I am writing to let you know that a photo-exhibition of Takahashi Morizumi's work entitled "Children of the Gulf War" will finally be in Sydney, next month, from 14 - 28 July! The Waverley Council have taken it on - evidently they passed a no war resolution earlier this year - and the venue will be the Ron Lander Centre, Bondi Junction. WILPF NSW (Women's International League for Peace and Freedom) will be assisting with the media/promotion and the opening.
We're really hoping that cultural groups and other peace/humanitarian groups and activists such as yourselves will be involved and support the exhibition at Bondi, and help to get the messages out about Takashi's work. This exhibition provides a graphical depiction of the horrific consequences of the Gulf War and the effects of depleted uranium (DU) on the Iraqi population. In early July, Professor Doug Rokke will provide compelling evidence for why the use of DU in armaments is reckless and a crime against humanity - this exhibition provides a perfect companion to Professor Rokke's message in the form of real imagery! So far the works have been to Brisbane, Toowoomba, Canberra, Perth, Wollongong and Adelaide. After Bondi Junction, it heads to Hobart, the Gold Coast, then Maroondah Gallery on the outskirts of Melbourne. It's an intense and zigzagging itinerary, but it's great to be able to respond to where the local interest is. There are councils, galleries and community groups keen to have it well into next year, and some for the year after. In every place, the response has been profound and extremely encouraging. For more info about Takashi's works, the national tour and DU, please visit our website: http://www.wilpf.org.au Takashi himself stayed in Iraq during the military operation, and has returned there since to continue documenting what's happening. Finally, a big ask in case you know of ANYONE who might be able to help ASAP with funding and/or road/air transport ... As the voluntary group who purchased the photos and is organising the tour, we are really struggling at present to cover the tour's costs, especially transport and the mounting of a replacement set of the photographs in the next two weeks. The first set have sustained damage along the way and can no longer be shown. To provide sufficient protection for the new set so that it can last the rigours of touring, we're needing to use more protection over the works, which of course means a heavier consignment. While costs for transport to next month's Bondi exhibition will be covered by the Waverley Council, in many cases it's the local peace groups who have to find the dollars. With more financial support we hope that future access to the works is not restricted to only those communities who have these peace groups. We're not going to give up - the project is far too important - but banking on miracles turning up regularly is becoming a hard way to conduct the tour. And now that we know more about the ways that the works will be tested, we're very reluctant to send the new set off unprotected. So ... if you know anyone who might be able to help immediately, contacts we could follow up, or if you are able to do some fund raising to assist the national tour, we would be most thankful. (I've approached unions, transport companies and photographic companies so far and still trying). There's a form and details about making tax deductible donations at: http://www.wilpf.org.au/donate.html Warm regards and thank you for your time, Chris Henderson Children of the Gulf War National Tour Coordination 0427 327890 email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- Jonathon Arnold BSc, PhD Lecturer Department of Pharmacology Bosch Building DO5 University of Sydney 2006 email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] TEL 61 2 9351-6957 FAX 61 2 9351-2658 -- -- Leftlink - Australia's Broad Left Mailing List mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Archived at http://www.cat.org.au/lists/leftlink/ Sponsored by Melbourne's New International Bookshop Sub: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsub: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
