Calendar

Sep
11
Tue
2018
VEGANFILMFEST.COM – DAY 1 – ONLINE AND “FACE TO FACE” in your area of the World @ WorldPeaceProductions.org, WE.net, VeganSedona.com and FamilyOfLight.org
Sep 11 all-day
VEGANFILMFEST.COM - DAY 1 - ONLINE AND "FACE TO FACE" in your area of the World @ WorldPeaceProductions.org, WE.net, VeganSedona.com and FamilyOfLight.org

WORLDPEACEPRODUCTIONS.ORG, WE, The World, and FamilyOfLight,org invite you to participate in a global movement for Peace & Sustainability Sept 11-21, culminating in the International Day of Peace.

The FIRST DAY of our ONLINE #11DaysOfGlobalUnity

FREE FILM SCREENINGS VEGAN FILM FESTIVAL starts, Sept. 11.

THEME: UNITY

Please host a free film screening, watch the film, and take an 11 Day Challenge to go Vegan and share the opportunity with those you care about by hosting an improVdinners.com Breakin’ Bread Together for a Better World

MODERN DAY PEACE RALLY with WORLDPEACEPRODUCTIONS.ORG

MEDIA THAT MATTERS!

www.VeganFilmFest.com

Sep
12
Wed
2018
Celebrate 20 Years with We, The World & Good News Planet – Interdependence Day Peace Party @ Church of the Village
Sep 12 all-day
Celebrate 20 Years with We, The World & Good News Planet – Interdependence Day Peace Party @ Church of the Village

Celebrating 20 Years With We, The World & Good News Planet

CHURCH OF THE VILLAGE
201 WEST 13TH STREET (corner of 7th Ave.) Manhattan, NYC

WEDNESDAY SEPT 12, 2018

6:30PM – 9:30 PM

Sliding Scale: $10/20 in advance, $15/25 at the door

Ticket Link: http://bit.ly/WTW20GN
Facebook Event Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/250681448989549/
Livestream Link (day of event): https://www.youcanview.com/
Official Website page: https://we.net/20years

Don’t miss this Unforgettable Once-In-A-Lifetime Event!

6:00pm Doors Open
6:30pm Sharp – 9:30pm Program
9:30-10:00pm Networking

With Hosts
Paul Sladkus, Founder, Producer and Host of Good News Planet and
Rick Ulfik, Founder of We, The World and the We Campaign

Featuring:

Special Opening Performance at 6:30 by Dynamic New York R&B Recording Artist Al Smith
Kathryn Davis, host of Heart of Mind Radio
Rev. Deborah Moldow, founder of Garden of Light
Singer songwriter Heidi Little
World Dance with Kaeshi Chai and PURE (Public Urban Ritual Experiment)
Singer songwriter Kristin Hoffmann
Claire Diab, International Yoga Therapist, Board Member of the Deepak Chopra Center
Joumana Rizk, Peacelights
Monica Willard, United Religions Initiative
Rev. Susana Bastarrica, Founder, Vigil for Peace and Ecology
Alan Steinfeld, host and producer of New Realities
Mitchell Rabin, host and producer of A Better World
Drs. J.J. and Desiree Hurtak, Academy For Future Science
Andrew Kaen, Founder, Planet Heart, Producer of Annual World Peace Earth Day Celebration

Tribute To Carole Hart (helped launch Sesame Street, Free to Be, You and Me)

World Premiere of the We, The World Song by Heidi Little, Rick Ulfik, Andrew Kaen and others
Tribute to Aretha Franklin & Wilson Pickett Featuring Cherette White, Al Smith, Rick Ulfik and other Musicians

Plus Special Video Presentations including:
Video Message from Deepak Chopra (Bestselling Author and We, The World Advisory Board Member)
Woodstock Forever: Peace, Love, Hope. Movie Premiere Trailer
An Urgent Message From Your Children

For more information contact: Andrew Kaen, organizer 646-765-7890
or email andrewkaen@wetheworld.org

VeganFilmFest.com -ONLINE – DAY 2 – THEME: INTERDEPENDENCE @ WorldPeaceProductions.org, WE.NET, VEGANSEDONA.COM,& FAMILYOFLIGHT.ORG
Sep 12 all-day

WORLDPEACEPRODUCTIONS.ORG, WE, The World, and FamilyOfLight,org invite you to participate in a global movement for Peace & Sustainability Sept 11-21, culminating in the International Day of Peace.

The 2ND DAY of our ONLINE #11DaysOfGlobalUnity

FREE FILM SCREENINGS VEGAN FILM FESTIVAL

Starts tomorrow, Sept. 12.

THEME: Interdependence

FILM: H.O.P.E. featuring Jane Goodall.

Please host or attend a fundraisin’ improVdinners.com film screening, watch the film online and donate to our WPP MEDIA THAT MATTERS cause, and take an 11 Day Challenge to go Vegan! for 11 Days by Breakin’ Bread Together for a Better World!

WE are here to help. You can do it!

www.VeganFilmFest.com

 

Sep
13
Thu
2018
VEGANFILMFEST.COM – ONLINE – DAY 3 – THEME: ENVIRONMENT – FILMS: MEAT THE TRUTH & SEA THE TRUTH @ VEGANFILMFEST.COM - ONLINE
Sep 13 all-day
VEGANFILMFEST.COM - ONLINE - DAY 3 - THEME:  ENVIRONMENT - FILMS:  MEAT THE TRUTH & SEA THE TRUTH @ VEGANFILMFEST.COM - ONLINE

WORLDPEACEPRODUCTIONS.ORG, WE.NET, VEGANSEDONA.COM & FamilyOfLight,org

Invite you to participate in a global #11DAYSOFGLOBALUNITY

Movement for Peace & Sustainability Sept 11-21,

Culminating with the International Day of Peace.

The 3RD DAY of our ONLINE #11DaysOfGlobalUnity

FREE FILM SCREENINGS – VEGAN FILM FESTIVAL is Sept. 13.

THEME: Environment

FILMS: MEAT THE TRUTH & SEA THE TRUTH

Please host or attend a free improVdinners.com film screening by:

watching the film online,

donating to our cause and

joining our MEDIA THAT MATTERS movement,

AND/OR

take an 11 Day Challenge to goVegan!

by Breakin’ Bread Together for a Better World!

www.VeganFilmFest.com

Sep
20
Thu
2018
Connect for Peace 2018 @ Foley Square Park
Sep 20 @ 4:30 pm – 7:30 pm

Connect for Peace 2018 @ Foley Square

Connect for Peace is a public street happening for peace in honor of the International Day of Peace. We invite participants and passersby to connect with one another in a spirit of openness, spontaneity, and childlike innocence. A cross between performance art and a peace rally, these powerful events have touched the lives of people from around the globe.

We take a moment to connect for peace. We take a moment to really see the person in front of us. We say, “I see you” and are genuinely seen in return. The bungee cords physicalize the invisible connections between all people. As we realize how interconnected we are, peace is a natural outcome.

Amazing things happen at every Connect for Peace event. It touches something deep. Passersby stop to share intimate details of their lives. Strangers are moved to extraordinary acts of kindness. The premise is simple but the results are incredibly powerful.

Sep
21
Fri
2018
UNIFY Broadcast from UN of Peace Day Participants Uniting Worldwide and Synchronized Meditation @ UN and Peace Accelerators/UNIFY Peace Celebration at The Brooklyn Mirage
Sep 21 all-day
UNIFY Broadcast from UN of Peace Day Participants Uniting Worldwide and Synchronized Meditation @ UN and Peace Accelerators/UNIFY Peace Celebration at The Brooklyn Mirage

Can the world be peaceful for 24 hours? Every hour a new invitation, action, mission, and hero will invite you in the UNIFY Experience for all to do and share together! This is hosted by UNIFY and all our amazing Partners honoring The International Day of Peace. The Incredible Celebration will be led LIVE on UNIFY FB Page.

Sept 21 we will be LIVE on FB,starting the kick off of this Global Synchronized Event and will be working towards breaking our last Guinness World Record!

Learn more about this at http://www.home.unify.org/

Share your peaceful actions on Twitter, FB, Instagram with us featuring hashtag # reporting your actions on the Map on our site

Please share this event! Peace on!

From Peace Accelerators Description: It is our dream (and hopefully it will become your dream as well) that over the next decade we begin to celebrate the International Day of Peace (September 21st) more and more each year, until over time it becomes the first holiday that the entire world celebrates.

It is not religious and it is not about any made-up country — it is about all of us seeing the commonality between each other, realizing we’re on one Earth (and in many ways this place needs us to adapt to her quite quickly at this crucial point in history).

This Thursday we are holding a large beautiful inspiring event for the International Day of Peace. There will be community leaders, speakers, musicians, meditation, yoga, dj’s and much more.

This will be one evening you will not want to miss.

It will be the largest celebration for the International Day of Peace in NYC, the heartbeat city of our one planet.

Let’s show the world what we want.

FREE Laughter Yoga on the PHONE! @ On the Phone from Wherever You Are!
Sep 21 @ 9:00 am – 9:15 am
FREE Laughter Yoga on the PHONE! @ On the Phone from Wherever You Are!

Join others for 15 glorious minutes of Laughter Yoga on the phone as we celebrate 11 Days of Global Unity! Today, we culminate these 11 days as we mark the UN International Day of Peace. When Dr. Kataria, founder of Laughter Yoga, began spreading his vision of sharing intentional laughter, he recognized that Laughter is a universal language and since its founding in 1995, he has hoped others will share his vision of using shared intentional laughter to help the world find peace. I’m SURE I’ve enjoyed laughing with each and every person who has called in during the 11 Days of Global Unity. On this, our last call of this series, we will focus on Laughter Exercises that envision a more peaceful world. As always: no previous experience, no special clothes or equipment required. CALL: +1-218-339-2460 CODE: 52844# (LAUGH#) We’ll start with SMILE-UPsSM and get the giggles with silly, playful LAUGHTER exercises that help unite us as we decrease stress, anxiety and depression, increase joy, connection, creativity, energy, focus and productivity. Connect to others through LAUGHTER! Time given is for Central Standard Time. More information about Sarah and her work on www.SeriousGiggles.com The Event Page has more details including a MAP to find the correct time in YOUR time zone and a link to the Facebook Event where you can RSVP if you want to connect further. Come together to LAUGH for joy! “Laughter is the shortest distance between 2 people.” – Victor Borge

Also NOTE: Sarah continues these Laughter Calls every MONDAY MORNING at 9am Central Standard Time for 15 minutes. You are always invited! Thanks for joining the fun as we all work together to find a more unified, and much more peaceful world, one big smile and one shared laugh at a time!

UNITY in commUNITY: Int’l Day of Peace March and Rally presented by the River Phoenix Center for Peacebuilding @ The Sun Center
Sep 21 @ 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm

​In celebration of our common humanity, we join with citizens from all around the world on September 21st for International Peace Day. This year we are excited to celebrate the EMPOWERED VOICES OF YOUTH in our commUNITY, who are leading the way to a more peaceful and just world.  International Day of Peace was established in 1981 by unanimous United Nations resolution and this day of peace provides a globally shared occasion for all humanity to commit to peace above all differences and to contribute to building a culture of peace.

Come and join us as we

march, chant, dance, rally, listen and create

with one another to celebrate our

connection, hope, and commUNITY!

 

Festivities include:
March
Unique voices from our International community
Performances
International Flag Ceremony
Face-painting
Sign Making
…and more!

Sep
5
Thu
2019
HEARTMATH INSTITUTE & PARTNERS Create 24 Hours of GLOBAL PEACE
Sep 5 @ 7:45 pm – 8:45 pm

The International Day of Peace (Peace Day) is observed around the world each year on September 21st – a day to commemorate and strengthen the ideals of peace both within and among all nations and peoples.

Please join us on September 21, 2019 when HeartMath Institute and partners align in heart-focused intention to create 24 hours of peace.

Peace One Day, Heart Ambassadors, Pathways to Peace, and Peace Direct will broadcast from London a 2-minute short film with a heart-centered meditation in between a series of live events celebrating the International Day of Peace. HeartMath’s Sheva Carr and Dr. Scilla Elworthy, Founder of the Oxford Research Group and three-time Nobel Peace Prize Nominee, are collaborating with Peace One Day to help anchor this Global Heart Meditation, which will further activate the vision of the Global Coherence Initiative. Learn more about the event and Watch the Live Broadcast on Sept. 21.

Peace Wave Meditation – Moments of Mass Mindfulness (MOMM)
MOMM is thrilled to be part of the Peace Coalition network of Peace One Day and a global partner of Pace e Bene’s Campaign Nonviolence. MOMM is organizing peace meditations around the globe, each beginning at midday in your local time zone, creating a “peace wave” which will flow around the world over 24 hours as each nation and location hits midday. Register your MOMM group for International Peace Day. Learn more.

Howard Martin, one of the original co-founders of HeartMath,

will lead the Moments of Mass Mindfulness World Peace Day Meditation

on September 21st at a HeartMath workshop event in London,

10 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (BST).

More details on the public workshop from HeartMath.

At 12 – 12:30 p.m. London time,

join Howard Martin World Day Peace talk live-streaming and meditation.

You can join others on the Global Coherence App.

The HeartMath Institute and Global Coherence Initiative
We will be joining communities around the world in mass meditation using the Global Coherence app. To create this peace wave, our hope is to synchronize together and radiate heart to the world on Sept. 21, 2019 at 12:00 noon at your location.

The Global Coherence App created by HeartMath Institute connects people from all around the world who have a sincere desire to add heart to their daily lives and the world itself. The app enables anyone to join public groups. The app is free and does not require a sensor for you to actively participate. With a HeartMath pulse sensor, you can measure your individual coherence and view the coherence contribution to the Global Group as well.

Global Coherence App
You also can access guided heart-focused meditations and see your pink marker on the global map. If you have not already, sign up for the Global Coherence Initiative app. You can download the free app from Google Play or the App Store.
As part of this event, The Global Consciousness Project will be observing random number generators to see the degree to which our collective coherent fields can facilitate patterns as they evolve from chaos to coherence. Learn more.
The Global Coherence network is a community of people who strive to awaken the higher mental, emotional and spiritual capacities in themselves and the global community through genuine love, care and heartfelt compassion.

We hope you will join us and others around the world for 24 hours of Peace.

HeartMath Institute <info@heartmath.org>

Sep
14
Sat
2019
Campaign Nonviolence Week of Action @ International Movement
Sep 14 – Sep 21 all-day
Campaign Nonviolence Week of Action @ International Movement

Campaign Nonviolence was created to help unite movements and build peace by working to end war, poverty, racism and environmental destruction.
Since 2014 tens of thousands of people have joined Campaign Nonviolence (CNV) every September marching for peace, racial justice, economic equality and environmental healing. Now, we are gearing up for another powerful nationwide mobilization September 14-22 — please join us!
Over 2,660 marches, rallies, workshops and other public events took place in all 50 states and 25 countries last September. This year we will build on this growing movement by bringing all of our issues together in the same week coast to coast and around the world — and calling with one voice for a nonviolent culture that works for everyone.

PICTURE 16 – A PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION ABOUT SDG 16 (PEACE) @ The Church of the Covenant
Sep 14 all-day
PICTURE 16 - A PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION ABOUT SDG 16 (PEACE) @ The Church of the Covenant

Event: Empowered Youth Transforming Humanity:
Photography Exhibition & Videos
Picture 16©, is the most recent exhibition by 21 year-old Canadian award-winning photographer/filmmaker/author & social entrepreneur, Kasha Sequoia Slavner. The 16-piece exhibition is inspired by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #16, Peace, Justice and Strong institutions. As a young global leader and traveling peace ambassador, Kasha explores the intersectionality of goal 16, what we can learn from each other’s stories, and how peace informs the actions we take in our own lives, communities and the world at large.

About the photographer/filmmaker:

Kasha is a Gen-Z filmmaker/photographer/writer, passionate global youth leader & social justice advocate. At 14 she founded the The Global Sunrise Project – a youth-led social enterprise that creates positive impact media. She uses her storytelling platform to inspire youth to become civically engaged and conducts educational outreach with screenings & workshops. Her feature documentary, The Sunrise Storyteller, has screened at 60+ international film festivals and won 28 awards, including the Ron Kovic Peace Prize and Women Transforming Media Award.

She is the first recipient of the Kim Phuc Youth Peace Award. Most recently this committed changemaker became a Diana Award Holder, for sustaining positive social change in the memory of Diana, Princess of Wales. She is an 7x UN Youth Delegate with The Canadian Voice of Women for Peace and an accredited expert for the Women’s Media Center. In addition, Kasha tours with a 32 piece photography exhibition “Travels into the Heart”. At 17 Kasha published her first 200+ page book of photography “Reflections of the Sunrise Storyteller – A Journey into the Heart as a Global Citizen”. She’s a frequent public speaker, has been commissioned by National Geographic Learning, and a contributor to Thrive Global, The Huffington Post, and several publications.

Sep
19
Thu
2019
Lift the Earth: Bringing Peace to our Ancestors @ Menla
Sep 19 – Sep 22 all-day
LIFT THE EARTH:
Bringing Peace to Our Ancestors

September 19-22, 2019
Menla, Phoenicia, NY
Register at:

Join us on World Peace Day and the Fall Equinox for LIFT THE EARTH: Bringing Peace to Our Ancestors; a four-day gathering which includes the participation of the Grandmothers Council, Alice Walker, Dr. Henrietta Mann, Chief Phil Lane Jr, Dr. Robert Thurman, Jussara Korngold and other spiritual leaders and activists from around the world.This gathering will include interactive dialogue, prayer circles, and teachings on ancestral healing, water and land issues, and the future of the generations to come.

Register now before we sell out – join us for this special event and participate in this world-wide collective prayer for outer and inner peace.

Program Tuition: $520
3 Day Commuter Fee (No Meals): $754
Night Accommodations with Meals: $294 – $564
Sep
20
Fri
2019
Speaking Event at UN’s Student Observance of International Peace Day
Sep 20 all-day

Kasha from The Global Sunrise Project is Speaking about Climate Action for Peace at the UN’s Student Observance of International Peace Day.

Sep
21
Sat
2019
Peace Lanterns Festival 2019 @ Gantry Plaza State Park
Sep 21 @ 2:00 pm – 8:30 pm

 

Peace Lanterns Festival 2019

September 21, 2019

2:00-8:30pm

Gantry Plaza State Park

Long Island City 11011

Our next peace event that Heiwa Peace & Reconciliation Foundation is co-sponsoring will be annual Peace Lanterns Festival on Saturday, September 21 (UN International Day of Peace!!!) from 2pm – 8:30pm. It will be held at Gantry Plaza State Park in LIC, NY (along with East River, across the River from the United Nations) – Center Blvd & 49th Ave., LIC.

Schedule of Peace Lanterns Festival:
-Free Public Event. Donations are welcome. –

2:00 – 6:00pm Lantern Decorating, Origami, Face Painting, Henna Tattoos, Seedball Making, and African Dance.

2:30 – 5:30pm “Meditate NYC” – Public Meditation Day
Practice mindfulness and calming under the guidance of revered teachers from Buddhist and other traditions from across the globe.

3:00 – 6:00pm Public Paddling, organized by HarborLAB

6:15pm – 7:30pm Speakers and Interfaith Prayers for Peace
Music by Heiwa Peace Band

7:30 – 8:30pm Floating Peace Lanterns
108 lanterns with your words and images of peace and set them afloat with the setting sun.

Peace Lanterns Festival is co-sponsored by the HaborLAB, the Heiwa Peace Reconciliation Foundation of New York and the Buddhist Council of New York, in partnership with the Global Movement for the Culture of Peace, the Interfaith Center of New York, the Interfaith Center of USA, the Newtown Creek Group, the NY de Volunteers, the Origami Therapy Association, the Sikh Cultural Society, the TF Cornerstone, and the World Yoga Community.

Call (646) 797-7982
heiwafoundationny@gmail.com
http://heiwafoundation.org/Home/Donation

 

A Celebration of Diversity and A Feast for Peace – by STOP of Scottsdale AZ – on the INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE @ Mountainview Community Center
Sep 21 @ 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm

A Celebration of Diversity and A Feast for Peace

  • Sponsored by STOP:  Scottsdale Together Overcoming Prejudice 

  • This is a community potluck to meet your neighbors. 

  • Saturday, September 21, 2019, from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm, the International Day of Peace

  • Held at:  Mountainview Community Center Multipurpose Room, 8625 E. Mountainview Road, Scottsdale, AZ.  Space is limited to 150 people so please sign up on Sign Up Genius at: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0a4da4ab2fab9-acelebration

  • Everyone is welcome.  Bring a dish to share to celebrate your personal diversity. Beverages will be provided. Vegan, nut free and vegetarian options will be provided.  

This event is in response to a recent hate crime in McDowell Mountain Ranch in North Scottsdale.  Lisa Sprout, an oncologist who lives in McDowell Mountain Ranch, said “The community we live in talks about how tolerant we are…but in this gated community, we have hate crimes.”  A photo was posted to a front door which appears to depict a scene from the civil rights movement, with white protesters holding a sign that says in all caps: “GO BACK TO AFRICA NEGROES.” In response, a grass roots community effort sprung up called STOP.    

STOP is a group of concerned neighbors who believe positive change comes about through respect, understanding, education, awareness, engagement and strength in numbers. We seek to solidify Scottsdale as a safe and welcoming city for all.

Contact Lisa Sproat at sproatsaysno@gmail.com with questions.

 

 

 

 

CONTACT INFO
sproatsaysno@gmail.com
MORE INFO
About
STOP was formed in July of 2019 by Dr Spoart. Follow us to learn about upcoming inclusive events,education and support for those who have experienced hate speech/discrimination.

 

 

 

 

Sep
30
Mon
2019
Share Your Plans for International Day of Peace 2019 @ Your community
Sep 30 all-day

Share Your Plans for International Day of Peace 2019

IDP 2019 poster

We invite URI Cooperation Circles and URI Regional Support Offices

to share their plans for the International Day of Peace!

Please take a moment to fill out the form below to inform us of your plans

and how you hope the event will unfold.

After the event has happened, we hope you’ll send us actual numbers

(of participants, etc.) with reflections on what took place.

We will be in touch to request those details at the end of September.

We wish you the best and thank you for all the work you do to bring peace,

justice and healing to the world!

If you have any questions, please email IDP@uri.org.

MEASURE YOUR IMPACT!
Please use your best guess to give us the information requested below. After the event has happened, we hope you’ll send us actual numbers (of participants, etc.) with reflections on what took place. We will be in touch to request those details at the end of September.

By submitting this form, I agree that this information may be used by URI, and shared with our International Day of Peace partners (including UNIFY, the Compassion Games, 1 Billion Acts of Peace and the United Nations).
Feb
14
Fri
2020
My Queer Valentine Reception hosted by Torpedo Art Factory and Target Gallery @ Torpedo Factory Art Center
Feb 14 @ 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm

My Queer Valentine Reception

Hosted by Torpedo Factory Art Center and Target Gallery

Friday, February 14, 2020 at 7 PM – 10 PM
Next Week18–32°F Sunny

Torpedo Factory Art Center

105 N. Union St, Alexandria, Virginia 22314
Call (703) 746-4570
https://www.facebook.com/torpedofactory/

Art in Person and in Progress. Located in Old Town Alexandria, the Torpedo Factory Art Center is home to 165 working artists, seven galleries, The Art League, and the Alexandria Archaeology Museum. Free admission.

Tickets by Eventbrite
****************************************************************************************************
****************************************************************************************************

My Queer Valentine Shows the Richness of LGBTQ Life

The warmth of recognition is strong inside the exhibition.

 FEB 6, 2020 11 AM

Gould Acrylic High Res“Acrylic” by Aurele Gould, 2017

I took my girlfriend to see My Queer Valentine on a Monday morning; it was a date, I told her. We took the Metro down to King Street and walked to the Alexandria waterfront. Once we got there, we strolled into The Torpedo Factory Art Center’s Target Gallery, hands interlocked.

For My Queer Valentine, the contemporary gallery’s spring show, the small space is filled with large-scale photographic prints, paintings on both large and small canvases, and sculpture. Visually, the pieces cover a broad range of styles, including a digitally influenced take on Abstract Expressionism, geometric interpretations of fire, Basquiat-esque mark-making and writing over photographs, sculpture with few references to recognizable forms, canvases made three-dimensional by the attachment of glittery found objects, and small silkscreen prints. Thematically, they may at first seem to not cohere, but that’s only because My Queer Valentine’s juried works cover a diverse and rich swath of queer life.

As for taking my girlfriend, I had another motive that I didn’t say aloud, though she may have picked up on it. I wanted to enter that exhibition as a visibly gay person, and I wanted to see how that affected my experience of the art. It was the right choice. My Queer Valentine does more than curate work that examines what it means to be LGBTQ in the 21st century: It creates a queer space warm with the joy of recognition.

Some works speak directly to that joy, like artist Cat Gunn’s abstract canvases. Their dramatic patterns represent the harmony of being in a relationship where their partner sees them as their authentic, nonbinary self, they write in the wall text. There are glittering squares and wobbling lines moving back and forth across the plane, but things seem to be coming together the longer you look—parts that once made no sense have an internal logic that reveals itself with sustained attention and open mindedness. Recognition can be dangerous, and the closet offers safety, but it also means hiding behind a mask. The relief of dropping the charade and being seen is transcendent.

My Queer Valentine isn’t camp, not as a whole, but it’s full of artworks made by people who understand the humor and the wondrous pompousness of queer glamor. (That glamor and its high drama are knowingly self-important because there are still so many people who wish we didn’t have it.) The first pieces the viewer encounters play with the feminine trappings of artificial jewelry, glitter, plastic, and resin, all in bright, loud colors; one piece dripping with sequins invites viewers to “lick me until ice cream.” That kind of playful sexuality thrives in many of the works, even the more subdued ones. A beige canvas on the opposing wall asks the onlooker to “come (cum on my) back.” The half-joking, half-serious attitude toward sex is one of My Queer Valentine’s greatest strengths, highlighting the laughter and joy inherent in queer life and queer sex.

Linda Hesh’s “Kissing Booth” is another joyful artwork. It’s not a stunning feat of technique and construction; it’s just a wood and steel booth, like one you might see at a county fair in the ’50s. It advertises itself as, unsurprisingly, “KISSING BOOTH.” It’s not anchored to a wall. Instead, it stands out from a corner and beckons viewers to come in, where they might notice that its gingham pattern is made up of pictures of kissing same-sex couples. I’ll admit my biases here: I’ve always had a love for participatory art. But the booth’s standing invitation to come inside, to take a picture kissing underneath it, and to share that picture with the world is a brave act, even in 2020 in Alexandria—brave for the artist and the piece inviting those kisses, brave for the people who choose to do so. Even though queer desire is hypervisible in contemporary life, it’s not always recognized as a loving, human affect. By asking people to kiss, Hesh affirms the romance of the gesture and the genuine safety of the space around it.

The most striking pieces were by D.C.-based photographer Matt Storm, a transgender man. His work is challenging, cheeky, and hard to look away from. The two images on display come from his Act of Looking series, where he returns to the same studio in Provincetown, Massachusetts, the famous gay vacation spot, to photograph his body “to create an expanded lexicon of ways to see a body, inclusive of ways to see my body,” he writes in his artist’s statement. In the first image, we see him standing naked, in a pose that looks relaxed but requires him to hold himself in place with his own strength. His muscles are tense but not flexed. His face isn’t overly expressive, but there’s a spark of playfulness in his eyes and a hint of a smile on his mouth. And his arm drapes behind his back, coming to rest between his legs, where he holds his fingers playfully—an obvious commentary on how, as he says, “my body is incongruous with how we are taught to see bodies.” In another, he clasps his hands in front of his crotch, fingers crossed. We can’t see his face, but we can feel the humor. The piece is titled “Crossing my Fingers, Getting Away with Something.”

But a different series of works stopped me in my tracks. Aurele Gould’s photographs pulled my gaze from the moment I entered the gallery. When I saw her triptych of an athlete putting pre-wrap around another girl’s thigh, I felt a lump in my throat. “A moment of transference is constructed, a care and an intimacy among women,” she writes in the wall text. Immediately I thought of Barbara Kruger’s 1981 piece “Untitled (You Construct Intricate Rituals),” which famously says “You construct intricate rituals that allow you to touch the skin of other men” over an image of men roughhousing. But I thought of it less because of its artistic impact and more because, for years, queer kids on Tumblr have been using it as a memetic reference point for jokes about the forbidden, magnetic pull of another person’s skin. In the three images of the piece, we see hands grab the inner thigh, let go to wrap the tape around, and return to place both hands on the partner’s leg.

Likewise, I’d been primed to see Gould’s piece “Acrylic” before I walked in—it represents My Queer Valentine online—but I stopped myself from making a beeline to it. When I did make my way over and allowed myself to look, I noticed for the first time the two models’ sharp, long, matching acrylic nails gently cradling each other’s faces. That striking image is made more striking by those glittery nails. Gould knows this: “I like how thought processes can fold unto each other, like thinking about when stereotypes can be used and who they can be used by,” she wrote in the wall text. I felt a pang of recognition. I smiled. The two lovers in the photograph stared at me, nails shining, and I took my girlfriend’s manicured hand and stared back.

105 N. Union St., Alexandria. (703) 746-4587. torpedofactory.org.

 

Feb
27
Thu
2020
THE NEW CONTEMPORARY ANTISEMITISM UNIT–A Webinar–presented by Echoes and Reflections @ Online
Feb 27 @ 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm

ECHOES & REFLECTIONS

CONFIDENTLY TEACH ABOUT THE HOLOCAUST
Echoes & Reflections empowers middle and high school educators with dynamic classroom materials and professional development.

PROGRAMS FOR EDUCATORS and anyone who wants to know more

and understand…

RELEASE AND REVIEW OF THE NEW CONTEMPORARY ANTISEMITISM UNIT

A Webinar on February 27th, 2020  4PM – 5PM EST

With a changing education landscape and the recent spike in antisemitic incidents, it is essential that educators have access to strategies and tools to address the reality of antisemitism and hate with their students. To meet this need, Echoes & Reflections is launching a revised Contemporary Antisemitism Unit with an inquiry-based and student-centered learning approach to raise the important topics of hate, antisemitism in the US and globally, and what it means to be an ally. Participate in this webinar, led by the lead developer of this Unit, to discover new curated content and approaches for incorporating these important lessons into your classroom.

 

Check out other webinars on our website. 

 

Holocaust survivor Itka Zygmuntowicz wrote poems in her head
during her time in Auschwitz…
https://www.facebook.com/108925252480631/videos/194702274939792/

 

Founded in 2005
CONTACT INFO
echoes@adl.org
http://www.echoesandreflections.org
About
A professional development program for secondary educators, offering primary sources & visual history testimony from witnesses to help teach the Holocaust.
Company Overview
Echoes and Reflections, a no-cost professional development program for secondary educators, offers primary sources, informational texts, and visual history testimony from witnesses to help teach about the Holocaust and address academic standards, including Common Core Standards.
Mar
9
Mon
2020
Broadway and No Bully @ Sony Hall
Mar 9 @ 7:00 pm

BROADWAY AGAINST BULLYING 2020   

SAVE THE DATE 

MARCH 9, 2020

New York City at Sony Hall

Get ready to celebrate!

Join us in New York on March 9, 2020 as No Bully celebrates our partners and friends at our annual Broadway Against Bullying event. This annual one-night-only cabaret show, featuring stars from some of Broadway’s biggest musicals, benefiting No Bully’s mission to eradicate bullying and cyber-bullying worldwide.

Calling all New York area Friends who LOVE Broadway.    March 9th: Broadway Against Bullying, a one-night-only cabaret featuring stars from some of Broadway’s biggest musicals.  Lexi Lawson (Hamilton), Telly Leung (Aladdin) and Kevin Duda (Book of Mormon). A wonderful organization, committed to a kinder world, No Bully has teamed up with Broadway Stars,(Year 2)  for an evening supporting bullying prevention school programs and positive action initiatives. Entertainment and Doing Good!  Get your tickets for March 9: www.nobully.org/broadway2020 and join the movement to end bullying! #broadwayagainstbullying #nobully #bullying #kindevolution, #nobullyingperiod

IGNITING COMPASSION

Words that come to mind when describing our team include: compassionate, kind, inclusive, strong, and has a generosity of spirit.

Each one of us has our own personal story around bullying and we hold this work near and dear to our hearts. We are constantly trying to live out our mission on a day to day basis, both igniting compassion around the office and also the world!

No Bully takes a holistic approach to partnering with schools and districts by involving the administration, staff, parents, and students in the process.

 

FIND OUT MORE

No Bully is the most comprehensive professional development program proven to combat bullying and enhance school culture.

There are so many ways to become a part of No Bully’s mission to dramatically reduce bullying. Consider yourself invited to tell us how you’d like to connect.

Phone:
(415) 767-0070

Mailing Address:
No Bully
1012 Torney Ave
San Francisco, CA 94129

Mar
20
Fri
2020
National Refugee Shabbat 5780 @ Your community
Mar 20 – Mar 21 all-day

Take Action on National Refugee Shabbat

National Refugee Shabbat 5780, which will take place on March 20-21, 2020, is a moment for congregations, organizations, and individuals around the country to dedicate a Shabbat experience to refugees and asylum seekers.

Register: Learn more about how your community or group can participate at hias.org/nrs – it’s not too late!

There are also many ways individuals can take action for refugees and asylum seekers in the week leading up to National Refugee Shabbat, as well as on the actual Shabbat itself (in accordance with individual Shabbat practice). Feel free to share the list below widely with family and friends.

12 WAYS TO TAKE ACTION THIS NATIONAL REFUGEE SHABBAT

1. Advocate – Call your Member of Congress to ask them to stand for the rights, safety and dignity of refugees and asylum seekers.

2. Get Involved in the Election – Research the candidates running in local elections in your area, and let them know that the rights of refugees and asylum seekers are among your top priority issues this year.

3. Update Your Facebook Photo Frame – Show your support for refugees by updating your Facebook profile picture with the HIAS #JewsforRefugees frame. Click here for directions.

4. Join the “Jews for Refugees” Facebook Group – Joining this group is a great way to connect with thousands of other committed individuals across the country, access up-to-the-minute information about the Jewish response to the refugee crisis, and share the actions that you are taking. Click here to join.

5. Donate Your Miles to Asylum Seekers – HIAS has partnered with Miles4Migrants (M4M), a nonprofit charity dedicated to using donated frequent flyer miles and money for the relocation of refugees and those seeking asylum – including families recently separated at the U.S.-Mexico border. HIAS and Miles4Migrants (M4M) will work to identify refugees and asylum seekers who need assistance purchasing airfare to reunite with their families. Donate your frequent flyer miles here the week of National Refugee Shabbat.

6. Buy Refugee-Produced Goods – Support refugees and asylum seekers around the world and in your local community by buying refugee-produced goods and/or researching refugee-owned restaurants in your community and having a meal there. Check out this website to purchase goods made by a collective of African asylum-seeking women living in Tel Aviv, Israel.

7. Give Life to Refugees and Asylum Seekers – In the week leading up to National Refugee Shabbat, set up a Facebook fundraiser to benefit HIAS’ work.

8. Scholarships for Displaced Students – Research whether your local universities and colleges offer scholarships to refugees and asylum seekers. If not, reach out and ask them to consider starting such a program. Check out Columbia University’s program for an example.

9. Have A Difficult Conversation – Using the HIAS Conversational Guide for How to Talk About Refugees with Family and Friends, commit to having at least one conversation with someone in your life who has expressed concern about welcoming refugees to the United States or even someone who has made disparaging remarks about refugees or asylum seekers.

10. Light Shabbat Candles with Intention – As you welcome Shabbat on March 20, use this reading before lighting Shabbat candles to set an intention to stand with refugees and asylum seekers around the globe.

11. Host A Gathering In Your Home – Invite a small group of friends over to your home for Shabbat dinner or lunch or a havdallah (the ceremony for closing Shabbat) wine and cheese gathering. At the gathering, consider using the HIAS National Refugee Shabbat 5780-2020 Programming Content Resource. Use the text study on page 6 of this guide as a jumping off point for conversation, take a look at and discuss the refugee art on page 13 of this guide, or screen the movie suggested on page 14 and 15 of this guide.

12. Start A Book Club – Start a book club – for adults or young people – to read books by and about refugees and asylum seekers. Use this list as a jumping off point for suggestions or search google for even more ideas.

May
21
Thu
2020
People’s Hub Workshops: Getting Through Economic Downturns Together @ Online
May 21 @ 1:00 pm – Jun 11 @ 1:00 pm

TODAY.

Where have we been?

Where are we going?

What might be possible together? 

https://peopleshub.org/project/getting-through-economic-downturns-together-workshops-and-circle/

https://www.facebook.com/PeoplesHub-1695905997109684/

The Circle may be over but the workshops are coming up! 

It’s time to sign up!!

This has been a time of organizing. We are moving from our deep roots in community to challenge the status quo. We are building systems that work for our people. We are imagining a different way. 
 

It has been a time of reckoning. 

Covid-19 has magnified the disparities and injustices of our world. Specifically, the ways that Black, Indigenous, People of Color, chronically ill and disabled people experience higher levels of violence, housing insecurity, and job discrimination. We continue to lose people to white supremacy: 

Nina Pop

Breonna Taylor

Ahmaud Arbey

There is a missing and murdered indigenous women’s epidemic. 

Capitalism and white supremacy will attempt to make us forget this time and return to a disconnection from each other and the earth. 

We cannot and will not return to a normal that devalues people and planet. 

“We can impose beauty on our future.”
–Lorraine Hansberry 

Instead, let’s make a promise, a commitment to honor community. For those of us with privileges it’s a time to risk comfort,  #share your check.

Together, we can be a part of community-based solutions, be a part of the radical imagination. As Lorraine Hansberry stated, we can impose beauty on our future.

Join us for a deepened understanding of economic downturns and solidarity economy. What we do now matters. 

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