On Sunday, Sept. 12 at 2 pm, at the CUNY Grad Center, I will be speaking on a panel sponsored by SOS Food, “Biodiversity and the Unpublished Hazards of Genetically Engineered Foods” at the Interdependence Day Festival (info below).
The speakers are:
Michael Hansen (Consumer Union) Ellen Osuna (SOS Food) Howard Brandstein (Sixth Street Community Center) Mitchel Cohen (No Spray Coalition and NYS Greens)
Interdependence Day Festival 2004 September 12, 2004 11:30AM to 7:00PM City University of New York Graduate Center 34th Street and 5th Avenue in Manhattan, New York City
General All Day Admission: $25 Students, Seniors, Low Income: $15 No one will be turned away due to lack of funds To Register: Call 212 817-8215 Since the event could sell out, your advanced ticket purchase will guarantee your admission.
Registration: 11:00AM Drum Circle starts 11:30AM Delicious Organic Food will be available for purchase (provided by Narda Narvaez and Dennis K)
We, The World's Interdependence Day Festival 2004 in New York City celebrates the interconnectedness of all life and the recognition of that interconnectedness. The day will include dazzling artistic presentations and performances rooted in the consciousness of peace and sustainability.
The event will also provide an opportunity to connect with outspoken leaders whose work supports and promotes conscious interdependence, awareness, and action in the areas of peace and nonviolence, human rights, eco-solutions, media and the public good, indigenous people's issues, the interfaith movement, women's issues, and more. September 12th will be a day of celebration, information and action!
This Festival is being organized by <http://www.wetheworld.org>We, The World and will be a major kick-off event for <http://www.wetheworld.org/11days>11 Days of Global Unity September 11 - 21, 2004, a convergence of local and global consciousness-raising festivals, concerts, broadcasts, webcasts, coordinated civic actions, voter registration programs, and other activities taking place in over 100 cities around the world. The goal is to maximize public awareness of the challenges humanity now faces, and to celebrate and facilitate involvement in the solutions.
One of the highlights of the Festival will be Public Signings of the <http://www.wetheworld.org/11days/index.html#declaration>Global Declaration of Interdependence as specifically derived from the Earth Charter for this occasion.
PRESENTATIONS &WORKSHOPS
Special message from Archbishop Desmond Tutu: "Interdependence, Global Unity and Peace"
Keynote: Robert Knight - WBAI News Analyst and Host of "Earth Watch" - Power of the Media
Amnesty International - Shahram Hashemi Founded in London in 1961, Amnesty International is a Nobel Prize-winning grassroots activist organization with over 1.8 million members worldwide. Amnesty International undertakes research and action focused on preventing and ending grave abuses of the rights to physical and mental integrity, freedom of conscience and expression, and freedom from discrimination, within the context of its work to promote all human rights. Today's presentation will focus on Amnesty's Student activism regarding Prisoners of Conscience as well as current work in Iraq, Sudan and other crisis areas.
Foundation for Ethics and Meaning: Living in Truth in a Time of Lies Workshop Bruce Novak teaches philosophy of education at Northern Illinois Univeristy and is the Co-Chair of the Assembly for Expanded Perspectives on Learning. He is writing a book about the emergence of a nurturant democracy, entitled The Opening of the American Heart. Living in Truth explores meaningful and sustainable social action from the inside out.
Jane Goodall Institute Roots & Shoots Youth Program The Roots & Shoots Program inspires youth of all ages to make a difference by becoming involved in their communities. Each Roots & Shoots group plans and implements service-learning projects that promote care and concern for animals, the environment and the human community. Today's presentation will focus on how youth activities for the environment, animals and their local community contribute to a healthy interdependent world.
SOS Food Workshop: Biodiversity and the Unpublicized Hazards of Genetically Engineered Foods featuring Michael Hansen, Ph.D (Senior Research Associate, Consumers Union), Mitchel Cohen -(NY State Green Party, No Spray Coalition), Ellen Osuna (SOS Food), Howard Brandstein (Coordinating)
NY Council for Nonviolent Communication - Moving From Pain to Compassion in an Interconnected World Thom Bond is Co-Founder of the NY Council for NVC.Nonviolent Communication is a language model and approach for working through conflict with compassion, speed and success. NVC guides us to reframe how we express ourselves and how we hear others by focusing on what we are observing, feeling, needing, and requesting.
Federation of World Peace and Love Workshop - Share the experience, environmental protection, nonviolence, creating a peaceful life.
Global Unity Through Interfaith Dialogue - Safiyya Sarkin
Kayhan Irani - Theatre of the Oppressed Workshop Theater is the art of looking at our selves and can be a means of transforming society. The Brazilian theater activist, Augusto Boal created Theater of the Oppressed in the 1950¹s. In Theater of the Oppressed the fourth wall of traditional theater is abolished and spectators become Œspect-actors¹. By giving the participants power in the creation of the action, they are being transformed and prepared to participate in the theater of life. Spect-actors uncover the root causes of problems and what factors, externally as well as internally, block them from taking effective action.
Sunshine Eagle Universal Peruvian Shaman & Teacher Honoring Our Interdependence workshop At the Soul level we are totally interconnected. What has gone before, what is here now, and what will be here tomorrow will forever be part of us. We got here generations after generations, life after life and we have survived. Now the universe demands more from us. Come to be in a circle and find out our interdependence. Just like the tree needs it's roots to hold on to the earth to be able to stand, so we need to experience the fabric that permeates all and holds us together.
This workshop is for everyone but especially for you if you want to change the course of the politics in this country and want peace on this Planet.
NY Sustainable Communities workshop
Susan Zipp - Earth Charter Initiative - Plenary Presentation & Workshop
Dennis Kucinich's Dept of Peace Initiative - Plenary Presentation & Workshop
ARTS PRESENTATIONS & PERFORMANCES (Confirmed)
Federation of World Peace and Love - The Solemn Ceremony of Ringing the Bell of Peace, and The Ancient <http://thesearchmall.com/cgi-bin/ezlclk.fcgi?id=734>Asian Culture with New Vitality (dance/artistic performance). The ceremony aims to share with the event participants and audience the importance and essential of Global Unity and Harmony.
Brooklyn Women's Chorus directed by Bev Grant The Brooklyn Women¹s Chorus is a community chorus that was formed in October 1997 by Park Slope resident and musician, Bev Grant. The chorus has a repertoire ranging from South African freedom songs to socially relevant songs by contemporary American songwriters. Bev Grant is a singer/songwriter/guitarist, cultural activist and former leader and cornerstone of the band, Human Condition. Currently she is director of the Brooklyn Women¹s Chorus and cultural director of the Northeast University Association of Labor Educators (UALE) Summer Institute for Union Women.
Town Hall Wall - Phyllis Yampolsky
Raquy and the Cavemen Middle Eastern Drumming Group - includes Palestinian and Israeli musicians
Jubilee & Chocolate Thai Soulful performance group
Kymbali (Theatrical and Spoken Word artist) - a multi-talented performance artist who creates various characters to explore political and social issues.
Valerie Ghent - Performing Artist
Missy Galore - Performing Artist
Danny Schechter Film Screening: We Are Family - Acclaimed at the Sundance Film Festival, this is a film about people connecting post 9/11. A discussion will follow with Nancy Hunt (WeAreFamilyFoundation.org)