Planning for the Human Rights Festival.

 

Update Dec. 20

A fantastic set of events over 5 days, this was yet another great example of how a globally distributed set of people with common goals for peace can come together and create meaningful experiences.  Be sure to look at the blog for this effort - there are photos and links to videos from the events.  Thanks to all who made this happen, and in particular our Peace Train engineer Siri Vita, who spent several days getting together a compelling display of photos and information related to child soldiers, and who pretty much single-handedly orchestrated a set of performers for the 14th.

 

I'm going to put in one photo here of my interview with Geni Figaro, who in RL does significant work in the UK to eradicate homelessness.  Thanks, Geni, for your time and good work!  And thanks to Jon, Scot, Oz and others at Port Spinoza for supporting this effort!!

 

 

Update Dec. 9 - Press Release

he 60th Anniversay of the Declaration of Universal Rights is being celebrated by a huge festival in Second Life. More than 60 concerts mark the 60 years and the talents of 100 artists and musicians are part of the celebration. More than 30 sims reflect the 30 articles of the UN Convention.

The festival is the first time a themed programme of events on this scale in Second Life has aimed at raising real life issues. It draws on the talents of artists, musicians and campaigners from many different countries including Argentina, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy,  South Africa, Sweden, the Netherlands, the UK and the USA. Some well know SL musicians are headlining the festival including:

AYDEN KRUH - CYLINDRIAN RUTABAGA - JAYNINE SCARBOROUGH - ZAPHOD THEAS - JUNIVERS STOCKHOLM - LONNIE NIGHTFIRE - RUSSELL EPONYM - NAPHTALI HAWKS - AYDEN KRUH - MAXIMILLION KLEENE - FREESTAR TAMMAS - LOUIS VOLARE LANDON - KOMUSO TOKUGAWA - THUMPER BOUCHER - RARA DESTINY - JANO RUNO - BLAIR BONDE - TJ OANONOUCHI - OHMY KIDD - MIA MAXSTED - VIENNA JAMES - KITZIE LANE - PILLOWFISH - VIRTUAL LIVE BAND etc etc

Artists whose work will be displayed include:

AURAKYO INSOO - ARTISTIDE DESPRES - AM RADIO - EERCHECK HICKS - ELFOD NEMETH - VELAZQUEZ BONETTO - UB YUFI - CHEEN PITNEY - FILTHY FLUNO- TOOTER CLAXTON - IZIKAEL NOVI - JOSINA BURGESS - THOTH JANTZEN - SALIANT INFINITY - NONNY WRITER - VALJEAN ANSAR etc etc

There will also be talks from Ghana, Switzerland, Poland and the UK, poetry slams and stand up comedy.

The UN Convention sets out the universal rights of all humanity. However as well as a celebration, the festival is also designed to raise rights that are breached - the right to free speech, a fair trial, shelter, rights of women and children to be free from violence etc.

The opening of the Festival includes a live interview from Paris with Draxtor Despres (Bernard Drax). He has just been awarded a Every Human has Rights Award for his machinima on the Guantanemo Bay build Gone Gitmo by Nonny Writer and Ping Rau explained " Virtual Gitmo is the prime example how an immersive environment, which has the power to collapse geographies and enable communcation in real time across cultural boundaries, can help people engage in important issues concerning human rights." He will be speaking about the award and plans to bring other awardees to the discussion at Angel's Nest at 8am SLT on 10 December. Then a concert by Jaynine Scarborough will launch the full programme of music with 12 concerts in the festival (including 3 at the Amnesty International sim) and other events around SL.

One of the leaders of the festival,  musician Junivers Stockholm, has been appointed one of the musicians for the  Amnesty International Small Places Tour (http://www.smallplacestour.info/site/).  This is inspired by Eleanor Roosevelt's words "Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home - so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any maps of the world. Yet they are the world of the individual person... Such are the places where every man, woman, and child seeks equal justice, equal opportunity, equal dignity without discrimination. Unless these rights have meaning there, they have little meaning anywhere. Without concerted citizen action to uphold them close to home, we shall look in vain for progress in the larger world." This is the first time Second Life has been the venue for concerted citizen action to highlight human rights across the world.

Junivers and activists Any1 Gynoid and Medora Chevalier  explained that they are really excited about the growth and power of the festival plans.

 

Junivers Stockholm said: "Wow, this is growing! Person to person, network to network - the connections grow and we'll build on them to back actions for humanity now and in the future."

 

Any1 Gynoid said: " We have an awesome array of SL's finest talents backing the festival. Everyone says yes, they want to stand up for human rights. This is going to be a festival to remember! Woot!"

 

Medora Chevalier said: "There is a new mood of optimism spreading around the world. We no longer need to be divided. We can act and campaign together, as humans caring about humans, sharing solutions, making change happen. The connections made in this world make ripples spread across the world to strengthen human rights."

 

There are a range of good causes in Second Life associated with the festival. These include Amnesty  (featured on 10th), Uthango™ a social enterprise based in South Africa (featured on 11th), Keep Kids Safe/DrivebyAgony (featured on 13th), Peace Train/Twilight's Peace (featured 14th). Many others are featured in the sims visited for concerts or exhibitions during the festival.

 

The Festival started with an idea at discussions following Carp's the Rings Rock Opera, which raises social justice issues using music and drama. The performance of the Rings on 14th December at NMC Labs will be the last for some time as a break is planned. It has been featured on the popular SLTV  programme Tonight Live with Paisley Beebe http://www.slcn.tv/tonight-live-paisley-beebe-3

Festival details are shown in the notecards below; on http://slhumanrightfestival.wordpress.com, on the Festival Travel HUD available at Angel's Nest  http://slurl.com/secondlife/Angels%20Nest/128/103/23 and at many many other supporting sims throughout SL.

 

For more information contact by IM in Second Life Junivers Stockholm,  Medora Chevalier or Any1 Gynoid

 

 

Update Dec. 3

Final arrangements - Note from Geni Figaro to the coordinators:

 

The schedule for the festival looks brilliant! Thank you so much to everyone who is working so hard on this. We will be covered on SLTV on Tonight Live on Sunday 7th December after 4.30pm

 

The Final Organising Meeting for the Festival will be at 2pm on Thursday 4th December at Xanadu http://slurl.com/secondlife/Caribbana%20Palms/122/41/690

 

The Festival opens at 8am on 10th December and closes on 15th December

1. The deadline for information for inclusion is Thursday 4th December.
2. Human Rights Festival (HRF) Coordinating Team (junivers Stockholm, Medora Chevalier, Any1 Gynoid & Geni Figaro) will include information on all events and exhibitions for the festival in
   1.  the Festival HUD
   2. the Festival Website at www.slhumanrightsfestival.wordpress.com
   3. notes to press releases etc
3. The HRF Cordinating Team will provide a HRF poster for a prominant spot on your sim to give the HUD and related information (ready by 6 Dec). Please make sure that this is placed in a prominant spot on your sim and distributed around your groups and friends.
4. We ask that your provide an avi on duty (tour guide) at a specified time (usually an hour) to welcome visitors and answer questions. You need to provide an avi with permission to change the land Music URL on duty at the assigned hour to setup the stream URL and a back up name.
5. Streams - For musicians/speakers events, we are assuming you are providing the stream unless your musician has offered to provide their own. For events on the 10th, contact Any1 Gynoid or Junivers Stockholm to obtain a stream.
6. If you are hosting a Live Music or live event, please post the event (starting with the tag HRF) in the SL Events listing under Live Music (and/or Discussion) listings in SL.
7. Please set landing point for land to anyway and enable scripts (to ensure the HUD will work)

 

Please make sure you are a member of the Rings Discussions Group. This is where all information will be distributed.

 

The Human Rights Festival is happening Dec. 10 - 15.  Peace Train and Twilight's Peace are collaborating on putting an agenda together for one of the days, Sunday Dec. 14.  Following is the current plan.

 

If anyone has an edit, the best way to get me a quick message is through my gmail account:  acarson1@gmail.com, or to leave a comment here.

 

1.  Schedule:  for the moment, here is where we stand:

7-9am SLT - Speaker, Sammy Jacobs Abbey of the International Center for Conflict and Human Rights Analysis (Accra, Ghana)

     Location:  The Wetlands

9-10am SLT - TBD (waiting for performer confirmation HatHead Rickenbacker)

10-11am SLT - TBD (waiting for performer confirmation Fodie Crosby)

11-12pm SLT - Edward Kyomoon

12-1pm SLT - Allister Westland

1-2pm SLT - Pillowfish!

     Location:  The Cafe, Port Spinoza

 

2-3:30 SLT - The Rings (theatrical performance)

     Location: NMC labs

 

4-5pm SLT - Al Hoffman

5-6pm SLT - Obeloinkment Wrigglesworth

     Location:  The Cafe, Port Spinoza

 

6:00- 7:00 pm SLT-  Human Rights Discussion

7:00 - 8:00 pm SLT Improvisational Piano with Enniv Zarf and artist Texanna Schumann

     Location:  Twilight's Peace RiverWalk, Cetus

 

Siri Vita is working on the schedule for the performers and that is looking VERY promising.  GO SIRI!

 

2.  Requests: 

I will need some method for changing the media stream URL in the Wetlands in order to make the speakers event work.  Also would like some method for booting potential miscreants.  I have now been added to a group that has the authority ( I think) to do these things.  I understand that the Stream Team is offering a Shoutcast server for the event.  Very thankful for that, and I will plan on using that for the speakers event unless otherwise notified.

 

3.  Sponsorship: 

In my communication with the organizing team, I will pass along information re: Port Spinoza.  It will be good to have the info stands at the various venues on Spinoza where things will happen.  I have a copy, and will drop them there if I have build rights.  If not, we'll need someone who can to do that.  For this event, the day is co-sponsored by Peace Train and Twilight's Peace.

 

4.  Awareness, not fundraising:

The HRF is an education  / awareness-raising event and is not intended to raise $L for anyone.  We want to be clear about that with everyone.

 

5.  Media Release:

There is a notecard that the core team has produced for media release.  If you need one, contact Michele Mrigesh in-world.

Lastly, please do let me know if you have any questions.  This is going to be great, and I really appreciate the support.

Cotton (and team)

 

Update Nov. 26

 

An official event website!  Check it out here (http://slhumanrightsfestival.wordpress.com/). 

 

 

Update Nov. 20

Actions from the group planning meeting:

Ask sim owners

1. Make record of festival events with photos - send to Medora to collect

2. Keep count of nos of people attending & names can be gathered

3. Make time to test stream (check all sims have access or the musicians)

4. Need names of stand in person OR perm to change stream for each sim Peace Train - Siri will confirm. Solace - ironside is there a stream available? will check with Zapod

5. Check scripts enabled so HUD can work

6. HRF tag for events listing - Ask sim owners to list events with HRF tag or give organisers group membership so we can

 

If additional offers of help - can take part in 15th and get perms to change stream - Ed will be online 16 hrs. Probably closing party here.

 

Media

First release early next week. After 1 Dec - hit hard

newspapers, blogs, website, media

 

Please draw up main media contacts for your country (IT, arts) so the press release can go to them

Use Plurk, Twitter

 

Confirmed we dont organise donations centrally. Organisers can choose but put charity official number

 

Central sim for ads etc - to add LM in publicity - use AngelNest

2pm each night at xanadu

 

Information

Ask people for info about RL groups - build on basis of Amnesty info

Website

Peacetrain wiki.

Contact Cordelia Gothly - NPC blogger

 

Update Nov. 16

 

TENTATIVE schedule for Sunday Dec. 14, during the Human Rights Festival:

 

7-9am SLT - Sammy Jacobs Abbey of the International Center for Conflict and Human Rights Analysis (ICCHRA) joining by skype from Ghana, presenting in SL at Port Spinoza.

9-2 - (in planning)

2-3pm SLT - The Rings

3-4pm SLT - Discussion following The Rings  (NMC)

6-7pm SLT Twilight's Peace Discussion

7-8pm SLT Enniv Zarf

Other times SLT - (in planning)

 

Potential art show sponsored by Twilight's Peace at the Cetus Galleries, plus moderated discussion.

Potential live music by Lonnie Nightfire - possibly in Port Spinoza.

 

 

Eventful Calendar here!

 

UPDATE:  Nov. 12

Our next coordinating meeting is Thursday (13th) at 2pm at Xanadu

Hey it's getting exciting! 6 days of events, 21 exhibitions. Concerts, poetry slams, sandboxes, talks, debates.

More and more people and places are getting involved. Any1 is persuading a lot of musicians to take part. People are buildig and creating.

  Tomorrow juni will show the the provisional HUD programme. Time to catch up on how we're going. Please come!

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Join our Group! The Rings Discussions

http://world.secondlife.com/group/91259318-7cd7-af20-bb3b-6120bf584900

 

Human Rights Festival Website (Under Construction)  http://witch.shacknet.nu/humanrights/ 

 

Second Life celebrates Human Rights Festival

10 December is the 60th anniversary of the Declaration of Universal Human Rights. A major arts festival in Second Life celebrates the anniversary and calls for human rights to be recognised everywhere in the world.

Some of SL's best known artists are involved in concerts including RUSSELL EPONYM, NAPHTALI HAWKS, MAXIMILLION KLEENE, LOUIS VOLARE LANDON, JAYNINE SCARBOROUGH, JUNIVERS STOCKHOLM, FREESTAR TAMMAS, ZAPHOD THEAS, KOMUSO TOKUGA etc

The festival takes place in many sims and will include concerts, visual arts exhibitions, builds, drama, machinima and discussions.  Events are spread over 5 days from 10-15th with exhibitions continuing afterwards.

The organising committee includes people from many different countries. It is  inviting people throughout SL to think what they can do towards the festival.  Musicians, artists, campaigners, and anyone with a good space or build could promote the idea of human rights from 10 -15 December.

If you can help or for press enquiries contact Any1 Gynoid (schedule),  junivers Stockholm (overall coordination and HUD venues) or Geni Figaro (charity groups)