[Imc-radio] Fwd: Paid week vacation/ journalism seminar in Vermont

Sun Jun 15 15:17:00 CDT 2003

This sounds like heaven...any takers?

			-Clint

----- Forwarded message from Brent McDonald <bjmcdonald6 at hotmail.com> -----

Date: Sun, 15 Jun 2003 14:10:44 -0500
From: "Brent McDonald" <bjmcdonald6 at hotmail.com>
Subject: Paid week vacation/ journalism seminar in Vermont
To: redqueen at riseup.net, cpopetz at cpopetz.com

Please pass this on to journalist/activists with interest in reporting on 
the Middle East.  All expense paid.

Best, Brent

>
>Does an expense paid week frolicking through the Vermont woods, swimming in 
>the local watering holes, eating gourmet food and hanging with the likes of 
>Edward Said sound like a good antidote to a summer of newsroom deadlines 
>and arrogant editors? Then check this out.
>
>It's info about the Kopkind Colony, a sort of summer camp organized by a 
>very cool group of writers/activists/journalists (Katha Pollitt, former 
>Nation editor Joann Wypijewski, and Mr. Said included) to mentor young 
>activists and journalists with a progressive bent. This summer they're 
>having a seminar in mid August especially for journalists on how we can 
>better cover the mid east. I participated two years ago. They fly you out, 
>and you enjoy. It's a dream.
>
>If you're interested or have questions, drop me a line or give me a call. 
>(510) 206-2792. BUT ACT NOW! Spaces are almost full!
>
>Hope all's well.
>
>Desert blossoms to you,
>
>Claudine
>
>
>May 7, 2003
>
>Greetings advisors and friends,
>
>Once again, I am writing to ask you to propose individuals-young
>journalists, activists or hybrids (average age range, 24 to mid-30s,
>though obviously this is flexible)-who might be interested in
>participating in this year's sessions of the Kopkind Colony.
>
>We are excited to be having two distinctive sessions this year! The
>first is running from Saturday, July 26, through Sunday, August 3.
>The second, put on in concert with the Eqbal Ahmad Initiative at
>Hampshire College-and geared specifically to journalists-will run
>from Saturday, August 9, through Sunday, August 17. We have cabins
>for seven people per session. In addition to providing lodging, we
>pay all expenses (transportation, food) so income should not limit
>anyone's participation.
>
>The colony is a combination political seminar and restorative
>retreat. There is a focussed discussion every morning until lunch,
>then the remainder of the day is free for play, casual discourse,
>reflection and rest, the theory of the camp being that we can't move
>without thought and we can't think without rest. The Kopkind Colony
>is not school, it is not like a workshop-packed conference and it is
>not a solitary retreat. It is a unique, intellectually provocative
>but also pastoral experience. Participants should be politicized
>people who have already committed themselves to a life of engagement
>as journalists/mediamakers or organizer/activists.
>
>The first session this summer (July 26-August 3) is organized around
>the theme of internationalism as the touchstone of left resistance.
>We expect to have participants from the US and abroad. It was notable
>that after February 15, the New York Times remarked that the global
>antiwar protests that day indicated there are two superpowers: the US
>and world public opinion. Clearly, opinion alone is not sufficiently
>powerful. Also clear is that the greatest political energy on the
>left in the world today is not in America, even as Americans have a
>special responsibility to organize opposition and imagine
>alternatives to this government's imperial project. Arrangements for
>this year's colony session are still underway, but one of our mentors
>will be Mike Marqusee, a journalist in London who writes on politics
>and popular culture and is also deeply involved in the antiwar and
>trade union movements in Britain. We are thrilled that for one of our
>public events we will be presenting a new film, "Warrior of Light",
>about the struggle for economic justice in Brazil, and will have as
>our guest that night and for part of the week the film's subject,
>Yvonne Bezerra de mello.
>
>The second session (August 9-17) is an inaugural venture for the
>Eqbal Ahmad Initiative, a living memorial to the great writer,
>radical intellectual and revolutionary who was also a friend of Andy
>Kopkind. This session will be about the politics and history of the
>Middle East, with an emphasis on US policy and on the
>Palestine-Israel crisis. As mentioned above, it is geared to
>journalists. It is being designed by the Initiative to help arm
>journalists with the information and grounding they need to discuss,
>analyze and report on these issues intelligently and forcefully. The
>session will feature a variety of perspectives on the region, and a
>range of special guests and films, in addition to the mentors. It is
>being coordinated by Margaret Cerullo and others at Hampshire
>College, in conjunction with us at the colony. More details will be
>forthcoming, but we are very excited to announce that the first full
>day of the session, Sunday, August 10, will be capped by a public
>address by Edward Said. As always, you will receive announcements
>about all our public events in advance, and we would love for those
>of you who can to attend.
>
>So I am asking you to nominate folks for the camp who you think would
>be interested and interesting. The "application" process is as simple
>as this: they write us a letter (and this doesn't have to be
>super-formal) telling us a little about themselves and their work,
>mentioning that they heard about the colony from you and saying that
>they're interested. They must indicate whether they are interested
>in/available for the first session, second session or either one.
>They should include all their contact information and address the
>letter to:
>
>		JoAnn Wypijewski
>		356 East 13th St. #11
>		New York, NY  10003
>or
>		jwyp at thenation.com (e mail is preferable)
>
>If anyone has questions, my phone number is 212-533-8366.
>
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----- End forwarded message -----

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Clint Popetz                   Home:  217-398-3831
  Urbana-Champaign             IMC:   217-344-8820
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