William Forsythe: choreography as a reflection of social spheres
"In his installation performances such as Human Writes or Heterotopia, to which Forsythe has dedicated an increasing amount of his time in recent years, choreography becomes a social practice. Forsythe's installations are controlled test arrangements in which all the participants can observe themselves, their bodies and their movements together. When a performance like Human Writes deals in substance with the difficulties surrounding universal human rights, it becomes clear where the potential of dance and movement can lie. After all, it's not abstract universal laws alone that guarantee our co-existence. It is much more our physical actions, our daily movements that create and shape the community. Herein lies the political meaning of Forsythe's notion of dance. He creates spaces where he places people in a new, unknown relationship to themselves so that they reflect differently on their (social) spheres and in so doing explore their own potential scope for action."
(Gerald Siegmund, May 2008, Goethe-Institut)
Fig.3 Dominik Mentzos, "Human Writes", performance-Installation by William Forsythe and Kendall Thomas [http://www.theforsythecompany.com/pressphotos/humanwrites/].
CONTRIBUTOR
Simon PerkinsSHARE
International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs
"Over the past 35 years, [International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs] has published one of the most comprehensive collections of documentation and reflection on indigenous peoples' struggle for survival and recognition. IWGIA continues to be at the forefront of reflecting the most significant issues of concern to indigenous peoples. IWGIA's publications are published on a non-profit basis.
...
IWGIA publishes mainly in English and Spanish but its documentation also includes books in French, Kiswahili (East Africa), Tagalok, Ilokano, Bisaya (Philippines), Bahasa Indonesia, Thai, Russian, Portuguese, Hindi and Swedish, as well as 13 educational booklets in Danish.
IWGIA publishes the journal Indigenous Affairs, a yearbook The Indigenous World both in English and in Spanish (Asuntos Indigenas and El Mundo Indigena), books, handbooks and reports.
IWGIA's publications are written by indigenous and non-indigenous scholars and activists. Our readers are NGO activists and specialists working with indigenous peoples or related issues, politicians, scholars with a special interest, indigenous activists and organisations, individuals and communities.
IWGIA's documentation and information material contributes to its overall aim of supporting indigenous peoples, as stated in IWGIA's mission statement. IWGIA documents the human rights and overall situation of indigenous peoples, promotes indigenous rights and facilitates and provides for discussions, influences decision makers and puts indigenous issues on the agenda of governments, NGOs, international institutions such as the UN, OAS, Arctic Council, etc., and corporate business world. It also nurtures discussions within academic and intellectual fora and contributes to indigenous peoples' capacity building and sharing of experience."
(IWGIA)
CONTRIBUTOR
Simon PerkinsSHARE
10 standards to which physicians must conform when carrying out experiments on human subjects
"The judgment by the war crimes tribunal at Nuremberg laid down 10 standards to which physicians must conform when carrying out experiments on human subjects in a new code that is now accepted worldwide.
This judgment established a new standard of ethical medical behavior for the post World War II human rights era. Amongst other requirements, this document enunciates the requirement of voluntary informed consent of the human subject. The principle of voluntary informed consent protects the right of the individual to control his own body.
This code also recognizes that the risk must be weighed against the expected benefit, and that unnecessary pain and suffering must be avoided.
This code recognizes that doctors should avoid actions that injure human patients.
The principles established by this code for medical practice now have been extened into general codes of medical ethics."
(Circumcision Reference Library, 7 December 1996)
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Simon PerkinsSHARE
Online hate mail threat to arson case
"Since Friday, at least five groups on social networking site Facebook had attracted about 3500 people, with most users either threatening or inciting violence towards the accused [Brendan Sokaluk].
...
The messages were posted on Facebook groups which named Sokaluk over the three days his name was suppressed from publication by court order.
Liberty Victoria president Michael Pearce, SC, said internet users who had posted such messages were putting themselves in danger and jeopardising the accused's right to a fair trial.
...
'It's the cyber-world equivalent of angry mobs forming outside court, hurling abuse,' he said. 'There is a clear risk that these people are going to imperil a fair trial for the accused and also that they are in contempt of court.'
The suppression order on Sokaluk's name was lifted yesterday, but his image and address remained suppressed.
Despite this, the accused's photograph, seemingly lifted from his own, private Facebook account, was circulating on the internet last night.
Identifying details of his former girlfriend were also published. His public MySpace page was removed from the internet yesterday."
(Selma Milovanovic, theage.com.au, 17 February 2009)
CONTRIBUTOR
Simon PerkinsSHARE
Motion typography: Universal Declaration of Human Rights
"the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was first outlined by the United Nations General Assembly at the Palais de Chaillot of Paris in 1948. Upholding the fundamental covenants of humanity, dignity and equality - in short, standards of living far too often taken for granted despite the ongoing and appallingly widespread human rights abuses evident worldwide - it was ratified by individual nations in 1976 and has since been upheld as a Bill of international law. With yesterday, the 10th December, marking its anniversary in the celebration of Human Rights Day, the video above is a subtle yet beautifully concise presentation of the thirty Articles contained within the Declaration. Created by artist and shoe designer Seth Brau, produced by Amy Poncher and featuring music by the LA-based Rumspringa (courtesy of Cantora Records, home of MGMT), it is as much of a fantastic exercise in motion typography as it is a worthy reminder of the importance and value of human life."
(Sarah Badr, pieces-at-random.com)
[An ad campaign by the Human Rights Action Center for Burma's National League for Democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The ad draws on the sentiment expressed in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.]
CONTRIBUTOR
Simon PerkinsSHARE
