this actual world is only one of many possible worlds

If we were all the same color, would you see who I really am? We made this video with girls in grades 9-12, who met for 12 weeks in a social change program with Camp Diva and Girls for a Change. The girls identified an issue important to them and the root cause; then created a social change project. 

    The girls chose race as their issue because of experiences they had in school.However, when asked to define race they had difficulty with the idea of color being an issue alone,their definitions became intertwined with culture and cultural bias. Race was a confusing theme and thus really reinforced the idea that it is a construct. A construct that becomes more difficult to define in a multicultural setting. After discussion the group concluded that two student who might check for example the black box, one being from the U.S. and the other Sudan have distinctly different identities and may not feel of the same “box”.What happens to the construct as we migrate? 

  Conversation in the group: Hispanic? Asian? becomes very complicated. Asians who are Hispanic…Hispanics who are black. Hispanics who are black in the U.S. but would identify more as mesitzo in another place. People of both Pakistan and Vietnam are Asian. The “Asian” category ranges dark to pale as anyone but they are not white nor black.Why?

Then what is race? Is it color?

What do we attach to each box? the African students had often heard negative comments made about Africa by African American students and yet when they were asked what they thought of African American people before arriving in the country they admitted the same negative ideas. It was generally assumed that all white and Asian students are good in school and go to college yet the white students in this lower income school have the same drop out rates and testing scores as the black students. Last year only 44% (of the 60 % graduating in 4 years) of the seniors attended a college after graduation. This includes the white kids. 

They found these revelations confusing.The stereotypes seemed to give them/us a way to easily explain issues of poverty and lack of community around them/us, a scapegoat and way out of finding and addressing the real cause of the inequity

(Source: vimeo.com)

Camp Diva with GFC : Richmond Middle and High School Girls Showcase Their Social Change Projects On Thursday, May 24, 2012 at 6:30PM at Friends Association for Children - 1004 Saint John Street, Richmond, VA 23228, The public is welcome.


Girls from my class will present a project that addresses the construct of race and how confusing and painful it can be.

RICHMOND, VA (May 15, 2012) – Girls For A Change partnering with Camp Diva empowers girls to create social change, they has served over 2,000 girls in Richmond, VA schools since 2008. Girls ages 11-18 receive 14 weeks of afterschool programming each fall and spring with the help of local women recruited and trained to be coaches.

 In the program, girls choose a community issue that is important to them, such as dating abuse, teen pregnancy, or racism.  The girls are then empowered to design and lead a social change project to combat that issue.  They learn problem solving, leadership, project management and failure recovery skills in the process. Girls For A Change empowers young women to understand the power and resources they have in their community and selves, lead social change and speak out against societal issues that concern them.

Women  volunteers coach 15 hours per month working in local schools and agencies to facilitate the girls afterschool program. Coaches receive training and support and enjoy professional and life coaching as a result.

To apply, email angela@girlsforachange.org.

Digital #Cameras needed for a #youth project for World #Refugee Day.  thepossibleworld@gmail.com to #donate 

Cycles of violence and poverty: as a result of the shooting of a teen girl outside the community center where I have a program, we spent the morning on a panel discussing how to reach those at-risk families…

Teen fatally shot during N. Richmond dice game http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/2012/apr/05/9/woman-dies-north-richmond-drive-shooting-ar-1820533/

Essay contest submission: displacement & #justice by a student & #refugee in my class, recently from #Darfur 

 Richmond Peace Education Foundation Essay Contest

Essay Theme: ”…and justice for all” The Pledge of Allegience, ”if you want peace you must work for justice” Pope John Paul VI

A letter to international organizations working for human rights.

A letter to all lovers of freedom, justice, peace and human dignity in the world.


 In the beginning my own behalf and on behalf of the marginalized people of Darfur, I extend my utmost thanks and appreciation to the U.S. government for humanitarian work since the beginning of the crisis. I also extend my utmost thanks to all those who contributed to pressure the Sudanese government for food to pass into the affected crisis areas exacerbated by the collective hardship and the forced displacement of people.

   I am Mustafa H——-, from the Fur culture in the Kutum area of Northern Sudan. When I was ten years old, seven years ago, our village was destroyed after being attacked by a militia and our grandmother killed.  By the power of God, I survived as did a number of the people of the village and we fled. During this time we suffered emotionally, as you can imagine after such an experience, our sorrows untold. We have suffered as refugees in the camps ever since. I was unable to attend school or work in the camps and we would just wait for food drops every few months. In the camps there isn’t any running water, electricity, books or teachers. Every three months food is brought to the camps, but there isn’t any access to supplies between these times. Last September, after seven years in refugee camps I arrived in the United States with my two brothers and joined my mother and sister. Our father and extended family are still waiting in camps in Sudan.

   In our country where there is a totalitarian regime and since 2001 there has been an imposed harsh security over Darfur. The humanitarian crisis and the wars caused horror and brutality, where the indiscriminate killing, burning villages, and throwing children in raging fires. We experienced the rape of women, including the elderly and young girls under the age of ten. Wells were buried and poisoned, trees were cut and agriculture burned. The Sudanese army and Janjaweed militias use of this type of weapon to destroy the psychological moral and force us to live in the outskirts of cities without the most basic respect for our rights and our dignity as human beings.

   We have lost the most basic necessities of life in the camps and our survival relies on the organizations working in the field of human rights and humanitarian work. Approximately 2000 villages were destroyed and some hundreds of thousands of refugees are in the camps, the vast majority of the population is women, children and the elderly, at the mercy of death, cold or slow suffering under the silence. The situation today in Darfur is very serious represented by the loss of food, medicine and education. Education is the most important means by which people can progress and develop and it is inaccessible to displaced children in the IDP camps.

“…with liberty and justice for all.” –the Pledge of Allegiance


   In the name of God the Merciful, we find that justice is very important in human life and all people are equal in rights and human dignity in any time and place, and we find that the absence of justice between peoples has generated problems and civil wars and conflicts between peoples.
People are equal in rights and duties in terms of all humanity and not judged on the basis of religion or race. We find that if countries follow this idea of equality live in peace and security, love, and welfare, they may enjoy a fair division of power and wealth among them.

 “If you want peace, work for justice.” —Pope Paul VI


   In order to achieve justice, a country should not discriminate between citizens in the public services of health, education, security, water and food.  Ensure human rights in the state represented by the freedom of expression and freedom of movement and freedom of association and political practice without any restrictions. A country should not allow the monopoly of power and wealth in public companies, banks, ministries, military officers and security or favor tribes while denying others.
   A country should not invest in a renaissance in certain states yet leave other states marginalized.
   How can we all help to make the world more peaceful?  By developing the capacity of people and as especially students to resolve conflicts by peaceful means, without the hunger to violence, and promote a sense of peace in the minds of students to enable them to adopt the characteristics of tolerance and friendship, partnership and respect and appreciation of the diversity of people and races and religions. This should include the values
of love, solidarity and equality both local and global in order to develop a balanced society. Teamwork and dialogue should address the issues peace.
   The state must pursue a foreign policy based on moderation and respect for human rights wherever, respect for the laws and the observance of good neighborliness, but the political with all countries of the world and non-interference in the internal affairs of other States, to stop all wars and peace for the citizens and provide basic services.

  My goal is to pursue my education to become an electrical engineer and return to Sudan to create a better future for my people. I intend to also in some way work towards political office and create policy for human rights and progress.
 To you my thanks and highest appreciation,
Mustafa Mohammed A——  K—-  H——

                                                            رساله الى المنظمات الدوليه العامله فيمجال حقوق  ألانسان

                                       رساله الى كل محبى الحرية والعدالة والسلام والكرامه ألانسانيه في العالم

 في البدئ اصاله عن نفسي ونيابه عن شعب الدارفور المهمش اتقدم بفائق شكر وتقدير لحكومة الامريكيه على العمل ألانساني الزى قدمتموه لنا منذ بدايه الازمة .وايضا اتقدم بفئق الشكر والتقدير لمنظمات ألانسانيه الزى قدمنتموه لنا بعض الحقوق بعض الحقوق متمثله فى المكل والمشرب والدواء . وايضا اتقدم بفائق الشكروالتقدير لكل الذين ساهموا في ممارسة الضغوط عاى الحكومة السودانيه لتمرير المواد الغذائيه في لمناطق المتضرره منذه تفاقم الازمه متمثله في    نزوح والعبادة جماعيه وتهجير القصري

في بلادنا حيث يسود نظام شمولي ومنذ انفجار الأوضاع عام 2001 وخصوصا بعد تفاقمها في فبراير 2003 فرضت الاجهزه الامنيه رقابة مشددة على كل ماينشر عن دارفور لتقطية علي الازمه الانسانيه هنالك وعلى حرب من اسؤى الحروب فظاعة ووحشيه حيث القتل العشوائي ، وحرق القرى ، والقاء الاطفال في النيران المشتعله ،واغتصاب النساء بما في ذلك العجزة والفتيات الصغيرات دون سن العاشره ،ودفن الابار المياه وتسميمها وقطع الاشجار وحرق الزراعة.

وفي بداية عام ٢٠٠٤ في شهرواحد تم تدمير قريتى قرفوا تمادة تقع في محلية كتم حيث قتلوا سبعة اشخاص من أقرباى  وجرح اكثر من عشرين اشخاص ولاكن بقدرة الله نجاة عدد من اهل القرية وبعد معاناه وصلنا وادي مريفا وخلالها تذوقنا فيها من المرارات مالم يمكن ان يتصور العقل البشري احزاننا يعجز عنها الوصف وشهدت في نفسى والاخرين كل الاصناف العذاب والسموم والوحشيه والاضطهاض .وظلانا نعاني كنازحين في المعسكرات منذ٢٠٣ حتي الاان من الاوضاع امنيه وانسانية مترديه والانتهاك الجائر لحقوق انسان وتردى الوضع يوم بعض يوم ،حيث قامت الحكومه بكل اجهزتها الامنيه والشرطه وجيش ومليشيات الجنجويد ،بتدمير شامل لقرى وقصف الجوى ونهب كافة ممتلكات المدينين العزل وقتل جماعي والاغتصاب للفتيات امام اسرهم واغلبهم دون سن ١٨ سنه بعضهن اعمارهم يصل الى ثلاش سنه واستخدام هذا النوع  من السلاح لتدمير النفسى ومعنوى واجبارنا على سكن في اطراف المدن دون ابسط احترام لحقوقنا وكرامتنا كبشر . فقدنا ابسط مقومات الحياة في معسكر النزوح وظلانا نعتمد في بقاءنا على المنظمات  العاملة في مجال حقوق الانسان والعمل الانساني  والان بلقت عدد المعسكرات ما يقارب ١٤٠ مائه واربعيئين معسكر والغالبية العظمي من سكانها نساء واطفال والعجزة ، تحت رحمة الموت البارد او البطئ تحت صمت الجميع .

وان الوضع اليوم في دارفور خطيرا جدا ودارفور في الازمه حقيقيه  متمثله في فقد الغذاء ودواء وتعليم  وكل يوم يذداد النزوح وهنالك مايفوق ثلاش مليون نازح وحوالى ستمائه لاجئ وكتيرون لم يتم حصرهم في الدول الجوار يفقدون ابسط مقومات الحياة ، بسبب طرد المنظمات الانسانية ووضع شتى العوائق امام ما تبقي منهم.

ومن الحقائق التي لايمكن انكاره  والدليل يثبت على ذلك حيث تحصلت لجنه تحقيق الدولى من الشرطة السودانيه عدد القرى المدمرة ٢٠٠٠ قرية .

ـ كذلك من الحقائق فقد الالف الارواح ، وقد صرح وزير الخارجيه حينها د.مصطفى عثمان اسماعيل بأن القتلى ٥٠٠٠ خمسة الف فقط ، وبينما صرح رئيس السودانى بنفسه بأن القتلى ١٠ الف فقط .وقد وقع هجوم في قرية موللى بغرب دارفور في ابريل ٢٠٠٣ ادت وفاة ٦٣ شخصا من بينهم طفلة في السابعة من عمرها .وقد دفن الموتى في ثمانئه مقابر.وقد سرح الرئيس السودانى حينما زار ولاية شمال دارفور الفاشر حيث قال لا اريد اسير ولاجريح جوا مسح برا مسح سلمونى تراب بص . اذن مانريد ان نقول  للامم المتحدة وخاصه مجلس الامن الدولى ان مشكله دارفور التى حصا عليها ضمائر العالم يحتاج للحلول وتنفيذ وليس القرارات ،هنالك مايقارب ١٨ ثمانئه عشر قرار صدر ضد حكومه السودان في مشكله دارفور ولاكن لعسف الشديد لايعترف باي قرار ومجلس الامن لا ينفذ اى قرار علي ارضى الواقى ، بل مزيد من المعاناة ونتحاك  وقتل وتشريد .ودليل علي ذلك استمرار العبادة الاجماعيه وقصف الجوي ماحدث للمدين في جبل مرة من القتل وتشريد والاغتصاب   ،ماحدث للمدنين واطفال  عام ٢٠٠٩ في سوق تبرا حيث تما القتل اكثر من مائة وعشرين شخص في شهر رمضان نهارا في وسط السوق من بينهم عشرين طفل دون سن الرابع عشرة داخل المدرسة  وعشرة نساء   وجرح اكثر من ١٠٠ مائه شخص   وتما دفنهم  جماعيا في منطقة  طويله .

وماحدث للنازحين في معسكر كلمه في عام ٢٠٠٨ تما القتل اكثر من ١٥٠ شخص داخل المعسكر وجريحه ٨٠٠ شخص واغتصاب عدد من النساء بصوره جماعيه ، وماحدث للمدنين في منطقة فروك عام ٢٠١٠ في سوق السبت تما القتل اكثر من ٣٥ شخص  ١١ منهم اطفال  وجريحه اكثر من ٨٠ شخص  .ويضا ماحدث للمدنين العزل في مناطق دربات وسونى وكل مناطق شرق جبل مرة  وشباب بمعسكر حميديه بمحليه الزلنجى  ليس لحصر  بل ضرب امثال  .في كل الحوادث وهجمات التى تتم من قبل الحكومة وجنجويد لا يتحرك قوات الامم المتحدة ينوميد الابعض اذن من سلطات الامنيه ليس لهم اي صلاحيه في تسجيل ورفع الحقائق ما يعنواعليه النازحين  ،وهذا عار يلحق بمجلس الامن الدولى والاسره الدولية  ويفسر عجزها التام لمواجهة الحقائق القائم  بمسؤلياتها تجاه الانسانيه.

ونجد ان حماية المدنين فى وضع النزاعات الداخلية يعتبر من صميم عمل الامم المتحدة والمنظمات الدولية ، وان علي مجتمع الدولى العمل علي اتخاذ اجراعات فورية لوقف العنف والنزاع  في دارفور وجنوب كردفان والنيل الازرق ، والاسراع  باعتقال المطلوبين للمحكمة الجنائيه الدوليه في مقدمتهم رئيس السودانى عمر البشير واحمد هارون وعاى كوشيب  وعبدالرحيم محمد حسين  الذين يمارسون  ابشع انواع التعذيب والاغتيالات والتصفيات الجسدية التي تتعارض مع مبادى حقوق الانسان والمجتمع الدولى.

  الوضع الانسانى وحقوق الانسان في دارفور .؟

اليوم في دارفور خاصة والسودان عامة توجد اسوأ صنوف انتهاكات لحقوق الانسان حيث حرم كل القبائل الافريقية  المستهدفة من ابسط الحقوق ، حق الحياة ، وكرامه ،حماية ،الاكل والشرب والدواء  والحق الطبيعى في البقاء وممارسه الاغتصاب كا افظع  انواع الانتهاكات التى تحطم الكرامة البشرية وسجن دون محاكمه واستهداف  الكبير لطلاب  دارفور بصورة  جماعية المتمثلة في قتل والفصل التعسفى دون وجه الحق

اما ظروف النساء والاطفال قد تفاقمت بعد طرد المنظمات الانسانية والحقوقيه التى كانت تقدم لهن خدمات مختلفة في كثير من المجالات وخاصة ضحايا الغتصاب وحل محلها منظمات محلية لم تقدم سيئا على ارض الواقع وتنفذ برنامج امنية اكثر من خدمه انسانية .

وضع التعليم في معسكرات النزوح؟

يعتبر التعليم من اهم الوسائل التى يتمكن الشعوب من خلالها التقدم والتطور .ولاكن اليوم في دارفور وخاصة معسكرات النازحين تجد الغالبية العظمى من الاطفال مشردين وخارج دور العلم والتى تعتبر من اخطر الظواهر لتكريس عوامل الجهل والتخلف والتميز العرقى والاجتماعى

واخيرا نطالب ببعض الاشياء تتمثل في الأتي .

- نطالب بتوفير الامن فورا بتدخل القوات الدولية قوات حلف الناتو لحماية المدنين .

- اعادة المنظمات الانسانيه المطرودة فورا دون اى شروط او قيود .

- تنفيذ كل القرارات الصادرة بشان دارفور على مقدمتهم قرار ١٧٠٦ .

- نطالب بوضع الدارفور تحت الوصاية الدولية .

- محاسبة كل مرتكبى جرائم الابادة في دارفور  وتقديمهم لمحاكم دولية .

- على مجتمع الدولى اعطاء العمل الانساني والتعليم من اولى قضياهم .

- نزح سلاح المليشيات التى تحدد الامن مجتمع باليات دولية .

- اطلاق سراح كل المعتقلين في قضية دارفور خاصة النازحين والناشطين من ابناء الشعب السوداني .

- مخاطبة قضايا السودان من جزورها وخاصة دارفور.

ونتنا من سيادتكم العامرة نظرة بعين الاعتبار

ولكم مني فائق الشكر وتقدير.

Solo voy con mi penaSola va mi condenaCorrer es mi destinoPara burlar la leyPerdido en el corazónDe la grande BabylonMe dicen el clandestinoPor no llevar papel
Pa una ciudad del norteYo me fui a trabajarMi vida la dejéEntre Ceuta y GibraltarSoy una raya en el marFantasma en la ciudadMi vida va prohibidadice la autoridad
Solo voy con mi penaSola va mi condenaCorrer es mi destinoPor no llevar papel
Perdido en el corazónDe la grande BabylonMe dicen el clandestinoYo soy el quiebra ley

The Possible World is a 501 C3 non profit located in Jackson Ward just around the corner from  Maggie Walker’s house Richmond,VA. 

April:

  • Afterschool program at the Northside YMCA Community Center: poetry book half way there… 
  • Offender Aid and Restoration media project is going great! They are motivated.I have a really good volunteer with OAR who keeps it happening.
  • Autobiographical digital epic poetry with upper level ESL students in east end high schools. They are motivated…well ..with interludes of teen angst and spring hormones. sigh.
  • Refugee digital autobiographical story telling project. Getting started on thier stories. These kids are just learning English so it will be cool!
  • Refugee mentor program….moving very, very slowly but not dead, yet. 

Teaching school full time! 

contact: thepossibleworld@gmail.com

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Hip Hop for Humanity: music as a global initiative for change 

Judy Mauldin shares how  Hip Hop culture can spark the entrepreneurial spirit of youth around the world as part of the United Nations’ compendium of organizations that solve social and economic issues. …music, urban gardening, global citizenship 

Norooz Mobarak! Happy Persian New Year and the holiest Zoroastrian holiday.Nowruz marks the first day of spring and the beginning of the year in Iranian calendar.

The significance of Norooz in the Achaemenid empire was such that the great Persian king Cambyses II’s appointment as the king of Babylon was legitimized only after his participation in the New Year festival.

The Jewish festival of Purim is probably adopted from the Persian New Year. It is also a holy day for SufisIsmailisAlawites, Alevis, and adherents of the Bahá’í Faith

…love history!  

                            

Sunday, I will be at the #CampDiva Date with Dad fundraiser at the Cultural Center of India https://www.facebook.com/events/353046081376472/ on March 18th. Tickets are available on our website www.campdiva.org 

Tomorrow, I will be with #CampDiva Date with Dad Dance in the Richmond City Jail. http://campdiva.org/pdf/A_Dance_of_Their_Own-Release.pdf , the girls will be making some flip camera videos with their dads.

Positive Africa: Angelique Kidjo on education.  ”I become me because of my parents. It started with my mom and dad. Both of them were educated. And when they married, they vowed that they’re gonna send all their kids (10!) to school, because it’s the best investment ever – for our future. They always say to us, “The choice you made is your choice, because it’s your life. We as the parents, we all are gonna be as a steady wall on which you can lean on any time. We can’t make the choices for you. Make the right choice — we can help you there.”  …More on point representatives for women and girls like this! Watch the video!

UNICEF Image

 Pray the Devil Back to Hell on PBS w/ live online panel discussion 3/7 7:30 for International Women’s Day   Women, War, and Peace 

Pray the Devil Back to Hell is the  story of the Liberian women who took on the warlords and regime of dictator Charles Taylor during the civil war, and won  peace for their shattered country in 2003. Featuring Nobel Peace Prize Winner Leymah Gbowee.   It will followed by a live panel discussion with Executive Producer Abigail Disney, PBS CEO Paula Kerger, and CARE President Helene Gayle. The event will take place on the eve of International Women’s Day from Washington, D.C. March 7 at 7:30PM ET on CARE’s website

This was shown on PBS part of Women War & Peace series  check out the other films in the series.

Camp Diva-Date with Dad Dance in the Richmond City Jail.

Aside from teaching school and The Possible World, I am programming chair for Camp Diva, the only organization in Richmond bringing social change projects and sisterhood to girls in urban schools and community centers. This is our press release for the event: http://campdiva.org/pdf/A_Dance_of_Their_Own-Release.pdf 

We will also have a Date with Dad fundraiser at the Cultural Center of India https://www.facebook.com/events/353046081376472/ on March 18th. Tickets are available on our website www.campdiva.org

Some issues with helping the poor: they disappear 

Life in poverty is chaotic. To have a students suddenly gone is not only an issue with refugees, teaching in low income schools means they move a lot, often without notice. It is not unusual to have kids who attend several schools a year.

An issue I have with refugees is girls disappearing under the radar. Three girls this year ran away with adult men without consent of their parents, but also without interference…no police reports. All of their mothers are widows or abandoned.(Karen, Chin, Kachin ethnic groups)

Another has disappeared this month because she is working six days a week until midnight, their family prefers the son stay in school. These girls were the connection to all the families from Myanmar for donations and tutoring. I had even found  bilingual help, it is not easy to find a fluent English/Burmese speaker. So we start over, adding the goal of specifically assisting girls 

Other families:

My Burundi family is still here, they are a big family that has had so much hardship and little education in the camps in Tanzania.Their volunteer is being worked but I think he will soon have help. Their older brothers and sister are still in Tanzania in a camp that is being demolished. The U.S. is at capacity for refugees from Tanzania so they may be taken to the border of Congo or Burundi (not sure of their nationality) and then …..??

The Sudanese family is doing great, they are from a family of some education in Northern Darfur (Fur culture) allowing them more stability here.They have a great volunteer is  from Egypt close in age.