Gesundheit - SDaS 2007 - 5 : Social Activism

One of the humans who shared his knowledge with us was Robert Naiman..He is part of JUST FOREIGN POLICY.ORG...He is favoritely called the Economics Man (by one of the concerned citizens of the planet)...

How to produce more activism:

a) spend more time doing activism

b) be more efficient

c) recruit more People to be activists

Activism is the normal state of human affairs and although some people view activism as deviant social behavior they appreciate the results of it. Bob suggested that we attempt to break this view and recruit more activists. He said the best way to do this is start out on a personal level.

He used the example of trying to figure out how to help a blind person cross the street saying most people would not stand by and not help the blind person. And he uses this as an analogy that one doesn't pass by unthinkingly not trying to find a simple solution to solve problems.

Bob: Why do people push to get one the bus? When people see a bus half empty they are polite and let others ahead of them but when they see a bus is jammed... people push to get on the bus. A normal person would just say that people are rude and complain about it. But an activist would say: "We need more buses" (seeking an alternative)

Bob stated that "Language (words) are a major barrier for activism in the U.S."

Bob then returned to questions on public/private ownership?

When does something controlled by the government belong to the public?

He asked that we reformulate and think of examples... examples given park, sidewalk, library, hospital, etc.

Patrick, another concerned citizen of the world, pointed out the difference between belong and control. Is it a public park if it has bum proof benches and riot police?

Bob asked us once again to reformulate the problem, where we lower our standards to where something useful is taken away or privatized and asks would that make us upset.

Focus our attention that we should be concerned about socialism/capitalism and pointed out that there are some things controlled by government that belong to the public that we believe are ours and would fight for them if taken away.

Bob : Activism is a 'good' and more activism is needed.

Cassandra (another concerned citizen): There is the march against war, there are certain amounts of activists and what amount of activists is needed for the activism to be effective?

Questions you can ask yourself or others...

Activism is a good produced by Activists, are we producing enough?
How can we produce more?

Activism is the normal state of human affairs
How do we contribute?

Why do people push to get on the bus?
Why is money so annoying?"

A Mammoth of an Elephant

Given that I'm a sucker for creatures of gargantuan proportions especially in mythological realms related to time travel, it's no biggie that I absolutely love this piece of work - The Sultan's Elephant. Amazing effort and coordination by the artists. You gotta watch this.

The Sultan's Elephant is a show created by the Royal de Luxe theatre company, involving a huge moving mechanical elephant and other associated public art installations. In French it is called La visite du sultan des Indes sur son éléphant à voyager dans le temps (literally, "Visit From The Sultan Of The Indies On His Time-Traveling Elephant").

The elephant is made mostly of wood, and is operated by over ten puppeteers using a mixture of hydraulics and motors. It weighs 42 tons, as much as 7 African elephants. A replica of the elephant was built in Nantes (France) in 2007, as part of the Machines of the Isle of Nantes permanent exhibition.

Courtesy Wiki.

How far would you go to bring PEACE on Earth?

From 1953 to 1981 a silver haired woman calling herself only "Peace Pilgrim" walked more than 25,000 miles on a personal pilgrimage for peace. She vowed to "remain a wanderer until mankind has learned the way of peace, walking until given shelter and fasting until given food."

Courtesy: Peace Pilgrim

Other links: http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/07/11/2468/

John Taylor Gatto on System of Education!

I asked this question in Yahoo...

Why does the current system of Education in our world alienate theory & practice, confuse & burden the child?

Children of today's world are burdened with heavy syllabus and they have no concept-based learning. What they learn in school for 17 years and college for 4 years has no connection with what they experience in the real world of work. Moreover, they are always made to understand that education has to be related to the amount of money they earn in the current world. The result is that children lose their interest to go to school and the actual learning process and mostly are exam driven and they have to force themselves to go to school simply because they have to survive the current system. Many children drop out of schools and some of them are so stressed out that they cannot handle any issue without being scared. Education on the other hand has to be fun for the children and not intimidate them and push them to the edge.

...and I got an answer from Limbonia asking me to read books written by John Taylor Gatto...

Please read the following pages to get an idea about what Gatto's work is like...
http://www.johntaylorgatto.com/historytour/history4.htm
http://www.johntaylorgatto.com/historytour/history5.htm
http://www.johntaylorgatto.com/historytour/history6.htm
http://www.johntaylorgatto.com/historytour/history7.htm
http://www.johntaylorgatto.com/historytour/history8.htm
http://www.johntaylorgatto.com/historytour/history9.htm

WE ARE EVERYWHERE - A Must Read Book!!

Courtesy: http://weareeverywhere.org/

We Are Everywhere is a book of stories, stories written by activists from the front lines of resistance against capitalism and economic globalization, tales of struggle and rebellion from participants in a movement of movments that is gaining ground on every continent. These stories, told with both words and pictures, have been collected over the past three years by a collective of activists, writers and artists, all of whom have deep connections to the movement.

The book explores and celebrates what activist, academic, and media commentators have recently come to refer to as the "anticapitalist" movement. One of the great strengths of this movement has been its capacity to re-kindle the idea of a global political project, a project defined by notions of autonomy, ecology, democracy, self-organization and direct action, notions which are explored in We Are Everywhere.

For further details of the pdf format of the book, go to WE ARE EVERYWHERE.

IGNORANCE IS NOT BLISS!!!

Humans who belong to this planet called earth…here I am…hurt but inspired, helpless but motivated and I could go on and on…but let me stop here and share with you the real reason of my writing this…
I had the opportunity of meeting with another human called Patch Adams whose love came straight through from his heart to people around him…what more can I say? He asked us a disturbing question; “have you ever held a starving dying child in your arms?”
And I could not help the tears that followed…
He showed a few pictures which were taken in one part of this very planet we all live…photographs of people and children who were dying in starvation. Not one or two…we saw many lives being wasted away without even having a chance to know what living and loving is all about…we saw mothers holding starving children close to their bosom, feeling helpless because they could not help but watch them die, we saw humans bury their young and old ones side by side who died of starvation, we saw humans waiting for others to die so that they did not have to share their few morsels with them, we saw a vulture sitting close to a child dying of starvation – waiting for the child to die and prey on it even before the soul could leave the body, we saw children drink from the wastes, we saw humans who were dehumanized by war, struggling for a few more breaths in this merciless world, we saw endless poverty which screamed into every grain of the sands and every atom of air that surrounded it…we saw the never-ending abyss of hopelessness in their eyes…we saw that thinking was drowned somewhere in all that misery and had become extinct for years in their souls, what we did not see in those pictures directly but realized was that – reason on the whole was being drowned in poverty, money, selfishness, war, greed, blood and many more entities of the so-called human world…

We saw how countless human beings were born in some parts of the world just to die without even knowing what living was all about…and to think that we talk about intellect, arts, technology, war, politics, government, humanity, peace etc while remaining oblivious to what is happening around us. What kind of a world are we a part of where we totally ignore such realities and still shamelessly say ‘IGNORANCE IS BLISS’??
My tears flow while I type all this…why was I made to see all this? To just feel bad for a few hours, forget and then move on??

NO, NO, NO!!!

These will remain in my mind, heart, body and soul as long as I live and I will see to it that I will share this with as many humans as I can and inspire them to do something about this inequality…

I cannot stop questioning myself again and again about all that is going on? If ignoring such realities and living without an iota of feeling responsible to do something for the world is all called living in this world, I feel sad to be a part of it…but wait!!!
What then is our duty in this design? What is the purpose of our existence in this world?
What can we do to make this world a better place?
How can we expect a soul to love or think when even the basic needs are not met??
Of course we can make a difference…TOGETHER!

HUMANS OF THE PLANET, UNITE!!!

Picture courtesy: www.nutrisci.wisc.edu/NS350/images/somalia.jpg

Gesundheit - SDaS 2007 - 4 : Summer School Report

Summer School Report-June 2007

Courtesy: SDaS

We enveloped ourselves in a potpourri of unusual offerings for the summer school's point of departure. We've been at the Gesundheit Institute, where costume activist "Madd Maggs" literally wrapped us in clown pants and tie dyes throughout the month -- so logically we had a clown pants fashion show, with most participants opting for the "waist around the shoulders" look (see right). This came in tandem with the "art everywhere" exhibition, which included a showing of the month's returns on art projects that included painted shoes, stencils, hand-crafted paper, political wedding dresses, wish flags...for more check here...

Gesundheit - SDaS 2007 -3 : SUMMER SCHOOL SESSION

SUMMER SCHOOL IN SESSION from SDaS...JUNE 15th 2007
During the first week, we discussed our personal "courts of criteria" -- the "voices" in our heads that we consult when we make a decision. This culminated in an uprising of cartooning, which illustrated the various criteria people consider when making a specific choice. The first week also saw the start of a flurry of "desire statements" writing. We broke into "design groups" to connect...for more check here

Gesundheit - SDaS 2007 -2 :Detour Towards Earth

Rob Scott of SDaS has made it possible for everyone to access the (13MB) pdf of "Detour Towards Earth" booklet which was done by his design group.
The Booklet has been formatted so that when printed doublesidedly, it makes a document with
pages numbered "A" to "Z" plus a cover page.
Happy Reading!!

COUCHSURFING!!!

"CouchSurfing seeks to internationally network people and places, create educational exchanges, raise collective consciousness, spread tolerance, and facilitate cultural understanding."
Courtesy: http://couchsurfing.org/help.html
I came across this website which connects a lot of people around the globe...opening your homes to the beautiful people of this world...It makes me want to believe in the good of the people..

Gesundheit - Clowning 2007

CLOWNIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNGG!!!
I always ask myself this question from time to time - "When was the last time you did something for the first time??" (courtesy: Discovery Channel)
Gesundheit, WV is a place that makes you feel at home the minute you arrive there! And we were given with this opportunity of entertaining around 200 elderly people who were celebrating their 80+ birthdays in the town.
Well, we had not had any experience in Clowning but our hearts were open to it and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and saw to it that we spread the joy, love and laughter that was part of the clowning to all the people who who were there at the town hall.
Sometimes it is good to just be open to anything and let go of the fear of the unknown...becoz that is when we trust our hearts and take that path which leads us to true happiness!
So, my friends, try something new once in a while...and try clowning once your lifetime!!!

Gesundheit - SDaS 2007 -1 : My Experience

Hey Beautiful People!!!
Am back after a whole month at the Gesundheit Institute...I was there for the Summer School for Designing a Society...
The experience was amazing...the whole place was filled with so much vibrant energy and I got lots of it to share with the rest of the world...WEST VIRGINIA is a wonderful piece of art by the Creator...
During the train journey, I was engulfed in total awe at the sight of the endless mountains and sky which seemed to hold each other in an embrace that was breathtaking...
There were moments when I asked myself, "If there is so much beauty around me, then what change did I want from the world around me...for a moment, I felt the earth was perfect and there was no chaos or war or hunger or pollution or any atrocities of any kind...How can something so beautiful be messed up?? But my memories of the news about war, poverty, unrest, insecurities etc that existed in the world outside this place brought the harsh reality to me!!
Is it even possible to transform something that is so perfect into something that is totally un-livable?? well, we somehow managed it I guess! SIGH!
This is the first of its kind! More to come my comrades!

"Lil' Bush" Bash - One heck of a Show

Kudos to Donick Cary, Creator of the amazingly hilarious, gut-busting show on Comedy Central, Lil' Bush. What a fine piece of comedy writing, ripping the Bush Administration like they were a Pinata filled with Bush and his lil' cronies. Taking current issues and putting a phenomenal spin on each of them. Brilliant piece of work.
Here's a segment from CNN discussing if the show is taking things just a lil' to much. But hey, nothing's too much when it comes to Bush Bashing ;-)
Some of the good stuff - Bush's nonsensical English where Lil' Bush wants to be the 'Decider' coining his own words as he plays prank-wars on Al-Qaeda and their underwear, etc. Looking forward to the next episode!! Wednesdays, 10:30 p.m Eastern.

Ethical Dilemmas of Cycle Rickshaw - Radio Show on Web

Here's the interview that Asia Pacific Forum featured on 'Men of Burden', it's labelled under 'Ethical Dilemmas of Cycle Rickshaws'. I was slow to start initially but I guess I picked up later. Amy and Chitra were great hosts and they both had been to Pondicherry. Talk about a small world. Hopefully, this would bring more awareness to our cause.
People, come forward with your contributions to our projects. Please visit http://www.accessiblehorizonfilms.com/partchange.html
and learn how you can donate.
Thanks for all your support so far.

Asia Pacific Forum(NYC) features segment on 'Men of Burden'

Asia Pacific Forum(NYC) features segment on "Men of Burden - Pedaling
Towards a Horizon" a documentary film on cycle rickshaws in India, on their
weekly Radio Show on Tuesday, June 19th 2007, broadcast between 8-9 p.m.
The segment will be the second in the show at around 8:15 p.m.
The segment will be part of a newly launched series on the environment and
developing economies- this segment focuses on the struggles of an India
where middle/upper class desires for technology and cars and where cycle
rickshaws represent an environmental blessing- and livelihood for
thousands of cycle rickshaw workers- though also respecting the
hardship/manual labor of rickshaw drivers.

ABOUT THE ASIA PACIFIC FORUM
Asia Pacific Forum is the progressive pan-Asian radio show broadcast every
Tuesday night from 8-9pm on WBAI 99.5 FM in New York City and live on the
web.
We particularly like to profile stories and perspectives which are
under-represented in mainstream media- and which we believe deserve
attention and dialogue.
For excerpts of past shows, please check out our website: Asia Pacific Forum
(http://www.asiapacificforum.org)

We cover underreported stories from Asia, as well as Asian American
politics and culture. Our guests have included Arundhati Roy, Gary Locke,
Jessica Hagedorn, Tariq Ali, Yuri Kochiyama, David Henry Hwang,
Monique Truong, Edward Said, Maxine Hong Kingston, Vijay Prashad,
Cathi Tactaquin, Zia Mian, Grace Lee Boggs, Vivek Bald, Phil Tajitsu
Nash, Bharavi Desai, Lois-Ann Yamanaka, Monami Maulik, Margaret
Fung, Robin D.G. Kelley, Shashi Tharoor, Joo-Hyun Kang, Mike Honda,
Vandana Shiva, John Liu, Stacey Ann Chin, Jeff Chang, DJ Rekha,
and Asian Dub Foundation.

Asia Pacific Forum airs on WBAI 99.5 FM in New York City. WBAI is part of
the Pacifica Foundation, a national radio network founded in 1946 with
additional affiliates in Houston, Los Angeles, Berkeley, and Washington,
D.C. Pacifica is a non-commercial, listener-sponsored network founded on a
strong community role in each individual station.

SYNOPSIS OF THE FILM
Set in the city of Pondicherry, a Union Territory in South East India, the
documentary uncovers the story of disappearing cycle rickshaw drivers
living in abject poverty. Over time, the city has experienced a gradual
but alarming reduction in the number of cycle rickshaws thereby
diminishing the chances of living of those who depend on them. What used
to be one of the primary modes of transport in the city is now a fading
memory with the few remaining ones staging a difficult survival. The film
explores some of the ethical dimensions of man pulling man against the
background of increasingly menacing effects of motorized transport and
pollution. It also takes you through the rickshaw men’s journey of hope on
the roads that have fostered them.
Representing one facet of India’s population below poverty line, these
unflagging men perpetually struggle to eat one satisfying meal a day. But
what is remarkable is the essence of some who believe in making a
difference in an apparently hopeless livelihood. While India's big cities
are racing towards globalization and technology, these men, against all
odds, remain appreciative of their modest lives by believing in the power
of now.
Portraying the immediacy and desolation of the situation the film
highlights a catalytic change revolutionizing India’s economic and social
future from the grass roots level. Juxtaposing the way of life of these
men with definitive solutions, the film answers the question of how these
changes can trickle down to the roots of India’s soil.
--
http://www.AccessibleHorizonFilms.com
http://acchor.blogspot.com/

The Resurgence Effect

A simple, powerful depiction of the status quo of US Foreign policy in Iraq. Although you could call it a humorous take on the issue, it shows us the raw reality.

Original Source: Unknown but I got this on Desh's Blog, Drishtikone.

Heart-wrencher: La Vie en Rose

Via: VideoSift

I read about the film 'La Vie en Rose' and eventually Edith Piaf, the Little Sparrow of Paris who lived during and enthralled the first half of the 20th century. The film is a biography of her life which is a collective medley of poignant stories from her birth to her untimely and tragic death at the age of 47. When you hear La Vie en Rose, you want to see the movie, read the story of her life, go to Paris to where she lay in peace.

Édith Piaf (December 19, 1915–October 11, 1963) was one of France's most loved singers, who became a national icon. Her music reflected her tragic life, with her specialty being the poignant ballad performed in a heartbreaking voice. Among her most famous songs are "La vie en rose" (1946), "Hymne à l'amour" (1949), "Milord" (1959), "Non, je ne regrette rien" (1960).

For more about her life, check out Edith Piaf.

1st Annual NJISACF

The weekend of June 2-3rd had the inauguration of the New Jersey Independent South Asian Cine Fest 2007. This was way overdue. Given that this was its first time, it did decently well. Quite a decent turnout although it wasn't overflowing. Georgestreet Playhouse was a good choice as the venue and yeah good food at the cafe. One concern was that, during the inauguration ceremony, it seemed more like an election campaign for the NJ Senate, no, really, for some time, it seemed like we were all sitting in the auditorium waiting to vote and register ourselves and even suggest policy changes in the government! I didn't know why they had to bring people to campaign in a film festival(the chief guest was running for the NJ senate - even then). Well, let bygones be bygones.
Anyways, Men of Burden was screened on the first day at 8:30 p.m. We had a Q and A session later with some good reviews by the audience. The slate of films was very diverse although I had already seen quite a few of them at various festivals like IFFLA, IAAC and SAIFF. On the whole, I would give it a 6.5 on a scale of ten. Keep it up and good luck!

On the Lot

Reality shows...ahhh, don't we love them? An easy, lazy but sure-shot way to make better dramatic Television. How many TV fiction scriptwriters have been made to re-think their genres?
By now, I'm sure we have all been bombarded by hundreds of reality shows on mainstream networks.
Well, here's another one added to the lot...well, "On the Lot" actually! I didn't wanna start on a negative note but hey, this one's good. Ok, so I'm avidly following this one on Fox that's actually Stephen Spielberg's brainchild where the contestants/filmmakers fight to win a $1-million movie deal at DreamWorks. There's a great deal of diversity in the show...the token black guy and now even the token brown girl, yes, there's an Indian American on board. So far, three have been eliminated and 15 remain. Great show to look out for, especially for upcoming directors. Don't go by the masses, be your own judge. I try to watch & listen to the thought processes of the filmmakers, that's the best part.
(pic courtesy on the lot website)

DISTRESS SEASONAL MIGRATION - 2 - Locked Homes Empty Schools

Am trying to put the whole process in simple sketches...more to come.
Courtesy: LOCKED HOMES, EMPTY SCHOOLS. Smita, Prashant Panjiar,AIF

GI - MUN - DO (Ji - MUN- doe)

...is a place of inspiration, hope and goodness; a better world!
Came across this website and the positivity they want to spread...
Check them out at
http://www.gimundo.com/
And also if you want to turn yourself GREEN in every possible way...try this website...
http://www.treehugger.com/gogreen.php
Take care and enjoy the Summer!!! It is Green,Green everywhere!!

Coffee & some Special FX please

Just came back from an incredible Spiderman 3 experience. I saw the trailers, anticipated the tremendous Special FX and also got what I went for. The film was a tad melo than the other two, but nevertheless, excellent.
The point here is, the movies we get to see these days are laden with incredible amounts of Special FX and are virtually a part and parcel of every movie. And we take them for granted too. Dramatic storytelling through CGI and graphics has reached a zenith, almost to a level of saturation but again, it's the same saturation that has become a basic commodity like coffee. You can actually pick out any movie from a bunch of them with varying degrees of Visual FX. Mild, Rich or Bold.
But my question is, do these movies raise the standard for traditional storytellers/directors who use primarily live-action only? I for one, am increasingly veering towards FX laden movies, because, like coffee, they've become such a basic want.

Post-screening of Men of Burden

Things have been crazy the last few days. But didn't want to forget about the May 12th, 2007 screening of 'Men of Burden - Pedaling Towards a Horizon'. The screening went well but wished we had done more promotion. Getting people to an independent screening, that too, of a documentary film is definitely a not-so-easy task.
Journalist(SAJA-er) Aseem Chabra was kind enough to moderate the post-screening discussion. We had a good discussion with some in the audience, some backs and forths and a couple of leads for the rickshaw projects. Hopefully things will work out towards the contribution.
Aicon Gallery was supportive with their help during the screening. Thanks to everyone who contributed towards the screening. Also gotta thank Nanda and Arvind for their help with the audio system and ALM Associates in Rahway and Ram Lakhani from Digimax for lending the projection and screen systems.
Anyways, do look out for our next screening at the NJSAICF on June 2nd, at 7:45 p.m. Hope to have a good NJ turnout.

Puff the magic dragon

Here is one of my favourite folk song that has taught me a little bit of singing. The song takes us to our childhood time and i hope you all enjoy it.

DISTRESS SEASONAL MIGRATION - 1- Locked Homes Empty Schools

It is time to visit such worlds and see what we can contribute...I have tried to simplify what I read in the book, Locked Homes, Empty Schools in some flow charts...
Locked Homes, Empty Schools, a study commissioned by AIF, examines the plight of migrant families by drawing on the work of four NGOs in different parts of India across several sectors: sugarcane harvesting in Maharashtra; saltpan, roof tile and charcoal making in Gujarat; and brick kiln migrations from Orissa to Andhra Pradesh. more...
The book LOCKED HOMES EMPTY SCHOOLS by Smita, Prashant Panjiar
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20070401/spectrum/main1.htm
Book review on AIF by B G Verghese

I had the experience of reading the book and it took me to a world that runs parallel to the one I live but yet is oblivious to mine..is it my ignorance that I fail to tread into such worlds or is it the so-called sense of security that I think I possess in this world of mine that I am too comfortable with...????
MORE TO COME...

Here Vs There (3)

Here's the third installment of the "Here Vs There" series . To read the other entries in the series, refer to the link HERE.

"Observe around you and be thankful for all that you have in this transitory lifetime…
We are fortunate, we have much more than what we need to be content. Let’s try not to feed this endless cycle of consumerism and immorality in which this “modern and advanced” society forgets and ignores the other two thirds of our brothers and sisters.
Let us complain less and give more."

Pondicherry Cycle Rickshaws & Drivers

These are some pictures of 'Men of Burden' though not necessarily film stills, these were taken at different times. Although some of them are available on our film website 'Accessible Horizon Films', take a look again. Somewhere, somehow, they resonate with the beauty of Pondicherry. It reflects the pace of the town that was. But now, with the Autorickshaws and motorbikes, things have changed a lot.

Men of Burden - Exclusive NYC screening (Re-post)

Accessible Horizon Films in association with Aicon Gallery(formerly Gallery ArtsIndia), presents an Exclusive Screening of “MEN OF BURDEN – PEDALING TOWARDS A HORIZON”

Total Running Time: 66 minutes
Screening Venue: Aicon Gallery, 206, Fifth Avenue, New York, NY – 10010
Date & Time: 5:00 p.m – 6:30 p.m, 12^th May, 2007
Post-Screening Discussion with Filmmakers: Moderated by Aseem Chhabra
Tickets: All proceeds go directly to a Social cause (Men of Burden Cycle Rickshaw Revival Project)
$12 cash at the door
$20 cash donations at door(Receive the Men of Burden Sound Track CD by Steve Gorn)

For more information, please visit: www.AccessibleHorizonFilms.com

FASTING...

My aunt used to say that FASTING is the most effective way to teach our bodies to live in harmony with both our outer and inner worlds. My father fasts for a whole day, once a week. To think of fasting does not bother me too, as I feel it heals a lot of issues which are both psychological and physical.
Here is an article I recently came across on CULTURE CHANGE.ORG

Fasting for healing and inner peace

Fasting (i.e., water only) for health is a human and animal process that needs no scientist, although the extent of knowledge from western medical science is wondrous and can help a patient. Once a fast is directly experienced, however, one can see how superfluous medical doctors can appear.

Doctors realize this themselves when faced with natural healing methods, and they see that their income would plummet from fasting. So it is no surprise that fear of fasting is instilled by for-profit medical professionals, academia, media, and their corporate support base. In contrast, there are at least several countries -- especially where health care is socialized -- that utilize fasting openly and do not consign it to the closet of MORE...

On Permaculture...

Picture Courtesy: http://permacultureactivist.net/about-us/about-us.htm

PERMACULTURE or otherwise Permanent Agriculture is something I came up for the first time when I signed up for the School for Designing a Society summer course.

There are a lot of people in this world trying to create a positive change to make this world a better place for everybody... and for that... there are many systems already in practice. If we keep our eyes and minds wide open, we can find all these people and reach out to them...and work in unison and make it happen in many cultures simultaneously!

Check out all these links for PERMACULTURE.
http://permacultureactivist.net/
http://www.permaculture.org/nm/index.php/site/index/
http://www.permaculture.net/about/brief_introduction.html
http://perma-intro.blogspot.com/

Related links in this blog
http://acchor.blogspot.com/search/label/Nature

Here Vs. There (2)

Here's the second installment of "Here Vs There" . To read the first of the series, refer to the link HERE."Observe around you and be thankful for all that you have in this transitory lifetime…
We are fortunate, we have much more than what we need to be content. Let’s try not to feed this endless cycle of consumerism and immorality in which this “modern and advanced” society forgets and ignores the other two thirds of our brothers and sisters.
Let us complain less and give more."

India's Lawless Legislators: Life reflected in Cinema

Do you wonder why there are so many films in India focusing on the politicians as the villains? Sometimes you would think as to why the film media has to portray them in such a bad light. But the truth is, almost every scene we see in these types of films are basically a reflection of life. Truth reflected back on the screen. Corrupt politicians, subservient police, caste distinctions and elections gone awry...all not just fantasy or fictional work to thrill the audience, but a deliberate showcase of the status quo of Indian politics.
A glimpse of a case in point: Mukhtar Ansari - Here are some excerpts from this article on Wall Street Journal, POLITICAL CONVICTIONS,Lawless Legislators Thwart Social Progress in India,Malnutrition, Polio; A 'Superior' Jail Cell for Mukhtar Ansari, By PETER WONACOTT, May 4, 2007; Page A1
Mukhtar Ansari with police - Picture courtesy: Tribune India

GHAZIPUR, India -- Since late 2005, Mukhtar Ansari has been confined to
this ramshackle town's jailhouse, accused of conspiracy to murder. That
charge and 27 other criminal cases lodged against him over 19 years
have done little to derail a long political career.
In 1996, months after being charged with firing an AK-47 at the local
police commissioner, Mr. Ansari was voted a member of his state's
Legislative Assembly, the equivalent of an American state senate. In 2002,
while facing a charge of illegal arms possession, he won re-election by a
wide margin.
Now, the 40-year-old Mr. Ansari is running again for re-election in
Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous state. He's expected to sail back
into office in elections next Tuesday, thanks to a potent mix of divisive
politics and political largess. His brother, Afzal, locked up with him
in the Ghazipur District Jail, is a member of India's national
parliament in New Delhi.
Police accuse the brothers of masterminding the assassination of a
political rival and five associates. Both deny all charges against them;
neither has ever been convicted of a crime.
...
Many countries, including the U.S., have lawmakers who run afoul of the
law, and it's not uncommon in developing countries for those fleeing
the law to find sanctuary in political office. Brazilian legislators, for
example, have been accused of entering politics to take advantage of a
law that grants them immunity from criminal prosecution in office.
Few countries, however, can match India's numbers. Following the 2004
election, almost a quarter of the 535 elected members of India's
national parliament have criminal charges registered against them or pending
in court, according to the Public Affairs Center, an Indian elections
watchdog. Half of those with charges pending against them face prison
terms of at least five years if convicted.
For some insular communities in India, criminal charges carry much less
of a stigma than in other countries, or even more mainstream parts of
India. Such charges may even be an asset, since tough characters can
help bond together people of the same faith or caste, especially if that
person is seen as one who will help resist bullying by other groups,
says Rashid Alvi, a Congress Party member of parliament from Uttar
Pradesh. "They will elect the hardcore criminals if they think it will teach a
lesson to the other castes," says Mr. Alvi. "It's the idea of who cares
if he's a rogue, he's our rogue!"
For alleged criminals, political office is alluring: If they haven't
been convicted, they can remain in office, even while in jail. And if
convicted, politicians often manage to hold onto their jobs while an
appeal is lodged. India's justice system grinds so slowly that cases may not
be heard for years. Meanwhile, police escorts deter their foes -- often
other legislators -- from trying to kill them.
...
Prior to the elections, slightly more than half of its 403 legislative
assembly members, including Mukhtar Ansari, faced criminal charges. In
the first six phases of the elections, there were 48 constituencies
offering four or more candidates with criminal cases pending against them.
The criminal justice system remains vulnerable to political pressure.
Political rivals often direct charges against each other, and work to
withdraw cases against supporters. Still, many of India's legislators in
legal trouble faced criminal charges well before their political
careers began, according to I.C. Dwivedi, former director of police for Uttar
Pradesh and now the state's head of Election Watch, an NGO. "They were
criminals first and politicians later," he says.
...

Excerpts from...

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.
One of my favorite books and some passages worth mentioning. Of course, there are many more but let's just soak this for now.
- "when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you achieve it"
- "When someone makes a decision, he is really diving into a strong current that will carry him to places he had never dreamed of when he first made the decision."
- "...intuition is really a sudden immersion of the soul into the universal current of life, where the histories of all people are connected, and we are able to know everything, because it's all written there."
- "When he looked into her dark eyes, and saw that her lips were poised between a laugh and silence, he learned the most important part of the language that all the world spoke - the language that everyone on earth was capable of understanding in their heart. It was love. Something older than humanity, more ancient than the desert."(Excellent)
- "You must understand that love never keeps a man from pursuing his destiny. If he abandons that pursuit, it's because it wasn't true love...the love that speaks the Language of the World."
- "There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure."
- "And there were dunes, rocks and plants that insisted on living where survival seemed impossible."
- "When you are loved, you can do anythingin creation. When you are loved, there's no need at all to understand what's happening, because everything happens within you, and even men can turn themselves into the wind. "
- "Love is the force that transforms and improves the Soul of the World....It is we who nourish the Soul of the World, and the world we live in will be either better or worse, depending on whether we become better or worse. And that's where the power of love comesin. Because when we love, we always strive to become better than we are."

WWPCS in CANADA...

Hey guys! We just got the cards from the kids in Canada...As you all know this could not have been possible without our dear friend, filmmaker and teacher Mitra Sen and her wonderful school kids!
Check out the beautiful postcards at the WORLDKIDSUNITE Blogspot...
Let's spread the word...of Peace!

Here Vs. There

This is the first installment of a slice of life comparison between Here Vs. There. By 'Here' I mean the developed countries that we comfortably sit in, often complain about and take for granted. By 'There' I obviously mean the so-called Third world(I hate that term) countries, so we shall refer to them as developing /under-developed countries. These images are meant to jolt us into action...at least ring a bell deep inside us to appreciate the little things we have in life.
This was actually an email forward that I received. Also see the afterword below the picture.

"Observe around you and be thankful for all that you have in this transitory lifetime…
We are fortunate, we have much more than what we need to be content. Let’s try not to feed this endless cycle of consumerism and immorality in which this “modern and advanced” society forgets and ignores the other two thirds of our brothers and sisters.
Let us complain and give more."

Designing an alternative SOCIETY?

We have endless talks and discussions about how demoralized and desperate our present human society is!
When someone asks you the simple question, What would you do to change the society and help make this world a better place?
What would be your answer?
I came across this SCHOOL FOR DESIGNING A SOCIETY. It is disappointing in the sense that we all have time to complain about how incorrigible the current system has become but never have the time to sit down and note down changes that we can actually make - to make it better!
Check this School's site and get an idea as to what you could be doing instead of just sitting and discussing what is wrong. The idea is not to get you enrolled in the school but to think of taking some action towards creating a change which could actually make a difference in some small way!
Check their blog site HERE
Check their PDF book on ALTERNATIVE NECESSITIES

Also check the blog PASSIONS AND SURVIVAL.BLOGSPOT.COM for the interview with ROB SCOTT on Beyond Available Alternatives.

Preview Clip (2) - Men of Burden

Here's a re-post of the second preview clip.

Preview Clip (1) - Men of Burden

With our impending Exclusive NYC screening of "Men of Burden - Pedaling Towards a Horizon", on May 12th, 2007, at 5 p.m (at Aicon Gallery), we just thought it might be a good idea to re-post the Preview Clips.
For more Event Information, please click on Exclusive Screening.

Sculpting in Time: Tarkovskian theory of cinema

The concept of time in film has been a fascinating aspect to me. The past, nostalgia, dreamy flashbacks, foreseeable futures and even basic montages that cut through time. And then, there are also the concepts of linear story-telling and horizontal story-telling (Linear Vs. Non-linear narratives) which we may all be familiar with.
But I recently came across this great filmmaker - Russian director, Andrei Tarkovsky - who actually developed a theory of cinema called "Sculpting in Time" where the passage of time is in "real time" as in unedited sequences. To be more precise, here's an excerpt from Wikipedia about his method and style of working/directing.

Tarkovsky developed a theory of cinema that he called "sculpting in time". By this he meant that the unique characteristic of cinema as a medium was to take our experience of time and alter it. Unedited movie footage transcribes time in real time. (The speedy jump-cutting style that is prevalent in music videos and many Hollywood movies, by contrast, overrides any sense of time by imposing the editor's viewpoint.) By using long takes and few cuts in his films, he aimed to give the viewers a sense of time passing, time lost, and the relationship of one moment in time to another. Up to and including his film Mirror, Tarkovsky focused his cinematic works on exploring this theory.

This is one area I really wanna explore in my future projects. But I guess this is mainly possible in story structures that demand a specific emotional response. I don't think there's any way to make fast-paced movies with this kind of a styling. Well, we could, maybe intersperse the sculpting-in-time scenes with action and create a horizontal structure. And we should keep in mind that the narrative shouldn't get lost in the array of parallel scenes.
(Pic courtesy - http://www.acs.ucalgary.ca/~tstronds/nostalghia.com/ThePhotos.html)

Men of Burden - Exclusive Screening in NYC

Accessible Horizon Films in association with Aicon Gallery(formerly Gallery ArtsIndia), presents an Exclusive Screening of “MEN OF BURDEN – PEDALING TOWARDS A HORIZON”

Total Running Time: 66 minutes
Screening Venue: Aicon Gallery, 206, Fifth Avenue, New York, NY – 10010
Date & Time: 5:00 p.m – 6:30 p.m, 12^th May, 2007
Post-Screening Discussion with Filmmakers: Moderated by Actress Pooja Kumar
Tickets: All proceeds go directly to a Social cause (Men of Burden Cycle Rickshaw Revival Project)
$12 cash at the door
$20 cash donations at door(Receive the Men of Burden Sound Track CD by Steve Gorn)

For more information, please visit: www.AccessibleHorizonFilms.com

Wings Of Evolution meets Asim H. Premji

Ok, so we thought we had only a few proponents of quality education in India - education towards building a better tomorrow, education that lets children decide what they want to study, education that truly focuses on the learning process. Guess what? The (above) theme of our documentary film Wings of Evolution is exactly the same as what Asim H. Premji, Chairman of Wipro Technologies, thinks that education should do.
Wings of Evolution, based on Siragu School in the outskirts of Chennai, focuses on Education that makes children an integral part of creating the learning process, themselves. Children have playtime and study time mixed up in the right combination that children never feel the pressure or the need to compulsively allocate study time. This has helped them to focus on areas of learning that they truly feel attracted to. This has enhanced the quality of learning such that there has not been a single dropout during the 3-4 years of their school's inception.
Best of all, all this quality comes FREE. Free education combined with quality and international standards can only result in India looking forward to a better future.
Asim Premji in his column The Weight Of Wings on Outlook India magazine, talks about revamping the entire system of education in India. Of course, this is an issue that needs to be addressed not only by the independent NGOs or social organizations or Trusts, but also(obviously) by the Government of India, through policy makers who have to play an instrumental role in seeing this change happen.
Key quote from his article:

In India now, there is a growing realization of the need for change. We have begun to realize that our children don't seem to learn how to learn; numerous studies have proven this. We have made the transition from concern for just basic literacy to quality education. We need to progress from a compulsion to mass-produce stereotypes to creating independent thinkers and active learners.

For more, check out The Weight Of Wings, We need a revamp -- to create free thinkers, not compulsive learners

Simplification #1

A PRIORI	POSTERIORI
BELIEVE THAT IT ALREADY EXISTS IN THE MIND	BELIEVE THAT EVERYTHING HAS TO BE LEARNED THROUGH EXPERIENCE
REASONING DOES NOT DEPEND ON EXPERIENCE	REASONING THROUGH THE SENSES
SOMETHING I CAN KNOW WITHOUT HAVING TO EXPERIENCE… For Eg: PARENTHOOD… I’M AWARE THAT IT INVOLVES TAKING CARE OF KIDS AND PROVIDING FOR THEM. RATIONALISTS	SOMETHING I CAN KNOW ONLY THROUGH EXPERIENCE… For Eg... LOVE…I CAN SAY HOW IT FEELS ONLY IT I HAVE THE EXPERIENCE OF LOVING ANOTHER. EMPIRICISTS

I have tried to simplify two concepts from a broad perspective...I am trying this for the first time..
More to come..
:-)

Men of Burden - Official Selection at NJISA Cine Fest

Hi all
'Men of Burden - Pedaling Towards a Horizon' has been officially selected at the New Jersey Independent South Asian Cine Fest and will be screened June 2nd-3rd at the George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick. This will most likely be the NJ premiere of the film.

New Jersey Independent South Asian Cine Fest, NJISACF, produced by the Asian American Film and Theater Project, in association with Manavi, is committed to the exhibition of independent films by and about South Asians. It promotes and recognizes the talents of the new, the established, the best and the brightest Indie filmmakers from across the globe.
The two-day festival will screen feature, short, documentary and animated films of all genres, with accompanying filmmaker Q&As, and panel discussions on various topics related to the craft and business of filmmaking. Jury and Audience Choice Prizes will be awarded for excellence in various categories.
The festival’s mission is to facilitate a thriving and dynamic interaction and dialog among filmmakers, writers, actors, producers, film critics, film scholars, film industry professionals, the movie-loving public, and the American society at large, thereby making it an essential part of the multi-cultural landscape of New Jersey.

Watch out for updates on more screenings in the NY Tri-state area.

Reality & States of Being

Of late, I've been having random thoughts, very ambiguous, ecstatic and weird even. Sometimes I wonder where all this really comes from. I mean, does me saying I'm happy or sad or confused or angry mean that I'm all those at different points of time. What is the reality then? That is, if 'reality' even exists.
Well then if I feel those at different times, aren't my thoughts always subjective to that 'reality'. So those random feelings - are those just states of being(emotions) depending on various situations. So if we can control our thoughts or situations can we control our subjective reality? Our states of being?
Which brings us to an important school of thought - Subjective reality.
Here's an excerpt from Steve Pavlina's theory of subjective reality.

Subjective reality is an integrated belief system where consciousness and awareness are primary. They are the container in which everything else exists. And I do mean EVERYTHING.
In a truly subjective universe, there is nothing outside your own consciousness — no world, no bodies, no brain. Suppose I ask you the question, “If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?” With an objective belief structure, you might say yes, but you might also say no, depending on your views on quantum physics. However, if you believed in subjective reality, you have to reject the question entirely. You’d say that there’s no such thing as a tree outside your awareness. That tree doesn’t even exist. Nor does the forest for that matter. If you are not there to observe it, it doesn’t exist at all. Without consciousness there is no existence.
A secondary element is that within a subjective universe, thought is the primary creative element. All thoughts manifest in some form, whether conscious or unconscious. So the physical universe is like a giant computer, crunching your thoughts into reality. Thoughts are waves, and the physical universe is the summation of all those waves. Hence where there is no thought, there is no physical existence. If a thought does not exist, its physical manifestation does not exist either.

In spite of all this, we have objective reality which obviously is a departure from subjective reality, but again it is one that is under the realm of subjective reality. Here's an article on transcending subjective reality from http://www.martialdevelopment.com/blog/transcending-subjective-reality/
Do check out the quote from the blog on the Persian philosopher Ibn Sina which I think makes sense as far as understanding objective reality is concerned.
My point is, in order to understand reality, we have to be aware of both the subjective and objective realms and act accordingly. Sometimes it may not seem to make sense but we wanna cope up with our reality a basic understanding is definitely essential.
(picture courtesy - http://home.wxs.nl/~brouw724/enlightenment.html)

Want FREE Wi-Fi Internet Access?

Are you paying money for your internet access? Why do it when you can get it for FREE. ABSOLUTELY FREE. Google just announced this new TiSP service which can provide free Wi-Fi service at your home for free. Here is how it works. Follow these simple instructions and you can be online in no time. All you need is a toilet and Google TiSP kit. Its a little weird but it works.

For more information visit.
http://www.google.com/tisp/index.html

Are you ready to get that service? ;) Did you order for your TiSP package?