Women and reconstruction of Rwanda
California Institute for the Arts’ and The Interdisciplinary Genocide Studies Center, Rwanda (IGSC) Los-Angeles, CA., January 14-15, 2009. The theme for 2009 is Motherhood.
What are Rwandan women’s current roles in social, economic and political life? How has their social, economic and political rise evolved?
How is this different from pre-genocide era and from other situations in different parts of the world? What are the factors in play for the rise in public spheres?
What are the current challenges and visions for the future both for both women in power and those who are not, from both urban and rural areas?
What lessons should the rest of Africa and the world draw from it?
Professor Marie-Chantal Kalisa Jean-Pierre Karegeye
AGENDA
Date: January 14-18 2009 at The California Institute of the Arts Valencia, California (Los Angeles)
Conference organized by CAL ARTS and IGSC (www.igscrwanda.net)
January 14-18 2009, California Institute of the Arts Valencia, California
Jan 14, Wednesday Evening: Introductions and Orientation – Simplicity and Complexity [Coffeehouse Theater]
Each day will also make space towards the end for open-space meetings and free discussion. Guiding issues: The persistence of negationism; the patriarchy of form (an assumption of Western models of theater and performance); the marriage of artistic excellence and ethical efficacy.
6:30-7:30 Opening Remarks: Jean-Pierre Karegeye, Erik Ehn [Coffeehouse]
7.30-8:00 Taylor Krauss: Rwandan women sharing traumatic experiences. (www.voicesofrwanda.org)
8-10 Documentary Film: Mothers Courage by Leo Kalinda, followed by discussion moderated by Chantal Kalisa [Coffeehouse]
Jan 15, Thursday: The Role of Women in the Reconstruction of Rwanda
What are Rwandan women’s current roles in social, economic and political life? How has their social, economic and political rise evolved? How is this different from pre-genocide era and from other situations in different parts of the world? What are the factors in play for the rise in public spheres? What are the current challenges and visions for the future both for both women in power and those who are not, from both urban and rural areas? What lessons should the rest of Africa and the world draw from it?
Facilitator: Jean-Pierre Karegeye
8:30-9 Convening and conversation (A brief opening performance/presentation; coffee and food; a summary of the previous day, highlighting action items) [Main Gallery] 9-10:45 Panel Presentation, chaired by Chantal Kalisa [Coffeehouse] Kaliza Karuretwa: Weaving a Future: Rwandan Women Help in Nation Rebuilding Mathilde Mukantabana: The essential role of Women Social workers in mending the socio-economic fabric of post genocide Rwanda Taylor Krauss: Voices of Rwanda. From idea to Archive: oral history as Justice Chantal Kalisa: Becoming a Writer – Rwandan Women Testimonials
11:00-12:30 Keynote Speech – Jean de Dieu Mucyo: Genocide Denial and National and International Justice: the work of Rwanda’s National Commission against Genocide [Coffeehouse]
12:30-1:30 Lunch
1:30-3 Special Guest: Rwandan Ambassador to the United States, James Kimonyo [Coffeehouse]
3:15-4:30 Visual Arts Respond [Coffeehouse]
Sabrina Dove – Using Art to Further Sustainable Conflict Resolution In the Aftermath of Genocide: The Rwanda Deck Michael Robinson – Crossing the Canyon (animation)
4:45-6 Dr. Margee Ensign – The Role of Women in Rwanda’s Nation Building.
6-7:30 Dinner
7:30-8 Presentation: Eti! East Africa Speaks. Laura Edmonson, Deborah Asiimwe, Nataki Garret [Coffeehouse] 8-10:30 Film – Pray the Devil Back to Hell (Director, Abigail Disney, present for q+a) [Coffeehouse]
Jan 16, Friday
8:30-9 Convening and conversation [Main Gallery] 9-10:30 Introduction – an overview of issues and initiatives. Ed Mast. [Coffeehouse]
10:45-12:30 Panel - Models of Engagement – Moderator, Ed Mast. Beth Krensky – We Make the Road by Walking (gallery exhibition), Vivian Sansour, Jen Marlowe, Hanna Eady, Hala Nasser. [Coffeehouse]
12:30-1:30 Lunch
1:30-3 Roundtables, Session One: Motherhood and Sustaining Theater/Activism –Alana Macias, Annie Hamburger, Alison Narver, Kathy Randels, Evelyn Serrano, Laurie Carlos, Lisa Schlessinger, Laura Edmonson. [Faculty Center]
3:15-5:30 Roundtables, Session Two: Motherhood as a Class, Motherhood as a Movement – Roberto Varea, Grandmothers of Plaza De Mayo; Vali Forrister, Grrls/Actor’s Bridge; Celia Rodriguez. [Faculty Center]
Concurrent Sessions 1:30-5:30 Theater of the Oppressed: Interactive Workshop – Iman Aoun. [Irene Annex] 1:30-3:30 Women of Palestine Performing the Nakba – Hala Nasser. [Coffeehouse] 3:45-5:30 We Cry on the Inside: Theater and Trauma Counseling in Rwanda. Brent Blair. [Coffeehouse] 1:30-3:30 Mindfulness – Theo Koffler [E314] 3:45-5:30 In the Dark Times there will be Singing – Song Workshop. Kathy Randels [Main Gallery] 5:30-5:45 Hole – “A sassy, sort of Butoh look at traffiking and war.” Dawn Saito, Maria Myleaf, Christine Sang. [Main Gallery]
6-7:30 Dinner
7-7:30 Review: An open sharing, highlighting issues, connections, questions from the day.
Performances 7:30-8:30 The Human Writes Project. Nizar Wattad. [BB2] 8:30-10 Inner Mandala. Maja Mitic. [BB2]
Film 7:30-10:30 Massaker, dir. Nina Menkes [Bijou] Flower in the Gun Barrel, dir Gabe Cowan (in attendance) [Bijou]
Jan 17, Saturday: Kurdistan
8:30-9 Convening and conversation. 9-10:30 Keynote Speech B – Choman Hardi: Genocide, Rape and Silence in Kurdistan/Artistic Practice in Response to the Anfal [Coffeehouse] 10:45-11 A Tortured Cliché, A Fragmented Identity – Performance, Cklara Moradian. [Coffeehouse] 11-12:30 Overview – The contemporary Kurdish scene, locally and internationally. Nancy Buchanan, Soraya Fallah, Choman Hardi, Cklara Moradian. [Coffeehouse]
12:30-1:30 Lunch
1:30-2 Fiddle Lecture – Peter Schumann/Bread and Puppet [BW Studio]
2-3:30 Roundtables, Session One: Theater and Peacebuilding – Cultural Diplomacy vs. Cultural Exchange: Roberta Levitow, Dijana Milosevic, Pauline Ross, Claudia Bernardi. [Langley] 3:45-5:30 Roundtables, Session Two: Esthetic Diversity in Arts Activism – Roberta Levitow, Roberto Varea, Dijana Milosevic, Teya Sepinuck, Rebecca Rugg, Claudia Bernardi, Dorit Cypis, David Mack/Ema Bell – Chocolate City, Bill Westerman, Michael John Garces. [Langley]
Concurrent Sessions Dramaturgy
2-3:30 Iran: Niloufar Talebi/the Translation Project – ICARUS/RISE: giving voice to the contemporary hybrid-Iranian. [Faculty Center] Based on “Naghali”, an age-old dramatic story-telling Iranian tradition, ICARUS/RISE draws from new Iranian poetry.
2-4 Reading: The Overwhelming, by JT Rogers – dir. Ron Cephas Jones. [Irene] 4:15-5:30 Speaking the Unspeakable: Writing on Genocide – Deborah Asiimwe, David Myers, Robert Skloot. [Irene] Libraries 2-3:30 New Knowledge: Activism and Library Science – Kathy Carbone, Toni Samek, Karen Jungblut, Bill Westerman. [E314] Curricula 3:45-4:30 A presentation from the CalArts Aesthetics and Politics MA [E314] Performance/Presentation 4:15-5:45 Cuban Mother/Artists – Visual arts, dance, music, theater. Facilitator: Lili Bernard. With Evelyn Serrano, Marissa Chibas, Sara Whittaker, Maria Elena Gil, Melena. [Coffeehouse] Workshops 2-3:30 In the Dark Times there will be Singing – Song Workshop. Kathy Randels. [Main Gallery] 2-5:30 Other Mothers – A writing and performance workshop. Laurie Lathem. [F100]
5:30-7 Communal Dinner – Please join us for a collective potluck [Mom’s]
Evening Performance
6:30-7 Cantastoria – Peter Schumann/Bread and Puppet [BW Studio] 7-8 Part Two, Border TRIP(tych) – Roberto Varea [E400]
Evening Performance/Presentation
8:15-10 "To Put Things Right Again" – La Fuerza Femenina in Times of Change – Cherrie Moraga/Celia Herrera Rodriguez/Alleluia Panis. [Coffeehouse]
Film 8:15-11 Pray the Devil Back to Hell, reprise showing. [Bijou]
Jan 18, Sunday: One World Thinking
8:30-9 Convening and conversation [Main Gallery]
Presentations and Discussion: Models of Arts/Activism
9-10 What Good is the UN in the 21st Century – Inocencio Arias Llamas, Consul General of Spain. [Coffeehouse]
10:15-11:30 La Frontera – Glenna Avila, Evelyn Serrano, Peter Jensen. North-South collaborations. [Coffeehouse] 11:45-1 Initiatives in Sub-Saharan Africa: Public Health. Traditional male circumcision and gender roles in Western Kenya – Paula Tavrow. Child Trafficking – Orena James.
1-2 Lunch
2-4 Sum and plans [Coffeehouse]
