An Artists Cartoon

By Nicole Hodnett

Art is a term that describes a diverse range of human activities and the products of those activities.Art for Humanity expresses thought through art and poetry via the Dialogue Project.

A cartoon (from Italian “cartone”and dutch word”karton”meaning strong,heavy paper or pasteboard.

According to Media Manipulation, every politician, event and situation has been catapulted into the public sphere through a cartoonist’s eye. The juxtaposition of satire, humour and hard hitting facts give the reader an alternative view of the state of affairs.

According to Mail and Guardian online, Johnathan Shapiro has been South Africa’s foremost cartoonist on all things President Jacob Zuma.

Poet of the Dialogue project-Jan Beake

In his latest work on July 6^th, the country into a frenzy over his depiction of the president as an erect penis with a showerhead on his head, standing in front of the Goodman gallery.

According to the Bill of Rights everyone has inherent dignity and the right to have their dignity respected and protected.

Poet of the Dialogue among organisations Project,Jan Beake feels a fascination by the way hope and expectations ,illusions and disillusions interfere in a person’s attempt to grasp reality. He describes reality as “hard to grasp”.

Cartoonist-Johnathan Shapiro

According to the Bill of rights everyone has inherent dignity and the right to have their dignity respected and protected

Director of Art for Humanity Jan Jordaan disagrees with the latest portrayal of cartoons.

“I would call it abuse of human rights, resulting in hate speech against an individual ‘he said.

Art historian E.H Gombrich stated, “Such is the power of a cartoon. At its highest, the cartoon solidifies the elusive flux of events into manageable or memorable myth”

2012 Art and Social Justice Conference: 7- 8 October 2012!

It is time again for the world known Art and Social Justice Conference.  Below is the invitation from  Gernika Peace Museum, Gernika Gogoratuz Peace Research Center and the Culture House of Gernika, the main organisers of the conference this year. 

3rd INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ART AND SOCIAL JUSTICE

Arts, Crisis and Social Transformation

Gernika-Lumo (Basque Country, SPAIN)

7-8 October 2012

We are proud to announce the III Art & Social Justice Conference which will be from 7th-8th October at The Gernika Peace Museum in Spain. This 3th conference has been organized by the Gernika Peace Museum, Gernika Gogoratuz Peace Research Center and the Culture House of Gernika. The theme of this year’s conference is Arts, Crisis & Social Transformation  and the symbolic choice of Gernika --this year of commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the bombing and of the creation of the masterpiece “Guernica” by Picasso-- as a location is important in the context of this theme.

The current crisis in western societies, largely a result of the greed of the banking system and different forms of political corruption and mismanagement is attacking many basic aspects of our lives.  It is a basic human right to have a job, have a home, have food, access to education, healthcare, and to be able to engage freely in making, creating and sharing artistic works. However in many parts of the world, the crisis is and has been permanent and any discussion on the role of the arts in societies in crisis has to embrace these realities too.
This situation leads to questions about governance, change, morality, freedom, justice, individual rights, sustainability and society.These issues are not only central to Human Rights as contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights but recurring themes central to the arts in general. In a time of crisis art manifests itself in different forms through critical thinking and a heightened sense of challenging injustice, hypocrisy and inequalities. Artists play a key role in transforming people, societies, and cultures simply by reflecting on what is going on around them. Our choice of location this year, Gernika-Lumo, Spain is very symbolic and important to the notion of arts and transformation in a time of crisis as the town is a significant global landmark for the arts and peace movement.

The Art & Social Justice Conference has been held in  Durban, South Africa at Durban University of Technology (2010) and Nicosia, Cyprus at The University of Nicosia (2011). This year’s conference is important for its choice of a historical location, Gernika-Lumo, Spain where we will discuss and reflect on Arts, Crisis & Social Transformation  through an innovative  multi-dimensional approach:
1. Presentation of specific papers
2. Workshops by arts practitioners
3. Circle discussions at the end of each day
4. Performance and display of artistic work

Contributions pertaining to  Arts, Crisis and Social Transformation are welcome -  see information below on submitting abstracts for a paper, workshop, or performance.
Organised by
Gernika Peace Museum Foundation, Gernika Gogoratuz Peace Research Center, Culture House of Gernika.
With collaboration from:
Art and Social Justice Durban Conference 2010, Jan Jordaan, Art for Humanity & Durban University of Technology & Mike Hajimichael, Art  and Social Justice Nicosia Conference 2011 & University of Nicosia, Department of Communications
Sponsored by
Euskadi Fundación 2012 Fundazioa. The Year of Culture, Peace And Liberty.   Human Rights Direction. Basque Government;

Registration for the Conference, fees and information
Early Bird - reduced conference fee before the 31st  August 2012 €150
Conference fee after the 31st August 2012 €200
The fee includes
- Conference Program
- Lunch and dinner 7th  and 8th October
- Free entry to all artistic performances held during the conference
- Excursions (Winery, coast, Gernika-Lumo’s Museums)
- Simultaneous translation (Spanish-English)
- Free registration for our other conferences:
V. INTERNATIONAL ART AND PEACE MEETING: Kids’  Guernica. An International Art Project for Peace, in Gernika-Lumo, 6th “October 2012.
“I INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS ON ART, MEMORY AND DEMOCRACY; From Picasso´s Guernica to the present day”  in Gernika and Bilbao, 9TH-11TH October 2012.
Paper, Workshop, Performance Requirements
Papers  presented at the Conference  should focus on the theme of the conference: “Arts, crisis and social transformation”.
Please submit by 3rd  August 2012, the proposal should contain the following information:

- Title of the paper
- Abstract (300 words maximum)
- Keywords
- Language: Spanish and/or English
- Biography (150 words) including phone and e-mail contact

Suggestions for workshops & performances are welcome from participants. Workshops should include a 300 word description concerning relevance to the conference.
Performances will be hosted at the conference including poetry, readings, and music. Please supply any links online of works to be presented and a 300 word description.

For more information please contact:
Iratxe Momoitio (Director) zuzendaritza.museoa@gernika-lumo.net
Gernika Peace Museum
Tel (+34)946270213
María Oianguren (Director) mariaoianguren@gernikagogoratuz.org
Gernika Gogoratuz. Peace Research Center
Further details available on our main conference web site:
http://www.museodelapaz.org/en/conferences.php
http://www.gernikagogoratuz.org
We look forward to welcoming you to  ASJ III  Gernika 2012

Organised by:

Sponsored by: 

In collaboration with:

Dear AFH Friends and Associates.

AFH sends warm greetings and hopes that you are having a pleasant year thus far.  Please receive our newsletter for the month of July. All comments and letters are welcome.

 Art for Humanity: what is art?

 AFH defines art as that which is created to inspire all of humanity with freedom of expression, the quest for excellence, pride, dignity, and respect for individual rights, reflection and heritage.

In this month’s issue:

TOP NEWS

Dialogue Among Civilisations Exhibited at Sandton Gallery

Dialogue Among Civilizations                                                      

Johannesburg loves DAC                                                                  

Artwork  by Amodou Kane-Sy and Poem by Marouba Fall                                                                   

Women for Children                                                                                       

Youth Day 2012                                                                                            

           

Art and Social Justice Workshops                                      

2012 ASJ School Workshops                                                                        

WATCH the Video!                                                                                       

Break the Silence                                                                                           

A Dialogue of Sadness-Rape Article                                                             

General News                                                                                                             

A Burundian Nomad-Article on World Refugee Day                                       

Cedric Nunn Call                   

Click HERE to view our June/July 2012 Newsletter

Warm Regards,

Thireshni Sanasy & Nicole Hodnett

AFH Media Team

Art for Humanity

(Formerly Artists for Human Rights)

C/o Fine Art

Durban University of Technology

City Campus

Art for Humanity School Workshop-Morningside Primary

By Nicole Hodnett

Banner of Dialogue Project

Learners described their artwork and poetry as imaginative, believing and different. Learners from age 12 went beyond their imagination when it came to relaying their thoughts on the world.

Art for Humanity held an art workshop at Morningside primary on June 14^th 2012.Learners expressed their feelings about the world through artwork and poetry.

Tashen Naidoo.13 years old, expressed his thoughts on the importance of freedom. He described the workshop as brilliant at having helped learners to “express themselves”.

Learners at Morningside Primary

“It allowed me to view the finer detail in artwork”, he said.

An art piece titled “Faces ‘by 13 year old, Dieter Ulrich Kiezer, described people as different.

Lusanda Mkwanazi, 14 years old, described her artwork as choices she makes towards her future.“This workshop was a good idea as it is showing children art and what it means”, she said.

South Africa is rated one of the most beautiful countries in the world, famous for its wildlife.  Dharshani Naidoo did art work on nature and its creatures. He described the peaceful scenery and the beauty of our nation’s creatures.

Mrs Brinda Naidoo, an art teacher to the grade 7 learners felt great positivity towards the art workshop and felt it made a positive effect on the learners.

“I was very impressed with the banner /poem. I more than welcome any form of inspiration that our learners can get”, she said.

Below is the video of the Art and Social Justice workshop that took place at Morningside Primary.

Misconstrued Bill of Rights

By Nicole Hodnett

Art for Humanity researches projects that advocate various human rights issues in South Africa. Artists and poets from all over the world use their expression through artwork and poetry on issues affecting the world today.

‘Lenin Lived, Lenin is Alive, Lenin Will Live by Victoria Ivanov’

As a South African country, freedom of expression is our entitlement. If under certain circumstances a human right can be overturned by the government if that right infringes on another person or group of people.

In recent events the minister of arts and culture stormed out of an artistic conference in Johannesburg as she termed it pornographic. The conference was an exhibition on black lesbian couples.

It happened recently where a provocative painting of our South African president Jacob Zuma was on display that pierced the wrong side of the ANC. Reactions sparked and two men wielding cans of red and black paint walked into Johannesburg’s Goodman gallery and daubed an x over the president’s private parts before smearing it with paint over his face.

According to Sunday times columnist and Anc acolyte Pinky Khoabane, suggested on twitter that ‘the spear ‘constitutes plagiarism. The inspiration to Brett Murrays painting comes from another piece of artwork called ‘Lenin Lived, Lenin is Alive, Lenin Will Live by Victoria Ivanov’.

According to artbussiness.com creating paintings from photographs may or may not violate copyright laws. If you are completing an article that does not violate copyright laws and that’s by taking general information of that certain topic and pictures included.

Drama erupted after Zuma painting was defaced

According to patent express, if a court finds somebody has infringed upon your patent, the infringer may be required to pay a reasonable royalty for their use of your invention. In addition the infringer may also have to pay damages.

We all have the right to freedom of the press and other media. Are the rights to express ourselves as a democratic country being forgotten, tainted or simply disregarded? Everyone is equal before the law and has a right to equal protection.

Director of Art for Humanity, Jan Jordaan felt that the government of South Africa  refuses to popularise ‘The bill of rights’ enough and therefore gives people no right to misconstrue it.

‘In a recent Anc conference in Midland hardly any explicit support was shown in reference to human rights’, he said.

A Freedom by Law

By Nicole Hodnett


Guto Nubrega (Artist) and Sergio Rivero (Poet) representing Brazil, South America in the Art for Humanity, “Dialogue Among Civilizations” Print Portfolio 2010.

According to section 9 of the constitution, South Africa prohibits unfair discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation.

Woman for Children, an initiative by Art for Humanity is an artistic form of expression to any controversial issue. It is to bring light to an unspoken topic that has been the source of critical debate.

In light of critical debates, South African artist accused the Minister of Art and Culture, Lulu Xingwana of being homophobic. According to an article written by Melanie Norton, the minister stormed out in disgust over what she termed as a “pornographic art exhibition” featuring black lesbian couples.

In recent reports by News24, the brutal murder of a 23 year old openly gay man in the Northern Cape could be connected to other attacks on members of the gay and lesbian communities in the province.

The victimisation of gays and lesbians upon their sexual orientation includes harassment, vandalism, robbery, assault and murder. According to the National Centre for Victims of crime, the locations of these crimes are not restricted to dark streets or leading from gay establishments, but occur everywhere. These include school, the work place, public places and in the home.

According to the City Press, National House which appealed to Traditional healers, which has appealed to Parliament to debate removing a clause from the Constitution that protects people on the grounds of sexual orientation.

According to the Bill of rights, everyone is equal before the law and has the right to equal protection before the law. This includes the full and equal enjoyment of all rights and freedoms.

For more on gay and lesbian rights, email africa@iglhrc.org .

A Constitution of Corruption

Ex commisioner:Bheki Cele

By Nicole Hodnett

We all have The Right to human dignity, achievement of equality and the advancement of human rights and freedoms. The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa depicts South Africa as an open society in which government is based on the will of the people and every citizen is protected by law.



Artwork by:Kim Berman (South African artist)

According to iolnews, recently fired ex commissioner General Bheki Cele, used the alleged words “shoot to kill “that sent outrage amongst the citizens of South Africa.

The Centre for the study of Violence and Reconciliation state the reason for police brutality is due to negligent police management, poor training and disrespect for law and order.

The Dialogue among Civilisations project depicts Freedom of Expression through art and poetry. An art piece by Kim Berman is a perfect representation of police brutality in South Africa. Her art work also represents a time in South Africa when xenophobic violence spread like an epidemic across the African border.

According to World report 2012, South Africa continues to grapple with corruption and growing social economic inequalities.

Attacks on Freedom of expression and the tampering of media independence particularly by the African National Congress raised concerns about government commitment to the protection of basic and political rights.