A Tribute to Kisingani

Hi Everyone! So after hearing Peter tell us about the genocide in Kisingani in 2001 and watching the video of Faustin Linyekula dancing, I was inspired to write a poem for my reflection last week, in tribute of what happened in Kisingani and how beautiful things can still happen in the midst of such destruction. Enjoy!

In the aftermath of bullet showers,
Smoking guns, screams of terror, cries of agony,
All is quiet.
The Congo still ebbs and flows as it always does,
Even as its waters mix with the blood of massacred bodies,
A deadly peaceful and horrifying sight.

In the aftermath of fatal explosions,
Bombings, dying innocents,
All is not lost.
A makeshift space among the ruins of a building,
A few dancers doing what they do best,
A willing crowd gathering to watch spontaneity,
And creative passion once again reigns supreme.

In the aftermath of destruction,
All is quiet,
But all is not lost.

CC -- The Creative Commons

Creative Comments is a nonprofit organization that allows artists to build upon the work of others. The aim of this is to help increase the amount of work being created, allowing artists to share their work publicly with the copyright protection that works best for them. Creative Commons also provides a "no copyright" option, which permits art to be used by anyone, anywhere, without any legal repercussions. The following is a video better explaining the nature of the Creative Commons:

Copyright law no longer requires the "c in a circle" icon; due to changes in law, any creative work is automatically copyrighted as soon as it is made. A goal of Creative Commons is to help people know whether or not something is copyrighted, since the "c in a circle's" absence may not necessarily mean that it is not protected under copyright.

Creative Commons can be used by anyone, but some big names utilize it to publish material--Google, Wikipedia, Nine Inch Nails, and the Obama Administration (whitehouse.gov) just to name a few.

As an artist, Creative Commons allows for the posting and utilization of works, with varying degrees of copyright protection--all of which are clearly posted on the Creative Commons website.

Dancers in WAC (or elsewhere) who want to use a song for their piece can find music that is not protected with an "all rights reserved" clause. DJs or musicians who want to sample material can also find creative comments useful, as the techno beats in a song that they hear on the radio will likely be off-limits for them to use publicly. If you're making a poster to be displayed in the middle of a college campus, you can't just go online and use whatever pictures you want off of Google Images--but Creative Commons shows you, as an artist, what images you can use, without having to worry about getting sued by the illustrator who created the image.

On the other end of the spectrum, if you want take a photograph and want anyone to be able to use it for activist purposes, Creative Commons helps those activists in showing them that your work is open for public use for that purpose.

Here's the website:

http://creativecommons.org/

Public Art - Public Theater - Public Dialogue in LA!

Cornerstone Theater Company's culminating production of the Justice Cycle is right around the corner! 3 Truths is the sixth and final show of the Justice Cycle, a four-year series of plays examining how laws can shape and disrupt L.A.'s communities. With only 5 public performances of this show, it'll be over before you know it. Choose a date (June 4, 5, 10, 11, & 12) and write it down so you and your friends don't miss this epic L.A. event!

 

3 TRUTHS
Written by NAOMI IIZUKA
Directed by MICHAEL JOHN GARCÉS
June 4 - 12, 2010 at Grand Performances

Nationally-celebrated playwright Naomi IIzuka’s 3 Truths weaves together a sprawling cast of Angelenos from all walks of life all asking one question: What Is The Truth? As L.A.’s landmark Hall of Justice stands in the distance, Cornerstone Theater Company transforms downtown’s California Plaza into a dramatic judicial arena where fates are decided and lives hang in the balance. As laws have the power to separate and confine us, we come together in our quest to uncover three truths: your truth, my truth, and the truth.

Directed by Michael John Garcés, this epic world premiere event is the culminating “bridge” show of Cornerstone’s Justice Cycle, a four-year multi-play exploration of how laws shape and disrupt communities. Immediately following each performance, audience members are invited to join in dialogue with L.A.’s important civic and cultural leaders as they come together to discuss urgent issues of justice facing our city and beyond. Click here or go to grandperformances.org for more information about all post-show discussions.

Mother's Day gift for the Mom who has everything

Did you know that the flower industry is one of the worst abusers of commercial pesticides?  Skip the chemical bouquet and do good in your Mother's name.

At Oxfam's chariable gift shop you can buy soap, a goat, a school desk, or have a vegetable garden planted in your Mom's name, directly supporting HIV/AIDS affected families in countries around the world.

What is Oxfam America?

Forty percent of the people on our planet—more than 2.5 billion—now live in poverty, struggling to survive on less than $2 a day. Oxfam America is an international relief and development organization working to change that. Together with individuals and local groups in more than 100 countries, Oxfam saves lives, helps people overcome poverty, and fights for social justice.

How is Oxfam America rated?

Oxfam America is one of the top charities rated by leading charitable watchdog organizations, including the American Institute of Philanthropy. Charity Navigator gives us 4 out of 4 stars. We meet all 20 of the Better Business Bureau’s standards for charity accountability.
To learn more about us and our work, go to: About Oxfam.

All Creative Work is Derivative... Viva the cultural commons!

Afrikan Student Union at UCLA

One of the organizations that has had a lot of influence on my life is the Afrikan Student Union here at UCLA. Currently, I serve as ASU's Administrative Coordinator and my job is to make sure that any logistical and tedious tasks are taken care of. In addition, I hold staff members accountable to the task that have been set forth in our spaces. Simply, ASU serves as the unifying voice for all Afrikan-identified students here on the campus and in the Los Angeles community.

Some of the programs that ASU does have are Students Heightening Academic Performance through Education (SHAPE), Academic Supports Program, and Afrikan Education Project.

SHAPE is a student-initiated and student run outreach program, created to have K-12 African American students matriculate into institutions of higher education, with a focus on holistic development. SHAPE offers tutoring, peer advising, mentorship and various workshops to ensure African American numbers can ultimately increase on the collegiate level.

ASP is the student-initiated and student-run retention program designed to guide Black/African students to a successful college experience and graduation from UCLA. ASP also focuses on helping students with personal management skills, major choices, goal settings, class planning, academic difficulty, readmission work, and much more.

However, one of my favorite projects of them all is the Afrikan Education Project that is a tutoring/mentoring program that seeks to enhance the lives and academic scores of the children who reside at New Wilmington Arms in Compton, CA through African empowerment and education and basic tutoring. All of these different projects are ways to reach out into our Afrikan-identified communities and helping to develop our own people so that we can develop and empower ourselves.

If you are interested in getting involved in any of the projects that were mentioned above, then make sure to check out www.blackbruins.org.