In the past several months, Save Darfur has received an influx of mail about artistic projects activists have undertaken to raise awareness about the conflict in Sudan — ranging from making jewelry to creating paintings for galleries to establishing multimedia displays. On Day 8 of the 16 Days, our action was for activists across the world to share or start a creative project. We asked: have you done something artistic or out-of-the-box in your community to draw attention to the crisis, or do you want to? We received dozens of poems, oodles of paintings, several songs, a handful of films and even an academic essay on how to use art for social change. In the new year, we will pull all of these works together to launch a page on our website called the “Creative Community.” It will be a place both to display the terrific work of our activists and to provide inspiration for others who want to create a Sudan-related project, but aren’t sure how to start.
In the meantim
e, I wanted to share one of the paintings we received during the 16 Days. By Lori Khan, an activist in Houston, TX, this work is titled “Listen!” She writes: “I want the viewer to see the painting and to listen, if you will, to the cries of the victim [of rape] and, perhaps most importantly, take action to prevent the further victimization of women. I chose the name ‘Listen!’ because it is a proactive word and the person depicted in the painting is speaking to the viewer, her words painted into the background of the painting.”
We look forward to featuring more powerful work like Lori’s, which speaks to what is happening on the ground in Sudan and bring new kinds of attention to the issue. Stay tuned…and email melissa@savedarfur.org if you have any ideas or additions.
The opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of the Save Darfur Coalition.
Tags: 16 Days, Activism, Activist Stories, Art, Creative Community, Darfur, Violence Against Women
