The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine’s Post

This week, we revisit our preliminary findings from our research on solidarity-buliding and intersectional organizing. This is finding number 5. (Scroll through our feed to see previous findings)!

** Exploring Unity Beyond Boundaries: Gu Wenda's Thought-Provoking UN Flag Installation at the Peabody Essex Museum ** Recently, I had the incredible opportunity to visit the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, where I encountered Gu Wenda's remarkable installation featuring 188 flags representing the member states of the United Nations. What makes this installation truly unique is the material used to create these flags - human hair. As a student of International law, I find it vital to address the symbolic relevance such art has towards the discourses today. Gu Wenda's installation invites us to contemplate what unites us as a global community beyond our customary cultural and demographic divisions. The use of human hair as a medium is symbolic in itself. Through the hair woven into a collective representation of nations, this installation challenges us to recognize shared humanity transcending the boundaries of nationality, religion, and belief systems. In today's turbulent world, where wars and discourses dominate headlines, Gu Wenda's work serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of a collective global society and the true essence that unites us as part of a global common. Truly Fascinating work of Art!!

A reminder that the intake for Family Day grant applications closes tomorrow, January 3, 2024. Grants up to $2,000 are available to eligible organizations to cover a portion of the costs associated with delivering a free community Family Day activity. Eligible costs include but are not limited to: facility costs, hiring artists, COVID-19 safety, equipment rentals, etc. Activities that provide a significant impact to the community, and activities planned by an organization with limited funding and/or opportunities to host their community will be prioritized during the adjudication process. For more information, please visit the link in our bio. ID: A light blue square titled "Family Day 2024." An orange banner to the left of the title says "Closing soon - apply by Jan 3." Underneath, text reads "familydaybc.ca. Supporting local museums, art galleries, cultural institutions, and First Nations communities to host family-based, admission-free activities. Deadline to apply: January 3, 2024." The Province of BC and BCMA logos appear in the bottom left. An illustrated image of a Black lesbian couple holding their child's hands appears in the right-hand corner. #BCMA #BCMuseums #FamilyDay #BCCulture

Most human rights complaints (50 to 60%) are and have been grounded in disability discrimination ... and yet govts and human rights commissions do little to nothing about disability discrimination (despite signing the CRPD under Harper and the Liberals, NDP and other pretending to support it)... its been painfully obvious that govt has been recruiting race based complaints to bolster their unsupported decisions to prioritize campaigns against racisms while ignoring discrimination based on disability. and here we have another campaign to address a relatively uncommon form of discrimination relative to how frequently the disabled face discrimination.

Philanthropy and Arts and Culture institutions can be powerful allies in shifting the cultural hierarchies that permeate our daily lives by addressing inequalities in who and what gets funded. To do this, we must reflect on our donor relations practices, what exhibitions are in our museums, and why small box theatre companies constantly struggle to sell out smaller productions. Read our Op-Ed: Upending Cultural Hierarchies in Arts & Culture, An Internal Assessment for Change by Monica Fernandez to learn more: https://buff.ly/3qPAyDZ.

Quote of the Day: In a statement, CNZ remarks the For The Arts funding programmes have "an emphasis on vision and purpose, valuing artists’ time, supporting longer-term development and building relationships with artists and organisations outside of funding." New Zealand is leading the way on re-imagining arts funding. It’s just brilliant—and a model that the NEA and other arts granting organizations should adopt! https://lnkd.in/gu6qAH7x

CSWAC's Conference on Building Anti-Racist Multiracial Community is an organizing event! From the start, we envisioned this conference as an organizing event. The goals of the conference go beyond offering presentations and talks. We want to impart a view on how we can change the way race is constructed in the United States. We are suggesting that being intentional about building local, regional, organization and institutional instances of anti-racist multiracial community is a means to ending white supremacy. And it’s an approach that can be accessible to many. The conference, then, is not only a means of educating ourselves and others, but also a means of lifting up to the broader national consciousness the importance of anti-racist multiracial community in setting the tenor and tone of our nation’s future. You can help do this. It's there for you. Join us. https://lnkd.in/eSWgs6BS

"Change happens by listening and then starting a dialogue with the people who are doing something you don't believe is right." --Dr. Jane Goodall (widely credited, specific source unknown) Dr. Goodall understands that there can be no progress without dialogue, and listening is an essential element of dialogue. At UCA, we consider constantly how we are engaging in the advocacy process. Are we listening? Are we giving space for everyone to be heard? Are we listening openly and honestly to those we disagree with, with the intent to understand? It is sometimes challenging to juggle this ideal with the emotions we may feel in the moment about any particular situation. We are so grateful to all of you for engaging so thoughtfully with the legislature and with each other these last two months. It's hard work (albeit important work) sometimes, but seeing positive change encourages us that we're on the right path (check out the Session Report at the link in bio to see some of those positive changes!). As an aside: one of our staff enjoyed taking his family to the exhibit at the Natural History Museum of Utah, Becoming Jane, which is currently running at the museum through May 27. We encourage you to visit and learn more about the influential and determined Dr. Jane Goodall, her scientific endeavors, and also her strong advocacy for the things she believes in. Here's the link for the exhibit: https://lnkd.in/gfycUz-5 #UtahCulture #UtahAdvocacy #UtahMuseums #UtahHumanities #utleg #utpol Photo of Dr. Goodall by Nick Stepowyj, provided via Flickr at the link listed below, and licensed under Creative Commons 2.0. Image was modified to better fit in the designed graphic with the included quote. Image Title: Jane Goodall Image Description: Jane Goodall attending the 18th Annual Hamptons International Film Festival at the Maidstone Hotel in East Hampton, New York. Image Date: October 10, 2010 https://lnkd.in/gcZGMZ-V