100 THOUSAND POETS FOR CHANGE is an event that will take place in many cities, at the same time and date, Saturday, September 24 from 11:30am - 11:30pm, outdoors when possible, and of course it will be televised.
Join other poets around the USA and across the planet in a demonstration/ celebration of poetry to promote serious social and political change.
If so sign up here and let's see if enough people are serious about an event like this. So far we have 170 cities representing 44 countries planning events. Join us here and please post comments and ideas.
What kind of CHANGE are we talking about?
The first order of change is for poets, writers, artists, anybody, to actually get together to create and perform, educate and demonstrate, simultaneously, with other communities around the world. This will change how we see our local community and the global community. We have all become incredibly alienated in recent years. We hardly know our neighbors down the street let alone our creative allies who live and share our concerns in other countries. We need to feel this kind of global solidarity. I think it will be empowering.
And of course there is the political/social change that many of us are talking about these days. There is trouble in the world. Wars, ecocide, the lack of affordable medical care, racism, the list goes on.
It appears that transformation towards a more sustainable world is a major concern and could be a global guiding principle for this event. Peace also seems to be a common cause. War is not sustainable. There is an increasing sense that we need to move forward and stop moving backwards. But I am trying not to be dogmatic. I am hoping that together we can develop our ideas of the "change/transformation" we are looking for as a group, and that each community group will decide their own specific area of focus for change for their particular event.
Do you want to organize in your area?
100 Thousand Poets for Change will organize “participants” by local region, city, or state, and find individuals in each area who would like to organize their local event.
You can send a message via
their page in Facebook or e-mail walterblue@bigbridge.org
If you are an organizer for your community this means that first you will consider a location for the event and begin to contact people in your area who want to participate in the event. Participation means contacting the media, posting the event on the web, in calendars, newspapers, etc., reading poems, performing in general, supplying cupcakes and beer (it’s up to you), demonstrating, putting up an information table, inviting guest speakers, musicians, etc., organizing an art exhibit, and documenting the event (this is important, too), and cleaning up, of course.
Organizers and participants will create their own local event as an expression of who they are locally. Do they want a candlelight vigil or a circus, a march or a dance, do they want absolute silence, a group meditation on a main street; it’s up to the local organization.
However, groups should be sure to hold some part of the event, if not all of it, outdoors, in public view. (outdoors is not required). The point is to be seen and heard, not just stay behind closed walls.
It is also important that the event be documented. Photos, videos, poems, journals, paintings! Documentation is crucial. The rest of the 100 Thousand Poets for Change want to hear what you have to say about change and enjoy your creativity too! The documentation will be shared through a blog/website that I will set up, a blog/website where groups can share and announce event information, as well as post photos, videos, poetry, art, and thoughts. But an event doesn’t have to involve tons of people. It can be just you (the organizer) and your pet, on a street corner, with a sign.
Each local organization determines what it wants to focus on, something broad like, peace, sustainability, justice, equality, or more specific causes like Health Care, or Freedom of Speech, or local environmental or social concerns that need attention in your particular area right now, etc. Organizations will then come up with a mission statement/manifesto that describes who they are and what they think and care about. When the whole event has taken place all the mission statements can be collected from around the world and worked together into a grand statement of 100 Thousand Poets for Change.
FIND EVENT LOCATIONS and get more information on joining in at:
http://www.bigbridge.org/100thousandpoetsforchange/
, editor of Double Room, publisher of Apostrophe Books.
and Maria Mazzioti Gillan
April 30 is the second national Poem In Your Pocket Day.
One Web 2.0 way to celebrate the day is with your cell phone. The entire collection of over 2,500 poems on Poets.org, as well as hundreds of biographies and essays, is also available in a mobile format which provides free and direct access to poetry in the palm of a hand.