Showing posts with label dialogue. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dialogue. Show all posts

Friday, June 14, 2013

We Can Help Eachother Flourish

Original embroidery by Nina Montenegro

CREATE ART
to
 convey messages
relate to global issues, systems thinking, and communal concerns.


Monday, July 18, 2011

Messages on the wall: Public Street Art


Meeting Os Gemeos en Atenas in 2005 was a highlight-sharing my writing style with them, checking their sketches and the motivation behind the wall they were commissioned to paint lit my street art passion into a higher gear.  The wall they painted is the whole bus station that lines the...in Gazi.  It’s images of people riding bicycles in nature, using alternative methods of transportation than diesel-guzzling motors.  Like a photo, contrast is important.  
I wonder now if there is a bike lane on that road? :)
Now back in South Africa: 
 Fear is a prison.  Fear is in the woman dressed in pink.  She says, “Excuse me, do you have permission to paint on this wall?”
“Yes, we do” 
“No, you don’t!”
“Yes, we do.”
“I’m going to call the police and . . . . Blah blah blah.”  Fear is a prison, dear sister in pink. And thank you for wearing pink but your threats we do not fear. I may rather ask for what is threatening you?  Has anyone but yourself ever solved what it threatening you?  I assure you, police are just people like you and me, and so what is there to fear? Police, more art, silence, thought, there is nothing to fear.  Don’t make up threats unless do you believe you are not free? Oh so that is why you chose the prison and threaten others to join you? No thank, we do our best to stand free, come join us, you’ll like it.
“We’ve tried to uplift this area . . .” she later explained to a listening ear.
And so what is upliftment? 
To threaten your community members is not uplifting.
Use your anger to change something in yourself.
As we express ourselves freely, we uplift ourselves freely. And if we live in this community, that we can be brave and fearless in, we are uplifted because we are not threatened or threaten ourselves because we live in fear. Just like you dress in pink, you are expressing materially on your body canvas-go head! I’ll lend you my pink sweater next time I see you in the neighborhood. 
And if we live in this world, that free expressive vibration roots into each step-changing our geographical minds. And with each step, another one is taken and shared by another free individual that crosses our path, unthreatened.  And there, two souls, moving freely, uplifted by their own choices, their inspirations and individual motivations, transform, positively, the world we live in. Upliftment! 
So thank you for painting the wall red. The contrast is beautiful-uplifting-and for the next individual to say yes to the canvas, to spread their free public uplifting expression.
 And slowly, we will all move out of the prison.



Thursday, February 24, 2011

The cradle of the West in flames: Another one tears from gas

 This image could be from anywhere at the moment.


Activists are coming out and protesting for what we believe we need as a greater whole. These aren't local issues. We may live within borders but global issues cross and today we are more interconnected to stand in solidarity of human rights than ever before. Greece has started to protest austerity measures implemented by the government which is another stand against a system that isn't working for the people.  The cradle of the west is in flames which well may be a foreshadow of efforts to spark change around the world.  Dictators are stepping down, corrupt governments are being pressured, a call for action towards change is in order.  How many more curtains of tear gas and Molotov cocktails will have to be thrown?

I came across this website: Tips to survive a tear-gas protest which lists first-aid to bring with you and a 101 of all things considered when protecting you from tear-gas at a protest.  We can come prepared and aware, but intuitively I think we are capable to act and stand for peaceful change, educate ourselves and eachother to communicate.  While protesters on ground level are burning and blinding eachother, how can another wave of activism support the same issues and combat on another level without tears from gas?

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Inhumane Energy

Source: via Athena on Pinterest           How can we reverse damage already done to the environment in Ecuador and our brothers and sisters who have been affected by the pollutants?

We can start to clean what has already been damaged by not tolerating inhumane systems of power and economy. I hope this case is a call to form better plans for our future and take on our power to make a change.
“The case really sends a message that companies operating in the undeveloped world cannot rely on a compliant government or lax environmental rules as a way of permanently insulating themselves from liability,” said Robert Percival, a law professor and director of the environmental law program at the University of Maryland School of Law in Baltimore. Click for more 


An apology is due but the money stays in those deep pockets fueling more greed and manipulation. Read more en espanol 
 If business' continue to practice in inhumane systems, then a call for compassion and innovation is pending for us to make change.  Let's create a more sustainable form and can we agree on what is sustainable?  


 "Everything lost can be found again in a new form and a new way" -Roan Robbins

Monday, February 14, 2011

Tunisia ☑ Egypt ☑ Iran ☐

"We are great people and we did something great.  This is the expected end for every dictator." Mahmoud Elhetta, an Egyptian protest organiser.


The bridge leading to peace is a strong image. My thoughts and solidarity are with protestors in Iran during anti-government protests and the struggle towards change.

Monday, October 25, 2010

Oceans: See Life

 I saw the nature documentary film, Oceans, by Jacques Perrin and Jacques Cluzaud.

 Visually stunning footage of life below captivating me to sea/see life instead of sea/see food and understanding a human role of not using the Ocean as a commercial source but rather as a part of our living natural cycle.

 I read that human's blood and seawater are almost identical in chemical constituency. The Ocean is our life line, not in terms of being a source of seafood, but in seeing life and respecting it.

The Ocean produces half of the Earth's oxygen, so in making efforts to help reverse the negative human impacts to the ocean, you can decide if you are waiting to inhale.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Oceans: From the dark depth to the light of the surface . . .

The kelp laid on the sand like calligraphy. I was struck by these huge brown algaes laying on the sand, each telling it's story. I took these in 2008 when I first moved to Cape Town, KELPstaad a.k.a iKELPa. It was sunset at Long Beach, Kommetjie.



Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Voices on Obama: Emmanuel


It’s very interesting for an African to become the president in the United States. He’s very interesting, and I’m very happy for the politics.  It’s like Ghana, the democracy needs to be understood, if not, an African cannot be a president in the United States. It’s because of the democracy.
It’s like Ghana too, because of the democracy, if they finish the election, there's no violence.  It’s all quite interesting because even in Africa, some of the countries, like Zimbabwe, after the elections, well, you know what is happening over there; their leader doesn’t want to give up.
If it’s not your turn you have to step down and then let someone else in.

There must be changes, there must be change.

Emmanuel is from Ghana and has been living in Khayelitsha, South Africa for 3 months. He is an entrepreneur and is opening up a restaurant soon.

Voices on Obama: Nathi

I am very surprised to see the Black man ruling in a country like America because it’s a very big country in the world. I am very surprised to see all that in America.
Maybe now is the time to see the Xhosa men rule the world, ya know?

It’s the time to change now. Ya know, it's time to give that guy a chance to see what he's going to do in America.

 I listened to the first speech that man spoke. He was trying to open the minds here because if you say all the minds in South Africa are closing, that guy can open the minds here in South Africa.

Nathi is a petrol attendant in Khayelitsha, Western Cape. He is originally from Umtata, Eastern Cape.

Voices on Obama: Abigail and Dure

Abigail
For me, because they say now he’s the second Mandela, you know Mandela was the one we look up to, our role model, and now he’s followed Mandela’s footsteps now.  He's the second Black president.


Dure
I actually think he’s going to be bad for Africa. Yes, because before, in the past it was 'Poor Africa'. America would say Poor Africa. He’s got family in Kenya so he knows what Africa is about and he’s not going to say Poor Africa. He’s not going to be as sympathetic.

I feel he’s going to be less sympathetic. In all our Afrikaans papers and things we read, they are also speculating that he’s going to be less sympathetic, the economic people and everyone is speculating that.

Abigail and Dure are shoe sales associates in Knysna, South Africa

Friday, November 7, 2008

Voices on Obama: Frank and Bernie

What do you think of the new president of the US?


Oh it’s cool.  I hope that he’ll just be nice and look after the people.  It would be nice. There won’t be a big issue.

                                 What does it mean to you as a South African?

For me, it's quite different.  Well, he’s a Negro and maybe it will be better, better or worse I don't know. But I try to guess that he'll be equal to his family, the family is what’s important over other things. It will be nice, man.

When are you gonna be South Africa's president?

Oh gosh sake, look.  Look at the new president. That’s what I’m saying.  In South Africa, you don’t know when it’s summer, or when it’s winter.

Bernie

This country is not right, man.

 This country is very bad. The crime rate is very bad. 
Killing children, and all this is bad.

Do you have children?

Six children. Two girls and four boys I got and I’m selling fruit everyday.  Everyday.

Oooh, it's heavy man. And look here I don’t got fingers too.

There’s no money in this damn country.

Frank and Bernie sell fruit from their truck in various areas around Cape Town.

Voices on Obama: Nick and Chris

                                            Nick
I’m a little bit skeptical, I would say. But seemingly Barack Obama seems like a really good choice and it's really positive that so many people have gone out and voted for him. But I’m just a bit, ya, a bit skeptical about world politics; if it will really actually mean change. That’s pretty much my opinion on it.


Chris
Well, I share skepticism on world politics, but at the same time sometimes you have call a spade a spade. And Bush was a fucking spade. {laughs}

Any improvement on that front I think is good, ya know? And um, because America’s got such a huge controlling power in the world economy, their stability and non-war mongering is going to benefit everybody. But on our side, um, I’m not entirely sure what these elections will prove.

Chris and Nick are students at University of Cape Town, South Africa

Voices on Obama: Christopher

Did you know the United States elected a new president?

Now I didn’t know that. I don’t even look at the news anymore. I used to look at news, I used to watch T.V, I used to watch soccer. I like my cricket, I like my sport, but I don’t watch it anymore.

Why not anymore?

Cause I haven't got a T.V. Cause I'm sleeping in the car.

And the newspapers?

I read newspapers yeah, I like to read newspapers, I used to work at C&A. When I was a young kid, I used to work at C&A - Cape Town, Bree street. I used to work in the old C&A building.
I used to work in books and I like to read. And I like to read the bible also. Yeah that's my main book I like to read.
My parent's they brought me up like that you see, read the bible everyday, every time.

 Why don't you work at C&A anymore?
Oh that was in the 70's I used to work there. Now it's in the 2000's.

  Italic
Tell me the difference.

Oh, it's very different.

How's it different for you?

It's not the same bosses anymore you see. These days, they're not bosses like they used to be. You get good people and you get bad people, and today you get bad people.

How do you think South Africa’s changed?

{Sigh} Bad.

Do you have hope?

I have hope, yeah, I have hope for the country, yeah. I also worked for the country.
It’s not the country, it’s the people, you see, the people.  The country is fine.
I was in places .I met mates over seas guys that I worked with.
Jesus man, they enjoyed our country. That was in the early days I used to work for the English person, Mr Morgan. He said to me, Christopher in 1984, when he sent me to Joburg, he said to me, look here Christoper, in ten years time, this was 84, he said in ten years time, you’ll see how many cars will be in South Africa. It was '84, ten years was '94. And look at the cars now!
More cars than people. Now where’s the money coming from? 

{pause}

 Now, I've got to do some scrap... {laughs}

Christopher is a repairman and metal scrap collector in the False Bay area of Cape Town.  Interviewed in Kalk Bay.

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Voices on Obama: Felix

How do you feel about, now that you know the outcome of the U.S. election and what it means to you as a Zimbabwean, as a world citizen?
As a world citizen, okay, I would say, like, I mean.. it shows that life man, if you believe, you know, things can change especially if people come together.
Like you see the case of America, it's not about.. like, it wasnt the race issue. It's about people, come together as a nation and they believed in Obama and you know they want something for a change which is what has been happening.
What do you think that change is?
That change, like, basically you know people always thought that, like, you know America, it was mainly, eh, how can I say?, you know, the time of Martin Luther King, they came from a time where once Blacks were oppressed. Martin Luther had a dream that one day that dream would come true..so like in a way, this is the way I would say that dream of Martin Luther has become a reality.
I've been following Obama's profile. To me, it seems to me, it sounds like he has a very good education background...like in the senate most of those guys they used to oppose him. Like he's a republican is it?
Obama?
Obama, he's Republican?
Democrat.
Democrat, yeah, like but in his case he actually brought those two parties, Republican and Democrat together in the senate.
So like for him as a statesman, I think he'll do much better, its not about the political indifference with them but its about bringing all the people together, which if you want something to work you have to bring people together.
Felix is originally from Zimbabwe, working in South Africa. He bartends at Zula Bar on Long Street, Cape Town.

Voices on Obama: Gary and Eve

I’m doing interviews on South African reactions to the victory of the democratic candidate Barack Obama . . .
Eve: It’s what we woke up to this morning. Like Gary and I, ya know, trying to sleep to 10 -that’s all we want to do in life-and John walked out. Little economist, John, walked out of his room and went "Yay, Obama won!" And we were like, "Huh?"
What does that mean to you?
Eve: Ya, well, I dunno what it means to me. It means that my best friend whose planning on moving to the states has, uhm, a new president. She said, well like her husband’s American and she’s obviously African, and she said she has an African-American baby and he’s just delighted.
And so do you think you are affected as a South African by the U.S elections?
Gary: Yes. But I'm not really sure why. I was reading up on it on the internet today and there's a lot of things but I generally, like . . . when I listen to politics, ah, it’s pretty rad and nah, I'm really stoked and it's awesome but uh, but exactly why I'm affected, like I probably wouldn’t be able to tell you, cause I just want to rock.
What’s awesome about? Why do you use those words?
Gary: Um, that I know, I know the gist of why the Republicans were, weresh, were shit. And why the Democrats are rad. And like it’s cool that it’s a black guy and it's just like ya . . . just and the other guy look soooooo boring. [Laughs in the background]
Eve: Also, like McCain is a kind of oven bake chips. That’s no person to rule the free world. And we never listen to the news… never ever ever and today, like, we listened to a good I’d say minute and a half . . . hey hey ‘hows that?’ of the news before we put the next CD in, that’s that’s a lot . . . oh, we heard Nelson. Nelson Mandela said something, cause we discovered that he only speaks in proverbs. He never, like, has actual conversations with anyone. He just says one liners and they’re always, like awesome. What did he say?
Gary: "He shows how..anyone can achieve. Anyone can achieve anything..." Yada, yada, {in Mandela voice} I’m Nelson and leave me alone I’m going back to bed.
Eve: {in Mandela voice} I’m very old.
Eve and Gary make music in Cape Town.

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Voices on Obama: Cath and N.D

In response to Obama's victory:
Cath: I feel fantastic. I think the world has turned with Barack Obama and the American presidency ( things can't surely be the same again), and I just think that it's a very, very hopeful time and I'm so happy to be alive at this point.
Cath is a social development consultant based in Cape Town.
N.D: Ya I feel, I’m so amped I’ve been like buzzing, buzzing along 100 percent. Ya, going like a boeing, zooming along doing all my clips, totally inspired by Obama. He’s risen to the seat of influence and power-where he can do stuff. Ya, it’s the time of the time of the great turning. You must read David Korten, The Great Turning. It’s my bible.
N.D. is a cartoonist and comix publisher.

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