The Program for Torture Victims has just released a documentary about The Healing Club, where Hector oftens serves as facilitator. It’s a place where survivors can dance, play soccer, sing, and create, rediscovering their voices and their bodies as the site of something other than pain.

Hector Aristizabal Returns to Medellin – article in Colombia Reports, August 13, 2010

Hector Aristizábal left Medellín in 1989 to save his life. After starting over in the US, he made a few visits back to see family, keeping a low profile, avoiding any political activity. This July, however, Aristizábal returned to work with peace and justice groups, to participate in the International Festival of Art in Resistance by performing his play, Nightwind, about his arrest and torture by the Colombian military and his brother’s murder at the hands of a paramilitary death squad, and to see for himself how his city had changed….

to read the rest, please click here:

http://colombiareports.com/opinion/from-the-editor/11326-the-return-to-medellin-of-hector-aristizabal.html

6/10/10 Update: Scroll down for a link to an Amazon reader’s review!

We are excited to announce the release of The Blessing Next to the Wound by Hector Aristizabal and Diane Lefer. For individual orders, the book is now available at your favorite bookstore or on-line book seller, such as Amazon (link here).

Available from all major distributors. For special sales, contact Books International customer service at 1-800-856-8664 or 1-703-661-1500.

For course adoptions, please send inquiries about desk copies to kara@lanternbooks.com

For international orders, including Canada, please see: http://www.lanternbooks.com/order.html

Review of The Blessing Next to the Wound – click on link

http://www.amazon.com/Blessing-Next-Wound-Activism-Transformation/product-reviews/1590561716/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

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Best,

ImaginAction

L.A. Times article – May 17th, 2010

Supreme Court restricts life sentences without parole for juveniles

However, read more in Diane Lefer’s articles for LA Progressive

Mandatory minimums: Cruel and Usual

http://www.laprogressive.com/law-and-the-justice-system/mandatory-minimums-cruel-usual/

Buried Alive: Life Sentences for Juveniles

http://www.laprogressive.com/law-and-the-justice-system/buried-alive/

Written by By Jory Farr, journalist and author

This article appeared in race-talk.org on May 17th - LINK to article

Theater of the Oppressed, a theatrical form originally used in radical popular education movements, was the brainchild of the Brazilian visionary Augusto Boal. Yet, his many disciples have given the original impetus of the art form a slightly different thrust. One of his students, who expanded upon Boal’s teachings, is Hector Aristizabal, the Colombian-born actor, director and psychotherapist whose blend of TO techniques and theater games enlivened Columbus this past weekend, enriching our appreciation for theater to elicit a deeper understanding about the burning conflicts of our times.

Under the sponsorship of The Kirwan Institute and other college groups, Aristizábal gave a lecture on the OSU campus that introduced students to the fundamentals of the TO techniques, also inviting them to see his solo performance of “Nightwind”, a piece based upon his own lived experience of torture.

The piece showcased his deft ability to switch back and forth between inquisitor/torturer and his own fearful, young self. A sense of palpable drama gripped the audience as they watched the evocation of torture, but there were also moments of comic relief, evidenced by the ludicrous voice of Colombia’s leader.

In this piece, Héctor gave torture a brutal face in making overt references to the newly-renamed Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation in Ft. Benning, Georgia, where torturers are trained for work all over the world.

Héctor also conducted an all-day workshop at the Wild Goose Creative, an event sponsored by BurningFeather, where he put into practice the many strands of teaching that characterize Theater of the Oppressed. He and about twenty actors took everyday objects and used them as tools for exploring everything from incest to rage, and other troubling subjects that also, sadly, form the everyday experience of many around the world.

It was a tremendously intense experience for those who had the chance to meet and listen to Héctor Aristizábal.  Just as the Theater of the Oppressed invites critical thinking – analyzing rather than accepting, questioning rather than giving answers, and making the audience realize that they are not merely spectators but “spect-actors” and thus part of the way stories get told – Aristizábal’s visit reminded us that we have, in every moment, the power to analyze and transform the reality in which we are living.

Jory Farr is a journalist and author. He wrote most recently “Rites of Rhythm: The Music of Cuba” (HarperCollins/ReganBooks. In 2010 he founded BurningFeather, a company that produces workshops and performances in the fields of theater, storytelling, poetry, dance, music, mythology, creativity and philosophy. He is the cultural columnist for ‘Columbus Monthly’ magazine.

In This Month’s Newsletter

London, Ontario – May 19-28

The 16th Annual Pedagogy and Theatre of the Oppressed Conference – June 3-6
“Creating the Images of the World We Want” – An invitation for June
Paths of Initiation – August
The Blessing Next to the Wound – excerpt
Social Justice in Palestine – A thank you

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London, Ontario – May 19-28

May 19-21 – London District Catholic School Board Program for Suspended and Expelled Students

Hector will faciliate workshops for students who have been suspended or expelled to identify and examine issues in their lives that affect their ability to be successful in the school system. This program is being funded by the Ontario Ministry of Education “Speak Up” grant.

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May 22 – Community Workshop for educators, therapists, artists and activists who wish to explore embodied knowledge as a way to engage community and foster change by igniting the imagination.

This workshop is open to the public. Further details to follow. For more information contact Wendy Goldsmith at wendygoldsmith21@gmail.com

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May 24-28 – WOTCH- My Sister’s Place Transitional Support for women who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless

Over 5 days, Hector will facilitate workshops with women to identify scenes and images of oppression in their lives and will invite audiences to create dynamic and creative solutions to complex problems. The scenes will later be performed in the community and at the Sept. 25, 2010 Day of Peace and May 9-11, 2011 at the conference, “All our Sisters”, an international conference on women and homelessness taking place in London, Ontario.

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The 16th Annual Pedagogy and Theatre of the Oppressed (PTO) Conference

Austin, Texas, June 3-6, 201o

(With pre-conference workshops beginning June 1st and post-conference workshops concluding June 8th)

www.ptoweb.org

Hosted by: University of Texas at Austin Department of Theatre and Dance

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An Invitation to Puppetistas and Street Theater People to join ImaginAction in “Creating the Images of the World We Want.”

We hope to see you at the following events:

ImaginAction invites you to join us at the USSF (US Social Forum) – June 22-26, 2010 in Detroit, Michigan. Click on the link below to see how ImaginAction will be participating in this event.

(http://organize.ussf2010.org/workshops)

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ImaginAction is also planning to take as many puppets and street performers to the streets of The G8/20 Leaders Summit that will be held in Huntsville, Ontario, from June 25-27, 2010.

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Paths of Initiation

A Mentoring Retreat for Younger and Older Men

August 17-22, 2010

Mendocino Woodlands Camp, Mendocino, CA

Proceeds support Voices of Youth and Intercultural Projects.

For more information and registration visit the Mosaic website at: www.mosaicvoices.org or contact the Mosaic office at: 206-935-3665.

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The Blessing Next to the Wound

“I could never forget what he looked like. If I ever found him again, I would have my revenge. Short curly hair, stocky body. The thick eyebrows and a small moustache, broad shoulders, a small but noticeable belly, and penetrating greenish eyes. But when I try to picture him now, I’m confused: the image of my torturer merges with a picture of Peligro, the man who raped my brother.”

from The Blessing Next to the Wound: A Story of Art, Activism, and Transformation.

The Blessing Next to the Wound is now at the printers and will be available for purchase very soon.

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Theatre for Social Justice in Palestine

A huge THANK YOU to those of you who have donated to this project since its inception. We appreciate each and every one of your contributions and value your continued support for this project.

For more information on how to donate, please visit our website at:

http://imaginaction.org/projects/theatre-for-social-justice

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"PHR has been working for years to stop torture by US forces. Especially important to us is ending the use of the healing professions to design, supervise, and implement a regime of abuse intended to break the bodies and minds of detainees.

Now, New York State has an amazing opportunity to establish accountability for health professionals who engage in torture or ill treatment of detainees - and we need your support to make it happen."

Sign the petition TODAY urging New York lawmakers to stop torture. http://actnow-phr.org/ct/npXN_ln1Vmfm/Stop-Torture

For the full post and more information: CLICK HERE

An Invitation to Puppetistas and Street Theater People to join ImaginAction in “Creating the Images of the World We Want.”

We hope to see you at the following events:

ImaginAction invites you to join us at the USSF (US Social Forum) – June 22-26 in Detroit, Michigan. Click on the link below to see how ImaginAction will be participating in this event.

(http://organize.ussf2010.org/workshops)

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ImaginAction is also planning to take as many puppets and street performers to the streets of The G8/20 Leaders Summit that will be held in Huntsville, Ontario, from June 25-27, 2010.

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Join ImaginAction at Fort Benning, GA this November. As with past years, ImaginAction will be participating with puppetistas from all over the country at the SOAW vigil at Fort Benning. The November Vigil to Close the School of the Americas at the gates of Fort Benning, Georgia will be held from November 18-21, 2010. The annual vigil is always held close to the anniversary of the 1989 murders of Celina Ramos, her mother Elba and six Jesuit priests at a the University of Central America in El Salvador. November 2010 will mark the 20th anniversary of the vigil that brings together religious communities, students, teachers, veterans, community organizers, musicians, puppetistas and many others.

More information: http://www.SOAW.org

Dear Friends,

Imaginaction will join the Colombia Peace project and Witness for Peace on this action. Please read the letter below for more information on the project and details on how to participate.

COLOMBIA PEACE PROJECT

Dear Friends, Each year in April, a number of national human rights organizations  sponsor a series of events referred to as the Days of Prayer and  Action for Colombia. This year the actions revolve around the issue  of Colombia’s displaced. Colombia has the second highest number of  internally displaced persons in the world, after Sudan.

Forty displaced persons in Colombia have made their portraits  available for this project. The idea is for people in the United  States to write letters to President Obama on papers containing one  of those portraits. There are various ways of doing this. In some  cases, the photo takes up most of the page and people write above,  below, and around the photo or paste it on a larger sheet of paper.

The portraits and letters will then be displayed at various events  around the country. Then they will all be sent to Washington DC for  a large display. After that they will be presented to somebody in  the Obama administration.

Attached is one of the portraits to this message. It is a picture of Enrique Petro. We met him in our delegation to the Curvarado region last July and expect to meet him again this July. Perhaps more than anyone else, he led the effort of displaced persons in that region to return and establish a foothold by creating humanitarian zones. Please print out the page with his picture: LINK Then write your own short letter to President Obama.

Here are some points that can be made:

. End the aerial fumigation of fields in Colombia.

. Do not promote the so-called free-trade agreement with Colombia.

. End U.S. military involvement in Colombia. This means ending the  military aid and reversing the policy of establishing a U.S. presence  in Colombian military bases.

. Support reform and strengthening of Colombia’s judiciary.

. Support the return of land to the small farmers from whom it has  been stolen.

. Provide Colombian courts and families of victims with access to  paramilitary death squad leaders who have been extradited to the U.S. on narcotics  charges. This issue is important to our Colombian friends.  Paramilitary leaders who demobilized were beginning to confess their human rights atrocities, implicate others, and tell where victims were buried. Then many of them were extradited to the U.S. and much of the truth-telling ended.

Please send your letters with the pictures to:

Tanya Cole

Witness for Peace Southwest Regional Organizer

10432 Amigo Avenue Northridge, CA 91320

Please try to send your pictures and letters to arrive before April 18. On that day there will be a couple actions in the Los Angeles  area using displays of the pictures and letters.

For more information, pictures, and additional action look at the  Witness for Peace web site, www.witnessforpeace.org

And consider joining our July 5-15 delegation to Colombia.

Best wishes,

Patrick Bonner

In This Month’s Newsletter:

Ripon College, Wisconsin – April 20
Topanga Mountains – April 25
Ohio University – April 29/30
Ohio Workshop with Burning Feather – May 1
Oberlin College – May 3-8
Diane Lefer – Performances – April 10 and 23
Street Theater Demonstration with/JYC
Afghanistan – post-trip update
Theater for Social Justice – Palestine Campaign
The Blessing Next to the Wound – excerpt

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Ripon College Ethical Leadership Program (ELP) in Wisconsin presents

Hector Aristizabal in NightWind and Awaken the Imagination workshop

April 20th

Location: TBA

For more information contact:

Lindsay A. Blumer, Executive Director Harwood Union
Phone: (920) 748-8316 Fax: (920) 748-7243
e-mail: blumerl@ripon.edu

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Topanga Dare’ Healing Circle – NightWind performance

Topanga Dare’ Healing Circle
April 25th, 2.30pm
Topanga Mountains
(Location and directions will be provided upon registration)

For reservations and more information, please contact Danelia Wild: dwild4deena@ca.rr.com or 310-815-1060

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Ohio University – April 29/30

Thursday April 29th: Lecture – The Popular Theater as a Tool for Social Change

In this interactive lecture Hector will explore with audience participation some of the main techniques he has been developing while traveling the world and working with communities at risk.

Time: Noon- 2:00 PM –- FREE Event

Venue: The Frank W. Hale Jr. Black Cultural Center, MLK Jr. Lounge/Room #100-A

Address: 153 W. 12th Ave. Columbus OH 43210-1389. Phone: (614) 292-0074

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Friday April 30th: Nightwind – a solo play & workshop

Time: 6:30- 8:00 PM — FREE Event

Venue: TBA

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Ohio Workshop with Burning Feather – May 1

Saturday May 1st, 9am-12pm and 1pm-6pm

Wild Goose Creative
2491 Summit Ave
Columbus, Ohio

For reservations and information, call: (614) 975-1085
and visit: http://burningfeather.org

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Oberlin College – May 3-8

Hector will return for his fourth visit to Oberlin College. He has been invited by Oberlin Latin America Activists, Oberlin Street Law and Oberlin High School to offer a 5-day intense workshop that will culminate in a Forum Theater piece and a street theater performance/parade, on May 8th.

For more information, please contact Allison Swaim at:
Allison.Swaim@oberlin.edu

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Diane Lefer – Short fiction performances

Come and enjoy Diane Lefer performing her own pieces of short fiction:

San Francisco – Saturday, April 10, 2010, 7:30 PM
Writers with Drinks,  hosted by Charlie Anders, 3225 22nd Street
www.writerswithdrinks.com

Los Angeles – Friday, April 23, 2010, 7:30 PM
Beyond Baroque, 681 Venice Blvd., Venice, CA
www.beyondbaroque.org

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Street Theater Demonstration with YJC – March 8th

ImaginAction participated with Youth Justice Coalition in a street theater demonstration in front of the LA Superior Court, to raise public awareness of the extreme sentences (including life without possibility of parole) being handed down to minors.

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Afghanistan – post-trip update

Hector Aristizabal is happy to announce that the young boy, Sayed Abdullah, whom he met during his visit to Afghanistan and who was badly injured by American forces during an aerial attack to his village, is now being reevaluated in Kabul by German doctors to see if he needs further treatment. With the help of Cole and Ann Miller from No More Victims (www.nomorevictims.org) and a group in Michigan, HCC, Healing Children of Conflict we have been able to facilitate real help to at least one child at a time. We are also working on helping others and will keep you informed. If you would like follow Sayed’s case or to help, please contact HCC at http://www.healingchildrenofconflict.org/sayed.html

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Theater for Social Justice – Palestine Campaign

A huge thank you to everyone who has donated so far through Hector’s birthday campaign. We appreciate all of your support and donations to this project. We invite you to keep up-to-date through the website:
LINK

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The Blessing Next to the Wound – excerpt

“Four AM. A low-income housing project on the outskirts of Medellín, Colombia. The whole neighborhood shook as military trucks rumbled into the barrio on the hunt for subversives. It was 1982, I was 22 years old. We were living under the Estatuto de Seguridad, a repressive law which looked on almost any opposition to the government as Communist-inspired. It was dangerous to talk politics. Sometimes even more dangerous to create art. Friends of mine from the university had been seized and disappeared only to reappear as cadavers found in a ditch, bodies covered with cuts and burns, toes and fingers broken, tongues missing, eyes gouged out”.

from The Blessing Next to the Wound: A Story of Art, Activism, and Transformation, available in June from Lantern Books