[Peace] artists against the occupation

Fri May 24 07:39:35 CDT 2002

I received this over email from a Chicago artist.  It would be wonderful
for AWARE and the IMC to work with these artists.  Contact information
included in the press release.

--S

> Dear all,

> I am part of a student group at the Art Institute of Chicago working to make
> a Video Petition Project, detailed in the press release below. Please take a
> few moments to read over our proposal. We are looking for organizations and
> individuals to endorse and participate in this project. We begin shooting
> this summer in as many North American cities as possible. In Chicago, we will
> be shooting at Video Machete and other venues TBA.
>
> Peace and Justice,
> Andrew Colwell
> artistemergencyresponse at hotmail.com
>
> MAY 22, 2002
>
> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
> THROUGH SEPTEMBER, 2002
> CONTACT: artistemergencyresponse at hotmail.com
>
> ARTISTS EMERGENCY RESPONSE (AER)
> LAUNCHES VIDEO PETITION PROJECT
> TO VOICE OPPOSITION TO THE ISRAELI OCCUPATION OF PALESTINE
>
> CHICAGO, MAY 22, 2002: ARTISTS EMERGENCY RESPONSE (AER) launches
> VIDEO PETITION PROJECT to voice opposition to the Israeli Occupation
> and to speak for a just solution to the Palestinian Refugee Crisis
> and an equitable and lasting peace in the Middle East. A student
> group at the School of The Art Institute of Chicago working with
> faculty and staff, AER consists of Jewish, Non-Jewish, and Arab
> American members working to respond to the current Middle East
> Crisis as artists an activists.
>
> AER has written eleven petition statements to be read on camera by
> people in the United States and Canada. The video will serve as the
> visual testimony of North Americans asserting their multi-faceted
> views against the Israeli Occupation. These voices are
> underrepresented by the media, despite their large and growing
> numbers, and cannot be dismissed as anti-Semitic or self-loathing
> simply due to their criticisms of the Israeli Government and its
> policies.
>
> Beginning in the summer of 2002, AER will work with organizations
> and individuals throughout the US and Canada to sign thousands of
> individuals onto the Video Petition. The completed tapes will screen
> in a variety of venues, from colleges, universities, and high school
> campuses, to community organizations, art venues, public access
> television, radio, and internet sites. The Video Petitions will also
> be sent to public officials and leaders.
>
> For more information or to endorse or participate in The Video
> Petition Project, please contact AER:
> artistemergencyresponse at hotmail.com
>
> PETITION STATEMENTS
>
> NOTE: THERE WILL BE CONCERN AMONG CERTAIN PARTICIPANTS FOR PRIVACY,
> CONSIDERING THE POTENTIAL DANGERS OF SPEAKING OUT. SOME ALTERNATIVES THAT
> RESPECT PRIVACY WHILE ALLOWING SOMEONE TO SPEAK ON CAMERA ARE: OPTIONAL
> PERSONAL ADDRESS, OR TURNING THEIR BACKS TO THE CAMERA.
>
> 1) MY NAME IS______, I LIVE IN______, AND I AM______. I
> CONDEMN THE KILLING OF ALL CIVILIANS WHETHER THEY BE ISRAELIS OR
> PALESTINIANS.
>
> 2) MY NAME IS______, I LIVE IN______, AND I AM______. I CONDEMN THE
> ISRAELI GOVERNMENT'S COLLECTIVE PUNISHMENTS, WHICH TARGET
> INNOCENT CIVILIANS
>
> 3) MY NAME IS_____, I LIVE IN_____, AND I AM_____. I WANT ISRAEL TO END THE
> OCCUPATION OF PALESTINE AND TO WORK TOWARD A JUST SOLUTION TO THE
> PALESTINIAN REFUGEE CRISIS.
>
> 4) MY NAME IS_____, I LIVE IN_____, AND I AM_____. I WANT ISRAEL TO END THE
> OCCUPATION OF THE WEST BANK, GAZA STRIP, AND EAST JERUSALEM AND TO WORK
> TOWARD A JUST SOLUTION TO THE PALESTINIAN REFUGEE CRISIS.
>
> 5) MY NAME IS_____, I LIVE IN_____, AND I AM_____. IT IS NOT
> ANTI-SEMITIC OR SELF-HATING TO CRITICIZE THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT AND ITS
> POLICIES.
>
> 6) MY NAME IS_____, I LIVE IN_____, AND I AM_____. I SUPPORT
> THE ISRAELI SOLDIER REFUSNIKS WHO REFUSE TO SERVE IN THE OCCUPIED
> TERRITORIES.
>
> 7) MY NAME IS_____, AND I LIVE IN______. THE STATE OF ISRAEL
> GRANTS DIASPORA JEWS THE RIGHT OF RETURN WHENEVER WE WANT. MEANWHLE, THERE
> ARE MILLIONS OF 1ST, 2ND, AND 3RD GENERATION
> PALESTINIAN REFUGEES WHO ARE NOT PERMITTED TO RETURN TO THEIR HOMELAND.
> UNTIL PALESTINIAN REFUGEES ARE GRANTED THEIR RIGHT OF RETURN, I RENOUNCE
> MINE.
>
> 8) MY NAME IS_____, AND I LIVE IN______. THE STATE OF ISRAEL
> GRANTS DIASPORA JEWS THE RIGHT OF RETURN WHENEVER WE WANT, WHILE
> PALESTINIANS HAVE NO SUCH RIGHT. I WANT A JUST SOLUTION TO THE PALESTINIAN
> REFUGEE CRISIS.
>
> 9) MY NAME IS_____, I LIVE IN_____, AND I AM AN AMERICAN
> CITIZEN. I DO NOT WANT MY TAX DOLLARS TO PAY FOR THE ISRAELI OCCUPATION.
>
> 10) MY NAME IS_____, I LIVE IN_____. I DO NOT WANT THE
> UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT TO FINANCIALLY, MILITARILY, AND POLITICALLY SUPPORT
> THE ISRAELI OCCUPATION.
>
> 11) MY NAME IS_____, I LIVE IN_____, AND I AM_____. I SUPPORT
> ONE PEACEFUL AND DEMOCRATIC STATE FOR BOTH ISRAELIS AND PALESTINIANS.
>
> ###
>
> ARTISTS EMERGENCY RESPONSE (AER)
> MISSION STATEMENT
>
> WE ARE A GROUP OF STUDENTS, FACULTY, AND STAFF AT THE SCHOOL OF
> THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO WORKING TO RESPOND TO THE CURRENT
> MIDDLE EAST CRISIS. AS ARTISTS AND ACTIVISTS, JEWISH, NON-JEWISH,
> AND ARAB AMERICAN, WE SEEK A JUST AND LASTING PEACE THROUGH AN END TO THE
> ISRAELI OCCUPATION OF THE PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES, AND DEMAND A JUST
> SOLUTION TO THE PALESTINIAN REFUGEE CRISIS. WE STRONGLY CONDEMN THE
> ESCALATING VIOLENCE AGAINST CIVILIANS ON ALL SIDES OF THE CONFLICT AS A
> RESULT OF THE OCCUPATION. WE ARE DEDICATED TO FOSTERING DIALOGUE BETWEEN
> COMMUNITIES, AND WORKING TO COMBAT ANTI-ARAB, ANTI-MUSLIM, ANTI-PALESTINIAN,
> AND ANTI-SEMITIC RHETORIC AND VIOLENCE.
>
> WE ARE WORKING TO DOCUMENT AND PRESENT THE GROWING OPPOSITION BY NORTH
> AMERICANS TO THE ILLEGAL ISRAELI OCCUPATION OF PALESTINE AND THE UNILATERAL
> ECONOMIC, MILITARY, AND POLITICAL SUPPORT OF THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT BY THE
> UNITED STATES. BASED IN CHICAGO, OUR GOAL IS TO SPEAK OUT THROUGH OUR
> VARIOUS ARTISTIC PRACTICES (WRITING, VIDEO, GRAPHIC DESIGN, PERFORMANCE,
> ETC.) IN ORDER TO ENGAGE IN CRITICAL AND CONSTRUCTIVE DIALOGUE ON A LOCAL,
> NATIONAL, AND INTERNATIONAL SCALE REGARDING THE MIDDLE EAST CRISIS.
>
> WE ACKNOWLEDGE AND SUPPORT EXISTING NETWORKS DEDICATED TO ENDING THE ISRAELI
> OCCUPATION AND A JUST SOLUTION TO THE PALESTINIAN REFUGEE CRISIS, AS WELL AS
> THOSE WHO FOSTER VITAL CONVERSATION BETWEEN OUR ESTRANGED COMMUNITIES. OUR
> INTENTION IS TO FORM RELATIONSHIPS AND COLLABORATE WITH THESE INDIVIDUALS
> AND ORGANIZATIONS, WHILE SHARING OUR TIME AND RESOURCES.
>
> AER VIDEO PETITION PROJECT PROPOSAL
>
> THE AER VIDEO PETITION PROJECT IS A VISUAL TESTIMONY OF NORTH
> AMERICANS VOICING THEIR OPPOSITION TO THE ISRAELI OCCUPATION AND WHO SEEK A
> JUST SOLUTION TO THE PALESTINIAN REFUGEE CRISIS AND AN EQUITABLE AND LASTING
> PEACE. THESE VOICES ARE UNDERREPRESENTED BY THE MAINSTREAM AND CORPORATE
> NORTH AMERICAN MEDIA, DESPITE THEIR LARGE AND GROWING NUMBERS. THEY ARE
> COMPRISED OF JEWS AND NON-JEWS ALIKE AND CANNOT BE DISMISSED AS
> SELF-LOATHING OR ANTI-SEMITIC SIMPLY DUE TO THEIR OPPOSITION TO THE ISRAELI
> GOVERNMENT AND ITS POLICIES.
>
> AER HAS WRITTEN ELEVEN PETITION STATEMENTS THAT REPRESENT THE
> VARIOUS FACETS OF THIS OPPOSITION. BEGINNING IN THE SUMMER OF 2002, AER WILL
> COLLABORATE WITH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT NORTH AMERICA TO
> ORGANIZE A MASS PARTICIPATION IN THE PROJECT. PARTICIPANTS WILL ASSERT ON
> CAMERA THE STATEMENT, OR STATEMENTS, THAT REPRESENT THEIR PARTICULAR STANCE
> WITHIN THIS OPPOSITION. THE ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO PRESENT THE PROJECT TO OTHER
> SCHOOLS AND CAMPUSES, COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, ART VENUES, PUBLIC ACCESS
> TELEVISION, RADIO, AND INTERNET SITES; AND ALSO TO PUBLIC OFFICIALS AND
> LEADERS, THUS HELPING TO FURTHER AID THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND RIGHTFUL
> CONSIDERATION OF THIS GROWING MOVEMENT.
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