VISION
TODAY AND TOMORROW
THE INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS ART FESTIVAL COMPRISES A GROWING SERIES OF INITIATIVES. BELOW IS THE FULL VISION FOR WHERE WE’VE BEEN, AND WHERE WE ARE GOING:
WHAT WE ARE DOING NOW:
- INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS ART FESTIVAL: We will continue to run the week-long advocacy-art festival bringing together human rights art in all media to educate on social concerns. This involves a week’s schedule of different events, presenting 150+ artists in 40+ performances in all media over the course of the week. We have produced the event at Dixon Place (March 2017) and the Wild Project Theater (November 2018 and December 2019) The next full festival is currently scheduled for April 26-May 2, 2021, at the Wild Project Theater.
- INTERIM EVENTS: A series of events, collecting performers, activists and partner organizations around specific themes, issues or media, produced in an off or off-off-Broadway houses. We have produced 22 events thus far, with the participation of hundreds of artists and dozens of partner organizations.
- IHRAF PUBLISHES features writers from around the world -- known and unknown -- whose work is tough, beautiful vulnerable and focused on creatively working toward the common good. As the Sufis say: "Words spoken from the mouth will never get past the ears, but words spoken from the heart, enter the heart." We highlight such heart-speakers. We have published a series of more than 100 works total from more than 25 countries, weekly in 2019 and 2020. Additionally, IHRAF Publishes is a Pushcart Prize Nominating Literary Journal.
- IHRAF PUBLISHES CREATORS OF JUSTICE LITERARY AWARD. In 2020, we instituted this new publishing prize, receiving 100+ submissions from 18 countries and 18 US States. We awarded First, Second and third prizes, as well as Honorable Mention in the categories of short story, essay and poetry.
- IHRAF PUBLISHES 2020 ANTHOLOGY OF YOUTH CREATIVITY ON HUMAN RIGHTS & SOCIAL JUSTICE. In 2020, we instituted this new annual publication, edited by the IHRAF Youth Fellow (Um Menon in 2020). It presented a collection of poetry, fiction, essays, and art by creative voices ages 21 and under. This anthology, amplifies youth voices in social justice discourse.
- IHRAF ART OF UNITY CREATIVE AWARD. We received a grant from Yahad-in Unum Mid America— with the potential to repeat annually — to run the creative award in all media. We call ffor submissions in any creative media (which can be exhibited online), which highlight aspects of human unity, and positive cross-pollination between groups, ethnicities, religions and/or nations. We received 37 submissions from 9 countries and 12 US States.
- IHRAF INTERNATIONAL FELLOWSHIP: The IHRAF International Fellow program identifies one outstanding creative activist somewhere in the world, and works with them over the course of a year to highlight their work, as well as introduce the International Human Rights Art Festival into their country and public. Fellows receive a quarterly stipend.
- IHRAF YOUTH FELLOWSHIP: Youth Fellows must be 21 or younger on January 1 of the fellowship year. He or she will be charged with providing us with quarterly essays or other writing about human rights/justice issues -- keeping in mind our governing philosophy of beauty, sincerity, vulnerability and engagement. Additionally, we encourage the Youth Fellow to develop one program to highlight the passion, commitment and talent of youth voices.
- IHRAF DIRECT ACTION: As part of the International Human Rights Art Festival’s expanding mission to educate, inform and connect with the general society and those fighting for the common good — often at great personal risk — we are highlighting a growing collection of justice fighters. Many of these we have worked with and aided directly, while others exhibit our values, at great personal risk.
- IHRAF RECORDS: IHRAF Records is a new initiative where we host musicians, spoken word poets and other audio and video, making their work available to the general public. We work with musicians, poets, dreamers and mystics whose work embodies our values of beauty, sincerity, vulnerability and engagement.
- EXPANDING PARTNERSHIPS: We continue to deepen our partnership with the Wild Project Theater, who will be aiding in curating, fundraising, marketing and publicity for our next full festival. Additionally, we have initiated ongoing partnerships with the Muslim-Jewish Solidarity Committee; UNESCO Chair in Refugee Integration through Languages and the Arts at Glasgow (Scotland) University; Columbia University (NY); Wikitongues; Gem Theater in Bethel, ME; Young Artivist Alliance in Dallas, TX and others.
On the docket for the future
In the next 1-3 years
- IHRAF INTERNATIONAL YOUTH FILM FESTIVAL: A festival of international youth filmmakers whose work highlights social issues of concern, using the powerful tools of beauty, vulnerability, sincerity and celebrating diversity. Currently, this is planned to premier at the Gem Theater in Bethel, ME in August 2021 (Covid permitting!).
- IHRAF AMBASSADORS: The IHRAF Ambassadors Program engages extraordinary creative change makers and decision makers from around the world for who are putting their talents and energy to healing the social energy in their local, and helping us heal worldwide. They join our team so that we might amplify their voices, and they will expand ours. The IHRAF Ambassador’s Program is founded on the belief that even though each of us might only be able to raise our voice within the public square to a whisper, that the sound of a thousand like-minded individuals whispering together will be the roar of justice.
- IHRAF PUBLISHES - BOOKS: The Institute will support the writing and publication of books which continue to develop and disseminate specific activist strategies within the prophetic activist tradition.
- IHRAF CLEARINGHOUSE: The International Human Rights Art Festival will develop an international database of activist artists to serve as the largest and central place to look for activist artists in all media and covering all social concerns.
- IHRAF FRIENDS OF THE HOMELESS: Purchase, pack and distribute 100 bags of necessities, foodstuffs and sundries to the homeless on Christmas Day.
In the next 3-6 years
- IHRAF INTERNATIONAL HALL OF FAME OF ACTIVIST CREATORS: a central venue in which the greatest, most successful and most positive activist artists are enshrined, and their message and manners brought to the general public. This would be a room, hallway or other space in the larger IHRAF headquarters.
- IHRAF MORAL OMBUDSMAN: we will bring together a board of recognized religious leaders who share the IHRAF philosophy (beauty, sincerity, vulnerability and engagement) to form a non-governmental organization to provide moral oversight of our lawmakers, as well as the laws that they make. This has been outlined in Tom Block’s book Machiavelli in America (Algora Publisher, NY, 2014), under the chapter: “A Response to Machiavelli.”
- IHRAF INSTITUTE OF PROPHETIC ACTIVIST ART: Operating under the umbrella of the IHRAF, the INSTITUTE will act as the educational arm of the project.
- CLASSES: semester-long courses in Applied Mysticism, 10-week seminars exploring the intersection of mystical thought with creative practice, social and political life. Currently planned for this spring is Improv(e): Improv Comedy meets Social Activism. Other courses envisioned are Great Books, Prophetic Activist Art and Manifestos.
- WORKSHOPS: half- or full-day ineractive events run by IHRAF artists on fusing creative practice with the values of beauty, sincerity, personal vulnerability and engagement with audiences outside the comfort zone.
- CONFERENCES: half-, full-day or weekend-long gatherings of artists and activists concerned with specific issues, educating on specific concerns, as well as around specific artistic media.
- LECTURES: recognized experts working along the IHRAF philosophy sharing their ideas and work in a lecture format.
- IHRAF SUMMER INSTITUTE (RANGELEY, ME): a summer residency, creative and performance space for activist artists. Artists would apply to work on a specific project, and be accepted into the program for one, two or four-week residencies.
- IHRAF HOME! We intend to find our own permanent space in New York City, which will comprise:
- OFFICE SPACE: 1000 sq. ft in midtown Manhattan.
- CLASSROOM AND CONFERENCE SPACE: 2000 sq. ft in midtown Manhattan:
- THEATER: space for Interim events and full-week Festival.
- INTERNATIONAL PEACE CAFÉ: a café which serves coffee and perhaps food and alcohol (depending on difficulty, local zoning etc.), and focuses its energy on providing a gathering space for activists, artists and concerned citizens would be created. It would host discussions, presentations, informal workshops, informal performances and other forms of interactions between and among the IHRAF community.
- IHRAF VOYAGE TO THE SPIRIT OF ACTIVISM: A study trip to the intersection of spirit, activism and revolution. Mahatma Gandhi’s India; Ho chi Minh’s Vietnam; Nelson Mandela’s South Africa; Wei Jinghsheng’s and al-Wei Wei’s China; Vaclav Havel’s Czech Republic; Sojourner Truth’s Harmonia, Michigan, a Spiritualist utopia; John Lewis’s Troy, Alabama etc.
