100TPC.org

Dear Friends of 100 Thousand Poets for Change,

Please find below an extremely important petition, “LIFE IN PRISON FOR A POEM”, that Terri and I and Pina Piccolo (100 Thousand Poets for Change-Bologna, Italy) have been working on with friends.

As poets and artists we have a personal stake in seeing this poet released from prison. His persecution is the persecution of all poets and we feel this is something we can’t stand by and watch without taking immediate action.

We are very excited by the broad community support we have received thus far and it would be a great honor to have you join us in support of this action by signing the petition and forwarding it to like-minded friends.

Thank you for all you do!

Peace and love,

Michael Rothenberg and Terri Carrion
100 Thousand Poets for Change

A poet has been sentenced to life in prison for reciting a poem.  Share this action on Facebook  Share this action on Twitter Qatari poet Mohamed Ibn Al Ajami’s crime consisted of reciting a poem extolling the courage and values of the popular uprisings in Tunisia. For that he’s been sentenced to life in prison. Please join with a remarkable list of prominent poets from around the world and urge the court in Qatar to reconsider. Rather than making itself an instrument for cracking down on dissent, we believe that the Court should uphold Mohamed Ibn Al Ajami’s right to free speech. The poem he recited called for an end to intolerable conditions, a demand that for the past two years has been aired by millions throughout North Africa and the Arab world. In this spirit, we poets and non-poets who perceive the need for worldwide change at the social, political and ecological level, call on the Court to review the appeal, stop siding with repression and lend its ear to the movements that have sprung up all over the world for dignity, social justice and freedom, virtues that poets all over the world are endeavoring to voice and deliver. Please sign the petition and forward this email widely to like-minded friends. — The RootsAction.org team First signatories: Michael Rothenberg, Terri Carrion cofounders 100 Thousand Poets for Change Michael McClure, Poet/ Playwright, USA Sam Hamill, Poets Against War, USA Sarah Browning, Split This Rock, USA PEN American Center Code Pink Abraham Entin-Move To Amend Sonoma County, founder Susan Lamont-Peace & Justice Center of Sonoma County, coordinator Philip Levine, United States Poet Laureate (2011-2012) Ron Silliman, Poet/Silliman’s Blog Alice Walker, USA Pina Piccolo, 100 Thousand Poets for Change-Bologna Roberto Malini, Genoa, Italy Naomi Shihab Nye, USA Sergio Rotino, Italy Adam Vaccaro, Milanocosa, Italy Steed Gamero, Peru/Italy Rebeca Covaciu, Italy Alessandro Brusa, Italy Shailja Patel, USA/Kenya El Habib Louai, Morocco Natalia Molebatsi, Azania raphael d’abdon, Azania/Italy Jack Hirschman, San Francisco, USA Agneta Falk-Hirschman, San Francisco, USA Gabor Gyukics, Budapest, Hungary Karam Youssef, Cairo, Egypt Kristaq Shabani, President of the I.A.P.W.A “Pegasi” Albania Robert Priest, Toronto, Canada Eliot Katz, Hoboken, New York, USA Lance Henson, Cheyenne/USA Ipat Ciuraro, Italy Fabio Petronelli, Italy Alexéi Tellerías Díaz, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic Betty Esperanza, Montreal, Canada Alfredo Gonzalez-Baranquilla, Colombia Nana Nestoros,Volos, Greece Mariposa de la Rocio, Montevideo, Uruguay Chapal Saha-Bogra, Bangladesh Bart Plantenga, The Netherlands Elliis Ebakor, Nigeria Pilar Rodríguez Aranda, Mexico City, Mexico Dean Johnson, Birkenhead, United Kingdom Songwriter/Playwright Karim Metref, Italy Antar Mohamed Marincola, 100 Thousand Poets for Change-Bologna, Italy Mohamed Malih, Italy Gassid Babilonia, 100 Thousand Poets for Change-Bologna, Italy Paul Polansky, Serbia Ed Warner-Poesia, Italy Marina Mazzolani, 100 Thousand Poets for Change-Bologna, Italy Patricia Quezada, 100 Thousand Poets for Change- Bologna, Italy Andrea Garbin, poesiadalsottosuolo, Italy Chris Abani, USA Martín Espada, USA Teresa Mei Chuc, USA Marcia Lynx Qualey, Cairo, Egypt Khaled Mattawa, poet USA/Libya Fady Joudah, USA Glenys Robinson, UK/Italy Mitko Gogov, Strumica, Macedonia RootsAction Dennis Formento, New Orleans, LA, USA Carolyn Forché, Georgetown University, Washington, D.C., USA Patricia Smith, USA

11.30.2012
From Exit Strata

From Egyptian Poets to the Poets of the World

From the heart of Cairo, We the Egyptian Poets send our voices to all poets and people of the world, In defending of the freedom of creation in all fields, including the freedom of the poet to write and publish, without any pressure or exaction, without any restrictions or terror ideologically, religiously, politically, and legally.
Over the many years before the great people’s revolution in January 2011, The Egyptian Poets had been always in the front of the cultural avant-garde that oppose the suppression and corruption and restriction on freedoms … and now they are still standing foe the same viewpoint in front of the new regime recently raised to the power, the regime that follow the same old ways of the defeated old one, but also adding to these ways a religious touch against the artists and intellectuals.
We see communication with the international poetic movement of today as an attempt to break the isolation, and deliver the Egyptian poetic voice out of the local sphere, particularly what concerning the new special circumstances and the real threats that we face in Egypt today… Read More

http://www.theind.com/a-a-e/arts-a-entertainment-stories/11482-lafayette-nation-to-be-overrun-by-poets

Brace yourselves for poetry. Lots of poetry. That scourge of intellectual complacency will take over these United States on Saturday, Sept. 29 as 100 Thousand Poets for Change invades venues nationwide including Cité des Arts in downtown Lafayette.

Time for Passion, time for Grace! Talk about 100 Thousand Poets for Change day and night. Change is never easy!  Join Ronald Woodman, Santa Rosa CA. Loisaida 369 100TMC! Gene Hilbert, Atlanta, GA “Gator”-100TMC Reginald Gaines-San Diego, California! Carlos Eduardo Silva Velázquez, Ponce, Puerto Rico! Círculo Literario Revolución Expresiva! Karla Linn Merrifield and Dwain WilderBrockport, New York  and Dwain Wilder! Peneleapaí Mountshannon, Co. Clare, IRELAND! 9.29.2012!!

Ceelife Magnificent God-Allah-Columbus, Ohio P.E.A.C.E on The Streets and Peace on Streets! Franklin I. Sims-Los Angeles, CA! G.L. Morrison-Portland, Oregon! Migena Arllati –  Gjakova, Kosove “Pegasi”! Leonardo Melero- Caracas, Venezuela  Liceo Poético de Benidorm! G.L. Morrison- Portland and Eugene, Oregon Oregon Communist Party! Terfa Nenger-Calabar, Nigeria! Bob Putnam-Charlottesville, VA! Askala Sanjua George- Tobago, Republic of Trinidada and Tobago! Ana Fiorenza- Buenos Aires, Argentina! Kevin Smith -North Bay, Ontario, Canada! Family In Christ Outreach Ministries w/ Peace On Streets, Norristown, PA! Sheina Leoni y Lía Fernández- Montevideo, Uruguay!Daniela Tomé Mar del Plata, Argentina!

09.21.2012

A night of arts hopes to affect social change in Oak Park

Part concert, part performance and part fashion show add up to a 100 percent good time.

And a good cause, as well.

“100,000 Poets, Artists and Musicians for Change,” hosted by Unity Temple in Oak Park this Saturday, is a benefit supporting four local organizations seeking social change.

“It’s going to be a unique entertainment opportunity, a celebration of art and it’s going to be fun,” said Charlie Rossiter, emcee and co-coordinator of the program. “In Oak Park, we don’t see a lot of variety show-type concepts with this many different artists at one time.” …read more

09.21.2012 The theme for International Day of Peace 2012 is “Sustainable Peace for a Sustainable Future.” The International Day of Peace was created by the United Nations in 1981. It is devoted to commemorating and strengthening the ideals of peace within and among all nations and peoples. It is intended as a “constantly pealing bell reminding us that our permanent commitment, above all interests or differences of any kind, is to peace.”

Anyone, anywhere can celebrate the International Day of Peace. It can be as simple as lighting a candle at noon, or just sitting in silent meditation.

Or it can involve getting your co-workers, organization or government engaged in a large event. International Day of Peace is also a Day of Ceasefire – personal or political. Take this opportunity to make peace in your own relationships as well as impact the larger conflicts of our time.(Excerpt from a letter from Susan Lamont of the Peace & Justice Center of Sonoma County, CA).

Cairo, Egypt & The Virgin Islands will gather for peace on Sept, 21st.

We know September 29 is an important day for 100 Thousand Poets for Change, but the word is out that this initiative is not just a one day happening. 100 Thousand Poets for Change is an ongoing movement of poets, musicians, and artists of all disciplines, working towards positive change, peace and sustainability around the planet. Events will take place all year round! Join organizers: William Litwa- Photographers for Change-Ventura,CA! Liz Durand Goytia-Ensenada, Mexico! Ana Laura Ramirez-Biblioteca Independiente Majuana-Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico! Bud Garso. Bud’s Hidden Shop, Prescott, Arizona! Jessica DeMuro-Los Angeles, California Photographers for Change! Mark Gibbons- Missoula, Montana! Mavi Kelebek (Martha Villagran)’Chihuahua, Chihuahua, México! Andrea Alzati -‘Universidad Iberoamericana, Cd. de México, México! Henrik Aeshna-Christiania, Denmark! Make a difference. Be the difference!

so much good news, such great happenings around the world with 100 Thousand Poets for Change I hardly have a chance to report what’s going on. I am just starting to get an idea of how truly massive this event has become. i know of at least three 12 hour marathon poetry events. In Bangladesh they expect 200 poets in Edward Park. There are hundreds of poets reading in St. Louis, Los Angeles, Budapest and Bologna! Over a 100 bands/ musicians will be performing around the world. Hollywood, Florida, Malmo, Sweden and Detroit, Michigan have outrageous music fests. It seems that there about 800 events so far. 115 countries. I know there are a few week-long festivals in Volos, Greece and Kingston, Jamaica and Mumbai, India. And there are several weekend festivals at Wordstock, Florida and Santa Rosa, California. If i start to list events I will leave out too many events. In Pune India and Macedonia and Sacramento,CA they have about 5 events each all during the month of September running into October I don’t want to leave out the 5 Mimes for Change events in Cairo, Egypt and upcoming mime events in Istanbul, Turkey and Montivideo, Uruguay… I am going to go get a glass of water… there’s tons and tons and tons more… i’ll be back with more… and don’t be annoyed with me if I left out your event, this is just the beginning!!!!!!!! love and peace! ps. Mexico is a force to be reckoned with!