Come celebrate interracial marraige at the Loving Day celebrations!

I came across Loving Day less than a year ago while searching through hapa (Hawaiian-term for mixed race) based websites. As someone who feels that my life path has been directly influenced by my multiracial and multicultural background, it is especially important for me to honor the day that interracial marriage was legalized.

Personally, I can't remember when I first learned that there was a time in US history (just forty some years ago) when interracial marriage was illegal in many states. But nonetheless it baffled me that this had been a recent reality. I believe that much of the same ignorance and prejudice that existed against interracial and intercultural marriage persists today with new issues. As someone who champions for civil and human right, its only natural to honor the battles that we have already won.

So come on out, let's celebrate!


Event Details
Hosted By: Loving Day and World Up
RSVP: requested via email
Email: lovingdayparty@gmail.com
Link: http://www.lovingday.org/
Loving Day proudly presents the 6th annual
LOVING DAY FLAGSHIP CELEBRATION
in New York City

FREE BBQ: all day long
FREE BEER: for the first hour
GET IN FREE: rain or shine
MULTICULTURAL: family friendly

Featuring:
DJ DHUNDEE, Sugarcuts Music (http://www.djdhundee.blogspot.com)
DJ TYLER ASKEW, Rude/MFT (http://www.rudemovements.net/)

Sunday, June 7th from 3-7pm at Solar 1
East River at 23rd St. in Manhattan

Come celebrate the anniversary of Loving v. Virginia, the Supreme Court case that legalized interracial marriage in the US.

Directions:
SUBWAY: 6 train to 23rd, then M23 bus or walk e. past Ave C & FDR. Look for Gulf gas station. Or, L train to 1st Ave: walk N. to 23rd
BY CARr: from south, FDR to 20-23 St. exit. Right on Ave C, right on 23rd almost to Gulf gas station, then service road to Solar 1

RSVP YOUR SPOT: lovingdayparty@gmail.com
LEARN MORE ONLINE: http://www.lovingday.org

NYC: Barefoot Workshop Event on Sun 28th.

Back when I was exploring different organizations to write my thesis on, I came across Barefoot Workshops which trains  video production skills to youth and women in developing countries. This upcoming Sunday, the 28th, BW will be holding a seminar at B & H. 

I'm going do my best to make and hopefully will be writing a follow report.  love, M

Details: 

Sunday, September 28, 2008

B & H Photo

34th & 9th Ave
Media Empowerment & The Developing World Presented by Barefoot Workshops
Speaker: Chandler Griffin
Event Type: Video
Time: 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Barefoot Workshops is a New York City and Los Angeles based not-for-profit, founded by Chandler Griffin in 2004, that offers short, intensive workshops around the world in narrative and documentary filmmaking. In this two-hour session, Chandler Griffin will provide an overview of Barefoot’s role in using media in the developing world to help Civil Society Organizations, Non-Governmental & Governmental Organizations, and individuals make change where it is needed the most. Chandler will discuss the media tools and formats used on the ground, how to conceptualize a workshop and ways to get involved. The goal of this session is to demystify the “how can I do this?” and give individuals a chance to learn how Barefoot Workshops does it, ask all the questions and get involved. You will learn that through Barefoot’s international workshops, they offer field placements for international students to assist organizations on the ground with media projects that help them to address challenges in their communities. These “hybrid” workshops result in dynamic learning environments, and open the way for international students to gain valuable field experience, and to learn about issues firsthand. If you are interested in discovering how you can change the world through the power of digital media, come find out how Barefoot can train anyone from vastly different backgrounds and skill levels, how to blend the technical and artistic aspects of storytelling, beginning with the basics of image-making all the way through to post-production to create a “symphony” of images and sound. Barefoot Workshops hopes that by sharing “how they do it”, they will mobilize individuals to get involved and help make a difference with media.

Freeze to prevent a war?

By now many of us have seen the Grand Central Freeze put on by Improv Everywhere in New York City. If you haven't yet check the video below:




We have even gotten around to doing a freeze in Tokyo:





So now United for Peace and Justice, a New York based peace organization, is taking this same tactic to say no to a potential war with Iran. One of my favorite things about protests and demonstrations is the creative expressions people come up with to get their messages across. If the traditional march no longer has the impact that it once did, alternative thought-provoking and visually-grabbing approaches must be explored.

I'm thoroughly curious to see how this Freeze will go over and if other any other remarks other than the t-shirts will state their message against the war. Looking forward to seeing the video.

If you are in New York and want to participate here are the details:

FREEZE in Grand Central Terminal

Calling for No War on Iran

FREEZE THE THREAT OF WAR ON IRAN!
THURSDAY, JULY 10
MEET AT LEXINGTON AND 42ND ST. AT 5:00
ACTION STARTS AT 5:30

150 people have signed up so far! We would love to bring that up to at least 200! Let us know you are coming (or you can also just show up).

Join us to say "No Attack on Iraq!" The American public needs to know that there are many voices calling for real diplomacy and negotiations with Iran. Former Ambassador to the UN, Thomas Pickering, among others, supports talks with Iran without preconditions. We also need to put a human face on the people of Iran - teachers, school children, mothers, doctors, farmers, engineers, artists. These are the people of Iran whose lives would be at risk if the U.S. or Israel attacks Iran.

We will have "Peace with Iran" t-shirts for $15 and signs that you can pin to your shirts. At 5:30, we will enter the terminal, mill about and then all freeze at 5:40 for 5 minutes. We march, we lobby, we call our congresspeople, we vigil, we commit acts of civil disobedience. This is another creative, simple, visual action that will get the message out to thousands of commuters. We hope you can join us.

New York: 2008 HMF International Film/Media Festival & Conference

Hey looks like a great conference and festival that I full intend on attending and presenting at!
2008 HMF International Film/Media Festival & Conference

10 to 14 December 2008
New York City, United States

SNAPSHOT:

The 2008 Festival & Conference will act as a conduit through
which media (web, print, television, and photojournalism),
narrative and documentary film, NGO's, and international policy
may meet to discuss issues of humanitarian importance.

The deadline for abstracts/proposals is 01 August 2008.

________

Call for Papers for the 2008 HMF International Film/Media
Festival & Conference

The 2008 HMF International Film/Media Conference will be
taking place concurrently with the 2008 HMF International Film
Festival and the associated 2008 HMF International Art/Photo
Exhibition.

The 2008 HMF International Film/Media Conference will be an
integral part of the overall Festival & Conference, and will
include Panels, Conference Papers, Debates, and Discussions
relevant to the Media's Role in issues of international
humanitarian importance.

Issues which the Conference will cover:

1) The media's role in humanitarian histories, events, issues and
crises – past and present - in the context of examples of such
coverage, including as a lesson for what should – or in certain
select cases - should not be done;

2) The role that the media has played and perhaps should play in
the work of the UN, NGO's and other agencies who help to
support populations in need and are affected by certain issues
or crises;

3) The future role of the media with the advent of new
technologies, the possibilities inherent in the web, among other
means of information and media dissemination, and how these
new possibilities can be utilized by those seeking to bring
further attention to the public sphere regarding issues of
humanitarian importance;

4) The role of the artistic media (film, art, photogrpahy, music)
in revealing the nuances of issues of humanitarian importance
and the significance of "celebrity" involvement in such media
and issues of humanitarian importance;

5) The role of print, television, web, and photojournalism and its
importance in the humanitarian sphere – including issues of the
bias of coverage, the preeminence or lack of coverage, the role
journalists do or should play, and the responsibilities of
journalism in humanitarian crises even despite the profit motive
of for-profit corporate parents, such as in the United States, of
news agencies, networks, newspapers, magazines, etc.
Other subjects are welcome, provided they merge the idea of
the media—in any form—and issues and subject matter of
humanitarian importance.

SPECIAL SECTION:

A special section, which also may be chosen, will be called
"Never Again" : The Media's Role in Past, Present, and Future
Humanitarian Crises with a Focus on Genocide. This will also
take place concurrently with a focused Sidebar series during the
Film Festival portion of the 2008 HMF International Festival &
Conference.

For further information, please contact us at
pr@humanitarianmedia.org.

SUBMISSIONS FOR PRESENTATION CONSIDERATION

Abstract Deadline: August 1, 2008;
Submit to
conferencepaper@humanitarianmedia.org.

Submit a 200-word abstract. Early submissions are greatly
appreciated. All submissions must be in Acrobat PDF format.

Please include the following information on the first page of the
document:

1. Name(s) of author(s)
2. Address / Phone number
3. E-mail address
4. Institution or Organization
5. Title of Abstract/Paper

By submitting an abstract, and subsequently a paper for the
Conference, you are agreeing that all submitted ideas and work
are your own, and materials which may be used, if not in the
public domain or are under permissable purpose allowances,
shall have all necessary clearances provided to the HMF prior to
the Paper being presented.

The HMF may disqualify any paper from presentation or
publication for any reason, at its sole descretion. At no time will
the HMF be held liable for any difficulties presented by the
authorship, subject(s), and presentation of the Paper at the
Conference.

The author(s), by virtue of submitting his/her abstract(s) and
paper(s), agree that he/she will be solely responsible for the
content of such abstract(s) and paper(s), the substance involved,
and all necessary references necessary for the content
submitted.

You will receive an email containing an acceptance or rejection
letter by August 31, 2008. The letter will contain a submission
number that you should include in all further correspondences.
Directions will be provided for submitting your paper to the
conference proceedings and for award consideration along with
your acceptance letter.

BENEFITS OF ATTENDING THE CONFERENCE:

The HMF provides the academic community with an opportunity
to share their research, ideas, and discuss administrative issues.
it also offers a great opportunity for networking and placement.

- To publish an abstract of your paper in our refereed
conference proceedings online (via
http://www.humanitarianmedia.org and associated HMF
websites);

- To present your research at an international conference;

- To receive feedback on your research;

- To compete for the Conference Award;

- To have your paper considered for publication in a peer
reviewed journal, or in book form, with all presented papers
being eligible for publication in a book of conference papers via
the Humanitarian Media Foundation (HMF) and its partner
publishing house;

- To network with potential employers and employees.

SHARE THIS
CALL

We would warmly welcome you sharing this Call for Papers, and
otherwise the Call for Entries in film (beginning June 25, 2008),
or the Call for Entries in Art/Photography (began May 25, 2008)
with your colleagues.

Further information on each may be found at
http://www.humanitarianmedia.org.

To subscribe to our mailing list, please send an email to
pr@humanitarianmedia.org with “Subscribe” in the subject
header, or sign up via the form on the HMF home page.

IMPORTANT DEADLINES

- Call for Papers begins June 16, 2008
- Deadline for Abstracts: August 1, 2008
- Deadline for Accepted Papers, with any A/V requirements:
November 1, 2008
- Deadline for all Conference sign-ups: December 1, 2008
- Event dates December 10-14, 2008


CONFERENCE FEES:

Deadline: December 1, 2008
Conference registration is US$420
(early registration is $350) with the
authors of accepted papers
not being required to submit a fee. The registration fee for full-
time students is $295 (documentation of full-time student
status is required, sent via .pdf to pr@humanitarianmedia.org).

Conference fees may be paid via secured server via this link:

http://2008hmfconference.eventbrite.com/

Refusenik film: Theater Release!

Hello~!
I am happy to announce a documentary film that I worked on back when I was living in LA will have a theatrical release. Please go to it if you can, not only for my sake, but because it is an inspiring story of a grassroots movement that spanned 30 years and which ultimately lead to the human rights victory and freedom of 2 million Soviet Jews.
To find more about the film, visit:
http://www.refusenikmovie.com/
and forward this information on!

love,
Megumi

----------------

RELEASE DATES:

SEATTLE

April 11th, 2008

Landmark Varsity Theatre

4329 University Way N.E.

Seattle, WA 98105

(206) 781-5755 http://www.landmarktheatres.com/market/Seattle/VarsityTheatre.htm

SAN FRANCISCO

April 11th, 2008

Landmark Lumiere Theatre

1572 California St. at Polk

San Francisco, CA 94109

(415) 267-4893 http://www.landmarktheatres.com/market/SanFrancisco/LumiereTheatre.htm

PORTLAND

April 18, 2008

Regal Fox Tower Stadium 10

846 SW Park Avenue

Portland, OR 97205

(503) 221-3280

NEW YORK

May 9th, 2008

The Quad Cinema

34 West 13th Street

New York, NY 10011

(212) 255-8800

link: http://www.quadcinema.com/

LOS ANGELES

May 23, 2008

Laemmle's Music Hall

9036 Wilshire Blvd.

Beverly Hills, CA 90211

(310) 274-6869

New York: Satyagraha Walk

So in attempt to be more active on my blog, I hope to be writing regularly on stories and events related peace, media, technology, human rights, Japan, New York and any where else in the world.

I came across this today through one of my email list serves and once again wished I was in New York to participate.


The Satya Graha Forum is organizing the Be the Change Walk which starts at four different points through out Manhattan and converges at Union Square, where unbeknownst to many stands a statue of Gandhi. This is the kick off event for Metropolitan Opera's presentation of Philip Glass's (composer) Satayagraha at Lincoln Center. Glass, journalist Gustav Neibuhr and Vishakha N. Desai will discuss Gandhi's legacy at an event on April 23rd.
To view the events line up for the month of April click here.

The walk starts at 1pm on April 6th from the following locations:

NORTH:	New York Public Library 5th Avenue & 42nd St.
EAST:	Sara D. Roosevelt Park E. Houston St. & Chrystie St.
SOUTH:	City Hall Park (South end) Broadway & Park Row
WEST:	Chelsea Park 9th Ave. & 27th St.

They estimate that the walk will take between 30-40 minutes. Afterwards, there will be a Flower Petal Ceremony to commemorate Gandhi's life.