, nos estamos defendiendo contra una usurpación que hizo un señor que compró un terreno lindero y avanzó sobre una veranada. Hicimos una denuncia por usurpación que está radicada en el juzgado, pero todavía no nos han llamado ni a declarar. Esto fue el verano pasado, pero el integrante de la comunidad y la comunidad siguen ocupando ese territorio, se voltearon los alambres y se introdujeron los animales, como siempre, y ahora el juez decidirá".

También aportó datos sobre la denominación de la comunidad. "José Manuel Pichún fue un mapuche que llegó a la zona allá por 1880, según recuerdan los abuelos, cuando acá no había ningún poblador asentado. Vino de la zona de lago El Correntoso, en Caviahue, cerca del límite con Gulumapu (Chile). Se asentó con su familia, su esposa era María José Antileo y a partir de ahí, fueron llegando distintos familiares: Anticura, Quintupuray... También de esa zona. Se fueron asentando en distintos lugares, porque una de las costumbres del pueblo mapuche era que el primero que llegaba, ocupaba todo el campo. Después, el que venía iba pidiendo permiso y donde consideraba habitable, levantaba su rancho. Así se fue poblando el arroyo del Ternero".

Las cosas se complicaron con el arribo de gente con idiosincrasia diferente. "Después fue llegando gente no mapuche que también se fue asentando, pero siempre el que vino después, al llegar con otra visión y querer más, ocupaba y arreglaba los papeles. Los mapuches nunca se ocuparon de arreglar los papeles porque no era algo que perteneciera a nuestro pueblo. Entonces, cuando nos vinimos a dar cuenta, tenemos lo que hoy tenemos y los que llegaron después, tienen el campo mucho más grande". Estas y otras historias, de ayer y de hoy, ganarán el éter desde Cuesta del Ternero, más temprano que tarde por FM de la Tierra / AZ

www.azkintuwe.org

Kuala Lumpur: fD Asia Lead, Jay Koh, curates exhibition on Burma

2008-03-18T02:11:00.000-07:00

You're invited to the Exhibition Launch of
Soe Naing's
Line Expressions
The First Show in the Series
SEEKING TO CONNECT: Contemporary Art in Burma/Myanmar

Wed 19 Mar 2008, 7.30 pm
The Annexe Gallery,
2nd Floor, Central Market Annexe, KL

Featuring performance art by
Burmese artist Moe Satt & Malaysian artist Justin Lim

Seeking to Connect is an art series showcasing contemporary art works of artists working inside Burma/Myanmar. This series seeks to highlight expressions that are experimental and alternative to mainstream practices there, and to raise awareness and support for resource development activities inside the country.

The first show will present the works of artist Soe Naing whose virtuosity with line-work produces explicitly lively and expressive organic forms. It will feature over 100 pieces of Soe Naing's works executed in ink and paint on paper and canvas.

Sales proceeds will go to the artist as well as resource development projects and activities in Burma/Myanmar.

Series curator: Jay Koh. Project advisor: Chu Yuan

Presented by International Forum for Intermedia Art, with The Annexe and Central Market, KL.

EXHIBITION DETAILS
Dates: Wed 19 Mar - Sun 6 Apr, 2008
Hours: 11am - 7pm daily (Closed on Mondays)
Admission: FREE!
Enquiries: 03 2070 1137 / 012 914 5227 (Chu Yuan)

Talk: Sat 22 Apr, 4pm
A talk by Jay Koh, on the effect of social cultural conditions on
artistic production in Burma/ Myanmar, followed by an oratorial performance, inspired
by a painting by Soe Naing, by Malaysian writer/journalist Sharaad Kuttan.

HUMAN RIGHTS HOUSE NETWORK (02/2008)

2008-03-17T04:26:00.000-07:00

1) HRH Oslo: -Give Tibetan protesters freedom of movement, assembly and association
The Chinese, Indian, and Nepali governments should release detained Tibetans and permit them to demonstrate peacefully, Human Rights Watch said today. Protesters in Lhasa, Tibet, Dharamsala, India and Kathmandu, Nepal who were attempting to observe "Tibetan National Uprising Day," the anniversary of the Tibetan rebellion against Beijing´s rule in Tibet in 1959, were dispersed and arrested. The protests in Lhasa were the largest political demonstrations there since 1989.
See also: Royal families in the hotspot about attending the Beijing Olympics

2) HRH Belarus: Photo petition to release Kazulin and other prisoners of conscience
Amnesty International welcomes the release of Zmitser Dashkevich on 23 January 2008 and urges the Belarusian authorities to release Alexander Kazulin immediately and unconditionally as well. Over 2.400 people have already joined an online photo petition calling for the release of prisoners of conscience in Belarus.
See also: 14 entrepreneurs on criminal charges for peaceful protest in Belarus

3) HRH F: HRH F asks Armenian authorities to lift state of emergency
The Human Rights House Foundation asks Armenian authorities to lift the state of emergency and protect people's right to demonstrate. In its statement sent to the Ministry of Justice and the Armenian President, HRH F calls on national authorities to invite international organizations and local human rights groups to conduct an independent and impartial investigation into the use of lethal force by the police.

4) HRH F: Genocide: The dark side of civilisation
-The 20th century demonstrated that genocide is not restricted to any particular period, ideology or part of the world. As such, it is rather a dark side of civilisation, and one that we have to build bulwarks against, over and over again, says Bernt Hagtvet, Professor of Political Theory at the University of Oslo. Hagtvet, a board member of HRH F, has edited a huge, comparative study on genocide that was launched yesterday.

5) HRH Nairobi: Kenya's future depends on how the land issue is resolved
The three biggest landowners in Kenya are the Kenyatta, the Moi and the Kibaki families, and the Kenyatta family by far the biggest. Right behind them are the descendants of the English Lord Delamere, who, in colonial times, was the biggest. In addition to these, there are a few hundred others, mainly black landowners. The problem of land distribution is as unresolved as it was on independence in 1963. Cultivated soil has to be redistributed. But it is not going to be easy. (15-MAR-08)
See also: How far to go? Kenya's media caught in the turmoil of a failed election

6) HRH Moscow: Protesters clash with police in Moscow over disputed election result
3 March 2008 opposition protesters held rallies in Moscow and Saint-Petersburg against the election of Dmitry Medvedev, Vladidmir Putin`s protégé. The Moscow authorities without any reason didn`t give an official permission for conducting the March, so it was unauthorized. As a result, dozens of people were beaten and more than 100 arrested by police.

7) HRH East and Horn of Africa: UN expert decries human rights violations by both sides in Darfur
Sudanese Government military forces and Darfur´s rebel movements have both committed human rights abuses in the war-wracked region, carrying out killings, acts of sexual violence, looting, the destruction of property, arbitrary arrests and forced displacement, Sima Samar, an independent United Nations envoy said today.
See also: Crackdown on Sudanese media disrupts printing and distribution
and: New crackdown illustrates fragility of media freedom in Sudan

8) HRH Baku: Members of parliament criticize the Azeri ombudsperson
On March 4, the Azeri Ombudsman Elmira Suleymanova, right, presented her annual report in the Azeri Parliament. Suleymanova touched issues such as the situation of speech freedom in Azerbaijan. The ombudsperson was criticized by members of parliament for not doing enough to get imprisoned journalists released.

9) HRH East and Horn of Africa: EHAHRD-Net condemns recent attacks on media in Somalia
EHAHRD-Net is shocked by the recent attacks by the armed forces of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia (TFG) on Radio Shabelle and Radio Simba that took place on 2nd March 2008.
See also: New media law contravenes international standards, says NUSOJ report

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Truth Out: Exile Group Says 30 Killed in Tibet

2008-03-16T04:26:00.000-07:00

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/031508A.shtml

Audra Ang, writing for The Associated Press, reports: "China ordered
tourists out of Tibet's capital Saturday while troops on foot and in
armored vehicles patrolled the streets and confined government workers to
their offices, a day after riots that a Tibetan exile group said left at
least 30 protesters dead."

HRH Prince El Hassan bin Talal of Jordan Condemning the Assassination of Archbishop Paulus Faraj Rahho

2008-03-15T07:23:00.000-07:00

Statement issued by
HRH Prince El Hassan bin Talal of Jordan,
Chairman of the Board of Trustees of
the Royal Institute for Inter-Faith Studies,
Condemning the Assassination of Archbishop Paulus Faraj Rahho

It was with extreme pain and sadness that we received the news of the assassination of the Chaldean Catholic Archbishop of Mosul , Paulus Faraj Rahho following his abduction last month. The assassination of a man of God who has dedicated his life to spreading the message of love, peace and brotherhood, is a heinous crime and an affront to humanity and the divine values and principles to which all believers adhere.

I express my sincere condolences to all those who were stricken by this tragedy, and I assure them that this terrible crime will not deter the noble efforts of those who seek to strengthen the voice of reason against the evil forces whose aim it is to destroy Iraq and the foundations of brotherhood and solidarity on which it is based.

We must all stand firmly against these criminal acts and affirm to our communities that such acts are against all religious and human principles and values. People who have devoted their lives to the service and solidarity of their communities and humanity must be respected and protected regardless of their ethnicity or religious affiliation.

We call on the entire global community to join us in condemning this act and to take all possible measures to help prevent such crimes of blind terrorism from being committed in the future. We call on world leaders and all people of conscience to take immediate action to restore peace and stability in Iraq .

El Hassan bin Talal

Amman 13 March 2008.

Sao Paulo: Release TEMPO FORTE eTODODOMINGO - Casa das Caldeiras

2008-03-12T04:41:00.000-07:00

RELEASE DA PROGRAMAÇÃO DE MARÇO
TODODOMINGO - TEMPO FORTE
São Paulo, 10 de MARÇO de 2008.

Em 2008, a Casa das Caldeiras abre definitivamente suas portas para artistas, para o público e para a cidade! Com o apoio do Banco Société Générale e do Ministério da Cultural através da Lei Rouanet, inicia-se um projeto de ocupação artística e cultural com diversos Programas que se dialogam e formam um único projeto.

O Programa TODODOMINGO, o Programa de Residência Artística OBRAS EM CONSTRUÇÃO cujo edital já foi lançado em fevereiro (www.casadascaldeiras.com.br/edital.html), o programa RESPEITO e outros projetos que criam interação entre os programas e trabalham com o conceito de ARTE©PATRIMÔNIO©TERRITÓRIO.

TEMPO FORTE...ocupação artística nas Caldeiras!

Casa das Caldeiras apresenta no sábado dia 22 de março de 2008, a partir das 20hs, os projetos em desenvolvimento dos artistas e grupos residentes, no contexto do Programa de Residência Artística OBRAS EM CONSTRUÇÃO.

Artistas residentes 2007-2008: Cia Triptal – Direção André Garolli com o Projeto Homens ao Mar (textos de Eugene O’Neill) / Cia Tablado de Arruar com o Projeto O Abismo de Hack / Cia Teatro de Alvenaria – Direção Luciana Barone com o Projeto Maiakovski / Cia OPOVOEMPÉ – Direção Chris Steves com o Projeto Portas / Cleiri Cardoso e Yili Rojas com o Projeto Cidade Expandida.

ENTRADA LIVRE E GRATUITA

TODODOMINGO...vem aí!

No domingo dia 30 de março de 2008 a partir das 15hs, a Casa das Caldeiras abre suas portas para o público gratuitamente num novo contexto: todos os domingos o público poderá passear por seus espaços, conhecer a história do edifício e de seu tempo de maneira lúdica.
O público poderá explorar os espaços com o acompanhamento de monitor e visitar a exposição multimídia montada entorno do Patrimônio. Poderá também assistir às apresentações dos artistas em residência, se surpreender com eventuais espetáculos, performances, oficinas, ciclos de palestras e pesquisa, documentação artística e cultural; que neste primeiro ano de iniciativa certamente acontecerão na Casa das Caldeiras.

ENTRE OS MESES DE MARÇO E NOVEMBRO,
DURANTE TODOS OS DOMINGOS
DAS 15:00 às 20:00 hs
NA CASA DAS CALDEIRAS
ENTRADA LIVRE E GRATUITA
VALET PARK NA ENTRADA

Para maiores informações:
CASA DAS CALDEIRAS: ESPAÇO DE DINÂMICAS ARTÍSTICAS E CULTURAIS
Avenida Francisco Matarazzo 2000 - Água Branca
CEP: 05001-400 São Paulo
Tel/Fax: (11) 3873-6696
E-mail: cultural@casadascaldeiras.com.br
Site: www.casadascaldeiras.com.br (NOVO SITE EM CONSTRUÇÃO)

Ukraine forcibly returns 11 Tamil asylum-seekers

2008-03-09T06:28:00.000-07:00

Amnesty International Press release
7 March 2008

The Ukrainian government forcibly returned 11 ethnic Tamil asylum-seekers to Sri Lanka this week. It is feared that their return to Sri Lanka will expose them to the risk of serious human rights violations including torture and ill treatment.

Amnesty International has strongly condemned Ukraine’s actions, which are a violation of international human rights and refugee law. The organization is also concerned that the asylum-seekers were not offered access to fair and efficient asylum procedures while in Ukraine.

All 11 asylum-seekers were registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Kyiv between August 2007 and January 2008, and six of them had applied to the Ukrainian authorities for refugee status.

They were detained by the State Security Services (SBU) at the end of January and, according to the UNHCR, they were not offered interpretation or independent legal advice. On 27 February the six applications were rejected by the Khmelnitskiy migration services for procedural reasons. They were given no right to appeal.

On 29 February, the Vinnytsya Human Rights Group, a partner organization of the UNHCR in Ukraine, received a phone call from one of the asylum-seekers who said that they were being detained in a hotel in Shepetovka in the Khmelnitskiy region and that before that they were held in the basement of the police station.

He reported that they had been beaten and had not been given any food. He asked for help, saying that they were afraid of returning to Sri Lanka because they were Tamils. All requests by the UNHCR to the Ukrainian authorities to release the asylum-seekers and ensure that their claims were examined on individual merit were ignored.

The ongoing conflict between the government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and other armed groups has escalated significantly since April 2006. It has been accompanied by large-scale violations of international humanitarian law by all sides, as well as serious and systematic human rights violations and abuses. These have included attacks targeting civilians, indiscriminate attacks, extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances, torture and other ill-treatment. The vast majority of victims have been Tamils.

This is not the first time that Ukraine has ignored the rights of asylum-seekers. In March 2006 Amnesty International wrote to President Yushchenko expressing concern about the forcible return of 11 Uzbek asylum-seekers to Uzbekistan.

The organization sought assurances that in the future Ukraine would fully respect its obligations under international and national law concerning the rights of refugees and asylum-seekers and the prohibition of refoulement. No assurances were forthcoming.

Feminist prize winner barred from leaving Iran

2008-03-06T00:39:00.000-08:00

Amnesty International Press release
4 March 2008

Iranian feminist and journalist Parvin Ardalan was prevented from leaving Iran on Sunday to travel to Sweden where she was to receive the 2007 Olof Palme Prize in Stockholm. She told the AFP news agency that after she boarded an Air France flight at Tehran airport she was paged and then told that she was not permitted to leave the country.

"They took my passport and asked me to refer to the presidential office department for passport affairs after 72 hours to take it back," she said. "The only reason for this move is to prevent me from taking part in the ceremony. I think this is unreasonable."

Parvin Ardalan, who lives in Tehran, is facing possible imprisonment for her part in organizing a demonstration in June 2006, calling for an end to legal discrimination against women in Iran.

She was briefly detained after the demonstration. In April 2007, she was convicted of acting against national security and sentenced to six months' actual imprisonment, with an additional 30 months suspended for five years. She remains free pending her appeal.

On 4 March 2007, during the trial, a peaceful protest was held outside the courtroom and Parvin Ardalan was among 33 women arrested. She was released four days later and was later charged with "gathering and colluding with the intent to harm national security, disturbing public order and disobeying police orders." No verdict has yet been reached on this.

On 29 February, the Iranian Women’s Association reported that Marzieh Mortazi Langaroudi, also among the 33 arrested, was given a suspended sentence of six months’ imprisonment and 10 lashes, although others accused in the same case have been cleared of any offence.

Parvin Ardalan is well-known for her past work for prominent publications such as the recently banned Zanan magazine, and more recently for the website Zanestan, closed down in November 2007.

She is a member of the Women’s Cultural Centre, a non-governmental organization, and a founder member of the Campaign for Equality, which aims to collect a million signatures of Iranians demanding equality for women under the law.

In August 2007, Nasim Sarabandi and Fatemeh Dehdashti were the first women among the campaign’s activists to receive prison sentences. Detained for 24 hours in January 2007 while collecting signatures in Tehran, they were later sentenced to six months' imprisonment, suspended for two years. They were charged with "acting against state security by propaganda against the system."

62-year-old Ehteram Shadfar became the latest to be convicted of collecting signatures on 19 February 2008. She also received a six-month suspended sentence.

Over 40 others have been detained in connection with their campaigning activities, including Reza Dowlatshah. He was hosting an educational workshop for the campaign in September 2007, when he was detained for three days and beaten

The annual Olof Palme Prize was created to promote peace and disarmament and to combat racism and xenophobia. It is awarded for an outstanding achievement in the spirit of Olof Palme, the former Swedish Prime Minister who was assassinated in 1986.

The Olof Palme Memorial Fund website says that Parvin Ardalan was chosen because she has "succeeded in making the demand for equal rights for men and women a central part of the struggle for democracy in Iran."

The prize ceremony is to be held on 6 March.

Deadly post-election protests in Armenia

2008-03-04T01:37:00.000-08:00

2 March 2008 – The United Nations human rights chief today voiced deep concern at reports that at least eight people have been killed and many others injured during demonstrations in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, where the results of recent presidential elections have been disputed.

Louise Arbour, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, issued a statement in which she said she was particularly concerned that force was used against peaceful demonstrators yesterday and that opposition protesters have been detained.

Ms. Arbour called on the authorities in Armenia – where a state of emergency has been declared – to "exercise the utmost restraint and to ensure that due process is followed in the case of any detentions."

The High Commissioner noted that Armenia is a signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) which states that, even during states of emergency, fundamental rights such as the right to life and the prohibition of torture and cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment cannot be suspended.

"Any restrictions of rights must be proportionate and may only be applied to the extent and duration strictly warranted by the circumstances," the statement added.

Protests began in Yerevan after Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan was declared the winner of the 19 February presidential poll, a result that is disputed by the opposition candidate Levon Ter-Petrosyan.

UN News Service

Kenya: Alternatives to Violence Project / International 2008 Gathering

2008-03-03T10:23:00.000-08:00

For more information and invitation, see: http://avpinternational.org/2008kenya.pdf

fD Partner Art Omi welcomes TWENTY-FIVE WRITERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD AT LEDIG HOUSE

2008-02-29T11:48:00.000-08:00

The Omi International Arts Center is proud to welcome its spring residents to the Ledig House Writers Residency Program. The session will run from March 14th – June 6th. Our series of public events will kick off in New York City on March 27th at 7pm. Residents will read from their work and participate in a discussion of literature and translation. The event has been arranged through a partnership with the online journal, Words Without Borders, and it will take place in the Housing Works Bookstore located at 126 Crosby Street. We have also scheduled two community readings. The first will take place on April 26th in the Hudson Wine Merchants third floor tasting room at 341 ½ Warren Street from 5-7pm. The residents will read from their work before enjoying a selection of cheeses and wines with all those in attendance. The second community reading will take place on May 17th at the Omi International Arts Center (59 Letter S Road in Ghent). The residents will read from their work at 5PM and there will be a BBQ to follow. All events are free and open to the public.

In the sixteen years since its founding, the Ledig House International Writers' Colony has invited nearly five hundred writers and translators from over fifty countries to Columbia County and opened up a vital cultural byway between the Hudson Valley and the rest of the globe. In the last year alone Ledig House has hosted writers from twenty countries including Australia, Germany, India, Denmark, the U.K., Italy, Romania, Hungary, Guatemala, Iran, Bosnia, and Sweden. Here are some details regarding the incoming group of residents, which include an Icelandic playwright, an Iraqi fiction writer, and a Lithuanian translator – just to name a few:

Martí Sales I Sariola (Catalonia, Fiction)
No photo credit

Ada Arduini (Italy, Translation)
Christine Bredenkamp (Sweden, Translation)
James Cañón (US, Fiction)
Mercedes Cebrián (Spain, Fiction/Translation)
Rui Cóias (Portugal, Poetry)
Leila Gazale (US, Screenwriting)
Jeanine Herman (US, Translation)
Julien Holtrigter (Netherlands, Poetry)
Denise Leith (Australia, Fiction)
Ellen Levine (US, Fiction)
Helena McEwen (UK, Fiction)
Sigrid Nunez (US, Fiction)
Michael Obert (Germany, Nonfiction)
Kristín Ómarsdóttir (Iceland, Playwriting)
Jina Ortiz (US, Poetry/Fiction)
Thachom Poyil Rajeevan (India, Fiction/Poetry)
Saulius Repecka (Lithuania, Translation)
Gabriele Riedle (Germany, Fiction)
Martí Sales I Sariola (Catalonia, Fiction)
Claudia Schreiber (Germany, Fiction)
Sudeep Sen (India, Poetry)
Samuel Shimon (Iraq, Fiction)
Mikhail Shishkin (Russia, Fiction)
Buket Uzuner (Turkey, Fiction)
Lara Vapnyar (Russia/US, Fiction)

For information please call 518-392-4568 ex. 100

Training Opportunity: New approach to intercultural conflict and crisis resolution

2008-02-29T01:23:00.000-08:00

Hailed as "Excellent training with realistic examples tied to everyday
situations,” “thought provoking,” and “better than diversity
training," a
new approach to conflict and crisis resolution across cultures will be
held in Austin, Texas; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Baltimore, Maryland;
Portland; Krems, Austria; and Tokyo.

For more information on dates and individual trainings in The
Intercultural Conflict Style Model and Intercultural Conflict Style
Inventory, the Intercultural Development Inventory, Qualifying and
Advanced IDI Seminars, and assessments of intercultural competence, go
to
www.hammerconsulting.org.

Trainings begin in March 08.

Newsletter: Culture Fund of Zimbabwe Trust (Feb 08)

2008-02-29T00:54:00.000-08:00

Culture News

Issue 1 - February 2008

This newsletter is published by The Culture Fund of Zimbabwe Trust.

Contact Details
Caithness Road
Eastlea, PO Box HG 177, Highlands, Harare
ZIMBABWE

Editor: Chipo Muvezwa

Email:
chipom@culturefund.co.zw

Tel./Fax: 776136 -7, 746875

Website: www.culturefund.org.zw

Our Partners
Swedish Sida
Ministry of Education Sport and Culture
National Arts Council of Zimbabwe
Local Business Community
The National Art Galleries of Zimbabwe
City of Harare
Farm Orphans Support Trust, Chipinge Office
Culture Stakeholders

List of Events
National Arts Merit Awards - NAMA 13 February

Hifa 29 April - 4 May

Culture Week - 25 May

Chimanimani Arts Festival - 18 April

Bulawayo Music
Festival - 21-25 May 2008

Manica Arts Festival - 28 February - 1 March 2008

Fiyo Arts Festival - 1-8 June 2008

Winter Jazz Festival June/ July

Welcome!!!
The Culture News is a publication of The Culture Fund of Zimbabwe Trust. The Trust was established and registered as a Trust in 2006 to contribute to the growth and development of the Culture Sector in Zimbabwe through provision of financial and technical support to cultural practitioners, institutions and activities. The establishment of the Fund came as a result of the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida) and stakeholders' desire to address inconsistent funding to the Culture Sector in Zimbabwe.

The Culture Fund awarded 142 projects with grants worth over Z$40 billion in August 2007.

Farai MPFUNYA
Executive Director

2008 Call for Applications

The Culture Fund has opened its application process for this year's grants. Visit Culture Fund for more:

List of Culture Fund successful Projects 2007

In August, the Culture Fund Board announced the successful projects for 2007 for the following categories, Cultural Heritage; Cultural Industries; Fine Arts and Crafts; Literature and Languages; Performing Arts; Film, Audio-Visual and Multi-Media. Listed below are the projects by their Sub-Sectors.
[more]

Culture Fund Purchases Musical Instruments

As part of its effort to ensure that Zimbabwe’s culture sector grows to greater heights the Culture Fund of Zimbabwe Trust Board resolved to purchase musical instruments for the Performing Arts Sub-Sector. This followed recommendations by the Performing Arts Sub-Sector Committee that their sector would benefit more if musical instruments were purchased and placed within institutions.

Speaking at the announcement of the 2007 grantees in August, the Board chairperson, Mr Luxon Zembe said the Trust had committed US$50 000 to the purchase of musical instruments, adding that the need had arisen due to the high demand for these instruments in the industry.
[more]

Sida Extends Support by Three Years

The Swedish government through the Swedish International Development Corporation (Sida) has made a commitment to continued support for the growth of the Culture Sector in Zimbabwe through cultural funding by signing a three year agreement with the Culture Fund of Zimbabwe Trust.

The Trust was registered in June last year, with a 7 member Board duly constituted. The Secretariat was put in place with the appointment of an Executive Director, Mr Farai Mpfunya in January this year. Since then Culture Fund began a journey towards building a firm foundation.
[more]

Artists Donate Sculptures to the Culture Fund

Patrick Nyamayaro, a sculptor from Mashonaland Central Province donated a sculpture to the Culture Fund of Zimbabwe Trust as a token of appreciation for the job being done by the Trust to support the arts sector in Zimbabwe.

The donation entitled the Zulu Chief is a portrait of a traditional Zulu leader. Nyamayaro said his art was based on Matabeleland tradition. He handed over the sculpture to Mr Farai Mpfunya, the Trust’s Executive Director on the 29th of October.
[more]

Mexico City: ICORN partner, Casa Refugio, collaborates w/ unitednationsplaza

2008-02-27T06:01:00.000-08:00

unitednationsplaza Mexico DF
March 1 - 30, 2008

CASA REFUGIO
CitlaltÃ©petl 25,
Col. HipÃ³dromo Condesa 06170
Del. CuauhtÃ©moc, MÃ©xico D.F.

http://www.pac.org.mx/

El Patronato de Arte ContemporÃ¡neo, A.C. (PAC) is pleased to present unitednationsplaza Mexico DF, an exhibition in the form of a temporary school. For this project, artist Anton Vidokle is organizing a month long program of seminars and workshops that use the Casa Refugio as a site to shape a critically engaged public through art discourse. unitednationsplaza is presented by PAC (Patronato de Arte ContemporÃ¡neo A.C.) as part of its new curatorial residency program, and will run from March 1st through March 30th, 2008.

unitednationsplaza is thematically organized around a central topic: possibilities for artistic agency today. The program will comprise of a series of short seminars and workshops developed by a group of artists, writers, curators and theorists including Eduardo Abaroa, Minerva Cuevas, Anselm Franke, Liam Gillick, Boris Groys, Nikolaus Hirsch, Chus Martinez, Martha Rosler, Natascha Sadr Haghighian, Rirkrit Tiravanija, Jalal Toufic, Jan Verwoert and Tirdad Zolghadr. All topics will be addressed from the perspective of ongoing research and production, and as such will constitute the core structure of the school. The program will also feature discussions, screenings, performances and publications by a group of contributors including Julieta Aranda, Fia Backstrom, Regine Basha, Oksana Bulgakowa, Nico Dockx, Adriana Lara, Desiderio Navarro, Damian Ortega, Hila Peleg and Eduardo Sarabia. unitednationsplaza will operate a web-based radio station: WUNP, a project by Angel Nevarez and Valerie Tevere.

For program and schedule please scroll below.

unitednationsplaza Mexico DF is the third in a series of art projects organized around a temporary school format, started by Anton Vidokle. Vidokle initiated his research into education as site for artistic practice for Manifesta 6, which was cancelled. In response to the cancellation, Vidokle set up an independent project in Berlin called Unitednationsplaza--a twelve-month exhibition as school involving more than a hundred artists, writers, philosophers, and diverse audiences. Located behind a supermarket in East Berlin, UNP's program featured numerous seminars, lectures, screenings, book presentations and projects including the Martha Rosler Library. Starting January 2008, Vidokle is presenting a related year-long program, called Night School, at the New Museum in New York City.

El Patronato de Arte ContemporÃ¡neo, A.C. (PAC) is a non-profit organization formed by a group of individuals committed to promoting the development of contemporary art. PAC was founded in 2000 as an initiative to bring contemporary art closer to a larger audience by way of collaboration with museums, galleries, curators, publishers, critics and researches in the field of contemporary art. Its board of directors concentrates the voluntary efforts of an independent group of cultural professionals. PAC's program is supported and enhanced thanks to the yearly contributions of individual and corporate donors.

Casa Refugio CitlaltÃ©petl is a civic association based in Mexico City whose mission is to provide shelter and protection to prosecuted writers from any country. In addition, Casa Refugio also has an intensive public cultural program which includes publication of the quarterly magazine "LÃ neas de Fuga", as well as the organization of conference cycles (known as "Literary Thursdays"); special events such as book launches and poetry readings, and literary workshops amongst other activities.

Admission is always free but space is limited. Please reserve a seat for each event by writing to magdalena@unitednationsplaza.org

PROGRAM March 1- 30th, 2008:

â€¢ March 1st, 7-10 PM

Liam Gillick: Two Short Texts on the Possibility of Creating an Economy of Equivalence,
Day 1: The day AFTER closure of an experimental factory.

â€¢ March 2nd, 4-7 PM

Liam Gillick: Two Short Texts on the Possibility of Creating an Economy of Equivalence,
Day 2: Reoccupation, recuperation and PRECISE renovation.

â€¢ March 3rd, 7-10 PM

Eduardo Abaroa: Cheap Nebula

â€¢ March 4th, 7-10 PM

Natasha Sadr Haghighian: 40 minutes between the boards

â€¢ March 6th, 6-8 PM

Rirkrit Tiravanija: The Land

â€¢ March 7th, 7-10 PM

Martha Rosler: Essays

Presentation of ImÃ¡gines pÃºblicas: La funcÃ on polÃ tica de la imagen
Editorial Gustavo Gili, Barcelona, 2007

â€¢ March 8th, 7-10 PM

Julieta Aranda & Regine Basha: Out of Tune.

â€¢ March 9th, 5-7:30 PM

Anselm Franke: From Animism to Animation: Moving Image in Modern Culture.

Introduction Anselm Franke
Guest speaker: Oksana Bulgakowa, Eisentstein in Mexico.
Film excerpts "Que Viva Mexico"

â€¢ March 10th, 7-10 PM

Anselm Franke: From Animism to Animation: Moving Image in Modern Culture.
Lecture by Anselm Franke

â€¢ March 11th, 7-10 pm

Jan Verwoert: Yes, No And Other Options.
Part 1

â€¢ March 12th, 7-10 PM

Jan Verwoert: Yes, No And Other Options.
Part 2

â€¢ March 13th, 7-10 PM

Tirdad Zolghadr: Kitchen Party: revisiting Class Hegemony, Ethnic Marketing and the unp.
Part 1

â€¢ March 14th, 7-10 PM

Tirdad Zolghadr: Kitchen Party: revisiting Class Hegemony, Ethnic Marketing and the unp.
Part 2

â€¢ March 15th, 1-10 pm (all day)

Nikolaus Hirsch: The Architecture of Education

â€¢ March 16th

4-6PM

Fia BackstrÃ¶m: HERD INSTINCT 360Â° (2006)

6-9pm

Chus MartÃ nez: Attitude Relativism: A session on the notion of the â€œcontractâ€ established between the artists and the audience.

â€¢ March 18th, 7-10 PM

Boris Groys: Art after Communism.

Guest speaker: Desiderio Navarro

â€¢ March 24th, 7-10 PM

Minerva Cuevas: Artistic Research

â€¢ March 26th, 7-10 PM

Jalal Toufic: You Said â€œStay,â€ So I Stayed

â€¢ March 27th, 7-10 PM

Jalal Toufic: The Withdrawal of Tradition Past a Surpassing Disaster

â€¢ March 28th, 8PM

Mexico City Premiere: A Crime Against Art

A film by Hila Peleg
2007, Berlin/Madrid, 100 min.

With:
Defendants: Anton Vidokle and Tirdad Zolgdhar
Prosecutors: Vasif Kortun and Chus Martinez
Defense attorney: Charles Esche
Judge: Jan Verwoert
Expert witnesses: Maria Lind and Anselm Franke
Artist: Setareh Shabazi
Public: Keti Chukrov and Barnaby Drabble
With special contribution by Liam Gillick.

â€¢ March 30th

4-6 PM Damian Ortega: Book Presentation: MI LIBRO ES SU LIBRO
Selected Writings and Works of Lawrence Weiner.
Editorial Alias, 2008

7-9 PM Adriana Lara: A launch of a special issue of PAZMAKER for unitednationsplaza.

10 pm till the last person leaves!
SALON ALEMAN â€“ UNPMX closing party with Tequila Sarabia by Eduardo Sarabia

Can't come to Mexico? Tune in online: Angel Nevarez and Valerie Tevere will continue WUNP as a live internet broadcast stream from Casa Refugio, Mexico DF. Every Wednesday during the month of March. Schedule TBA; check the UNP website for more information: http://www.unitednationsplaza.org

*Please note that schedule is subject to change.

For full program information, abstracts and bios of participants, please go to http://www.pac.org.mx/unitednationsplaza_program.html

For further information please contact:

Viviana Kuri Haddad
Coordinadora
Patronato de Arte ContemporÃ¡neo, a.c.
Palmas 820 piso 3, Lomas de Chapultepec 11000
Mexico DF
t. (5255)55 40 8395 / 5284 0360 ext. 395
http://www.pac.org.mx

unitednationsplaza Mexico DF has been made possible with generous support from

- OMR Gallery
- Nina Menocal Gallery
- Kurimanzutto Gallery

Special thanks to Boris Hirmas and Alberto Fierro/Cultural Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign affairs.

Transmission Asia-Pacific: a meeting of video activists and free software developers

2008-02-26T12:51:00.000-08:00

Transmission Asia-Pacific - Call for Applications
EngageMedia and Ruangrupa would like to announce Transmission Asia-
Pacific: a meeting of video activists and free software developers
using online video distribution for social justice and media democracy.

Sukabumi, Indonesia, May 19-25, 2008.
http://transmission.cc/txap

Online video distribution is rapidly reshaping social change film
making, huge opportunities now exist to distribute video work widely,
independently and at minimal cost. The potential of online
distribution to advance social justice, human rights, environmental
and other causes is significant. With this in mind Transmission Asia-
Pacific (TX-AP) aims to bring together free software web developers
and video activists from throughout the region to share skills and
forge collaborations.

TX-AP will bring together 50 people for five days on the edge of the
Gede Pangrango National Park near Sukabumi, 120km from Jakarta. TX-AP
will be a space for video makers to learn about free and open source
video tools and interface with the technologists developing them. For
developers it will be an opportunity to share skills and share code
in order to be more effective. The meeting will allow developers to
better understand the needs of video makers and for video makers to
understand and contribute to the processes of development. TX-AP is a
meeting of peers where everyone brings something to contribute.

The TX-AP meeting will link into the existing Transmission network.
Transmission is a network of video activists, artists, researchers,
programmers and web producers who are developing online video
distribution tools for social justice and media democracy. The
network aims to build the necessary tools, standards, documentation
and social networks to make independent online distribution possible.
http://transmission.cc

The core aims of the meeting are to
* build a regional network of online video web developers, online
video projects and video makers who can work together into the future
* develop the skills of video activists in the areas of encoding,
online distribution, open formats and Free software.
* develop and discuss new online video tactics in campaigning
* increase the uptake and collaboration around shared FOSS online
video distribution tools such as Content Management Systems
* build upon existing Transmission projects such as translation
tools, metadata standard, FOSS codecs, documentation etc. and their
application in the region
* ensure programmers leave with an enhanced understanding of online
video development, understanding of video makers needs and the
ability to run video distribution software

Who should apply?
We're looking for activist video makers, organisers and web-
developers from the Asia-Pacific region. If you are a web developer
you should have a keen interest in open source technologies, have
some knowledge of software programming and preferably already be
working with video. If you are a video maker you should already be
accomplished in your field and have made several videos. We're
looking for video makers and web developers who will take back the
skills they learn to their communities and pass them on.

How to Apply?
To apply to attend you need to fill out the online form here which
you can find here:
http://www.transmission.cc/Asia_Pacific_Application_Form

We particularly encourage women to apply.

Please note that given the range of countries participants will be
coming from English will be the main language used at the meeting. If
you have any questions about the application form or the event you
can contact the organisers here:
http://www.engagemedia.org/contact-info

APPLICATIONS CLOSE ON MARCH 21

Why isn't the meeting open?
Due to funding and venue limitations we're not able to make the
meeting open for anyone to attend. Apart from specific trainers and
Transmission network project leads participants are restricted to the
Asia-Pacific region. We are also committed to at least 1/3 of
participants being women and that the meeting as a whole is
representative of the region, ie that wealthier attendees from a
couple of countries do not dominate the meeting.

Costs and Scholarships
There are a limited number of travel scholarships for people to
attend. In the application form you should specify if you need a
scholarship and why.

There is also a small, scaled attendance fee to help cover costs such
as food an accommodation. This is either $75, $50 or $25. This fee
can be waived if an attendee or organisation is unable to afford it.
All food, accomodation and local transport will be covered for all
attendees.

Transmission Asia-Pacific is supported by Hivos and the Open Society
Institute.

More info: http://transmission.cc/txap

EngageMedia: http://engagemedia.org
Ruangrupa: http://ruangrupa.org

Beirut: fD Stakeholder, Joelle Khoury & Lap Bob Electro Jazz

2008-02-26T03:46:00.000-08:00

Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ): In Cameroon, leading private TV station summarily closed

2008-02-25T07:44:00.000-08:00

New York, February 22, 2008—Cameroon’s government summarily closed on Thursday a leading private television station on alleged regulatory violations, according to local journalists and news reports. The station in Douala was distinguished for its leading coverage of a national debate over a bid by President Paul Biya to scrap a constitutional clause that limits presidential terms.
Two police commanders backed by a squad of riot police forced Equinoxe Télévision off the air at 3 p.m. local time and sealed its studios, the station’s editor in chief, Albert Yondjeu, told CPJ. Police gave the station a copy of an order from Communications Minister Jean-Pierre Biyiti Bi Essam that had been read exclusively on state radio and television. The order stated that the station was operating illegally because it had not paid a 100 million CFA francs (US$227,000) broadcast licensing fee, according to Equinoxe Director General Séverin Tchounkeu.
Only three private television stations, Canal2 International, Spectrum TV, and TV+ have operated with official licenses in Cameroon since last year, but the government has allowed the rest of the handful of stations, unable to afford the hefty licensing fees, to operate under what Jean-Marc Soboth, National Secretary of the Cameroon Journalists’ Trade Union, called a de facto “regime of administrative tolerance.”
“We are alarmed by the closure of Equinoxe TV, which is clearly intended to send a message to cow the press into self-censorship over political coverage,” said CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon. “We call on the authorities to allow the station back on the air immediately.”
In a telephone interview with CPJ today, Minister Essam said the government would also close other stations in default.

Local journalists say they believe the move was linked to Equinoxe’s pointed coverage of the heated debate splitting supporters and opponents of Biya, who has been in power since 1982. Last Saturday, the station exclusively aired a live feed of police dispersing a protest with live rounds, said Henry Fotso, President of Cameroon’s National Broadcasting Trade Union. Equinoxe was also leading the way in debate programs and interviews of both opposition leaders and government officials, local journalists said.
Cameroon’s 1990 press law liberalized the country’s airwaves, but in 2000, former Prime Minister Peter Mafany Moussonge unilaterally signed a decree imposing the regulatory rules of the broadcasting sector, including hefty licensing fees. It was not until June 2007 that the first licenses for three television stations and one radio station were awarded, according to news reports.
CPJ is a New York-based, independent, nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide. For more information, visit www.cpj.org.

RFK Center Helps Delphine Djiriabe, RFK Human Rights Defender, Evacuates From Chad Amidst Violence

2008-02-23T01:34:00.000-08:00

Since early February, Chad has been in a state of chaos after a rebel group attacked its capital city, N'Djamena, attempting to overthrow the government of President Idriss Déby. Since then the New York Times reports the Déby government has been using the failed coup to begin a "political crackdown" targeting human rights defenders and political dissidents.

2004 RFK Human Rights Award winner, Delphine Djiraibe, and her colleague, Jacqueline Moudeina, were in imminent danger. In the past both had been targeted by the Déby government for their outspoken human rights work. RFK Center with the help of a broad coalition of NGOs, including DC-based Environmental Defense and The Center for International Environmental Law, was able to help Delphine and Jacqueline evacuate the country to safety in Paris, France.

Without the support of RFK Memorial friends and Members, we would not have been able to help Delphine in her time of need.

RFK Center worked closely with French officials to help Delphine and Jacqueline in the aftermath of the coup. Eventually Delphine and Jacqueline found housing at a French military base in Chad, then were flown to Libreville, Gabon, via a French military plane and finally provided a temporary visa to France. The French Government arranged for Delphine and Jacqueline to meet with the staff of the Minister of State, responsible for foreign affairs and human rights, while in Paris to discuss the current situation in Chad.

Delphine continues to be a shining example of the type of courageous human rights defenders the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Center for Human Rights is committed to supporting. She continues to break barriers by founding Chad's first public interest law firm and continuing to hold the World Bank and international investors in the Chad-Cameroon Oil & Pipeline Project accountable for their landmark agreement to invest oil revenues in education, health and services to support the human rights of citizens in the region.

Thanks to the generosity of RFK Memorial Members, RFK Center can continue to support Delphine and other human rights defenders in their groundbreaking work. Members' support helps defenders on the frontline of the human rights movement in their hours of need and in their ongoing pursuit of their social change goals. Please join us in standing with these heroes by becoming a member of the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial.

When you contribute $35.00 or more, you will receive a special appreciation gift and our newsletter, including donor recognition in a special edition of the newsletter. Most importantly, however, is the satisfaction that you are making a real difference to Delphine and her fellow rights defenders around the globe.

Strengthen our pursuit of human rights in the United States and abroad. It's a small investment with great return.

Warm Regards,

Lynn Delaney,
Executive Director, Robert F. Kennedy Memorial

Nepal: The ICJ calls for urgent action to strengthen rule of law

2008-02-21T04:24:00.000-08:00

COMMUNIQUE DE PRESSE - COMUNICADO DE PRENSA ICJ
19 February 2008

In a report published today, the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) highlights the shortcomings of the Maoist "justice system" as it operated during the conflict and urges the Nepal authorities to address pressing public security concerns and many rule of law issues that have arisen after the parallel system stopped functioning.

"The lack of clarity in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) as to which mechanisms were to be put in place to ensure the full implementation of the provisions on dissolving parallel systems has been a major obstacle to bring justice to those people whose cases were pending before Maoist "people's courts" or who had been victimized under the Maoist system", said the ICJ.

More than a year has passed since the CPA directed there should be no "parallel structures", but no mechanisms or procedures have been put in place to ensure the many cases affected by the functioning of the "people's courts" are resolved. "This is mainly a technical matter and an advisory panel of experts could be constituted to start drawing up guidelines and help restore a sense of the rule of law", the ICJ said.

The Maoist "justice system", which did not uphold international standards on fair trial, has served to highlight shortcomings in the state justice system, such as its slow and expensive nature as well as the positive contribution of traditional and community-based mediation mechanisms to the delivery of justice at a local level. The ICJ report highlights mediation as a useful tool to help settle disputes. It advocates that all existing and any future systems of mediation should comply with international human rights standards with minimum guarantees for the protection of members of vulnerable groups such as women and dalits.

"Despite obstacles in the process leading to a Constituent Assembly elections and a new constitutional framework, it is vital that the rule of law is strengthened at the earliest opportunity. To do that the Government must implement measures in the short-term to provide justice and redress for people affected by the justice vacuum during the conflict," the ICJ said. Particular attention should also be given to the restoration of the rule of law in the Tarai region where the police remain largely absent in rural areas and the work of the courts is often disrupted due to threats to civil servants, including court officials and public prosecutors.

For more information please contact:
In Kathmandu, Susan Appleyard: 00977 122 10413 In London, Ingrid Massage: 0044 7768 196015 In Geneva: 0041 22 979 3800

Liverpool: Intercultural Cities Conference 1-3 May 2008

2008-02-20T10:43:00.000-08:00

An official UK event for the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue 2008

In the cities of today and tomorrow, how can people from different cultures really live together - rather than just rub along side one another?

As part of the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue, the Intercultural Cities Conference, will look at migration, diversity and urban life in a fresh way. New thinking is needed on how diverse communities can co-operate in productive harmony instead of leading parallel or antagonistic lives.

The conference is organised by EUCLID and Comedia, in association with the Liverpool Culture Company, and with the support of the European Commission and the Council of Europe .

Taking place in this year's European Capital of Culture the conference will not only provide an opportunity to look at how different cultures can live together but how mixing can be turned to economic, social and cultural advantage - key issues particularly for those responsible for planning and regeneration, the local economy, community cohesion, education and the cultural services.

The three day event will feature various European and international speakers, such as Ilda Curti, who has frontline experience as both a manager of urban change projects and is now political head of integration in Torino, globalisation guru Saskia Sassen, New York Times writer Gregg Pascal Zachary, the world authority on on cultural diversity and city planning Leonie Sandercock, Lord Bhikhu Parekh who says it is time to rethink multiculturalism and Keith Khan, Head of Culture for the 2012 Olympic Games.

The conference format will break with convention in pursuit of maximum interaction between delegates and speakers. There will also be the opportunity to get out into Liverpool to see some examples of intercultural dialogue and delegates can also choose from various extra activities, such as a dinner at Anfield, the home of Liverpool Football Club, featuring comedian Shazia Mirza.

Full details can be found at http://inter.culture.info/icc including the early bird booking fee, only available until 31 March!

fD media friend: BIDOUN, Issue 13, GLORY, now in stores

2008-02-19T00:56:00.000-08:00

Bidoun's spring issue is devoted to GLORY.

Glory is:
To be talked about.
To be overwhelmed.
To be touched by the hand of God,
or possessed by infernal ambitions.
To aspire to greatness.
To go too far.
To live forever,
or to go out with a bang.

http://www.bidoun.com

In this issue, Issandr El Amrani charts the life and death and afterlife of Souffles, an avant-garde journal of 1960s Morocco, in which a generation of North African intellectuals found and then lost a place they could call home. Z Pamela Karimi and Michael C Vazquez consider the contested glories of Persian Empire and Islamic Republic in the history of a single building in downtown Tehran. Sophia Al-Maria describes the phantasmagoric spectacle of the women's tent at a Qatari wedding feast, while Gary Dauphin ponders the occult chemistry of listening to hip hop and house music as a teenager on the outskirts of New York in the 1980s.

In the music section, Sukhdev Sandhu revisits the legacy of Mingering Mikeâ€“simply the most important soul superstar you've never ever heardâ€“while Elias Muhanna writes of Julia Boutros, sometime-muse of Hassan Nasrallah. In the film section, Bruce Hainley converses with cult film auteur William E Jones about his hypnotic filmmaking, the documentary impulse, and the lessons of the 1970s pornography.

In the arts, Tom Morton profiles SaÃ¢dane Afif, Dominic Eichler sits down with Shahryar Nashat's latest project, and Kaelen Wilson-Goldie casts an eye to Ziad Antar's current video in progress. And we have the usual installment of columns on travel, museums, and curatorial practice. Exhibition reviews include: Istanbul Biennial/Jean-Luc MoulÃ¨ne/Stalking with Stories at Apex Art/How Nancy Wished It Was All An April Fool's Joke/Shirana Shahbazi/Contour/VideoBrasil/Port City at Arnolfini/summer show at the Dubai Community Theater and Arts Center/London is the Place for Me at Rivington Place/The FM Ferry Experiment/Riwaq Bienniale.

And finally, this issue boasts two new departments. Ephemera captures all manner of pettifoggery, whether ridiculous or sublime, while the Glossary provides a wealth of tall tales and minutiaeâ€“the stuff of legend.

Subscribe now at http://www.bidoun.com

RFK Memorial Conference "Right to Identity in the Americas : The Role of Civil Society" (Mar 7 / Wash DC)

2008-02-16T05:48:00.000-08:00

Rights & Democracy
and
The Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Center for Human Rights

are pleased to invite you to the conference:

"Right to Identity in the Americas : The Role of Civil Society"

on March 7, 2008 - 9:30 am-1:30 pm

The issue of national identification and civil registration has been garnering increased attention in the Americas . There are a number of countries where citizens' right to identity is being violated by the state, by omission or commission. The right to be officially recognized as a citizen by the state, and to have that state ensure the registration of one's civil status from birth to death, are minimum guarantees which allow citizens to participate in democracy and claim their international human rights. International and regional organizations have seized on this reality and have taken steps to promote civil registration in Latin America and the Caribbean . However, much more needs to be done to understand the human rights implications related to national identification and civil registration, especially in countries where these rights are being violated.

The conference will include two panels of experts and opening remarks from American University 's Washington College of Law (WCL).

9:30 am Opening Remarks

10:00 - 11:00 am Panel 1: Violations of the Right to Identity in the Americas
Panelists include: Roxanna Altholz from University of California - Berkeley, Sonia Pierre from MUDHA ( Dominican Republic ), Colette Lespinasse from GARR ( Haiti ) and Sofia Macher from IDL ( Peru ).

11:45am - 12:45 pm Panel 2: International Response to Violations of the Right to Identity
Panelists include representatives from: Organization of American States, the United Nations, Inter-American Commission of Human Rights, and PLAN International.

The conference will be hosted by American University 's Washington College of Law and will take place:

American University Washington College of Law
Room 603, 4801 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20016
On Friday, March 7, 2008, from 9:30 am-1:30 pm
Please send your RSVPs and/or questions to rsvp@rfkmemorial.org.

The Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Center for Human Rights is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit charitable organization that is dedicated to advancing the human rights movement through providing innovative support to courageous human rights defenders around the world. Rights & Democracy (International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development) is an independent Canadian institution created by an Act of Parliament with an international mandate to promote, advocate and defend the democratic and human rights set out in the International Bill of Human Rights.

Marjane Satrapi in NYTimes - In a Flat World, a Rebel With a Cause

2008-02-15T01:01:00.000-08:00

Marjane berated by fundamentalists.

Published: December 25, 2007
“Persepolis” is a simple story told by simple means. Like Marjane Satrapi’s book, on which it is based, the film, directed by Ms. Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud, consists essentially of a series of monochrome drawings, their bold black lines washed with nuances of gray. The pictures are arranged into the chronicle of a young girl’s coming of age in difficult times, a tale that unfolds with such grace, intelligence and charm that you almost take the wondrous aspects of its execution for granted.

In this age of Pixar and “Shrek,” it is good to be reminded that animation is rooted not in any particular technique, but in the impulse to bring static images to life. And “Persepolis,” austere as it may look, is full of warmth and surprise, alive with humor and a fierce independence of spirit. Its flat, stylized depiction of the world — the streets and buildings of Tehran and Vienna in particular — turns geography into poetry.

If “Persepolis” had been a conventional memoir rather than a graphic novel, Ms. Satrapi’s account of her youth in pre- and post-revolutionary Iran would not have been quite as moving or as marvelous. Similarly, if the movie version had been conventionally cast and acted, it would inevitably have seemed less magical as well as less real.

It would also probably not have starred Chiara Mastroianni, Catherine Deneuve and Danielle Darrieux, the three formidable French actresses who give voice to young Marjane, her mother and her grandmother. Sony Pictures Classics, which is releasing “Persepolis” in the United States, could easily have dubbed it into English, a change that might have broadened the film’s appeal for a subtitle-phobic American audience. But then we would have missed the music of those incomparable movie star voices, and also a delightful parallel between cast and characters. Ms. Deneuve is Ms. Mastroianni’s mother in real life, and Ms. Darrieux played Ms. Deneuve’s mother in “The Young Girls of Rochefort” 40 years ago.

Ms. Darrieux’s Grandma is the sturdy matriarchal anchor of “Persepolis,” a source of humor, advice and moral guidance for young Marjane, and also an embodiment of the film’s no-nonsense feminism. Like her grandmother, Marjane is a natural rebel, someone who takes freedom as her birthright and dares the world to challenge her.

Needless to say, the world obliges. Marjane grows up in a family of left-wing intellectuals who suffer first under the Shah’s dictatorship and then, as the triumphant Islamic revolutionaries turn on their secular allies, under the rule of the mullahs. This political history, which includes war, torture and execution, is conveyed with impressive economy and visual wit. The beards of male religious zealots — and the chadors of their female counterparts — are like black holes in the screen, sucking away the light. (Later, during Marjane’s exile in Vienna, a straying boyfriend is transformed from an angel-headed paragon into a sniveling, buck-toothed cretin.)

Against the forces of intolerance and superstition, Marjane, following her grandmother’s example, takes an impetuous stand as a champion of enlightenment. Though she is self-confident and sometimes a little self-righteous, Ms. Satrapi doesn’t wrap herself in heroism. The political dimensions of her story are as clear and bold as her graphic style, but “Persepolis” traffics more in feelings than in slogans, and dwells most persuasively on the uncertainty and ambivalence of adolescence.

Fearing for her safety in a time of war and political repression, Marjane’s parents (her father is voiced by Simon Abkarian) send her to Austria, and the alienation she experiences there is a sad counterpart to the anxiety of Tehran. She loses herself for a while in punk rock and other alternative pleasures, but finds little to sustain her in the easy nihilism of European alternative culture. And it is in Vienna that the full pathos of her situation becomes clear, a dilemma that is hardly hers alone. Either she can be more or less free and give up her home, or she can return home at the cost of her freedom and individuality.

“Persepolis” dramatizes this dilemma without forcing it into an easy or sentimental resolution. While the character of her younger self sometimes slips into depression or dramatic behavior, Ms. Satrapi, as a writer and filmmaker, seems utterly devoid of self-pity. Grandma, whose life was long, difficult and rich, clearly had no time for such indulgences, and it is not hard to see that Marjane lived up to her example.

“Persepolis” is frequently somber, but it is also whimsical and daring, a perfect expression of the imagination’s resistance to the literal-minded and the power-mad, who insist that the world can be seen only in black and white.

“Persepolis” is rated PG-13 (Parents strongly cautioned). It has some scenes of violence and sexuality, for the most part discreetly and obliquely drawn.

Written (in French, with English subtitles) and directed by Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud, based on the graphic novels by Ms. Satrapi; animation coordinator, Christian Desmares; edited by Stéphane Roche; music by Olivier Bernet; production designer, Marisa Musy; art director, Marc Jousset; produced by Marc-Antoine Robert and Xavier Rigault; released by Sony Pictures Classics. Running time: 1 hour 35 minutes.

WITH THE VOICES OF: Chiara Mastroianni (teenage and adult Marjane), Catherine Deneuve (Tadji), Danielle Darrieux (Marjane’s grandmother), Simon Abkarian (Ebi), Gabrielle Lopes (young Marjane) and François Jerosme (Uncle Anouche).

Busan Biennale 2008: Expenditure

2008-02-15T00:45:00.000-08:00

Busan Biennale 2008
Theme: Expenditure
Period: Sep. 06. - Nov. 15. 2008 (71 days)
Opening ceremony: Sep. 06. 2008
Venues: Busan Museum of Modern Art and others
Exhibitions:
Contemporary Art Exhibition
Sea Art Festival,
Busan Sculpture Project
Number of artworks: approx. 200 from 30 countries
Host/organizer:
Busan Metropolitan City
Busan Biennale Organizing Committee
Contact: telephone 82-51-888-6691~9
fax 82-51-888-6693
bbiennale@paran.com

http://www.busanbiennale.org

The 2008 Busan Biennale unfolds at the Busan Museum of Modern Art, Gwangalli Beach, and APEC Naru Park between September 6th to November 15th under the theme of "Expenditure." Made up of the Contemporary Art Exhibition, the Sea Art Festival, and the Busan Sculpture Project, the 2008 Busan Biennale will exhibit a distinctive philosophy of "expenditure" and a vivid scene of contemporary art through a variety of artworks including paintings, photographs, videos, installations, outdoor
sculptures, etc.

The theme of the 2008 Busan Biennale, "Expenditure," was borrowed from Georges Bataille's discussion. Since it means consumption, release, and exhaustion, and extends into extravagance and reckless expenditure, "expenditure" is a concept contrary to goal-oriented, power-oriented, and phallic economic concepts, such as production, moderation, accumulation, acquisition, regime, control, etc. Though it has political and economic implications, it also has a great deal of implications for the perspectives of aesthetics and cultural criticism. Bataille pointed out that all studies had pursued to understand a society or a culture through the lens of production and accumulation and this had been an attempt to look at the whole from a part of a society or a culture, leading to a half-baked interpretation. According to Bataille, a complete discussion could be produced when we look at a society or a culture through the lenses of spending, consumption, exhaustion, etc., or concepts that are the antipodes of production, accumulation, acquisition, control, etc., that is, concepts employed in existing discussion methods. He asserted that, after all, culture had been maintained through activities deemed meaningless, such as releasing and consuming what was produced and accumulated.

The 2008 Busan Biennale attempts to reinterpret the trends of contemporary art as the aesthetics of "expenditure" through a microscopic lens, as well as to interpret "expenditure" through a macroscopic lens from the perspectives of cultural theories. Differentiating itself from existing biennales, which focus on exhibiting latest art trends "with speed" and "in abundance," the 2008 Busan Biennale seeks to illuminate and predict the latest directions of contemporary art, from paintings to sculptures to videos, under the theme of "expenditure," employing thorough analyses and maintaining critical views.

First, the Contemporary Art Exhibition will unfold at the Busan Museum of Modern Art, Busan Yachting Center, and other places, under the direction of Kim Won-bang, a professor at Hongik University and art critic, exhibiting some 120 works of 100 artists from 20 countries. The Contemporary Art Exhibition, whose theme is "Expenditure, Art, Culture," presents the driver of today's cultural activities through the concept of expenditure, shifting directions from existing production-oriented and appearance-centered values to the disintegration of supernatural values and power of culture.

The Sea Art Festival will be hosted in the Gwangalli Beach, nearby shopping centers, Samik Leports Town, Geumnyeonsan Subway Station, etc. under the direction of Jeon Seung-bo, an independent curator. Some 60 artists from 20 countries will participate in the Festival with 70 artworks. The Sea Art Festival, whose theme is "Voyage Without Boundaries," seems to be in line with the theme of the biennale, "Expenditure," in that the Festival embraces contradiction and paradox as the essence of life, addressing formation and creation.

The Busan Sculpture Project, which is headed by a sculptor Yi Jeong-hyeong, is hosted in APEC Naru Park, inviting 20 works of 20 artists from 15 countries. The theme of the Busan Sculpture Project, "Avant Garden," combined "Avant" from avant-garde with "Garden," which indicates a more private space than a park. Thus, "Avant Garden" implies the intention of transforming everyday spaces into creative ones by combining epistemological and aesthetic notions with ordinary parks.

Busan Biennale 2008
Sep. 6 - Nov. 15, 2008,
Press Opening
Sep. 5. 2008, Auditorium at the Busan Museum of Modern Art
Opening Ceremony
Sep. 6. 2008

For inquiries, contact:
Busan Biennale Organizing Committee
23rd Floor, Busan City Hall, Yeonsan 5-dong, Yeonje-gu, Busan Metropolitan City
Tel. 82-51-888-6691~9 / Fax 82-51-888-6693 / bbiennale@paran.com
http://www.busanbiennale.org

Summer courses on gender, migration and women's human rights (Quezon City)

2008-02-14T06:59:00.000-08:00

Dear Colleagues,

Greetings from Women and Gender Institute (WAGI)! WAGI is Miriam College’s specialized center for advocacy on women’s issues, gender equality and non-sexist education. It offers a cross-discipline perspective on women’s empowerment that is interlinked with democracy, human rights, governance and value formation. It promotes critical analyses and leadership among young women and students through curricular, research, training and technical support.

We are pleased to inform you of our upcoming courses. Feel free to share this with your staff and network.

10th International Women’s Human Rights (IWHR)
April 14 – 19, 2008
This year marks the 10th year offering of our summer course on international women’s human rights. It is the first academic-based women’s human rights course offered in the Philippines. It examines the use of international human rights instruments from both gender and Asian perspectives. The training is designed for educators, NGO workers, technical staff of legislators and mid-level public servants from national agencies and other professionals who seek to deepen their understanding of women’s human rights issues and challenges and endeavor to work on the practical application of human rights instruments in their respective professions. For the past 9 years, we have trained more than 300 participants from the Philippines, Indonesia, Cambodia, Mexico, Thailand, Tibet, Iran, Korea, and the US.

Course Fee:
Local participants: Php 7,000.00 for on-site registration
Php 6,500.00 payment made on or before March 15, 2008
International participants: US$ 350.00 for on-site registration
US$300.00 payment made on or before March 15, 2008
(The fee includes materials, exposures and lunch)

3rd Gender Fair Education (GFE)
April 21 – 25, 2008
An intensive one-week course that will provide teachers and administrators in Elementary and High School the perspective, strategies and skills in implementing gender-fair learning in their campuses and classrooms. It aims to enhance the understanding of the current issues, perspectives and methodologies in gender fair education for use in teaching, research and educational management practice.
Course Fee: Php 5,500.00 (inclusive of course papers, materials and lunch)

2nd Summer Institute on Migration (SIM)
May 12 – 17, 2008
The Summer Institute on Migration aims to provide a critical overview of the migration process, dynamics, issues and challenges. The training will utilize an interdisciplinary approach and will focus on migration, globalization and development; gender analysis of migration; human rights and migration laws and polices on the economic dimensions of migration.

Course Fee
Local participants: Php 7,000.00 for on-site registration
Php 6,500.00 payment made on or before April 15, 2008
International participants: US$ 350.00 for on-site registration
US$ 300.00 payment made on or before April 15, 2008
(The fee includes materials, exposures and lunch)

If interested, kindly request application forms via email: mmreyes@mc.edu.ph.

Sincerely,

Prof. Aurora de Dios
Executive Director
Miriam College - Women and Gender Institute
http://www.mc.edu.ph/centers/womengenderinstitute.html

DIASPORA, MIGRATION AND THE MEDIA SECTION (Call for Panels + Papers) European Communication Research and Education Association

2008-02-14T01:38:00.000-08:00

Dear Colleagues,
apologises for sending this only in English, and for any cross posting.

The ECREA organizer committee decided to postpone the deadline for
submitting proposals until 3 MARCH.

Please visit the conference web site at:
www.ecrea2008barcelona.org

DIASPORA, MIGRATION AND THE MEDIA SECTION - CALL FOR PANELS AND PAPERS
European Communication Research and Education Association - ECREA

2nd ECREA CONFERENCE, Barcelona, 25-28 November 2008
Hosted by Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB)

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION DEADLINE: 3 MARCH
The 'Diaspora, Migration and the Media' section invites all academics
and non-academics who work with issues within the broad theme of ECREA's
2nd international conference 'Communication policies and culture in
Europe' from a 'cultural diversity/ethnic/diasporic' approach to submit
ABSTRACTS of proposals. (To visit the conference website and read the
general call for papers go to: http://www.ecrea2008barcelona.org/

The section 'Diaspora, Migration and the Media' aims to bring together
academics and non-academics who work in the field of media and
communication with a focus on mediation of cultural difference. The section is
interested in moving forward the debate on media, identity politics,
cultural diversity, multiculturalism, cosmopolitanism, postcolonialism
and other theoretical approaches.

We encourage work based on interdisciplinary approaches in different
aspects of the
media, communication, cultural and film studies fields that address the
broad theme of the conference call and intersects with the section's
interests. We welcome proposals which reflect both theoretical and
methodological challenges in media, diaspora and communication research as
well as those reflecting upon and presenting results from on-the-ground
media/communication experiences.

(For further information about our Section please visit our
website at: http://www.ecrea.eu/divisions/section/id/4 or e-mail Olga
Bailey (olga.bailey@ntu.ac.uk) and/or Eugenia Siapera
(es107@leicester.ac.uk)

This invitation is for proposals of pre-organized panels, posters, and
individual papers from established academics, young scholars,
practitioners and postgraduate research students.

Individual paper proposals , individual poster proposals and panel
proposals can be submitted at the official conference website
(www.ecrea2008barcelona.org).

Paper-presenters and panellists will be asked to confirm their
intention
to attend by registering before October 24, 2008.

Please note that, as a policy, ECREA Candidates can submit "one
proposal as first author, and more as co-author (second, ...), chair or
respondent of a panel - but a participant will be allowed only one paper
presentation.

The length of the individual abstracts is preferably 400 and maximum
500 words.

A panel proposal combines a panel abstract with the individual
abstracts, of each 400-500 words. Participants will indicate their preference
for a specific section (where they want to present their paper / poster
/ panel)".

São Paulo / Casa das Caldeiras: um evento que mistura Hip Hop, tambores, grafite, cultura afro (17 Feb)

2008-02-13T06:17:00.000-08:00

Please sign STATEMENT OF SUPPORT FOR the exhibition EXCEPTION: Contemporary art scene from Prishtina

2008-02-13T04:02:00.000-08:00

STATEMENT OF SUPPORT FOR ARTISTS, CURATORS and
INSTITUTIONS involved in the exhibition EXCEPTION: Contemporary art
scene from Prishtina, scheduled to be open on the 7.02.2008 in
Belgrade, Kontekst Gallery FORCED TO CLOSE JUST BEFORE THE OPENING. The
curators and the institution need international support!

--

PLEASE SIGN AND SEND BACK either to Rosa Reitsamer: fem.seq@gmx.at or
Marina Grzinic margrz@zrc-sazu.si

STATEMENT OF SUPPORT FOR ARTISTS, CURATORS and INSTITUTIONS involved in
the exhibition EXCEPTION: Contemporary art scene from Prishtina,
scheduled to be open on the 7.02.2008 in Belgrade, Kontekst Gallery

The statement is a reaction to the fact that the exhibition EXCEPTION,
Contemporary art scene from Prishtina (Kosova) that was scheduled to
open on 7 February 2008 (and to be on display until 15 February 2008)
at KONTEKST Gallery in Belgrade WAS FORCED TO CLOSE JUST BEFORE THE
OPENING.

The Serbian police that had to intervene just before the opening as
they estimated that they cannot guarantee safety to the curators and
the public, after an organized group of Serbian nationalist ?forces
attacked the gallery space and even destroyed Dren Maliqi's work Face
to face.

The artists taking part in the exhibition are Artan Balaj, Jakup Ferri,
Driton Hajredini, Flaka Haliti, Fitore Isufi Koja, Dren Maliqi, Alban
Muja, Vigan Nimani, Nurhan Qehaja, Alketa Xhafa and Lulzim Zeqiri.

On 8 February 2008, the curators of the project Vida Knezevic, Kristian
Lukic, Ivana Marjanovic and Gordana Nikolic asked PUBLICLY the Ministry
of culture of Serbia and the city of Belgrade to react firmly against
such nationalist forces in order to protect the exhibition in the
future. The curators insist on the right to present the project in
Belgrade in the near future.

On 8 February, these violent nationalist forces attacked again, they
threw stones in the windows of the KONTEKST gallery and broke them and
as well they destroyed gallery's sign on the door.

All of us signed under this statement are expressing our support TO
ARTISTS, CURATORS and INSTITUTIONS involved in the exhibition
EXCEPTION: Contemporary art scene from Prishtina.

We ask the Serbian Government and the governmental bodies of the
Serbian Ministry of Culture as well as the Belgrade city council and
city institutions to ACT and PROTECT (in accordance with the law) the
artists, curators and institutions involved in the organization of the
exhibition project. Also, we apply to these bodies to ask for the
SUPPORT and help in organizing the reopening of the project and to
allow an
open non violent platform discussion on the topic.

The exhibition is an important project by the young generation in
Serbia who is willing to see, discuss and understand historical and
current relations between Serbia and Kosova.

The exhibition was presented previously at the Museum of Contemporary
Art Vojvodina, Novi Sad (22.01 - 05.02.2008). The exhibition is a
joint effort of two organizations Kontekst, Belgrade, and Napon, Novi
Sad.

THE SIGNED STATEMENT WILL BE SEND TO ARTISTS, CURATORS AND INSTITUTIONS
INVOLVED IN THE PROJECT, TO SERBIAN'S GOVERMENTAL BODIES, BELGRADE CITY
COUNCIL'S BODIES and SERBIAN MASS MEDIA.

SIGNATURES:

------------------------------

Here is an EYEWITNESS recount about the exhibition opening EXCEPTION:
Contemporary art scene from Prishtina:

"The situation was that there were massive protests going on outside
the
gallery space, the protesters were violent nationalist, the Serbian
police
was closing the streets in order to prevent the hooligan mob from
reaching
the gallery (in the same time they also prevented the visitors to
attend the
exhibition opening so it was mainly media and police in the space).

The violation of the opening was tolerated by the police (the whole
gallery
was full of policemen but they didn't react for around 10min although
they
were asked to do so several times). The police was even a protagonist
in the
action of closing down the exhibition. They were in the gallery all day
long
when the exhibition was constructed and in informal talks, it turned
out
that most of them were in Kosovo themselves (Kosovo war was mainly
fought by
Serbian police, not by army) and they made remarks like "I'll not
defend
this exhibition". After the violation of the opening, some of them went
into
ideological discussions with the curators. Immediately after the
violation,
they asked the director of the space to sign an agreement not to use
the
space in the next days and not to open the exhibition again.

So the police's plan was to prevent the mob from reaching the gallery
which
would have meant uncontrolled riots (happened at gay pride in 2001
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gay_pride_parade#Belgrade
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MTQm0jEfDw)

They wanted the opening to be stopped and the exhibition not to take
place.
This was a political decision, taken by high political representatives,
supported by almost all political parties and almost all media and
accomplished by ultra-radical forces (obraz
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obraz)
with the help of the Serbian police.

before the exhibition was supposed to be opened in Belgrade a big
scandal
was produced because of the work you can see on page 40 of the
catalogue
(http://www.kontekstgalerija.org/pdf_08/odstupanje.pdf), it shows adem
jashari (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adem_Jashari), an UCK-leader who
is
considered as freedom fighter by Albanians and stylized to a national
icon
in Kosovo whereas Serbs consider him as a war criminal and terrorist.
the
work was destroyed at the opening. But of course all what is going on
is not
about the work itself - the work is replaceable. It is about the fact
that
nationalistic forces in Serbia cant stand that the exhibition shows
contemporary art from Kosovo in which the Kosovarian young generation
is
perfectly capable to powerfully formulate their position."