Hi folks - have you seen the beehive posters? Extraordinary detailed & creative political stories about trade. They are requesting assistance for a poster about the PPP and resistance to it in Central America. Want contacts, stories, anything. Please see below.
Bjorn ----- Original Message ----- From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Thursday, March 04, 2004 4:28 AM Subject: An invitation to collaborate with las abejas! > bjorn, > > Hope this letter finds you well and inspired, we've got great news! The > Beehive Collective is underway the design of new graphics, > and we would love to have your collaboration! Your perspective would be > very valuable to the creation of our next illustration, focusing on > Mesoamerica and the issues connected to Plan Puebla Panama. Included at > the end is a copy of the project announcement in both english and spanish, > if you would like to pass it along to who might be interested... > > One month ago, Bees begun to swarm the region from Puebla, Mexico, to > Panama to document community resistance to corporate infrastructure > development projects. We are faced with the tremendous process of > understanding how to illustrate these issues, their historical roots and > potential implications, using accurate and metaphorical representations > from the immense biodiversity of the region! > > As we focus in on the work of interviews and research at the local level, > it will be important for us to keep the big picture in mind. In the > creation of our previous posters we have consulted with a small group > of "advisory bees" to make sure our illustrations are accurate and well > informed. We would like to know if you are able to collaborate in the > design of the PPP poster in any capacity possible, because of your > latin american solidarity, and perspectve for the bigger picture of the > situation. > > Your collaboration with the Beehive could mean providing feedback about > issues specific to Mesoamerica, over the next few months as we design the > poster. Usually we correspond by email with questions as they come up, and > we´d appreciate any input you might have on these initial questions: > > > ***Can you recommend PEOPLE, PLACES or ORGANIZATIONS that might be key to > visit in Mexico and Central America to collect stories about the PPP, > especially stories of HOPE and RESISTENCE? > > ***what DETAILS do you think are essential to include in the illustration? > > ***what INSECTS, PLANTS and ANIMALS are unique to this region ... can you > think of any particular METAPHORS using the natural world to help us > illustrate the PPP? > > > Please let us know if you are able contribute to informing our next anti- > copyright graphics campaign in any capacity possible. Your suggestions > about who to contact in the region are especially useful in the next > stages of our trip, as we are now heading from guatemala city south, and > into Honduras over the next week. > > Thank you! > las abejas de la Colmena > bzzzz > > ------------------------------------------- > [EMAIL PROTECTED], > Please pass this communique on to folks who might be interested in > collaborating with, or supporting this innovative project. Us bees need > your help with cross-pollinating to make these anti-copyright images > informed, effective, and well-distributed. gracias! > _________________________________________________________ > Announcing the beehive's "PLAN PUEBLA PANAMA" GRAPHICS CAMPAIGN! > _________________________________________________________ > Greetings in solidarity from the Beehive Design Collective! We are pleased > to report that our swarm in southward flight through Mesoamerica is abuzz > with activity -gearing up to begin our graphics campaign exposing the Plan > Puebla Panama-please read on to learn how you can lend collaboration and > support to help make this campaign a success. > > Wait!? .You aren't familiar with the Beehive's graphics? You can view them > and read their written narratives at www.beehivecollective.org. > > We are a collectively-run, all-volunteer, non-profit political graphics > workshop, most widely known for our intricately, and collaboratively, > illustrated posters that have sought to raise awareness about international > issues such as the Free Trade Area of the Americas and Plan Colombia. These > graphics, which have received international acclaim, expose the > interconnected effects of globalization on communities and ecosystems, and > work to illuminate how current realities are part of a long history of > colonization, exploitation and resource extraction in the Americas. An > important aspect of our mission is that all our work is anonymous and anti- > copyright, for free use as educational tools. > > Building off of the immense success we have had in educating and mobilizing > with images as an alternative communication strategy, we are now ready to > complete the final poster in our corporate globalization trilogy, > addressing the Plan Puebla Panama (PPP), the massive industrial development > plan that aims to dramatically shape the future of southern Mexico and > Central America in the interests of multinational corporations. Included in > the plans are a vast array of superhighways, deep-water ports, hydro- > electric dams, canals, high speed railways, biological corridors, airports > and maquiladoras (sweat-shops) that clearly serve big buisness and > consumerism in the Global North, not the direct needs of the people of this > region. The PPP quite literally seeks to pave the way for the agenda of the > FTAA. > > This plan is considered a cultural and biological death sentence by the > people and critters native to its footprint, as well as a dramatic > acceleration of the colonization for resource extraction that has been > taking place in the Americas for the past 500 years. The PPP is a dramatic > regional example of the philosophy of development that favors short-term > profits over sustainable futures, across the globe. > > Bees have already commenced to swarming from Puebla, Mexico to Panama to > inform the creation of this next graphic with first-hand information! We > are using an ongoing and collaborative process to ensure that the > illustration is designed by the voices of those most affected by the > threats of the PPP. We serve as translators of verbal information into > images that will evolve organically as we travel throughout the region. > This model, of talking face-to-face with the people most affected by the > issues at hand, and collecting their stories of struggle, horror, and most > importantly resistance, and hope, is one the Beehive has found to be > irreplaceable in coordinating our graphics campaigns in the most informed, > respectful and responsible way. > > We are already overflowing with inspirational stories! We hope you will > take a moment visit our daily web journal, with photos, audio, and video > clips from our journey! > > As in other posters, our intricate pen and ink illustrations use metaphors > and symbolism of the natural world to tell the story of aggression and > resistance from an insect's point of view. As a strategy to avoid creating > allegories with human-centered, stereotypical, gendered, or racially biased > imagery, you might have noticed us bees don't draw cartoons of people. We > instead use meticulously researched images of the flora and the fauna > specific to the bioregions and communities of the stories represented in > our work, often spending many hours in botanical libraries during > production! > > This time our goal is much more difficult, but powerful. illustrating the > GOOD news! This innovative endeavor promises to produce not only a two > sided, six foot poster highlighting the stories of resistance to neo- > liberalism in the region, but also a variety of media and popular education > resources. Joining seven Bees from North America (Maine, Toronto, > Wisconsin, California, Vancouver, Texas and New York), are three > alternative media activists from Mexico City who are working on production > of video, radio, as well as documentation of the Beehive's organizing > model. Along the way we are talking to those creating and living the > alternatives to corporate development, including women´s groups, indigenous > organizations, biologists, entomologists, students and [EMAIL PROTECTED] We will > be crosspollinating their stories with progressive media outlets throughout > the Americas! > > After completion of the poster in June, the Beehive will continue to > distribute this trilogy of illustrations as education and mobilization > tools. Our next step will be to create a coloring book narrating the > stories of the three graphics for use as a workbook by both teachers and > activists. Bees will distribute and present their narrative picture- > lectures with these new tools at a number of key convergences this summer, > including the Mesoamerican Forum in El Salvador, the Social Forum of the > Americas in Ecuador, and mobilizations throughout the United States, > including demonstrations at the Republican National Convention in New > York. Our educational tour of high schools, colleges and community centers > across the U.S. will begin next fall. > > YOUR INVOLVEMENT IN THIS COLLABORATION IS VERY VALUABLE! WE HOPE THAT YOU > CAN TAKE A MOMENT TO INSPIRE US WITH TIDBITS OF WISDOM, CONTACTS, AND > SUPPORT... > > ***Have any inspiring information, good insect metaphors, or mythologies > that apply to the situation? > > ***Have any contacts in Mexico or Central America whose stories and wisdom > are essential for illustrating these issues? > > ***What type of graphic materials would aid in the social justice work that > you or your organization are doing? > > *** Know of any media outlets that would like to run stories about the PPP > or the Beehive's work? > > ***Are you able to donate honey or share funding sources with us? We > depend on gathering donations from the grassroots to produce and distribute > our graphic materials free or sliding scale to fellow activists and > teachers. > > This is an all-volunteer effort that depends on individual, not foundation, > donations to make it possible! We are repeatedly turned away from grants > because we mix creativity into political organizing, a bridge which makes > foundations reluctant to support our work. WE ARE COLLECTING $20 PREORDERs > FOR THE POSTER AS A WAY TO SUPPORT PRODUCTION COSTS. PLEASE CONSIDER > CONTRIBUTING IN THIS WAY. > > Our swarm is wicked anxious to carry forward this inspiring and rewarding > work to its full potential! Any financial assistance or advocacy towards > our lust for busyness and utility would surely have our stingers waggin' > with excitement! > > For more information about the Beehive Collective, to view and download > images, donate some honey, read tales from our investigative journey, or > for more detailed info about the PPP, visit our website at > www.beehivecollective.org. > > Muchas muchas gracias! > > Solidaridad, > Las abejas del colectivo la colmena > > --------------------------------------------------- > [EMAIL PROTECTED], > > Les agradecemos puedan difundir este comunicado entre personas interesadas > en colaborar con este proyecto. Nosotras las abejas necesitamos polen para > polinizar, para elaborar materiales educativos, sin copyright, bien > informados, efectivos y bien difundidos. ¡gracias! > > __________________________________________________________ > > la Colmena anuncia su campaña grafica sobre el "PLAN PUEBLA PANAMA" > __________________________________________________________ > > ¡Saludos solidarios! Estamos felices anunciándoles que un enjambre > nuestro ha zumbado por Mexico - preparando la campaña grafica relativa al > Plan Puebla Panama- por favor ¡sigue leyendo para ver cómo puedes apoyar a > hacer mas exitosa esta campaña...! > > ¡oye, espera! ... ¿no has visto las ilustraciones de la Colmena? Se > pueden encontrar, y leer sus narraciones, en la pagina web > www.beehivecollective.org > > La Colmena es un taller de gráfica política sin fines de lucro, compuesto > por voluntarios, del estado de Maine en las EEUU. Somos conocidos por > nuestras detalladas ilustraciones, creadas colectivamente, con el propósito > de mejorar el entendimiento de cómo las realidades actuales son parte de la > larga historia del colonialismo, la explotación, y el saqueo de recursos > del continente Americano. Un elemento importante de nuestra meta es > producir obras anónimas que son distribuidas sin derechos de reproduccion, > como propiedad pública, para fines educativos. > > Partiendo del éxito que hemos tenido educando y movilizando con estratégias > de comunicación alternativas, nos estamos preparando para completar nuestra > trilogía sobre la globalización corporativa, que trata del Plan Puebla > Panama, o PPP. Estos planes pretenden transformar profundamente el futuro > de Mesoamerica a favor de los intereses de grandes transnacionales. El PPP > incluye una variedad de proyectos de infraestructura como super-carreteras, > puertos, aeropuertos, presas hidroelectricas, ferrocarriles, aeropuertos y > maquiladoras, que claramente sirven a los grandes empresarios y a su > cultura del consumo, y no a las necesidades de los pueblos de esta > region. El PPP es la carretera del ALCA.... > > El Plan Puebla Panamá está considerado en gran parte un sentencio de muerte > cultural y biológico de los pueblos de Mesoamérica, ademas de ser una > aceleracion dramatica de la colonizacion para saqueo de recursos que ha > ocurrido en la Américas durante los utimos 500 años. El PPP es un > important ejemplo regional del concepto de desarrollo que favorece a las > ganacias al corto plazo sobre futuros sostenibles al nivel mundial. > > A partir de febrero, las abejas recorrerán la ruta Puebla - Panamá, para > asegurarse de que el diseño de la ilustración sea informado por las voces > de las comunidades y cuente con imágenes de los ecosistemas más afectados > por los potenciales proyectos de desarrollo. La creación de las imágenes > es un proceso de colaboración, en el cual las abejas de la Colmena > traducimos la información verbal a imágenes, que evolucionan de manera > orgánica mientras viajamos por la región. Este proceso de conversar cara-a- > cara con las personas más afectadas por los proyectos de la globalización, > y documentar sus historias de lucha, horror, resistencia, y esperanza, ha > sido irremplazable para coordinar nuestras campañas de manera más > responsable y respetuosa. > > Nuestras detalladas ilustraciones de tinta utilizan metaforas y simbolismo > del mundo de la naturaleza para contar las historias de agresion y > resistencia desde el punto de vista de un insecto. Como estrategia para > evitar crear caricaturas de personas estereotípicas, racistas o sexistas, > no dibujamos seres humanos. En vez de eso, dibujamos con imágenes muy bien > investigadas, endemicas a las regiones biologicas y comunidades donde > encontramos los cuentos que representamos en este trabajo, a veces pasamos > horas en bibliotecas ... ¡durante la producción! > > Esta vez nuestro objetivo es mucho mas dificil, pero a la vez potente: > ilustrar con buenas noticias. Esta iniciativa renovadora tendrá como > producto final no sólo un afiche de 6 pies, ilustrado por ambos lados, > documentando los cuentos de resistencia frente al neoliberalismo en > Mesoamerica, sino también una variedad de medios y recursos de educación > popular: reportajes en audio, video, fotografía y texto sobre las > afectaciones del Plan y la resistencia popular. Por toda la ruta vamos a > estar conversando con la gente que está creando y viviendo las alternativas > al desarrollo corporativo, tales como organizaciones de mujeres, pueblos > indígenas, jóvenes, campesinos, biólogos y entomólogos. Vamos a compartir > sus cuentos con medios de comunicacion de todo el continente. > > Despues de terminar el afiche en julio, la Colmena va a seguir con la tarea > de distribuir la trilogía de ilustraciones como herramientas para la > educación y movilización. Nuestro próximo proyecto será el crear un libro > para colorear que narra los cuentos de las gráficas, para ser utilizado por > profesores y activistas. Las Abejas planean hacer talleres con las > ilustraciones en varios encuentros importantes, como el V Foro Social > Mesoamericano en julio en El Salvador y el Foro Social de las Americas en > Quito el mismo mes. Nuestro trabajo educativo también se enfoca en > colegios, universidades y centros comunitarios por todo norteamerica. > > > VALORAMOS MUCHO SU COLABORACION EN ESTA CAMPAÑA! ESPERAMOS QUE TOME UN > MOMENTO PARA INSPIRARNOS CON PEDACITOS DE SU SABIDURIA Y CONTACTOS... > > ***Estamos buscando información inspiradora, chiquita o grande, metáforas > con insectos, o mitologias relevantes a la situación. > > ***¿Tiene contactos en México o Centroamérica, cuyos cuentos y sabiduria > sean esenciales para ilustrar estos temas? > > ***¿Qué tipos de materiales gráficos puedan apoyar le a Ud. en el trabajo > que su organización está haciendo? > > ***¿Conoce algun medio de comunicación interesados en difundir información > sobre el trabajo de la Colmena o el Plan Puebla Panamá? > > ***¿Es possible donar miel o compartir fuentes para apoyo finaciero con > nosotros? Dependemos de donaciones para poder producir y difundir nuestros > materiales gráficas gratis o a bajo costo a compañeros activistas y > profesores! > > Muchas muchas gracias! > > Solidaridad, > Las abejas del colectivo la Colmena > > ---------------------------- > the beehive design collective > www.beehivecollective.org > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > 3 elm st machias maine 04654 > 207.255.6737 > > >
