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the PT Washington DC WORKSHOP

Peace Tiles is an international development arts project that brings communities together to help create dialogue and solutions for those affected by AIDS. Participants of the project workshops create unique artworks on wooden tiles for a large collage mural that will travel to the Global Fund To Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and a children's pediatric AIDS center in South Africa to be unveiled on World AIDS Day December 01, 2005. Other murals will be installed at locations identified by participating communities. More than 40 communities around the world have expressed an interest in organizing Peace Tiles workshops at locations including India, the Netherlands, Uganda, Guyana, Senegal, and the United States.

The project and workshops aim to raise awareness on HIV/AIDs and about the vulnerability of children and youth. Arts For Global Development (Art4Development.Net), a partner of the Peace Tiles project, intended to reach youth and professionals and hence conducted a workshop for Euronet International members in Washington DC metro area. Euronet International connects over 20,000 international professionals and individuals with an interest in diverse cultures and global issues.

Art4Development.Net got together with a small group at the District of Columbia Arts Center in September 2005 to focus on this vital issue as well as encourage participants to continue generate awareness on taking concrete steps and perhaps hold future similar workshops. The DC workshop participants were between the ages of 25 and 50, work in education and health sectors, government departments and international organizations, and represent countries such as USA, Columbia, Czech Republic, Iran and Turkey. Prior to creating the tiles, Art4Development.Net guest speaker Ms. Beatrice Spadacini, who is currently working as a press officer for CARE International, talked about the impact of HIV/AIDs on children in Sub-Saharan Africa.

 

 

 

 

 

After the presentation and question and answer session the participants worked on creating tiles with arts supplies like acrylic paint, color pencils, crayons; colorful, textured and handmade papers; beads, stones, etc. Some painted, some utilized various materials and created mixed media artworks while others created collages with pieces cut off from magazines. One of the participants, B. Novotna placed in her tile a touching and thought provoking quote from poet Joakim :" In Africa they put children in the ground and grow angels…"

The participants thought that the workshop was informative, relaxing, fun and were glad that they came and could contribute to raise awareness on HIV/AIDs and at the same time leave a personal mark on a globally displayed project. For instance C. Gomez stated:

"…the workshop is an easy way to get people engaged in being part of a global cause. Since it does not require any particular skills anybody can participate. The project is an excellent way of linking the arts with development and an innovative way of catching people's attention and involvement."

 

Art4Development.Net hopes that such workshops are continued to be conducted in the future to reach more people and involve local communities to help create positive change on global issues such as combating HIV /AIDs and other diseases as well as achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

Art4Development.Net is grateful to District of Columbia Arts Center for letting the workshop take place at their theater facility; Ms. Spadicini for providing valuable insight on this vital human challenge, Euronet International for collaborating and particularly all the participants for their time, efforts and contributions.

To learn more about the workshop please contact info@art4development.net.

• International Global Health Conference PT Workshop (May 2006) report
• The DC Arts Center workshop report *pdf.format (September 2005)
• The Call/ Invitation for Participation
• Further information on the Peace Tiles Project
• artAIDs

Ms. Spadacini shared stories of HIV/AIDs orphans, the problems that they face mainly the increased vulnerability to poverty and illness, property grabbing, malnutrition, decrease in schooling particularly the attendance of girl children and hence the increase of forced child labor especially as sex workers. While providing basic facts and figures on HIV/AIDs in Africa mostly on young people, Ms. Spadacini also focused on the reasons on why Africa is hit hardest and the types of interventions needed to overcome this challenge.