環境保護芸術 101: リバースグラフィティ

最近、ワールドワイドにアーバンアーティスト達たちを魅了しているものに「リバースグラフィティ」ってのがありますね。それはペンキやスプレーではなくて、掃除道具を使って「洗う」ことで描かれる。

この分野でのパイオニアは、イギリス人アーティストのポール・カーティス aka Moose 。彼の作品は symbollix にてもっと見れますよ。このサイト自体かなりかっこよく作られてて、見ごたえあります。

世界中でかなりの人たちがインスパイアされたみたいで、その後ブラジルのサンパウロ、米国カリフォルニア州サンフランシスコ、南アフメリカのダーバン、そしてその他の地域にまでこの芸術は広がっていったんですね。

誰か、日本でも見ましたか？

是非！

Environmental Art 101: Reverse Graffiti

Reverse Graffiti has been inspiring many urban artists world wide. Instead of graffiting objects by spraying or painting, artists use cleaning tools.

A British artist Paul Curtis aka Moose is said to be a pioneer. You can learn more about him online at Symbollix.

Many people got inspired by his work all over the world. Then this art spread to Sao Paulo, San Fransisco, Durban, South Africa, and possibly more locations. Also check out the Environmental Graffiti website.

Seen in Japan, anyone?

現代台所学 102: 視聴覚教材

Modern Cocinalogy 102: Audiovisual Materials

現代台所学 101

Modern Cocinalogy 101

Intro World Current 103C: Dead Aid

>>Continued from an previous article




Uneasiness in Nicaragua

So, talking about my experience with Globalization. I also have some sort of doubt for rich countries "aiding" developing nations. Not the whole thing itself but I question some part of it. One of the reasons come from my previous experience when I visited there with my college friends from Friends World Program.

We did a several activities including interviewing an JICA's officer at their office Managua. Also we visited a site where a group of American high school kids were helping build houses for the poor locals.

Honestly I was feeling a sort of uneasiness already at this moment. But I wasn't sure if that was from what I simply sensed or just a biased taught comes from my head.

Actually, those US high schoolers were already saying that donating money and things to the Nicaraguan poor doesn't really help them. They said because it just made them wait, instead of working hard on their own to get their needs. And it might be just satisfying the riches' ego that they are doing something "good".

So, I agreed.

Anyway, we gave the Nicaraguan poor no shoes, no clothes, nothing. Instead, we spent time together helping build their houses, piling up bricks and carrying the materials.

We related to them in this way because of an new theory: better teach how to get foods rather than giving the foods.

However, this was only one shot project, so I again got quite confused. I was one of those from rich countries who can move around by transportation. Just like making a stop by when feel like. So I thought, for the locals, it was like that curious outsiders come by, did a thing or two, got satisfied and went back. I remember I was so moved by this field trip.


Communication

As a typical middle-class from Japan, I valued very much a kind of cross-cultural experience like this. More youth generations are learning a wide variety of realities and cultural differences. And those new generation are getting linked and sharing thoughts n visions. Some are already starting to work hard to design a better global social structure.

Anyway, so for now, Viva cross-cultural communication!

What you know n don't know, got experiences or not, if you can manage yourself or not, if you can get an emotional attachment or not, everything you think is important.

But before that, I gotta get over my personal challenge that I gotta get better diplomatic skills to communicate smoothly with a certain kind of people.

Alright, then, everybody double genki up in your field!

Intro World Current 103B: 無駄な援助，Dead Aid

>> continued from an previous article



Dambisa Moyo


I strongly sympathize with what Dambisa Moyo says on her book Dead Aid. And I'm also somewhat encouraged that a person like her finally stood up and came out to the global media. I'd like to see n hear more voice like hers in the world politics n economy.

You can check her interviews on youtube:

1. on bloom burg, 3/26/2009
2. at Oxford Literacy Festival, 4/17/2009
3. on Norway's news program, with a Norwegian politician, 4/18/2009


Sacrifice or Cooperation

During my stay in Latin American countries and India, I've heard a lot of a similar voice from locals saying, "we gotta say NO to them". Here, a meaning of "we" stands for those local peasants and/or manual laborers and "them" implies the system of capitalistic people n stuff.

Anyway, the way I understand an social issue like this is, "Leave us alone outsiders, we take care of ourselves on our own. You say aid but you just want more controlling power by taking our natural resource and cash it."

However, one thing I get confused is a reality that an international relation, or call it sacrifice or cooperation, is actually what our nations' prosperity based on. So, it is hard to point out only negative elements of the issue and deny the whole thing since it could possibly denies a base of our daily life.

>> To Be Continued