Carl Keyes is an internationally recognized humanitarian who has orchestrated some of the most significant emergency relief efforts in the history of the United States. His first response efforts in Hurricane Katrina and the September 11th crises were recognized formally by the US Senate and the President of the United States as his efforts were inserted into the Congressional Record of the United States.

Keyes is Founder and Managing Director of AID for the World and has expanded his relief efforts to include people who live perpetual crisis everyday due to a lack of basic life necessities. He has spent 24 years of serving people both in the US and in 31 different countries as well as nine years of living in Bushwick, Brooklyn in one of NYC most difficult neighborhoods.

SOTBK: What is the philosophy of AID?

Keyes: Living for a higher purpose is to live a life of sacrifice, which has long-term effects we may never know, let alone understand. Could the ‘butterfly effect’ be true? The idea that one butterfly could eventually have a sweeping ripple effect on subsequent historic events seems far-reaching.  Although it is true that each life has an effect on another. Each person we come in contact with, an event we attend or don’t attend, choices we make on a daily basis all develop into potential factors in the lives of others. Taking this premise into the life cycle unlocks an innovative and stimulating pathway for adventurous and compassionate living.

“That man is good who does good to others; if he suffers on account of the good he does, he is very good; if he suffers at the hands of those to whom he has done good, then his goodness is so great that it could be enhanced only by greater sufferings; and if he should die at their hands, his virtue can go no further: it is heroic, it is perfect.”  - Jean De La Bruyére

SOTBK: What are some of the details of your work?

Keyes: Sandy Schuman, from her book, Creating a Culture of Collaboration states, “Management scientists Quinn and Guile (1988) studied the dynamics of how and why innovations survive, thrive or die. They concluded that, like babies, innovations require proactive, flexible, and attentive care of three agents – parents, guardians and pediatricians. They found that venture teams composed solely of dispassionate experts are not effective, because innovations are just as unpredictable and vulnerable as babies. The two men concluded that they succeed only when the same key players provide customized attention, judgment and maintenance:

A parent who loves the project irrationally

A guardian who protects the project with resources and authorization

A pediatrician who contributes advice and technical assistance about project development.”

Each person plays a different role in order to cover all the bases. Frederick Bastiat, the French economist said, “There is only one difference between a bad economist and a good one: the bad economist confines himself to the visible effect; the good economist takes into account both the effect that can be seen and those effects that must be foreseen.” And so, out of the above references we at AID built a “Three-Mind Creation Construct”.

When working with people across the country, who are seeking employment, my suggestion is usually the same. Have you tried to create anything, instead of just waiting for government help or a job to come along?  This is one of the key factors that has prospered America. We used to build the best mousetrap.  The Three-Mind Creation Construct are three people who sit down and collaborate in brain-storming sessions to 1. Find out what resources are available, 2. Find someone who lacks what you have available, 3. Create a rail to link the two, 4. If needed, find an investor.

In a small Midwest town, a salesman, an architect and a sanitation worker came together and started a business using discarded half inch rounded metal and what appeared to be useless, leftover electrical wire.  The three of them formed a company and are producing lawn furniture made from these items. One gathers, one builds and one sells.

Coffee from Burundi, one of the poorest nations in the world sells to a company in Greece by the metric ton, who in turn sells to our coffee plant outside Kiev, who makes such a good profit they are helping to purchase farm equipment for the farmers, who in turn are feeding the poorest of the Ukraine with 10% of their crop.  Therefore the poorest Nation in the world are feeing some of the poorest people in the Ukraine.

SOTBK: What about Co-operatives?

Keyes: Just about all the businesses we help establish overseas are co-operatives.  A flour mills in Ghana, an agriculture projects in Zambia, a soap factories in Zimbabwe, fishing boats in Burundi are all co-op’s.

In Burundi there are over 50,000 families in the fishing co-op.  50 families share one set of boats. They catch enough fish to 1. eat all month, 2. sell fish and have enough money to buy other household goods, 3. pay back the loan for the boats within 12-15 months.

SOTBK: Is AID involved in any Green Projects?

Keyes: We recycle plastic bottles and make high-end women’s clothing. First store opened in 2008 in Miami.

Light poles that have both solar power and a wind turbine, which are made from recycled concrete. At the base of the pole are outlets and bench so you may plug in and work on the computer.

Village sanitation projects and treatment plants, both overseas and in the Appalachia region.

Oxy-fuel Plants. When coal is burned with the air, it creates fossil fuel.  However, when coal is burned with pure oxygen, the burn-off is clean.  There is only a -5% loss of burn efficiency.

Green roof design and installation.

Free range chicken brood-bitch farms.

Starting a new project by using discarded corn to make plastic water bottles.

Using photovoltaic cells in between insulated glass roof covering at bus stops.

Helping cities to become downtown pedestrian areas, using a BIXI system,  BIXI comes from the 2 words bicycle and taxi.  You can rent a bike anywhere in town and return it anywhere, by using your credit card to unlock the bike.  The BIXI parking stands are powered by a solar panel.

Cistern agricultural drip projects.

Telephone wire basket making.  Egg carton ottomans.

“A man is called selfish not for following his own dream, but

for disregarding his neighbor’s.”  ~  CDK

www.AIDfortheWorld.org

Giving Voice: Art and Eco-Justice

Ian Garrett

This past December, I traveled to Copenhagen for the fifteenth Conference of the Partners meeting, better known as COP15. I was there to serve as a witness to the artistic and creative responses to COP15. I was not looking to observe the UN Climate Change Conference itself; I felt this was easily accessible through remote media, and, in some ways, the less interesting event. While COP15 itself had far reaching implications for international governments, I felt my presence could serve to chronicle the other voices that were trying to be heard through less formal means. And, in the winter edition of the Center for Sustainable Practice in the Arts Quarterly, I asserted that this creative sound — from the gallery exhibitions to the street-performance demonstrations — was the only collective, non-political voice. There is no political body that serves as the voice of the holistic sense of Planet Earth quite like those of artists.

Upon my return to California, I participated in the Arts in the One World Conference at California Institute of the Arts (CalArts). In this past year, its fifth, the theme was guhahamuka, a Kiri Rwandan word that refers to the breathless attempt to articulate the inexpressible. And again I came to these thoughts of giving voice to that which can not speak for itself, and trying to communicate things which are nearly impossible to communicate. I continually come back to the necessity of art to fill this void. I see creativity as not just that oversoul of our celestial orb and home, but that which gives all people and things a chance to communicate with others without requiring political power or similar agenda-ed platform.

Invisible 5, a project by Amy Balkin, is a prime example of this type of work. Organized as a self-guided audio tour through the California Central Valley along US Interstate Highway 5, this project highlights ecological issues related to the history of this thoroughfare from Los Angeles to San Francisco. This additional layer of spatial encoding transforms the experience of transiting across a typically uneventful stretch of highway into a shocking story of rapid ecological disturbance, injustice, and racism. It reveals a hidden past, lending the inspiration for the project’s title.

My own motor-touring experience comes with a personal history of making this driving numerous times. My father was raised in the San Jose area, and my paternal grandparents were laid to rest there. I grew up traveling back and forth fairly frequently. My brother and sister in-law now live in Oakland, and my wife and I travel when we can to visit and see our little nephew. Were I not to have met Amy and heard her speak about this project, I perhaps never would think about the secrets just beyond the shoulder of the road as I barreled along this route. Without this piece, there would only be silence, and I would have traveled on, ignorant of the veiled violence.

In Balkin’s project, we are told of the duality of this region’s former riches. We hear about building up the area surrounding this new thoroughfare, the impact of oil, the creation of large agribusiness, industrial farming, toxic waste, and deadly fog. The stories are told by activists, residents, officials, and rangers. Without this compilation, though, one might never know the tales this land now holds. There are those who would prefer we weren’t paying attention; things are rarely hidden for the sake of being hidden.

From the largest gatherings of political powers on the future of global ecology to the environmental maladies laid at the feet of small rural communities that aren’t expected to say much, it is important that silence isn’t encouraged. There is no advocacy in silence. There is no remembering in silence. The small island nation of Tuvalu, who became a household name through advocacy at COP15, is about to vanish due to the rising seas, and uses its little might to assert that it doesn’t want to be forgotten while the larger nations jabber. This example is most compelling because it was the closest to a pure voice that exists in these political talks. It is not talking about the threat to its economy, but simply survival.

We could start to talk about any number of instances where advocacy is needed. The Bhopal incident in India was only recently revisited when Dow Chemical bought Union Carbide and had to answer questions about this tragedy. In order to appeal to developers, structurally sound public housing projects were closed in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. The list goes on in terms of injustice and ecology, and a lack of advocacy predicated on environmental grounds.

This is what makes Song of the Bird King so important. It is an effort to amplify the voices of those affected by the over-fishing, commercialization, and subsequent acidification of Lake Sebu in the Philippines. But it also shows use the problematized arena that art must step into. It is easier to talk about the negative environmental impact of an action. There are more metrics for the destruction of habitat and ecosystems than the cultural consequences; We can talk about sea levels rising. We can talking about the annual fish kill of a body of water. We can talk about the toxicity of particulates in the air. But we cannot empirically state the effects on a population and how this affects its culturally sustainability.

We live in a world where so many are culturally and geographically disconnected from their lands of origin that we rarely consider the importance of place to people. As Susie and Roberto’s documentary notes, only four percent of populations live indigenously. But we find it difficult to even understand the connection of people to their non-indigenous homes, like the farming communities of California’s Central Valley or those displaced by Hurricane Katrina. When a storm is coming, we ask, “Why don’t people just move out of the way?” without valuing a personal or a cultural attachment to place.

This is the root of ecojustice, providing fairness to a person’s or people’s habitat, and, while images of drowning polar bears are heartbreaking, helping us recognize our humanity in environmental issues. Balkin’s work highlights those we don’t see in an area we see as vacant — the “away” where we keep throwing everything. We forget about the tragedies like Bohpal that continue to affect lives discarded by corporations on the other side of the globe. Who knew about the small islands in the Pacific until their inhabitants spoke up? Tuvalu and others are merely tropically anomalies with little to exploit. And, in Song of the Bird King, Susie and Roberto have the vision to look at Lake Sebu, not just as environmental issue, but one of those rare places still connected to a culture and people.

Please check out Ian Garrett’s current projects at:

http://www.atsunset.net
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1539524181/get-at-sundown-to-the-edinburgh-fringe
http://www.sustainablepractice.org
http://connect.sustainablepractice.org
http://wiki.sustainablepractice.org

Curated by Roberto Rodriguez.

New York has become a mecca for many young Israeli musicians and percussionist/composer Roberto Rodriguez has focused his tenure at The Stone on New York’s thriving Israeli New Jazz scene. A fabulous week of music featuring some of the most exciting young players now living in New York!  - John Zorn

The Festival of Israeli Jazz starts May 20th, and continues through May 30th, 2010 at The Stone in NYC. For tickets and information, visit The Stone’s website: http://www.thestonenyc.com

5/20 Thursday, 10pm
Ofer Assaf “Hall of Light” Quintet
Featuring Ofer Assaf (saxophone), Jeff Miles (guitar), Peter Slavov (bass), Dan Pugach (drums), Ouail Aboulhassane (tabla, percussion) Ofer Assaf is a jazz saxophonist and composer, and has performed with a wide range of artists including Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock in Carnegie Hall as part of the JVC Jazz Festival. His debut album “Tangible Reality” ranked in JazzWeek Chartbound’s top fifty. Ofer will present his latest project “Hall of Light,” inspired by Middle-Eastern, North-African, Jazz and Funk influences.
www.myspace.com/oferassaf

5/21 Friday, 8pm
Uri Gurvich Quartet
Featuring Uri Gurvich (saxophones), Leo Genovese (piano), Peter Slavov (bass), Francisco Mela (drums)
The Quartet released their debut, “The Storyteller” last year on Tzadik records’, Radical Jewish Culture series. At their Stone performance, they will present new works by Gurvich.
www.urigurvich.com

10pm
Reut Regev
Featuring Reut Regev (trombone) and Igal Foni (drums)
www.reutregev.com

R*time
Trombonist Reut Regev and drummer Igal Foni will be joined by the R*time gang to play some newer as well as some older R*time repertoire. Yep!

5/22 Saturday, 8pm
Uri Sharlin DogCat
Featuring Uri Sharlin (acordion), Kyle Sanna (guitar), Gili Sharett (bassoon), Rich Stein (percussion), John Hedfield (percussion)
www.urisharlin.com

10pm
Avishai Cohen
Featuring Avishai Cohen (trumpet)
www.avishaicohenmusic.com

5/23 Sunday, 8pm
Gilad Harel
Featuring Gilad Harel (clarinet)

10pm
Klez Shop
Featuring Jonathan Keren (violin, viola), Gilad Harel (clarinet), Gilad Cohen (bass guitar)

5/25 Tuesday, 8pm
Jonathan Keren
Featuring Jonathan Keren (violin, viola), Dan Nadel (guitar), Satoshi Takeishi (percussion)
An explosive fusion of Flamenco, Balkan, Middle Eastern and Klezmer music. Featuring three virtuoso musicians on flamenco guitar, violin/viola, and hand percussion. This trio creates an exotic world music soundscape for the 21st century.
www.jonathankeren.com

10pm
The Rafi Malkiel Ensemble – WATER
Featuring Rafi Malkiel (trombone, euphonium, aguaphonium, compositions), Anat Cohen (clarinet), Avishai Cohen (trumpet, aguaphonium), Itai Kriss (flute), Chris Karlic (bass clarinet, tenor saxophone), Gili Sharett (bassoon), Jack Glottman (piano), Dave Hertzberg (bass), Benny Koonyevsky (drums, percussion), Nestor Gomez (percussion, water)
www.rafimalkiel.com

5/26 Wednesday, 8pm
Sexteto Rodriguez Cuban Jewish All Stars
Featuring Gilad Harel (clarinet), Jonatahan Keren (violin), Uri Sharlin (accordion, organ, piano, vocals), Itai Kris (flute), Bernie Minoso (bass, vocals), Igor Arias Baro, Roberto Rodriguez (percussion, vocals), Jonathan Keren
www.robertojuanrodriguez.com

10pm
Dan Aran
Featuring Alex Norris (trumpet), Donny McCaslin (sax), Art Hirahara (piano), Nir Felder (guitar), Linda Oh (bass), Dan Aran (composer, drums)
www.danaran.com

5/27 Thursday, 8pm
The Oz Noy Project
Featurintg Oz Noy (guitar)
Exploring guitar sounds through Jazz forms.
www.oznoy.com

10pm
Itai Kriss Quartet
Featuring Itai Kriss (flute), Aaron Goldberg (piano), Eric McPherson (drums), Gianluca Renzi (bass)
With this stellar quartet, flutist Itai Kriss explores Latin rhythms and middle eastern roots, as well as the funky side of Jazz, playing tunes featured on his latest album “The Shark” (2010).
www.itaikriss.com

5/28 Friday, 8pm
Daphna Mor East of the River
Featuring Daphna Mor (recorder), Nina Stern (recorder), Omer Avital (oud), Uri Sharlin (accordion), Shane Shanahan (percussion)
Internationally renowned recorder soloists Mor and Stern have appeared playing as a duo with groups as varied as The New York Philharmonic and world music group Pharaoh’s Daughter. Their latest performances together included performing as soloists in a double concerto in Carnegie Hall, and with St Luke’s Orchestra in the Mostly Mozart Festival. Tonight they collaborate with leading jazz, classical and world music musicians in music from their latest album “East of the River”. Produced by world music producer Jamshied Sharifi, the music includes traditional music from the Balkans, Armenia, and Medieval Italy.
www.eastoftherivermusic.com
www.daphnamor.com

10pm
Hadar Noiberg
Featuring Hadar Noiberg (flute)
www.hadarnoiberg.com

5/29 Saturday, 8pm
Alon Nechustan
Featuring Alon Nechustan (piano)

10pm
DissoNuance
Featuring Jonathan Keren (violin, viola)
A collaboration of classical and jazz musicians performing music that is both written and improvised. Pieces by Jonathan Keren and new arrangements of music by De Falla, Scarlatti and 17th/18th Century Baroque music.

5/30 Sunday, 8pm
Anat Cohen and Avishai Cohen
Featuring Anat Cohen (clarinet), Avishai Cohen (trumpet)
www.anatcohen.com

10pm
Eyal Maoz
Featuring Eyal Maoz (guitar), Brian Marsella (keyboards), Shanir Blumenkranz (bass), Yuval Lion (drums)
Where Jazz meets New Wave and echoes of Joy Division are counterposed with Jewish music begins the rocking odyssey of Edom.
www.eyalmaozmusic.com

Visual artist and humanitarian, Makoto Fujimura, created some amazing artwork for the Song of The Bird King trailer. His latest piece is a beautiful lithograph, based on the drawings Mako produced while working on the trailer artwork.

Titled Song of the Bird King, the Lithograph is one of an edition of 30 by Corridor Press. Four color hand printed original lithograph approximately 30”x 22” printed from four positive working litho plates printed on blue Pescia, Magnani  Italian, rag paper.

Visit Makoto Fujimura’s website, www.makotofujimura.com to see more of his artwork.

Susie Ibarra (US/Philippines) Composer, percussionist and co-founder of Song of The Bird King, a production company using music and film to preserve indigenous culture and ecology will present and perform work from Song of the Bird King this week, February 7th through 13th, at the TED Conference in Long Beach,CA. The conference is sold out, but you can follow the conference via the TED website.

For more info on the TED Conference, visit http://www.ted.com

For more info on Susie’s live tweeting via Nokia, visit www.nokiaatted2010.com/debate.php

Song of the Bird King – Trailer from Song of the Bird King on Vimeo.

Congratulations to Master Kulintang artist Danongan Kalanduyan who received National USA Broad Fellow Award recipient in December 2009. Kalanduyan is also a past recipient of the National Heritage Fellowship Award. Danongan Kalanduyan and traditional Maguindanaon music will be featured in the upcoming Song of the Bird King film.

For more info on the United States Artists Fellowhip, visit: www.unitedstatesartists.org

For more info on Danogan Kalanduyan, visit: www.kulintang.org

Pastor and Humanitarian Carl Keyes and his organization Aid for the World
aidfortheworld.org

Visual Artist and Humanitarian Makoto Fujimura
makotofujimura.com

Articles with Executive Director Ian Garrett of the Center for Sustainable Practice of the Arts
sustainablepractice.org

World Wild Life Philippines update and advice on conservation, climate change, and environmental issues in the Philippines and Southeast Asia
www.wwf.org.ph

Columbine Flowers - By Makoto Fujimura

We’d like to thank all those in the credits who contributed to the making of the trailer. We’d especially like to thank the T’boli artists for sharing their beautiful music and dance.

Song of the Bird King – Trailer from Song of the Bird King on Vimeo.