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

Imported from external blog

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

Imported from external blog

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

Imported from external blog

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 DAY
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

Imported from external blog

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
--

Imported from external blog

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/

Imported from external blog

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.

Imported from external blog

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

Imported from external blog

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

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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

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