World stewardess Crews: FortheCAUSE

Showing posts with label FortheCAUSE. Show all posts

SUPPORT! WeOwnTV - Picturing Independence: A Positive Revolution

<div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="410px" src="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/weowntv/picturing-independence-a-positive-revolution/widget/video.html" width="480px"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;"> ‘Picturing Independence: A Positive Revolution’ is a year-long production initiative to create a group of short films that celebrate the Sierra Leone of yesterday and today. As a country Sierra Leone is celebrating its 50th Anniversary of Independence on April 27th 2011. The films are being created by a group of young Sierra Leoneans who are a part of a film/video collective called WeOwnTV (which roughly translates to “Our Own TV” in Sierra Leonean Krio).</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: small; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">Who and what is WeOwnTV?</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: small; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">WeOwnTV is a collaborative media project launched by the filmmakers of the award-winning documentary “Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars.” In August 2009, Banker White and a small North American filmmaking team ran a storytelling and media production training workshop in Sierra Leone. Many of the workshop participants had their childhoods cut cruelly short by war; and as survivors, orphans, ex-combatants or former child prostitutes this opportunity to share their stories and creativity is not taken lightly. For the group, creating media provides an opportunity to unite their community in a cooperative effort while envisioning a future lit by optimism and resilience. Today, WeOwnTV has grown to become an active collaboration between filmmakers in North America and these talented filmmakers based in Freetown,</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: small; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">What will the films be about?</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: small; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">As part of the initiative, both narrative and documentary films are going to be produced. These works explore the idea of independence and rebuilding a positive national and cultural identity. The project has already received the honor of being selected as one of the programs officially endorsed by the Sierra Leone 50th Anniversary Committee.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-size: small; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">One example of a film that is currently in post-production is titled, They Resisted. This is period piece set in the early days of the slave trade in Sierra Leone. It tells the story of a slave revolt in Africa and explores aspects of West African culture pre-contact. The team is working with local historians at the national museum of Sierra Leone. It was a major production that had a cast of more than forty actors and required a strong collaborative community effort with Kent Village – where the film was filmed. Many local villagers also acted in the piece.</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">Please go contact us at info@weowntv.org. We will quickly get back to you!</div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #666666; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;">You can donate as much as $1! Visit their <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/weowntv/picturing-independence-a-positive-revolution">Kickstarter page to give</a>.</div>

SUPPORT! WeOwnTV - Picturing Independence: A Positive Revolution

‘ Picturing Independence: A Positive Revolution’ is a year-long production initiative to create a group of short films that celebrate the...

11:59 AM

Happy Birthday MARTIN LUTHER KING

Happy Birthday MARTIN LUTHER KING

the truth never expires

5:18 PM

VONY presents :: KIDS DREAM IN COLOR [Support us by signing up!]

VONY is an organization I've been involved with as a teaching artist at the Visual Arts program. We had teamed up a few months ago with a New York-based architectural design firm <a href="http://www.realestatearts.com/" style="color: #13cf8f; text-decoration: none;">Real Estate Arts</a> (REA) to hold a week long art workshop called Kids Dream In Color (KDIC). Ten super talented kids were chosen to participate in a week-long workshop at the firm to recreate the Empire State Building using common, eco-friendly art materials and re-envision the building in the year 2020 as a green, earth-friendly building, a futuristic symbol of a new Empire State of Mind. We had kids who knew how to do stop-motion animation or had their own comic books drawn. At the end of the program, we had an exhibit where they could showcase and demonstrate their work. I incorporated my piece DORJE as an imaginary guide to the Galaxy of Kats, which the kids visited in their imagination to collect wisdom about how to preserve energy on Earth using natural resources during their visualization exercise. Here is the documentary that our amazing team put together. <div style="text-align: center;">Director of Photography: Aric Gutnick Editor: Joel Mejia (Director of Media Dept,VONY/Dare To Dream)</div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><object height="340" width="560"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/3qGEZ-EOvWU&hl=en_US&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/3qGEZ-EOvWU&hl=en_US&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object></div><div style="text-align: center;">I had a chance to continue to work with a few of the young creators at a more recent workshop dedicated to raise awareness about autism. This time we worked on customizing skateboards, which was exhibited at a group art exhibit/autism fundraiser featuring a number of NY artists. I always love working with QUEST. He is super talented and independent-minded who likes to get himself into all kinds of mischief (such as speed-rooftop-climbing). Here is the board he did. <img src="http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q202/licsi777/VONY-lichiban-quest1.jpg" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q202/licsi777/VONY-lichiban-quest3.jpg" /> <img src="http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q202/licsi777/VONY-lichiban-quest2.jpg" /> <div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">WE WOULD LIKE YOUR SUPPORT! </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Here is a letter from my close friend, Suzanna, founder of Voices of New York (VONY) to the public to   request support for our organization by signing up to our email list on Bloomspot. Each sign-up translates to $5 to the organization. We are currently raising funds for youth programs and workshops, so  any help is appreciated. Here comes her letter...</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Dear Friends, I wanted to write you personally about a wonderful opportunity for Voices of New York to have $1,000 donated by Bloomspot. Now I know it amounts to a publicity campaign for Bloomspot, but if we can have 200 members joined at our community circle by October 15th, we raise $1,000 which VONY needs!!! All you have to do is join the circle by giving your email. While you will receive a promotional email from Bloomspot, you can unsubscribe (like I have) and still be part of our circle without affecting our chances of earning the cash. We have already raised $280 from them, so I know they are legit.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Click <a href="http://www.bloomspot.com/circles/voices-of-new-york/">HERE</a> to sign-up on BLOOMSPOT.</div></div>

VONY presents :: KIDS DREAM IN COLOR [Support us by signing up!]

VONY is an organization I've been involved with as a teaching artist at the Visual Arts program. We had teamed up a few months ago with ...

11:24 PM

Happy Birthday JOHN LENNON

Happy Birthday JOHN LENNON

3:28 PM

VONY x REA present :: 'Kids Dream In Color' Spring Workshop x Lichiban

The organization I've been involved with as a teaching artist/ art mentor<a href="http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1716028565"> Voices of New York</a> (VONY) recently teamed up with a New York-based architectural design firm <a href="http://www.realestatearts.com/">Real Estate Arts</a> (REA) to hold a week long art workshop called Kids Dream In Color (KDIC). Ten super talented kids were chosen to participate in a one of a kind art immersion where they had to recreate the Empire State Building using common, eco-friendly art materials. The challenge was to re-envision the building in the year 2400 as a green, earth-friendly building, a futuristic symbol of a new Empire State of Mind. <div style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q202/licsi777/VONY-REA/VONY_REA_lichiban-3-title2.jpg" /> <img src="http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q202/licsi777/VONY-REA/VONY_REA_lichibanblog2-.jpg" /> We used a 10-minute visualization exercise using my work, <a href="http://lichiban.blogspot.com/2010/03/new-work-dorje-teacher-of-mountains.html">DORJE </a>to time & space travel to the galaxy where DORJE would serve as an imaginary guide to introduce the kids to alternative ways of imagining a green future. I loved every minute of it: I was really impressed with all the kids' creativity & they were connecting with my cats, which gave me a lot of inspiration to push forward with the vision. Thanks to the kids, VONY & the amazingly hospitable staff of REA to make this possible! Check out more info & pics on <a href="http://wronglips.blogspot.com/2010/04/vony-x-rea.html">Wronglips</a>. </div>

VONY x REA present :: 'Kids Dream In Color' Spring Workshop x Lichiban

The organization I've been involved with as a teaching artist/ art mentor Voices of New York (VONY) recently teamed up with a New York...

1:11 AM

LIVE ART :: live painting at WORKING TOGETHER TO HELP HAITI feat. BILAL, Jazmine Sullivan, Dice Raw, Jaguar Wright & more

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjXxec9F3mqxP5K0BTWh_b3M8Z1XzVaaZx2A_TcpgdJYC4EWT75N3SpO5bc_gUnV6yxBJU2Vkwz8ZsELv6ekT3WKWgDqy-aaAHYmiCRcwUGhugafQwFBJZeIz_Ru4Mu1YDIzAOZMwvrvQ/s1600-h/er3.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448758901135612722" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjXxec9F3mqxP5K0BTWh_b3M8Z1XzVaaZx2A_TcpgdJYC4EWT75N3SpO5bc_gUnV6yxBJU2Vkwz8ZsELv6ekT3WKWgDqy-aaAHYmiCRcwUGhugafQwFBJZeIz_Ru4Mu1YDIzAOZMwvrvQ/s400/er3.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" /></a>I'm heading down to Philly on Monday to be part of this massive fundraiser marathon at the World Cafe Live featuring over 20 artists including Bilal, Jazmine Sullivan, Jaguar Wright, among others. I'll be live painting along with Philly's own Iye Yinda, and will be donating the piece for the auction during the show. Philly fam, come and support! <div> </div><div>WORKING TOGETHER TO HELP HAITI Elite Rescue, Recovery, and Rebuilding presents A Benefit for Haiti Hosted by Fatin Dantzler of Kindred The Family Soul, and featuring: BILAL, Jazmine Sullivan, Kindred The Family Soul, Jaguar Wright, Dice Raw, Chubb Rock, Eric Roberson, Jean Baylor, Antoinette Costa, Jim Stephens, Selina Carerra, Kuf Knotz, Tony Moore and Jehova's Chosen, Mic Wrecka, Hezekiah, U CITY, WyldLyfe, Meek Millz and DJ Rocdaspot. Proceeds go to Elite Rescue, Recovery, and Rebuilding, and Haiti Professionals of Philadelphia. There will be live artists, Brookyn-based Lichiban & Philly's own Iye Yinda donating and auctioning their work. There will be bins for donations of canned and dry foods, and medical supplies that will be sent to Haiti through the Haitian Professionals of Philadelphia</div><div><table cellspacing="1" border="0" border cellpadding="3" align="center" width="100%" style="color:#F6861F;"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" class="BrdBot" nowrap="" style="color: rgb(57, 57, 57); ">Monday 3/15/2010 7:00 pm EST</td><td valign="top" class="BrdBot" style="color: rgb(57, 57, 57); ">World Cafe Live Philadelphia, PA</td></tr></tbody></table></div>

LIVE ART :: live painting at WORKING TOGETHER TO HELP HAITI feat. BILAL, Jazmine Sullivan, Dice Raw, Jaguar Wright & more

I'm heading down to Philly on Monday to be part of this massive fundraiser marathon at the World Cafe Live featuring over 20 artists in...

12:26 AM

FRIENDS WE LOVE presents: Rasu Jilani of CDTBK

My good friend, RASU JILANI, Owner & <a href="http://www.cdtbk.com/">Creator of Coup D'Etat Brooklyn</a> was recently featured on <a href="http://vimeo.com/fwl">friendswelove.com</a>. Rasu explains how to apply the idea of a coup d'etat to overthrow the negative aspects of not only the economy & business practices proven to be disfunctional but also of the self. Change comes from within, and to build a new system based on sharing, we do have to work on elevating our selves...this is the voice of the BROOKLYN Renaissance. Kudos to Rasu! <div style="text-align: center;"><object height="300" width="400"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=6256453&server=vimeo.com&show_title=0&show_byline=0&show_portrait=1&color=911c22&fullscreen=1"><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=6256453&server=vimeo.com&show_title=0&show_byline=0&show_portrait=1&color=911c22&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="300" width="400"></embed></object><a href="http://vimeo.com/6256453">Rasu Jilani, Owner + Creator of Coup d'etat Brooklyn :: 120 Seconds</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/fwl">friendswelove.com</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>. </div>

FRIENDS WE LOVE presents: Rasu Jilani of CDTBK

My good friend, RASU JILANI, Owner & Creator of Coup D'Etat Brooklyn was recently featured on friendswelove.com . Rasu explains ho...

1:26 PM

ZAP MAMA AND CARE partner to honor mothers around the world & new release scheduled to drop on May 26th

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpZR0tvOOTy_KiafmV9cuOxZp3b83I-HA5X-leOxn9Dw3l-SSrg8ZnjluCU7g-T5cOGGMRafNHpQkaAs2Z0s_p1h6xXpTTyyk7W9C9T47g6jdZyoXZkKyp6bpIgCV1b89G2KZidSiC2IY/s1600-h/HUCD3159+Zap+Mama+-+ReCreation_RGB.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339499069513492178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpZR0tvOOTy_KiafmV9cuOxZp3b83I-HA5X-leOxn9Dw3l-SSrg8ZnjluCU7g-T5cOGGMRafNHpQkaAs2Z0s_p1h6xXpTTyyk7W9C9T47g6jdZyoXZkKyp6bpIgCV1b89G2KZidSiC2IY/s400/HUCD3159+Zap+Mama+-+ReCreation_RGB.jpg" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" /></a> ZAP MAMA RELEASES "HELLO TO MAMA" VIDEO AND ADDS NEW TOUR DATES <div style="margin: 1ex;"><div>(New York, NY) -- <a href="http://www.zapmama.be/">ZAP MAMA</a> is teaming up with CARE to honor mothers around the world. Beginning May 4th, Zap Mama will donate to CARE a percentage of the proceeds from the iTunes download of their song, "Hello To Mama," the first single off their upcoming album ReCreation, due out on Heads Up International, a division of Concord Music Group, on May 26th, 2009. In the developing world, one woman, every minute of every day, dies giving birth. The proceeds from iTunes download sales of "Hello To Mama", which will help CARE's efforts to reduce persisting high maternal mortality in the world's poorest countries. You can help the cause by purchasing the song <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?i=313022167&id=313021346&s=143441">HERE</a>. You can also link her on <a href="http://www.myspace.com/zapmama">myspace here.</a> "A percentage of the hard earned money paid for this track will go to CARE with the vision and hope of setting the people of the world free through truth, love, and education," says Zap Mama's Marie Daulne. <div style="text-align: center;"><object height="340" width="560"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/7dzGcN_eQv4&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/7dzGcN_eQv4&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="340" width="560"></embed></object></div> For more regarding CARE and its partnership with Zap Mama visit: <a href="http://www.care.org/zapmama" target="_blank">www.care.org/zapmama</a>. <img src="http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q202/licsi777/Zap_M3_Banner_3_final.gif" /> Zap Mama has added new tour dates including appearances at Lollapalooza and the Essence Festival, as well as kicking the tour off with an intimate residency at Joe's Pub with special surprise guests: 5/27, 28, 29 /2009 Joe's Pub, New York, NY /// 6/17/2009 El Rey, Los Angeles, CA /// 6/18/2009 Bimbo's, San Francisco, CA /// 6/19/2009 Sierra Nevada World Music Festival, Boonville, CA /// 6/20/2009 Doug Fir Lounge, Portland, OR /// 6/21/2009 Triple Door, Seattle, WA /// 7/5/2009 Essence Music Festival, New Orleans, LA /// 6/23/2009 Ann Arbor Summer Festival, Ann Arbor, MI /// 8/7-9/2009 Lollapalooza, Chicago, IL </div> </div>

ZAP MAMA AND CARE partner to honor mothers around the world & new release scheduled to drop on May 26th

ZAP MAMA RELEASES "HELLO TO MAMA" VIDEO AND ADDS NEW TOUR DATES (New York, NY) -- ZAP MAMA is teaming up with CARE to hono...

2:02 PM

BROOKLYN DIARIES:: FLOW FOR CHANGE : Vony Speaks FUNDRAISER & VONY PSA Premiere Screening

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3h4ZKG9wVCmjPGBRoN0VcM5QHlGfVtjjZG5jSv64L53jqDjNNHnQjvGHIhnijPxOp_NlaZ5v9S9aoieOeBaNfp01jKz6PLqzXdzCXFuWP7wmIAZIMQwq7DPtnrllxlut95PVqKJLCMyc/s1600-h/lichibanVONYshootsolo.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5337415992445187970" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3h4ZKG9wVCmjPGBRoN0VcM5QHlGfVtjjZG5jSv64L53jqDjNNHnQjvGHIhnijPxOp_NlaZ5v9S9aoieOeBaNfp01jKz6PLqzXdzCXFuWP7wmIAZIMQwq7DPtnrllxlut95PVqKJLCMyc/s400/lichibanVONYshootsolo.jpg" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" /></a>A little over a month ago, I participated in the PSA shoot for <a href="http://www.vonyspeak-conference.org/">Voices of New York (VONY)</a> a wonderful and much-needed educational project of my good friend Suzanna (<a href="http://vonyspeaks.blogspot.com/">aka Suzanna Ali</a> (read an interview with her about VONY on <a href="http://cdtbk.com/site/2009/05/vony/">Coup d'Etat BK</a>). I've been a huge supporter of her project, and she's chosen me as one of the main art mentors for her organization, which I'm very excited about, since I always wanted to be part of some kind of art-educational project involving kids. Suzanna is a visionary with a holistic, spiritual outlook on education and she has in mind to build a program that would nurture a new generation of youth with a focus on encouraging creative expression from an early stage onward. She is planning to involve artists as art mentors who could also serve as role models for the youth. We used a work of mine that I did as collabo project with my good friend, Jelsen Jargon, called We Are (read my post about the collabo <a href="http://wronglips.blogspot.com/2008/05/world-at-largelove-without-borders.html">here</a>). This Tuesday, May 19th the premiere of our PSA shoot, also featuring <a href="http://www.myspace.com/bilaloliver">Bilal </a>and <a href="http://www.myspace.com/88keys">88-Keys</a>, will take place along with a with spoken word performances that serve as a fundraiser for VONY. Def Jam and HBO have partnered with VONY to bring you "FLOW 4 CHANGE" showcasing some of the most talented poets of our time! See the flyer below for details. Here are some flicks from our PSA shoot near the Brooklyn Children Museum...this was back in early April, at the first spring weekend of cherry blossoms and 80 degrees balmy weather....the blossoming trees were shouting new life and flourishing future...a perfect symbol for VONY's growth and the blossoming of a future generation of creatives. <div style="text-align: center;">Suzy, Liz, Rasu of Coup d'Etat with the kids. Joel and Anna were directing the shoot. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q202/licsi777/vony_lichiban.jpg" /> <img src="http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q202/licsi777/VONYshootpromolichibanblog.jpg" /> <img src="http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q202/licsi777/vony_lichiban2.jpg" /> <a href="http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c227/NikkiNu123/flowforchange.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c227/NikkiNu123/flowforchange.jpg" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 281px; height: 493px;" /></a>The event will be hosted by Bilal & Suzen Baraka with performances by Brave New Voices' Queen Godis and Joshua Bennet, Def Poetry Jam's Staceyann Chin and Black Ice, and our beloved poet and brother, Kesed just to name a few. Your support is greatly appreciated. The VONY is dedicated to nurture a new generation of youth whose creativity is reinforced and guided by art mentors and visionary educators. So come out and support this fundraiser for Voices of New York Speak!</div>

BROOKLYN DIARIES:: FLOW FOR CHANGE : Vony Speaks FUNDRAISER & VONY PSA Premiere Screening

A little over a month ago, I participated in the PSA shoot for Voices of New York (VONY) a wonderful and much-needed educational project of...

11:30 PM

KASHMIR: my spiritual homeland

<div style="text-align: center;">In the summer of 2006, I spent a month in Srinagar, Kashmir, the part of Kashmir that is now part of India. The Himalayas have been calling me since I was a child...I used to dream that I was a young boy living in a small tribe up in the mountains, which I later identified with images of Tibet. Kashmir's capital Srinagar, which lays in a valley at the foot of the Himalayas used to be the most precious pearl of the Mughal Empire, during which time they named it "Paradise on Earth" because of its breath-taking beauty and lovely climate. It took me two years to revisit my journey there. Kashmir changed my life in ways I could only understand later...the experiences I had there are still hard to verbalize but I am ready to share some of the glimpses of this magical land and the beauty of its people. <img src="http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q202/licsi777/K3landscape.jpg" /> <img src="http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q202/licsi777/K4lichibankashmir.jpg" /> <img src="http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q202/licsi777/K5plane.jpg" /> my favorite, the AMBASSADOR, now used as cabs and governmental vehicles that provide a royal bulletproof ride around the city ::: the auto-riksha...one of the most hazardous vehicles ever to hit the roads of a metropolis (Delhi, India). My arrival midnight at the Delhi airport was one of the biggest tests of my courage as a lone traveler. My first sight as my cab pulled out of the airport was an accident involving a motorbike rider on an unlit two-lane road...no one was stopping for the man whose severed leg was lying 5 feet away from him...that sight haunted me for weeks. :::wheels::: <img src="http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q202/licsi777/K1cars.jpg" /> In the late 90s and then in 2002, there were serious threats of nuclear warfare between India and Pakistan over the territory of Kashmir. As a result, "peace" has been tenuous and is heavily guarded by the military (to learn more, read an interview with Chomsky <a href="http://www.fpif.org/fpiftxt/4249">here</a>). I was in Delhi ready to get on the plane to Kashmir when my local Kashmiri host called me to say that I shouldn't get on the plane, since the violence has escalated and there are regular grenade-attacks targeting the military but taking mostly civilian victims. I had my ticket and I wasn't about to turn around after having traveled more than 18 hrs to get there..."Well, I guess we'll just have to protect you a little more carefully." said my host family, to whom I owe so much for their hospitality. ::guns:: <img src="http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q202/licsi777/K19soldiers.jpg" /> "Paradise on Earth" is now Paradise Lost. The military presence in the city is overwhelming..imagine spotting from the corners of your eyes at least two AK47 per block sticking out from unexpected places. Most of the violence that summer was targeting soldiers who were ordered by the government to protect the peace in the region. Since the military was everywhere, it meant that the threat of being blown away by a random grenade that someone has thrown at them was very high. During the month I was there, there were several deadly incidents that sadly affected women and children passing by, including at the house of the Sufi healer I planned to visit that week. <img src="http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q202/licsi777/K13guns.jpg" /> ::: the sanctuary::: My journey that eventually brought me to Kashmir began several years ago with a book called The Man of Light by Henry Corbin who introduced me to Najm al-din Kubra. Kubra was a sage from Khwarazm (now in Uzbekistan) who developed a spiritual practice based on a color theory of light that seemed to have integrated Sufi tradition with tantric Buddhist meditation techniques and other Central Asian spiritual teachings. the shrine of Shah Hamadan, the 14th century Sufi traveler, who brought the teachings of Kubra to the Kashmiri valley. <img src="http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q202/licsi777/K6shrinesufikashmir.jpg" /> <img src="http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q202/licsi777/K8sanctuarykashmir.jpg" /> <img src="http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q202/licsi777/K16devotion.jpg" /> The local architecture reflects Kashmir's position as a meeting point of cultures: many of the mosques had features similar to those of Buddhist stupas you found in neighboring Ladakh and Tibet. <img src="http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q202/licsi777/K7houses.jpg" /> On the night of my arrival, I had a chance to meet the father of Kashmir's world-renowned contemporary poet <a href="http://www.nortonpoets.com/alia.htm">Agha Shahid Ali</a> (who used to live in the US and passed away in 2001), whose book, "Country Without A Post-office" earned him the title "the ambassador of Kashmir's pain." One of the most wonderful people I've encountered on my travels, he treated me and my hosts with the most incredible 10 course dinner sampling dishes from Kashmiri Hindu and Muslim culinary traditions. I copied this into my journal from his son, Shahid Ali's book of poetry that he showed me... "Srinagar haunches like a wild cat: lonely sentries, wretched in bunkers at the city's bridges, far from their homes in the plains, licensed to kill...while the Jhelum flows under them, sometimes with a dismembered body. On Zero Bridge the jeeps rush by. The candles go out as travelers unable to light up the velvet Void." <img src="http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q202/licsi777/K10oldruins.jpg" /> ::: street life ::: <img src="http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q202/licsi777/K14street.jpg" /> ::: the people ::: generations of mothers :::: the beautiful women I met in Delhi at the Nizamuddin Chishti shrine. the lady on the right reminded me of my grandmother. <img src="http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q202/licsi777/K2MOTHERCHILDelders.jpg" /> <img src="http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q202/licsi777/K9kiddos.jpg" /> <img src="http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q202/licsi777/K11gyspies.jpg" /> the Gujar "gypsies", a nomadic tribe that set up their tents behind the house I was staying at. I would come regularly and try to make a connection with them. Part of me that is still connected with my nomadic heritage was really drawn to these folks. <img src="http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q202/licsi777/K12gujars.jpg" /> <img src="http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q202/licsi777/K12kashmirikidos.jpg" /> <img src="http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q202/licsi777/K12kashmirgypsies.jpg" /> The people of Kashmir have faced decades of civil war, intense economic hardships, and the daily threats of violence remain to this day. The sustained presence of fear has left unimaginable scars 0n people's soul. Their beauty and resilience amidst the harshest living conditions remain my continued source of inspiration and serve as a reminder of the fragility of human life and that we as people are one at the core. <img src="http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q202/licsi777/K15people.jpg" /> Lake Dal of Srinagar with its famed boat-houses, surrounded by the Himalayas. The only place where I felt the presence of peace. I took these shots from my boat as I was taken to the place where lotuses bloom. <img src="http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q202/licsi777/K17boatlotus.jpg" /> <img src="http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q202/licsi777/K18kashmirlake.jpg" /> :::windows::: <img src="http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q202/licsi777/K19yeeswindows.jpg" /> Most importantly, I give thanks to the man who has served the peoples of Kashmir with his healing power for several decades. He opened his doors to me and treated me like a granddaughter. Meeting him has changed my life at the core. I pray that he is safe and is in good health and that he can continue to mediate love from the purest source. In'shallah I'll make it back there in this life time. </div>

KASHMIR: my spiritual homeland

In the summer of 2006, I spent a month in Srinagar, Kashmir, the part of Kashmir that is now part of India. The Himalayas have been calling ...

5:40 PM

THE ROOTS of VIOLENCE and the SEARCH FOR PEACE: exclusive Questlove interview

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6XeHF0XRRw3g4VicgwqOwMxNHkBHtMO-HiDk-JycYNqSXRJXFJvv3-c1SDVsL_49_szmKcldKSUVJ5FWdUHR7_d_bfs2UdlvW-aD7nUwit5bq6PYE_Kqpp3QGWbZaNdx-EpLtMzUsp3M/s1600-h/lichibangoldheartlogoBLOG.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="font-family: arial;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5262056144638373330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6XeHF0XRRw3g4VicgwqOwMxNHkBHtMO-HiDk-JycYNqSXRJXFJvv3-c1SDVsL_49_szmKcldKSUVJ5FWdUHR7_d_bfs2UdlvW-aD7nUwit5bq6PYE_Kqpp3QGWbZaNdx-EpLtMzUsp3M/s400/lichibangoldheartlogoBLOG.jpg" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 170px; height: 172px;" /></a>Back in March this year, I had a chance to interview the two front men of <a href="http://www.theroots.com/">THE ROOTS</a>, <a href="http://www.myspace.com/questlove">Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson</a> and <a href="http://www.myspace.com/blackthought">Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter</a> at their Chelsea studio. I pitched the piece for the PEACE issue of TRACE, but it never ended up getting published in the issue. Tarik talked shortly about their new album Rising Down, while Ahmir got deep on some political matters. The election a week away, I felt that Questlove's thoughts on the meaning of violence and peace, on the current elections, and on the importance of grassroots activism couldn't be more timely, so I decided to publish it myself...there is a lot to chew on in here. The day I did the interview I also met Amir Ebrahimi who took these beautiful shots, and he became a friend since. Amir's work never sees to amaze me, make sure to check his photos after reading this: <a href="http://www.amirnyc.com/" style="font-family: arial;">here</a>. <div style="text-align: center;">Here is the unedited full version of the interview. </div> <a href="http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q202/licsi777/roots-35_01.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="font-family: arial;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q202/licsi777/roots-35_01.jpg" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 424px; height: 639px;" /></a>“In a land of war, seek peace of mind through mental peacefulness/ Peacefulness is in the mind of the beholder”, rhymed Black Thought on THE ROOTS’ 1993 debut album, Organix, which put the Philly-bred group on the map as one of the most innovative and politically outspoken hip-hop groups of the early 90’s. More than fifteen years in the game, the Grammy-award winning band has lost none of its edge and remains to be the much-needed breath of fresh air amidst the blinged-out club-bangers that seem to have a financial monopoly these days. As expected, THE ROOTS still have much to say about the search for peace in our post 9/11 world. A dark musical odyssey set out to expose the hidden roots of violence, their latest album Rising Down is a highly political project and a true testament to the subversive power of rhymes hip-hop has been best known for. Like many other times before, the album was inspired by a book; this time, they drew inspiration from William T. Vollmann’s epic seven-volume opus magnum entitled Rising Up and Rising Down, in which the author presents a powerful critique of political violence through an in-debt historical analysis of why humans resort to violence and how they justify it through political means. Lichiban: Do you think that it is important to promote peace through music? Questlove: You know the most ironic thing you could say about this album is that it is about peace. The way we went about it though is through a back-door route. First of all, the title of the album is based on a book, entitled Rising Up and Rising Down, a massive study of the history of violence. It breaks down the psychology of why human beings resort to violence, from local to global scale. It starts with international issues, and goes from citizens against the police state down to local issues, violence in prison, school violence, domestic violence, all the way to civil rivalry. This is the first book that we based an album on that I haven’t read fully…it’s like 1900 pages. It really taught me a lot. The way we wanted to present it on this album is kind of strange. There is an underlying thread that connects though the entire record of how violence is used. There is a character Criminal who observes the hypocrisy of the government-approved violence, like war crimes.[...] They only reported that they spent 6 billion on this war, but the actual number is 3600 billion, so how come the government goes unpunished for crimes it commits, but yet citizens are still getting harsh sentences for lesser offenses. Or even the idea of the Rockefeller law in NY, where urban drugs are getting a stiff 10-year penalty, while a casual Wall Street cocaine user might get a slap on the wrist. It deals with the hypocrisy of crimes and violence from the government's standpoint and then looks at it from the citizen’s standpoint. The song “Lost Desire” expresses the mentality of why young black men are nihilistic and why they have really no passion. Lost Passion would’ve been a better title but Lost Desire gives off the same vibe. Why young men are so numbed by society that they’re just cold-blooded. You have to understand that we’re from Philadelphia. Philadelphia is the murder capitol of the United States. We’re dealing here with, on a good week, 4 murders a week, on a typical week 9 murders. New York had celebrated maybe 7 murders in a calendar year. 475 murders, that’s more than a murder a day. Imagine if all Philadelphia citizens stand in line and someone says them, every 24 hours 2 of you are gonna die, you don’t know which one of you it is. <a href="http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q202/licsi777/ahmir.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q202/licsi777/ahmir.jpg" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 446px; height: 441px;" /></a>Lichiban: It’s like living in a war zone. Questlove: It’s absolutely like a war zone. You watch action news. The one thing that I absolutely cringe hearing...they always give you the four top stories of the night. “The big story of action news tonight: 3 murders in North Philadelhia”. And someone like “Oh my god, it’s my cousin.” And you’re always watching, praying to god that it’s no one that you know who makes action news. It’s almost like a lottery, “Let’s see, go to see the war, how many murders we’ve got this week, ah 272 not even July,.. hopefully we will make it to December without 500.” Lichiban: I visited several civil war stricken areas where people had to live with the idea of mortality or bear the affects of sustained fear on a daily basis. The cases of untreated post-traumatic stress disorder is really high and it really hurts the community. I feel like it is overlooked in this country. Questlove: You know what, I’m gonna tell you something funny. It’s to the point that I can’t ignore it. Even though I’m minority. Even in my celebritidom, you’d think...Years ago, I could actually say, “Eh, I’m not a part of that, it’s not gonna affect me. I’m on tour large part of the year, it’s not gonna affect me. But it does affect me. There are solutions to this now that I don’t agree with. Philadelphia wants to do away with the fourth amendment right. Basically the police can stop you whenever they want to and go through your bags. You could say, well 9 murders a week, this has got to stop. This has been going on for 3 years in a row, so maybe this is the solution. No, the real solution is you have to go through and find out what drives a person to the point where they now feel that they have to end your life. There is a lot of possible answers. One theory is that the lack of finances, lack of education, lack of job opportunities are the reasons why teens lack self–esteem and lack appreciation for life. All these things you need to catch that early. Have you seen the Wire? The Wire should be required to be watched by every government official. It is a real depiction of what truly is going on. I told the Obama campaign that I don’t want to do the celebrity stuff…that I want to do something real, on the ground. I’ll go to the hood. I’ll drive a 16-passenger van and send along with me a bunch of people, knock on door... you know it’d be a little weird first [laugh.] I don’t know nobody, but I’m still Questlove. And they’d be like, “What the hell are you doing here?” and I'd say,"Trying to make sure that you vote here. You know you’re eligible to vote, I know because I got it on record." And then I’d let them know that the Republicans went overtime in 2004. A lot of people don’t know these things because they are not informed. That’s the kind of things I think are getting to a real solution. You have to start from small. Like a tree doesn’t come from nowhere. You have to care for it, nurture it. And then it becomes the tree. Any solution, overseas or here has to be the same way. The way I feel I can contribute the most unique and effective way is through music. I don’t mean it in a sense of “oh Questlove, the drummer of the Roots[high note]”. No I mean, in a real way. There are 7 kids who came into my life between the ages of 9-11 about 17 years ago. Some went to college, some didn't, but one is still passionate to the point that he is now one of my main producers. I know him since he was 11 years old and now he is a 23 year-old man. I gave them my equipment to use, he taught himself, I just told him no girls in here. Now he has his own protégé, he teaches kids. I think it is way more effective than something like “Camp Questlove” with 5000 children in upstate New York. That’s nice, but I think if you really want to bring some change, you have to start small, you have to give them individual attention, individual love, and individual encouragement, and they will use that to experiment, experiment, experiment. They try to get me into this project called “Read to a Child”. I’m a little uncomfortable doing things that are personal in public. People would say “He reads to them. He takes them to baseball. Takes them to the movies." And I do it. But I do it in private. I feel like it’s more sincere that way. That’s one of the biggest thing about Obama, that he touches youth. He has to talk to 35 million people across the nation. He is really charismatic in person too. <a href="http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q202/licsi777/tarik.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q202/licsi777/tarik.jpg" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 451px; height: 442px;" /></a>Have you seen the Unusual Suspects? The first line goes like “The greatest trick that the Devil had played on the world was that he convinced the world that he didn’t exist.” Not that anything particularly dreadful about the Clinton administration, but there were a lot of issues that I felt were not for the best of my interest. I mean, the 3 strikes law. During the Clinton administration, there were Haitian refugees trying to come to this country and they were turned away! The AIDS epidemic in Africa..we were a little too slow reacting to that. Lichiban: Then there was Rwanda. Questlove: Yeah, Rwanda, let’s not forget that. Lichiban: During Clinton, all we heard that the economy was booming, and I think the arts lost their edge. Do you think that the encroaching recession will affect music in a positive way? Questlove: I once said that depressing times and hardship would actually make better black music, because normally that has been the case. Actually the situation is so horrible that it gave the opposite effect. People got numbed to it. It actually started in the Clinton administration. The ideals got replaced. Kurt Cobain was the down-to-earth anti-hero, and Puffy became the privileged celebratory, the Great Gatsby-esque figure. I think it’s because Clinton represented a sigh of relief after 4 years of Bush, 8 years of Ronald Reagan. Socially, economically, the 70’s were not the best of times in America, but then again, the Nixon administration set us back to the civil rights period. Kennedy’s assassination really set the progress back. Clinton was the first mainstay of an 8-year period after Bush and Reagan. We were celebrating, but while celebrating we kind of let the rope go, the rope through which we were hanging onto justice. We let the ballon go up in the sky and we can’t get it back. Since Bush has been in office, I thought that we ‘re gonna be more socially conscious, we would be more for our rights. But in fact, the exact opposite happened. I think we got more scarred, more politically correct. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that in the last 8 years you haven’t heard from the Rage Against the Machine. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that you haven’t heard from Lauryn Hill since George Bush. Or D’Angelo. The voices that you’d think would be the most outspoken, the most political. I think the fact that he stole the election just put it beyond hope. People started to think “they stole the election, they can do anything. They can destroy your life in a second, and you can do nothing about it you can’t prove nothing to nobody.” Yeah, I would be scarred too. I don’t know if there is going to be a Restoration, but I know that, personally, I feel as though this is one of our best efforts ever. I don’t know how it will do on the market, I don’t know if people are going to receive it well, but if we’re gonna go down, we’re gonna go down with my best foot forward and that’s more important than not saying nothing. <div style="text-align: center;">****** </div><div style="text-align: center;">Support real music. Buy music from independent artists. <a href="http://www.itunes.com/theroots/risingdown">Follow the link</a> if you don't have the album yet.</div>

THE ROOTS of VIOLENCE and the SEARCH FOR PEACE: exclusive Questlove interview

Back in March this year, I had a chance to interview the two front men of THE ROOTS , Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson and Tariq “Black Thought”...

9:01 PM

RESIST: Ursula Rucker is the truth

<div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;">Here is a beautiful piece from <a href="http://www.myspace.com/ursularucker">Ursula Rucker</a> to inspire and reawaken. Ursula is one of the most powerful female voices of today and a huge inspiration of mine. You can support her new release on <a href="http://www.fivesixmedia.com/">Five Six Media</a>: RUCKUS SOUNDSYSDOM (drops 11.11.08) with production by King Britt, Dego, FishEye, Rucyl Mills, Amatus, Hugh Marsh, Kevin Arthur, Tim Motzer and Rich Medina, this album is an amazing achievement in sonics, lyrics and semantics. MARK YOUR CALENDAR! </div><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/bTXPiswDhbs&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/bTXPiswDhbs&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" height="344" width="425"></embed></object></div>

RESIST: Ursula Rucker is the truth

Here is a beautiful piece from Ursula Rucker to inspire and reawaken. Ursula is one of the most powerful female voices of today and a huge ...

11:05 AM

WE ARE THE PEOPLE ::: don't sleep then

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2S7cdlsScKrJrxTsUOa4d8axOM96ISBBlJiDvhwrCfe0uShp607lphoW0qdH3KCWlKpTC2RiLRf1fsxMfxEwK7BZKtk3RzWbPNhmAK0Eh3fxua96_txuNUa-w5NNbq12BPGZsSN80UGM/s1600-h/PO40260-3.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261700295540291858" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2S7cdlsScKrJrxTsUOa4d8axOM96ISBBlJiDvhwrCfe0uShp607lphoW0qdH3KCWlKpTC2RiLRf1fsxMfxEwK7BZKtk3RzWbPNhmAK0Eh3fxua96_txuNUa-w5NNbq12BPGZsSN80UGM/s400/PO40260-3.jpg" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 269px; height: 400px;" /></a>The Fort Greene Film Society, Raw Fusion NYC, Rare Form, KeiStar Productions, Herbert Holler, Wonderway, Kilo International, Fusicology, Diamond Girl & Liquid Sound Lounge present Would like to invite you to a critical film screening (and afterparty)...An opportunity to learn more about how they are planning to steal the election (again)! <div style="text-align: center;font-family:arial;">We'll be screening 2 documentary films on the topic: <a href="http://www.gregpalast.com/sbyv/">"Steal Back Your Vote"</a> by Greg Palast (BBC) & Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and <a href="http://www.uncountedthemovie.com/" style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 153, 153);" target="_blank">"Uncounted: The New Math of American Elections"</a> </div><div style="text-align: center;font-family:arial;">Followed by a reception/social information session. With the city's favorite DJs: Spinna, Moni, Herbert Holler, Scribe, Blu Jemz and surprise guests! </div> Get your own copy of the "Steal Back Your Vote" comic book guide for free! [<a href="http://www.obamaartreport.com/search?updated-max=2008-10-23T20%3A49%3A00-07%3A00&max-results=13">artwork </a><a href="http://www.obamaartreport.com/search?updated-max=2008-10-23T20%3A49%3A00-07%3A00&max-results=13">"Words of Change" by Gui Borchet</a><a href="http://www.obamaartreport.com/search?updated-max=2008-10-23T20%3A49%3A00-07%3A00&max-results=13">]</a> This Monday 10.27.2008 ::: Doors open at 8:30PM ::: Screening starts at 9:00PM :::::Tribeca Grand Screening Room ::: Reception in the lounge ::::::** This Event Is FREE! ** Did you know… In the 2004 election: -Over three million votes cast were not counted at all ::: Over half a million absentee ballots were received but not counted ::: Black voters absentee ballots were over 3 times more likely to be rejected than White voters' ::: Black voters votes were 9 times more likely not to be counted overall ::: Latino voters votes were 5 times more likely not to be counted Subsequently, using new regulations developed under Bush's "Help America Vote Act": -California rejected 40% of all new voter registrations in 2006 ::: The GOP Secretary of State of Florida plans to drop 85,000, predominantly African-American, voters from the rolls before this election ::: The former GOP Secretary of State of Colorado dropped almost 20% of all registered voters from the state's voter rolls. that's one out of every five. Now she's the Chairman of the US Election Assistance Commission for the entire country! What you can do: -Come to this event, see the screening, tell your friends (especially press, "celebs" who will lend visibility to the issue, and anyone with an audience to share the info with) ::: Go to <a href="http://www.stealbackyourvote.com/" target="_blank">http://www.stealbackyourvote.com</a> to find out moreTO STAY INFORMED ABOUT THE PROBLEMS WITH THE VOTING MACHINES, make sure to check out the election watchdog organization, <a href="http://www.blackboxvoting.org/video.html#protect-the-count-1">Black Box Voting</a> that's working on raising awareness about the possible flaws with the electronic voting machines.

WE ARE THE PEOPLE ::: don't sleep then

The Fort Greene Film Society, Raw Fusion NYC, Rare Form, KeiStar Productions, Herbert Holler, Wonderway, Kilo International, Fusicology, Dia...

10:07 PM

WATER-FUELED CAR.... Imagine that!

Imagine a world of no pollution, no war for oil, no blood spilled for drops of liquid black gold. The future is here...let's hope that the ecologically aware half of the world will demand that this miracle car will actually gets to be produced safely and sold around the world, instead of remaining a wild utopian dream vehicle. "Developed by Genepax in Japan, this commuter vehicle is able to travel at 80km/h for one hour on just a single liter [approx. quarter of a gallon] of water. The concept is much the same as other fuel cell vehicles, except you don't need to feed the car with straight hydrogen. The Water Energy System (WES) and Membrane Electrode Assembly (MEA) are used to separate the hydrogen from the oxygen in water. Details are slim by they say this is accomplished through some sort of chemical reaction. Genepax is currently shopping around its technology to various automakers, so we're not sure when (and if) these water-powered cars will ever make it into production." <div style="text-align: center;"> </div><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/eb9urNUFzAM&hl=en"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/eb9urNUFzAM&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="344" width="425"></embed></object> via <a href="http://www.mobilemag.com/content/100/354/C15557/">mobile mag</a>

WATER-FUELED CAR.... Imagine that!

Imagine a world of no pollution, no war for oil, no blood spilled for drops of liquid black gold. The future is here...let's hope that t...

5:09 PM

Rise to Freedom: SOWETO...360

<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHATw2_Cg1UMm9x1cUC-jF6AuYHJM0JSA6bGlGuvcA8I2SGnN-_4xDqgnGQMkISvrKWP5_y0l3K1oin5Rei656aBIN8Jq2geJ1ymqIDQ8YW_fmGvPvsv3IUw-uDB3eLdExoZuD38A4Gs4/s1600-h/african_resistance_soweto_uprising.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208935697415738722" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHATw2_Cg1UMm9x1cUC-jF6AuYHJM0JSA6bGlGuvcA8I2SGnN-_4xDqgnGQMkISvrKWP5_y0l3K1oin5Rei656aBIN8Jq2geJ1ymqIDQ8YW_fmGvPvsv3IUw-uDB3eLdExoZuD38A4Gs4/s400/african_resistance_soweto_uprising.jpg" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" /></a>SOWETO...360 Presented by <a href="http://www.isintu.com/">iSintu</a> and <a href="http://www.fivemyles.org/">Five Myles Gallery</a> A group of African and African diaspora artists come and commemorate the June 16, 1976 Soweto Uprisings and the Juneteenth </div> Program: Movie Sceerning: "Where Are They Now?" a film by Alonzo Rico Speigh Panel Discussion: Alonzo Rico Speight and Hip Hop Artists Chen Lo, Toni Blackman, Eagle Nebula Musicians: singer/songwriter Masauko and Yolanda Zama Exhibition: Ezra Mabengeza (South Africa) and Fazenda (Mozambique) Jamhuri wear founder Kimathi Music Selection: DJ Eddie Ed Meet and greet. *light food and beverages, included in $10 admission About the movie: In the documentary, "Where Are They Now?", youth from New York and Soweto, South Africa weigh in forcefully on the critical issues of race, class and opportunity in the era of global capitalism. The film also examines other contentious issues such as "ebonics" and "pimp culture"-terms that have been used to disparage all twenty-something's of the hip-hop generation. More than seven years in the making, "Where Are They Now?" revisits the parallel lives of the 16 remarkable young people in the African Diaspora, first introduced during South Africa's historic transition from apartheid to democracy in Alonzo Rico Speight's documentary "Who's Gonna Take The Weight?". Released in 1997, "Who's Gonna Take The Weight?" presented poignant portrayals of African American and Black South African teenagers, comparing their lives and views and presenting their unique perspectives on South Africa's new democracy. "Where Are They Now?", the sequel, chronicles the remarkable changes over time in their individual lives as they matured into young adults. who live in a commercialized, capitalistic environment. In the insufferable climate of anti-terrorist repression and lack of opportunity for poor and working class people, the film asks: Where do you people of African descent stand, relative to the shifting social and political terrain in South Africa and the United States?

Rise to Freedom: SOWETO...360

SOWETO...360 Presented by iSintu and Five Myles Gallery A group of African and African diaspora artists come and commemorate the June 16, 1...

12:30 AM

GET INVOLVED: a FORUM on the Sean Bell case

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe7sBwJRukbT_T1y897qzAl62qI7xpM2VURnoRoCMS5ITq7HTUpWI4UzK75eOnX2Cch-t4QrpZ0oAgiuOt1TPMfZ3qqdddZP5ErxjZ1xDyq53GNNEFdyyTJYTrz3dI2g95juVUYTqb2DE/s1600-h/police%2520brutality%2520meeting%2520flyer%5B1%5D.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5206270373480032834" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe7sBwJRukbT_T1y897qzAl62qI7xpM2VURnoRoCMS5ITq7HTUpWI4UzK75eOnX2Cch-t4QrpZ0oAgiuOt1TPMfZ3qqdddZP5ErxjZ1xDyq53GNNEFdyyTJYTrz3dI2g95juVUYTqb2DE/s400/police%2520brutality%2520meeting%2520flyer%5B1%5D.jpg" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" /></a>Check out this special forum that Fort Greene Peace of Brooklyn has organized regarding the Sean Bell case and police conduct in general. FGP hopes the forum will explore ways to reduce police profiling and the police use of deadly force. <div> Also, if you would like to stay involved in issues ranging from military recruitment in high schools, the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, or interested in supporting refugees in Sudan, check out <a href="http://www.brooklynpeace.org/events/index.html">BROOKLYN FOR PEACE</a>, a network of Brooklyn residents — parents, neighbors, and educators — alarmed by the growing militarism of our society and its effect on our lives and our children's future. You can support one of BFP's projects by donating supplies to Sudanese refugees stranded in Chad: Collect Supplies for Darfurian Refugees in Chad Brooklyn For Peace is sending desperately needed supplies to the refugee camps on the Chadian border through the Darfur People Association of New York. Over 200,000 refugees fleeing the genocidal violence in Darfur have crossed the border into Chad, where they are living in refugee camps with scarce resources.The camps are in need of warm weather clothing, school supplies, and powdered milk. </div>

GET INVOLVED: a FORUM on the Sean Bell case

Check out this special forum that Fort Greene Peace of Brooklyn has organized regarding the Sean Bell case and police conduct in general. FG...

1:27 PM

"WE ARE": Lichiban X Jelsen Jargon collab!!

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh947Pq2y10d7xXaBXwcZW7kyMgC7LbXyWMlJLhH3vNYY_o-ynPzRgrF95JEWTPUFFcSCC3yE6xoPVH9PKwdFRf7hT485X1H37TG5b8u6x_C1MEFWi8L-Uu6BBnaShMVckLZ0BkbJUroYM/s1600-h/web_flyer_limbo.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5200812985058377762" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh947Pq2y10d7xXaBXwcZW7kyMgC7LbXyWMlJLhH3vNYY_o-ynPzRgrF95JEWTPUFFcSCC3yE6xoPVH9PKwdFRf7hT485X1H37TG5b8u6x_C1MEFWi8L-Uu6BBnaShMVckLZ0BkbJUroYM/s400/web_flyer_limbo.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; width: 414px; height: 337px;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD0pFKrkpECFwYOlQKmPKgLU7mmNCxaPtQk_3CpcUX-aEiTpNL-QxNrGz8FbVhPj-PD7mnNYifZzzmXVydzPoinFj12qp_brQUhLsJKJMUa0OKoWyXngfzhy5p9pU6a0ioaWIpfGPSXuM/s1600-h/jelsen&liBK.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5200693967219638242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD0pFKrkpECFwYOlQKmPKgLU7mmNCxaPtQk_3CpcUX-aEiTpNL-QxNrGz8FbVhPj-PD7mnNYifZzzmXVydzPoinFj12qp_brQUhLsJKJMUa0OKoWyXngfzhy5p9pU6a0ioaWIpfGPSXuM/s400/jelsen&liBK.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; width: 224px; height: 330px;" /></a> Here is the follow up on my collaboration with my buddy and fellow artist in crime, <a href="http://lichiban.blogspot.com/2008/03/my-homies-rule-too.html">Jelsen Jargon</a> for THE WORLD AT LARGE // LOVE WITHOUT BORDERS SHOW that our friends, <a href="http://www.tlmphilly.com/">The Love Movement</a> are curating in the <a href="http://www.limboarts.com/">Limbo Gallery</a> in San Diego. The show's proceed will benefit <a href="http://www.ihfonline.org/">The International Humanity Foundation</a>, a San Diego-based 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that provides free education and community leadership development, as well as operates orphanages and famine feeds, for the poorest of the world’s poor in Indonesia, Thailand and Kenya. I have been involved in several benefit shows in the past and am always ready to contribute my art to the CAUSE. Read more about the show <a href="http://lichiban.blogspot.com/2008/04/love-without-borders-art-show-in-san.html" style="font-style: italic;">here</a>. Jelsen is bad! Here is his brilliant typography he just drew off the top of his head. It reads WE ARE THE CHILDREN OF THE FUTURE. We worked hard on this for 4 nights in a row. <a href="http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q202/licsi777/jelsenscr2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q202/licsi777/jelsenscr2.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" /></a><a href="http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q202/licsi777/jelsenscr.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q202/licsi777/jelsenscr.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; width: 322px; height: 213px;" /></a> step one...I did the portraits <a href="http://s137.photobucket.com/albums/q202/licsi777/?action=view&current=lichibanxjelsengirl2.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q202/licsi777/lichibanxjelsengirl2.jpg" style="width: 653px; height: 453px;" /></a> step done! coloring was real fun....[photo: Stephanie Land] <a href="http://s137.photobucket.com/albums/q202/licsi777/?action=view&current=lichibanxjelsenGirl.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q202/licsi777/lichibanxjelsenGirl.jpg" style="width: 654px; height: 476px;" /></a> I picked Jelsen's childhood portrait to draw. [photo: Stephanie Land] <a href="http://s137.photobucket.com/albums/q202/licsi777/?action=view&current=jelsenbaby.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Photobucket" border="0" src="http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q202/licsi777/jelsenbaby.jpg" style="width: 654px; height: 488px;" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDGvxKBVTtTc3ibpBg9Q_mpl-lZSp-yga3drgNXaGNfpO00JNXG5W7pXFlpnQMwubJGuDnaBGIqWyhFiDHzakAoBHeuGsIEOEkJcJEghC-1mf6WWNqGYiPunS2sYrISg-jvgHoApOTeN8/s1600-h/jelsendrawing+copy.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5200695822645510130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDGvxKBVTtTc3ibpBg9Q_mpl-lZSp-yga3drgNXaGNfpO00JNXG5W7pXFlpnQMwubJGuDnaBGIqWyhFiDHzakAoBHeuGsIEOEkJcJEghC-1mf6WWNqGYiPunS2sYrISg-jvgHoApOTeN8/s400/jelsendrawing+copy.jpg" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" /></a>I wanted to see him communing with his childhood self. I love drawing kids and nothing boosts one's creativity more than getting reconnected with one's inner child...kids are constantly creating and their imagination is WITHOUT BORDERS. Imagine having rediscovering that kind of flow again! I love collaborations..I always learn something new from my colleagues and get the creative juices flowing even more abundantly. Thanks, Jelsen! Check Jelsen's post about our collab on his <a href="http://courtesy-of.blogspot.com/2008/05/we-are.html">blog</a>. By the way, hit us up if you'd like to commission us (we can work with larger scale pieces too).

"WE ARE": Lichiban X Jelsen Jargon collab!!

Here is the follow up on my collaboration with my buddy and fellow artist in crime, Jelsen Jargon for THE WORLD AT LARGE // LOVE WITHOUT B...

12:09 PM