Centenarian’s peace dream comes alive in Australia
21 Jul 2008 | Bernie Goldie
United States philanthropist Kathryn Wasserman Davis chose to celebrate her 100th birthday in February 2007 by committing US$1 million for 100 Projects for Peace.
And now the first group ever in Australia to undertake a Davis Project for Peace – students from International House at the University of Wollongong – are about to put their $10,000 grant to good use by enlightening the Australian public of the situation in East Timor.
The students are using the grant to bring two East Timorese artists and a collection of art from the Arte Moris School to the Illawarra region from 18-31 July.
One of the student team leaders, Catherine McNamara, said their project entitled, Wollongong Hosts Arte Moris (WHAM), would provide the Timorese artists with the opportunity to become intercultural leaders.
“We believe that promoting the value of East Timorese art will be essential for the East Timorese identity. Something as simple as a peace mural can begin a process of promoting peace on a regional, national and global scale,” according to co-student team leader from UOW’s International House, Owen Everitt.
The other International House team leaders are Kiri Yapp (Australia), Swati Dhamaraj (India), Jess Pratten (Australia), Houcine Chraibi (Morocco) and Amandine Girrad (France).
The two East Timorese students selected for the program are Cesar Agusto Soares Lourdes and Simao Kardoso Pereira from the Arte Moris Free Art School in Dili. They will lead workshops and create murals to generate greater awareness of East Timorese issues.
The East Timorese students will visit four Illawarra high schools and lead workshops for high school students who have elected to study art at a higher level. The visitors and students from the high schools will co-operate to produce four artwork panels.
PHOTO/FILMING/INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES
One of the schools being visited by the East Timorese artists will be the Illawarra Performing Arts High on Wednesday 23 July.
The whole community will have a chance to see their work and talk to the artists on the weekend of Saturday and Sunday July 26/27 with the highlight of the visit – the unveiling of a peace mural as a permanent gift to Wollongong at the Wollongong Youth Centre, Burelli Street, Wollongong. This will be followed by the official opening of the peace mural on Monday 28 July.
For further information contact Edwina Ellicott on 0437 046456 (m) or Dr Lindsay Oades (Student Residence Manager of International House) on 0439 625868 (m).
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