Cultures of Resistance | Cultures of Resistance

Organizations We Support

The Cultures of Resistance network is proud to support the following organizations and activists around the world who are working toward global solidarity and social justice. The Cultures of Resistance network is a collaborative endeavor of the Caipirinha Foundation and a number of like-minded individuals.

Cultures of Resistance: Feature Film

To host a September screening, write us at info@culturesofresistance.org

Cultures of Resistance (CoR) the feature film is now showing at international festivals. Click here to watch the trailer or scroll down to watch excerpts from the film.

Cultures of Resistance the film is a feature-length documentary directed by Iara Lee. The film draws connections between people on every continent and highlights the work of artists, musicians, and dancers throughout the world who are re-conceiving resistance as a fundamentally creative act. The Cultures of Resistance website seeks to get audiences involved with the activist groups and campaigns featured in the film.

Upcoming Screenings:

TBA

Past Screenings:

April 21, 2010: 6th ALJAZEERA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, Doha, Qatar
March 23 and 24, 2010: 34th CLEVELAND INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, Cleveland, Ohio

Summary

Does each gesture really make a difference? Can music and dance be weapons of peace? In 2003, on the eve of the Iraq war, director Iara Lee embarked on a journey to better understand a world increasingly embroiled in conflict and, as she saw it, heading for self-destruction. After several years, travelling over five continents, Iara encountered growing numbers of people who committed their lives to promoting change. This is their story. From IRAN, where graffiti and rap became tools in fighting government repression, to BURMA, where monks acting in the tradition of Gandhi take on a dictatorship, moving on to BRAZIL, where musicians reach out to slum kids and transform guns into guitars, and ending in PALESTINIAN refugee camps in LEBANON, where photography, music, and film have given a voice to those rarely heard, CULTURES OF RESISTANCE explores how art and creativity can be ammunition in the battle for peace and justice.

Featuring: Medellín poets for peace, Capoeira masters from Brazil, Niger Delta militants, Iranian graffiti artists, women’s movement leaders in Rwanda, Lebanon’s refugee filmmakers, U.S. political pranksters, indigenous Kayapó activists from the Xingu River, Israeli dissidents, hip-hop artists from Palestine, and many more...

Trailer

Cultures of Resistance Feature Film trailer from Cultures of Resistance on Vimeo.

Film Excerpts

The following are two excerpts from Cultures of Resistance the feature film:

1. See how people from Brazil's urban slums are confronting gun violence through music, education, and photography.

Confronting Urban Gun Violence from Cultures of Resistance on Vimeo.

2. Watch activists and musicians standing up to protest the occupation of Palestinian territories.

Uprising Against Occupation from Cultures of Resistance on Vimeo.

Additional Material

Film Mission Statement

Publicity Photos

directed by iara lee

editor: jeff marcello * camera: david ross smith

90 minutes, color, English subtitles, HDCam, 2010 Caipirinha Productions

ALL INQUIRIES: info@culturesofresistance.org

rank:

2

How You Can Get Involved

The challenges of conflict and injustice in the world can often seem overwhelming. Although many of us would like to take a greater part in promoting positive change, it can be difficult to find good information and know how we can effectively contribute. That is why Cultures of Resistance decided to literally search the planet to find inspiring forms of creative resistance. In doing so, we have forged bonds with a broad array of cutting-edge organizers who have recommended meaningful ways that you can join in campaigns for peace and justice.

What You Can Do

Teach History From Below
Whether you are a classroom teacher, a student concerned about how your history class is being taught, a parent with children in the school system, or anyone else interested in affecting how young people learn U.S. history, you can join in the effort to promote "history from below." The Zinn Education Project attempts to bring Howard Zinn's approach to emphasizing the role of popular struggle in history to a new generation. It also works to use Zinn's classic book, A People's History of the United States, to transform the teaching of American history. Those in the Washington D.C. area can volunteer directly with the Zinn Education Project and help to identify critical resources that can be used in schools. If you are an educator, you can aid the project by sharing information about how you have been able to use A People's History, or you can join with other teachers in developing strategies for implementing progressive curricula. Click here to learn more.

Set Sail to Break the Seige of Gaza
Cultures of Resistance works in partnership with a number of groups that are standing in solidarity with Palestinians suffering under occupation and protesting the ongoing blockade of Gaza. You, too, can join in the struggle. The Free Gaza Movement (FGM)—which has brought international observers, journalists, and activists to Gaza for the past year and a half—welcomes you to apply to sail with them to the Gaza Strip in an effort to break the siege and expose human rights abuses. Volunteers should know that this trip would be physically and emotionally demanding, not to mention very dangerous as demonstrated by the Israeli navy's deadly attack on the recent flotilla, which left nine passengers dead. Despite these dangers and challenges, many past participants have found it to be both a moving personal experience and a rewarding contribution to the human rights movement. If you are unable to go aboard for one of their voyages, you can invite a former passenger to speak in your community about the situation in Gaza and their experience at sea. Another opportunity to get involved is to join with other activists at the Middle Eastern Children’s Alliance (MECA) and pack a shipment of donated medical supplies, clothes, and educational materials to be sent to Palestinian children in Lebanon. Click here to learn more.

Safeguard Leading Activists Working For A New Guatemala
If you are moved by the struggle against militarization and for democracy in Latin America, the Network in Solidarity with the People of Guatemala (NISGUA) offers exciting avenues for involvement. At the local level, NISGUA is looking for Grassroots Campaign Leaders to work with like-minded activists to create letter-writing drives demanding that the Guatemalan government respect grassroots democracy. Those willing to travel and to make an intensive six-month commitment can join in another vital volunteer initiative: the Guatemala Accompaniment Project (G.A.P.). An initiative of NISGUA, the G.A.P. recruits and trains American citizens to accompany community groups, leaders, and activists who suffer threats and intimidation because of their efforts to combat corruption and injustice in Guatemala. G.A.P. accompaniers provide direct support and a link to the international community at the grassroots level by serving as independent observers to meetings, demonstrations, and judicial proceedings. NISGUA and the G.A.P welcome all qualified candidates who are interested in becoming accompaniers. Click here to learn more.

Battle for Indigenous Rights in Brazil
If you are passionate about indigenous rights, check out Cultures of Resistance's short film "The Battle for the Xingu." The film is about indigenous Kayapó opposition to the Brazilian government’s proposed Belo Monte Dam on the Xingu River in the Amazon. The dam would have a disastrous impact on the Kayapó homeland. You can learn more about the Kayapó struggle thanks to Cultures of Resistance ally International Rivers, a group that works to encourage more efficient ways of meeting the world’s water and energy needs, which is hosting screenings and discussions of the film. International Rivers offers opportunities for volunteers to take action in solidarity with the Kayapó people. Furthermore, if "The Battle of the Xingu" is not playing near you, we can help you to schedule and host a screening in your hometown. Whether at a house party, on a college campus, or at a neighborhood cinema, Cultures of Resistance can help you to arrange the event and set up a call-in Q&A with one of the filmmakers. If you are interested, please get in touch here or email us at info@culturesofresistance.org.

Stand in Solidarity with the People of the Congo
The nearly 15-year-old conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) continues today, largely fueled by our consumption of luxury electronic devices. While international attention to the issue has grown in recent years, the war is still grossly underreported and the violent dynamics of the extraction and trade of the country's precious minerals remain. CoR ally Friends of the Congo (FOTC) have been working for years to build international solidarity with the people of the DRC, and they recommend numerous ways to help. Their annual Congo Week campaign aims to raise international awareness by organizing coordinated demonstrations around the world. Last year people from over 35 countries and at 150 universities took part. Cultures of Resistance and Friends of the Congo can help you organize an event on your campus or in your community as part of this year's Congo Week. We can provide program materials, offer access to engaging speakers, and lend expert advice based on past experience. You can also take immediate action by signing a petition to demand that the Obama administration enforces Public Law 109-456, which holds US allies Rwanda and Uganda accountable for their destabilizing influences on the Congo. Click here to learn more.

Intern to Enforce International Law
If you want to support legal campaigners who are developing cutting-edge strategies to enforce international law, join with CoR partners the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) and EarthRights International. Both organizations’ legal experts worked with grassroots activists for nearly a decade and a half on a lawsuit against the oil giant Royal Dutch Shell, which they charged was complicit in widespread human rights abuses in the Niger River Delta. This work culminated last year in the landmark settlement of the Wiwa v. Shell case, which created a $15.5 million fund to compensate the 10 plaintiffs and to create the Kiisi (Progress) Trust. Building on this victory and challenging other corporate abuses, EarthRights International is pursuing numerous international lawsuites against Chevron for the contamination of the envrionment in the Ecuadorean and Peruvian Amazon. CCR continues its work with initiatives ranging from lawsuits against private military contractors in Iraq to monitoring the humanitarian impacts of oil development in Burma. Those interested in joining their efforts can apply for internships at each organization's international offices. At CCR current law students can get first-hand experience in the international legal process through the Ella Baker Summer Internship Program, providing direct assistance to attorneys working on these historic cases. High school and undergraduate students can also apply for internships throughout the year. EarthRights International offers legal internships for law students and program internships for graduate and undergraduate students at its U.S. and Thailand offices. Click here to learn more.

Raise Awareness about Contemporary Slavery
Although we think of slavery as a thing of the past, the truth is that millions of men, women, and children remain enslaved throughout the world. Today, campus activists are playing a key role in working to stop modern-day slavery, with recent campaigns focusing on efforts in Uzbekistan, Vietnam, and Sudan. If you are a student and would like to take a stand on this issue, Anti-Slavery International provides step-by-step guidance on how to start an anti-slavery group at your school or university. They can help you become a campus leader on this issue and assist you by organizing speaking events featuring international activists or former victims of slavery. They can also plug you into the national effort to lobby against slavery and link you with other campus groups that are a part of a broader movement. If you are not a student, other opportunities exist. Anti-Slavery International’s current Breaking the Silence Campaign provides teachers with advice and support materials, including lesson plans, classroom activities, and informational resources, to assist you in accurately teaching the historical importance of slavery and why it is still relevant today. If you are not in the classroom, Anti-Slavery International offers the tools to establish your own anti-slavery group and can help you organize awareness-raising events in your local community. Click here to learn more.

Support the Rehabilitation of Child Soldiers
In many regions of the world, but particularly in Africa, children as young as nine years of age are being forcefully recruited and made to fight in armed conflicts, robbing them of their adolescence and leaving deep emotional scars even after the conflicts have ended. You can make a personal impact by sponsoring the rescue and rehabilitation of a former child soldier. The Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers recommends two programs for helping child soldiers recover from their wounds. Through the Childsoldiers / Kindsoldaten vzw Sponsorship Program you can assist in educating former child soldiers at the Rachele Rehabilitation Center, where your donation will cover a child’s annual school fees and educational expenses. Because girls are often victim to increased stigmatization and rejection by their home communities, the Coalition also emphasizes the importance of gender-focused rehabilitation programs. Through the Zion Project's sponsorship program, you can provide vital assistance in addressing the urgent needs of rescued girls, including rape counseling, parenting skills, and HIV/AIDS education. Beyond supporting an individual child, you can join the Coalition on Facebook and connect with others creating political pressure to end the use of child soldiers. Currently, Coalition activists are writing key UN ambassadors to turn up the heat on the 61 countries that have yet to ratify the United Nations child soldiers treaty. Click here to learn more.

Join in the Campaign to Ban Cluster Bombs
The international campaign to ban cluster bombs recently achieved a historic victory that no one thought was possible, and it is now pushing forward for even larger gains. In February 2010, when Burkina Faso and Moldova ratified the Convention on Cluster Munitions, the treaty reached the 30 ratifications necessary to enter into force; the agreement to ban these indiscriminate and inhumane weapons will become binding international law on August 1, 2010. However, critical work remains to be done. The United States and other major military powers have not yet signed or ratified the Convention. The Cluster Munitions Coalition needs your help to pressure these governments to accept and adopt the provisions set forth in the treaty. You can help to build a social movement that is changing international law by joining in this campaign. A first step is to find out what your country is doing to ban cluster bombs and whether it has signed on to the international treaty to ban them. With the help of the Coalition, you can go further by organizing an educational event, giving a presentation to your school, church, community, or workplace, or fundraising for a safer world for all. You can also join the Coalition in organizing around the upcoming Global Conference on the Convention on Cluster Munitions, to take place in Santiago, Chile from June 7-9, 2010. Click here to learn more.