As hundreds of people already know, the WARP Annual Meeting that took place over the weekend of June 18 – 20, 2021 was an amazing event, successful on all counts. Our first Zoom conference, there were almost no technical glitches in spite of the 24 presenters coming to us from not only the full spread of the United States but Bangladesh, Brazil, England, Laos, Lebanon, and Mexico, and participants signing in from countries near (Canada, Guatemala) and far (Thailand, Australia), 15 countries in total. It was, absolutely, the most international of all our international Annual Meetings, an amazing accomplishment by the Board and Annual Meeting committee. The good news for anyone who missed it, and many who want a re-run of all or part, is that every session was recorded individually and will be available on WARP’s YouTube channel soon.

The one thing we did not figure out how to do was recreate the live thank you and gift-giving for the departing board members that is a WARP tradition. This year five board members are leaving us, six more are coming in, so our new board will have nine members, the biggest ever. And we can thank the retiring board members for the need for so many. With the arrival of COVID and Zoom, the most active board we have ever had absolutely jumped into action responding to the new world situation. Their accomplishments were nothing short of miraculous, and we want to acknowledge their contributions extraordinaire.

 

President Susan Weltman

It would be hard to put into words the joie de vivre y generosity of Susan. Everyone knows that Susan is WARP’s best ambassador. She roams the streets of New York spreading the word of WARP and bringing in new members, and then goes off into the rest of the world doing the same. With a clear focus on inclusion, Susan has kept her eye, and therefore WARP’s eye, on bringing in young people as well as people of every color and gender. She insists that we need to get our act together in this arena, and while everyone agrees, it is Susan who has shown us the way – and we hope will continue to. As the world opens up and we can go forth once again, retiree Susan is going to resume her volunteer work with multiple local efforts, including The Arab-American Family Support Center and Red Hook Farms, an organic farm in Brooklyn! Her favorite hangout is WARP member Cynthia Alberto’s Brooklyn studio Weaving Hand. By way of a sincere thank you, we will be sending to Susan a handcrafted one-of-a-kind necklace from her friend and our Keynote speaker Yasmine Dabbous of Beirut, Lebanon.

 

Vice President Kate Colwell

Hailing from the opposite end of the US, Kate is a retired physician from northern California. Her childhood in Brazil and other connections have instilled a love of Meso-America, and she has been working for the past six years with artisans in Guatemala to reduce repetitive stress injuries. Her retirement from the board is going to allow her to spend even more time helping the health workers of Petén Health in their quest to support the residents of their part of northern Guatemala. Kate’s most visible contribution to WARP this year has been overseeing our first ever virtual Annual Meeting – no small feat, an invent-it-as-you-go process that led to great growth for WARP. With the help of team mates Sara Lamb and Beth Davis (both continuing on the board), Administrative Coordinator Kelsey Wiskirchen, and lots of input from other board members, Kate shepherded the creation of six panel discussions, five individual presentations, two videos made for WARP (all viewed by roughly 250 people), the member-only Welcome Circle (with 60+ participants) and Business Meeting (with 66 participants), and numerous opportunities for members to hang out and zoom together, talking about whatever they wanted – the networking and camaraderie for which we come together. Kate’s thank you gift is a basket from Mayan Hands, for whose weavers, felters, and basket makers she has done so much for so long.

 

Treasurer Mary Joan Ferrara-Marsland

After Peace Corps and beyond in Botswana, a year in England, and finally settling back in the USA, twenty-five years ago, through WARP connections, Mary Joan started working for UPAVIM (United for a Better Life) in Guatemala, and soon after that added Mayan Hands to her responsibilities. Living in Maryland, Mary Joan was the representative and distributor for both of these WARP member Fair Trade ngo-s that support women artisans in Guatemala. She has since retired to West Virginia, which gave her a chance to get more fully involved in WARP once again. Coming on to fill out a term as treasurer just a year ago, she helped to assess our overall financial situation and fundraising goals, with the creation and execution of the hugely successful online auction, she advocated for the COVID relief grants given earlier this year, worked with Maren Beck in establishing the very successful business networking zoom group, and took on the task of writing the descriptions of 250 items for the WARP auction, a major contributor to the raising of over $11,000. Upon retiring – well, she said it best herself: I just wanted to let everyone know also that I really enjoyed working with all of you this past unusual year. I was so happy to reconnect with WARP and I would not have done that if Susan had not been persistent in asking me to be on the board previously and as Treasurer this last time. To everyone leaving the board you have done a fabulous job and in particular Susan and Philis who have given so many years and so much of your time. You are very appreciated and will be missed by all.  Absolutely yes, and in gratitude Mary Joan will be given a gift from Mari Gray and Kakaw Designs, a table runner from San Juan Cotzal in the Guatemala she loves, (but not one she has already been looking at for more than two decades!)

 

Philis Alvic – Member at Large

Philis – artist, author, international consultant, and more – has been a member of WARP just about forever and the board for six years, and when this year suddenly demanded a new WARP, as always she rose to the occasion. The Kentucky mastermind behind our new geography-based series of Zoom panel discussions Continuing Textile Traditions, Philis convinced WARP member speakers from the North America, Asia, Africa, and Latin America to share their experiences and wisdom with audiences that reached into the hundreds. It was a stroke of genius that made her (and the board) decide to make the presentations free and open to the public, and the benefits to WARP have been incalculable. We trust that Philis will feel both warmed and elegant in a handwoven hand dyed shawl from Mekong River Textiles, a Fair Trade ngo that has worked in SE Asia since 1986.

 

Sara Borchert (and Luna) – Member at Large

Sara’s daughter Luna is four, which means that she has probably attended four Annual Meetings one way or another. We all love Luna, and also seeing what a good mom Sara is. Sara’s very full-time day job is working at Camphill Hudson in upstate NY, one of the many Camphill intentional communities that everyone should know about, communities that have provided WARP (and the board) with members since at least our 1999 meeting at Grailville in Loveland, Ohio. In her one-year fill-in, Sara’s main role was helping Philis with the Continuing Textile Traditions panel discussions, especially early on with designing the format and finding speakers. That plus attending the monthly zoom meetings of the board were about all she could squeeze in, but it was the right thing at the right time, and all are grateful. Our thanks to Sara will be a Peruvian shoulder bag handspun and handwoven by one of the many CTTC weavers who receive market and other support from Clothroads, another Fair Trade member of WARP.

 

We still wish we could do a grand live celebration, and we for sure will at the next live WARP meeting. Meanwhile, we hope you will also find a way to give your virtual applause and thanks to these wonderful retiring board members. WARP is about to take a giant leap forward, and thanks to these five women we are ready.

NOTA: puede ver la historia en español abajo del inglés.

When WARP began 29 years ago, the primary reason was to create a meeting where like-minded folks could get together to talk about what we do – and dream of doing. There were fewer than a dozen of us then, but it turned out to be a good idea and at our last live meeting we had over 100 people in attendance from a membership of more than 300. In the years between we have had annual meetings in 16 states, the District of Columbia, and three countries. The Annual Meeting has been, by everyone’s account, the highlight and most valuable experience WARP has to offer its members. So it was a blow we shared with the world to have to cancel the 2020 meeting, which was to be in Bozeman, Montana. With great faith we rescheduled it for a year later in the same place, and as everyone knows, 2020 extended itself and we had to cancel the second attempt to meet in Bozeman as well.

But a lot has happened in the past year, the biggest for WARP being that it has morphed into an online organization in ways we never imagined before. And like many big surprises, it has turned out to be a great gift. Now members from all over the world have the same access to WARP services as people in the US. We have always had some international membership, but now it has doubled! and they come from 16 other countries, which is very exciting.

In just a few weeks WARP will be unveiling yet another new experience for its members – and anyone else interested, from anywhere in the world with internet access. We are reclaiming the Annual Meeting, doing it via Zoom. As previously, it will run from Friday through Sunday, but unlike any previous meeting, since we have no site expenses it will be free! Some events will be open only to WARP members, but most will be open to anyone who wants to come. It’s a remarkable opportunity, the result of the hard work of more than half of the Board – and will give attendees the chance to hear from 20 speakers from seven countries, most in panel discussions covering an impressive variety of topics.  All presentations will be in English; maybe in another decade we will have grown to having simultaneous translation. And one more great opportunity will be the return of the Auction, a textile-lover-bargain-hunter’s dream, with dozens of items including ethnic textiles from far and wide, books written by WARP members, and more. Just looking at what shows up in the auction is worth checking in for, a mini-museum created by friends.

To learn more or to sign up, simply go to the Weave A Real Peace Program Website. Registration is now open, and we would love to have you join us!

Meeting Agenda

Friday, June 18 – WARP Members Only:

7 pm: Opening Remarks – Susan Weltman, President of the Board
Virtual Welcome Circle, followed by time to socialize in Zoom “Breakout Rooms”

Saturday, June 19 – Open to Public:

11:30 am: Keynote Speaker: Yasmine Dabbous, Beirut, Lebanon
12:30 pm: Hands Off Hands On – Teaching Textiles in Times of COVID – Panel Discussion
1:30 pm: Mini Presentation: When a Woman Rises, by Christine Eber / 15-minute Break
1:45 pm: The Deeper Meaning of Cloth – Panel Discussion on Art & Activism
2:45 pm: Vendor Show & Tell / 30-minute “Lunch Break”
3:45 pm: Fibersheds: Connecting Farmers, Artisans and Consumers to Grow Regional Economies – Panel Discussion
4:45 pm: Mini Presentation: Interlacements: Threads and Lives, by Marilyn Romatka / 15-minute Break
5:00 pm: Scholarship Recipient Presentations
6:00 pm: Mini Presentation: Field to Fashion in Acadiana by Sharon Donnan / 15-minute Break
6:15 pm: Cultural Appropriation: Where do we go from here? – Panel Discussion
7:15 pm: Mini Presentation: Shipibo: Movie of our Memories, by Nancy Feldman / 30-minute “Dinner Break”

The WARP Auction will be online and available throughout the meeting, so whether you attend sessions or not, you can go there anytime to see – and snag – some treasures for yourself or to give as gifts.

Saturday, June 19 – WARP Members Only:

7:45 pm: WARP Members “Show & Tell”, followed by time to socialize in Zoom “Breakout Rooms”

Sunday, June 20 – WARP Members Only:

10 am: Virtual Coffee: Are you a morning person? Socialize in Zoom “Breakout Rooms” while you have your morning coffee!
11 am: WARP Annual Business Meeting

Sunday, June 20 – Open to Public:

12:00 pm: Beyond the Buzzword: ‘Sustainability’ meets Artisanship – Panel Discussion
1:00 pm: Closing Remarks – Susan Weltman, outgoing President of the Board

 

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Deshilando Barreras, Tejiendo Redes    –    18 – 20 Junio 2021

Cuando WARP empezó hace 29 años, la razón principal fue crear una manera de tener reuniones de personas quienes queríamos hablar sobre nuestro trabajo actual y sueños de proyectos que quisimos hacer. Habían menos que una docena de nosotros, pero descubrimos que tuvimos una idea buena, y nuestra reunión en 2019 tenía más que 100 personas de una membresía de más que 300. En los años entre estas dos reuniones hemos tenido reuniones cada año en 16 estados de EEUU más el Distrito de Columbia, y en tres países. Del punto de vista de todos, la Reunión Anual ha sido la luz más brillante de WARP, nuestra oferta más importante a los miembros. Entonces era una decepción tremenda, que compartimos con todo el mundo, cuando necesitábamos cancelar la reunión de 2020, que iba estar en Bozeman, Montana. Con fe fuerte re-programamos la reunión para un año después en el mismo lugar, pero como todos saben, 2020 se extendió y tuvimos que cancelar el intento #2 también.

Mucho ha pasado este año, lo más grande para WARP es que ha evolucionado a convertirse en una organización en línea en unas maneras que nunca imaginamos antes. Y como muchas sorpresas grandes, ha estado un regalo. Ahora los miembros de todo el mundo tienen el mismo acceso a los servicios de WARP que la gente de los Estados Unidos. Siempre hemos tenido miembros internacionales, pero ahora ¡el número ha doblado! – lo que es muy emocionante – y vienen de 16 países.

En pocas semanas WARP va a presentar una experiencia más para sus miembros – y cualquier otra persona interesada, de cualquier parte del mundo que tiene acceso al internet. Estamos programando la Reunión Anual, por Zoom. Como siempre, va a empezar el viernes y terminar el domingo, pero diferente de cualquier reunión antes, por no tener gastos del sitio, ¡va a estar gratis! Unos segmentos van a estar abiertos a solo los miembros de WARP, pero la mayoría van a estar abiertos a cualquier persona que quiere asistir. Es una oportunidad especial, resultado del trabajo duro de más que mitad de la junta de WARP, y los que asisten pueden escuchar presentaciones de 20 expositoras de siete países, la mayoría en paneles con una variedad de temas impresionante. Todas las presentaciones van a estar en inglés. Tal vez en una década más vamos a tener traducción simultánea. Y una más oportunidad grande es el regreso de la Subasta, un sueño de amantes de textiles y gangas, con docenas de productos incluyendo textiles étnicas de todo el mundo, libros escritos por miembros de WARP, y más. Solo para ver lo que está presentado vale la pena de investigar este “mini-museo” creado por amigos.

Arriba es la agenda de los tres días. Para aprender más o inscribirse, va al website de Weave A Real Peace y las páginas del Reunión Anual. La inscripción ya está abierta, y nos gustaría mucha tener su compañía.

NOTA: puede ver la historia en español abajo del inglés.

by Todd Jailer

Have you been awakened at night by a crying child burning up with a fever, and wondered if you should go to the hospital or just try to comfort her until the sun rises? Or had a friend come to the door with a broken arm? Or eaten or drunk something that made you ill, and you just didn’t seem to get better? For many of us, even if we decide to go online or phone an advice nurse instead of going to the hospital, we have a choice about what to do. But many people worldwide have fewer choices. One resource they turn to is WHERE THERE IS NO DOCTOR, a health manual for people who live far from care first published in 1973, and updated and reprinted almost yearly ever since.

This resource and its companion books like Where Women Have No Doctor, A Book for Midwives, Where There Is No Dentist and many more are published in more than 80 languages and have proven to be lifesavers for people who may live a day’s journey or more away from medical help. They’ve also proved indispensable for people who may live in the shadow of a medical center, but lack the financial resources to receive care.

Published by the non-profit Hesperian Health Guides, these books are written in simple language and are heavily illustrated to make them accessible to people who may have a lifetime of experience but limited reading skills. As new materials are developed, they are extensively field-tested: copies are sent to health workers around the world who use them in their communities. They then communicate back what is clear, what needs more work, and what is missing. It is a process that makes each book take a long time to develop, but when it is finally published, it is sure to meet people’s needs.

The books aim to help people solve immediate medical problems so they can then go on to solve longer-term issues that cause illness. For instance, not only is there information on treating giardia or amoebas, but there’s also a discussion of different ways to purify water and improve cleanliness so that stomach problems can be avoided in the future. And since much illness is caused by poverty and social inequality, the books don’t shy away from discussing the social causes of health and illness.

Often used to train community health workers, the book Helping Health Workers Learn was developed in a Guatemalan refugee camp across the border in Mexico in the 1980s. There were no trusted health structures in the refugee camps, and training people to care for themselves and their neighbors both met that need and strengthened the community. More recently, Health Actions for Women was designed by an international group of women’s health activists to share ideas about how to start conversations about issues that are controversial in their diverse communities such as family planning, abortion, violence against women, etc.

An aspect of the books that might appeal especially to WARP members is that the book covers are often built around beautiful woven, dyed, or printed cloths from Asia, Africa, and especially Central America.

As technology has developed, so have Hesperian’s resources. All of our publications are available for free on the internet, and recently Hesperian has produced 3 women’s health apps that can be downloaded to phones or tablets and used offline. Safe Pregnancy and Birth app, Family Planning app, and Safe Abortion app are all available for free in English and Spanish, with the latter two available in French and several African languages as well.

But for many people, nothing is more useful than a printed book, and Hesperian continues to update and keep all its books available. When travelling, it’s easy to pack a copy in your suitcase for your personal use and to leave it with your hosts when you go home. The Spanish translations are used in US medical schools as a guide to simple language explanations of health issues for doctors and nurses who need to work in a second language — so you can use them to improve your language skills as well.

As immunizations for COVID-19 make travel possible again for people in developed countries, vaccine inequity may leave many of the communities you want to visit unvaccinated for some time. Check out the 9 fact sheets covering aspects of COVID-19, from How to Tell if it’s COVID to Stress and Mental Health to Vaccines — all free to download in more than 32 languages.

Check out all Hesperian’s titles and the languages in which they are available on the website: www.hesperian.org

And one final note: for the month of May 2021 Hesperian will give WARP members a 20% discount on any of their publications that have a cost. Simply go to their website and use the code WARP when you order. What a gift! Thank you, Hesperian Health Guides.

TODD JAILER is an editor at Hesperian Health Guides and co-author of Helping Children Live with HIV and Workers’ Guide to Health and Safety. He worked in El Salvador from 1989-1996 with the Salvadoran Association of Art and Cultural Workers (ASTAC). In awe of weavers, his weaving experience is limited to words, not fibers. 

 

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Unos Recursos Valiosos de Salud Para Gente y Comunidades

de Todd Jailer

Si alguien está leyendo esto en español, por favor nos cuenta. Si no, podría desaparecer la traducción.

¿Ha estado despertado en la noche por una niña quemando con fiebre, y se ha preguntado si debería ir al hospital o intenta dar comodidad hasta el amanecer? ¿O ha tenido un amigo llega a su puerta con un brazo fracturado? ¿O comido o bebido algo que le hizo enfermar y no mejoró? Para muchos de nosotros, aunque decidimos chequear para información por internet o llamar una enfermera de ayuda en vez de ir al hospital, tenemos opciones sobre qué hacer. Pero hay mucha gente en todo el mundo que tiene menos opciones. Un recurso que se usa es el libro Donde No Hay Doctor, un manual de salud para personas que viven lejos de ayuda publicado para la primera vez en 1973 y actualizado e impreso casi anualmente desde entonces.

Este recurso y sus libros compañeros como Donde no hay doctor para las mujeres, Un libro para parteras, Donde no hay dentista, y muchos otros son publicados en más que 80 idiomas y han sido salvavidas para gente que vive un día o más lejos de ayuda médica. También están indispensables para personas que viven en la sombra de un centro de salud pero no tienen el dinero para recibir atención.

Publicados por la organización no-lucrativa Hesperian Guías de Salud (Hesperian Health Guides) de California, estos libros son escritos en lenguaje sencillo y tienen muchas ilustraciones para hacerlos más accesibles a las personas quienes tienen una vida llena de experiencia pero sus habilidades de leer son limitadas. Cuando materiales nuevos están desarrollados los mandamos a todos lados para probarlos primero: copias van a trabajadores de salud en todo el mundo quienes las usan en sus comunidades. Después ellos nos comunican lo que es claro, lo que necesita más trabajo, y lo que falta. Es un proceso largo, y cada libro toma mucho tiempo para completarse, pero cuando finalmente terminamos es seguro que va a satisfacer las necesidades de la gente.

La meta de los libros es resolver problemas médicos inmediatos que les permita resolver problemas más grandes, los que causan las enfermedades. Por ejemplo, no solamente hay información sobre giardia intestinal o amebas, también hay información sobre opciones para purificar el agua y mejorar la limpieza, entonces problemas del estómago pueden ser evitados en el futuro. Y porque muchas enfermedades resultan de la pobreza e inequidades sociales, los libros no son tímidos sobre discutir las causas sociales de salud y enfermedades.

Usado frecuentemente para entrenar trabajadores de salud, el libro Aprendiendo a promover la salud fue desarrollado en los campos de refugiados de Guatemala cerca de la frontera de México en los años 1980s. No había infraestructura confiable para salud en los campos, y entrenar la gente para cuidarse ellas mismas y sus vecinos hizo dos cosas, proveyó la necesidad de salud y reforzó la comunidad. Más recientemente, la Guía práctica para promover la salud de las mujeres fue diseñado por un grupo internacional de activistas de salud de mujeres para compartir ideas sobre cómo empezar conversaciones sobre temas controversiales en comunidades diversas como la planificación familiar, el aborto, la violencia contra mujeres, etc.

Un aspecto de los libros que tal vez va a atraer a los miembros de WARP es que las portadas de los libros muchas veces son diseñados sobre tejidos hermosos, tejidos, teñidos, o impresos de varias regiones de Asia, África, y especialmente América Central.

Mientras la tecnología se ha desarrollado, también ha expandido los recursos de Hesperian. Todas nuestras publicaciones son disponibles gratis por internet, y recientemente Hesperian ha producido tres aplicaciones de salud de mujeres que pueden estar descargadas a teléfonos y tabletas y usadas en modo offline. El embarazo y parto seguros – app, Planificación Familiar app (también se llama Anticonceptivos: Métodos y consejería – aplicación móvil), y Aborto Seguro – app están disponibles gratis en inglés y español, y los últimos dos también en francés y varios idiomas africanos.

Pero para mucha gente nada es mejor que un libro impreso, y Hesperian sigue actualizando y manteniendo disponibles todos sus libros. Cuando va a viajar, es fácil empacar su copia en su maleta para su uso personal y dejarlo con sus anfitriones cuando regresa a casa. Las traducciones españolas se usan en las universidades médicas en los Estados Unidos como guía para explicaciones de asuntos de salud en idioma sencillo para médicos y enfermeros quienes trabajan en español como segundo idioma – entonces usted puede usarlos para mejorar sus habilidades de idioma también.

Con la posibilidad de viajar llegando otra vez gracias a las vacunas para COVID-19 para la gente de países desarrollados, todavía podría ser que no puede visitar muchas de las comunidades que quiere por las inequidades de vacunación. Cheque las nueve páginas de información sobre COVID-19, desde Cómo saber si es COVID a Estrés y Salud Mental a Vacunas – todas gratis para descargar en más que 32 idiomas.

Puede chequear todos los títulos de Hesperian y los idiomas en cuáles son disponibles en su website: www.hesperian.org.

Y una nota más: por el mes de mayo de 2021, Hesperian va a dar un descuento de 20% a los miembros de WARP con la compra de cualquiera de sus publicaciones. Sólo necesita ir a su website y usar el código WARP cuando ponga su pedido. ¡Qué regalo! Gracias a Hesperian Guías de Salud.

 

Image Above: Winnie Nelon has a large collection of batik and ikat textiles she has accumulated through her travels in Asia.  She will discuss textiles from Borneo in her presentation in May. 

Prince George Fiber Arts Guild

Prince George, British Columbia, Canada

 

Reading through the website of the PG Fiber Arts Guild is enough to make a fiber artist want to move to Prince George. The range of activities they have had for more than 40 years seems to cover every need anyone might have: classes, exhibits, conferences, newsletters, meetings, movie nights, resource referrals, and equipment buying, selling, and renting, all covering the range from serious to light-hearted. And now, with so many activities on hold, they have filled in the gap with COVID Fibre Projects and Sunday Seminars – which is what this post is about.

When guild member Laura Fry started thinking about services the guild could offer while everyone was staying at home, like the rest of the world her mind started Zooming. The more she thought, the further afield her ideas went, until she finally realized that it did not matter where her speakers were, if they were connecting electronically they could be anywhere! And suddenly the guild speakers were coming from all over the world!

In addition to Canada and the US, the list includes speakers from and/or talking about Peru, Guatemala, the Shetland Islands, Borneo, Sweden, Turkey, and more, as well as both current and historic textiles. Or if you are more attracted by luminaries, the list of those yet-to-come includes: Deb Robson, Winnie Nelon, Stefan Moberg, Janet Dawson, Robyn Spady, Diana Twiss, and Christina Petty. It’s like a walk through a living textile museum. The cost is just Can$15 plus tax for non-members, $10 for members, and videos of the programs may be viewed for 30 days after the program is over. Pretty good deal in these non-traveling times, with even more details than one would usually get from a personal visit.

We who work in developing countries are intensely aware of the difference between weaving production for economic survival vs. the luxury of weaving for fun, learning, exploration, and the heART of it. The two are worlds apart, and equally important. Supporting indigenous textile cultures and production is an active goal of WARP, and learning something about the cultures those art forms grow out of is a useful first step. So go to the Prince George Fiber Arts Guild’s website and check it out. You just might want to join!

 

 

 

The Fleece and Fiber Source Book by Deborah Robson and Carol Ekarius takes a deep look at the various sheep breeds and the quality of fiber they produce.  Deborah will talk about Shetland fibers and the isles for her presentation in April

Image Above: San Carlos Foundation founders and friends at the School of the Americas Watch protests.
From left to right, Father Bill O’Donnell, Dr. Davida Coady, Pete Seeger, Martin Sheen, Father Daniel Berrigan, Father John Dear.

by Deborah Chandler and Todd Jailer

Many WARP members have an idea of what the Peace Corps is about; in fact many WARP members have been Peace Corps Volunteers. At the moment the Peace Corps is on hold, all volunteers having been brought home due to the COVID Pandemic. While all PCVs have a strong desire to serve people internationally, not everyone wants to do their service connected to the US government. So what if you want to do that service but the Peace Corps won’t work for you? Are there alternatives? Yes, there are, and this story about the San Carlos Foundation describes one of them.

In 1984, most international volunteer-sending organizations were not placing people in Central America because of the ongoing wars in the region. To Dr. Davida Coady, who spent much of her career providing care in refugee camps on almost every continent, that made no sense: war zones, refugee camps, urban slums and remote rural villages are often the places where skills, support, and solidarity are needed the most! So together with Fr. Bill O’Donnell, a veteran of United Farm Workers organizing in California, and the actor and activist Martin Sheen, they founded the San Carlos Foundation, based in Berkeley, California. While San Carlos can’t compete with the Peace Corps in numbers of volunteers – they have funded about 150 volunteers in almost 40 years — they are a small organization with a large footprint.

On a trip to Guatemala in the 1980s, Martin Sheen, Fr. Bill O’Donnell, Dr. Davida Coady, and Guatemalan Fr. Andres Girón.

Their idea was to fund work by people that was otherwise “unfundable.” Over the years, volunteers have:

• taught photography to children who live in the Guatemala City dump;
• provided health care in conflict zones;
• documented human rights abuses and trained human rights workers;
• helped cooperatives develop accounting skills;
• trained communicators in journalism and community radio;
• and shared skills from welding to desktop publishing to latrine-building to small hydroelectric generation. (See a short report on the last of those at the end of this story.)

While San Carlos volunteers have helped various artisan groups develop marketing plans, so far they have had no weavers as volunteers!

Their website explains:

We provide health and educational assistance to refugees and other people living in extreme poverty in the developing world, particularly in Central America. We grant minimal living expenses—currently $6,000 a year—to doctors, nurses, lawyers, engineers, teachers and other professionals who volunteer their time, live in primitive conditions and train local people to continue their work when they leave.

Although San Carlos asks for a one-year minimum commitment, many volunteers stay much longer. Local language skills and previous third world experience are prerequisites, as are skills useful to the population with whom the volunteer intends to work. Unlike the Peace Corps, volunteers do not go in blind to a situation arranged for them; instead, volunteers need to know where they are going and why, and have a pre-arranged agreement.

Over the past few years the number of young people who have studied international development work at the university level and are now embarking on careers in the field has grown tremendously. It is very exciting, as it brings a whole new energy and mind-set to the work. No longer dedicated to one project for life, these young activists are dedicated to the concepts of fair trade, justice, supporting local efforts, and so much more, and finding myriad ways to go about it. Many WARP members are involved in such endeavors, and for those who are interested in working in the field and gaining valuable experience as well as providing real help, the San Carlos Foundation might be able to help them reach that goal. At the same time, for those who are passionate about the idea and the need but cannot go into the field themselves, supporting this foundation is an option. Well worth knowing about, their methods and goals are totally in alignment with WARP’s mission and goals.

You can find out more or contribute to the San Carlos Foundation on their website: www.sancarlosfoundation.org or by writing to Todd Jailer, President and himself a former volunteer: sancarlosfoundation18@gmail.com.

 

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How to organize and install a micro-hydroelectric plant

from a report to the San Carlos Foundation from Rebecca Leaf and ATDER-BL
(Asociación de Trabajadores de Desarrollo Rural – Benjamín Linder)

These projects start with a rural community like this one, Valle Los Condegas:

After checking out a nearby stream, the first step is a series of community meetings to discuss the possible construction of a micro-hydroelectric system and to form the community committee for this project.

The second step is the preparation of the design and budget for the project (ATDER-BL does this work usually on a volunteer basis). Then the search for financing for construction begins. When funding is secured, so does the physical labor. Here a village volunteer work brigade starts building the water intake:

The water intake is a very small dam that diverts some water from the stream into a plastic pipe.

Then pipe is installed from the dam to the powerhouse. The powerhouse is the small red building (see photo on other side) that protects the turbine and generator. Next to the powerhouse, the first post of the electric grid is installed. Depending on the distance to be covered by the electric grid, a transformer may be needed on the first post.

We build these small water turbines at our metalworking shop in the town of El Cua. Bringing the turbine into the powerhouse is difficult, but anything is possible if you have enough people working together.

Then we connect the turbine to the water pipe that brings the water down from the dam. The pulleys and belts that transfer the water’s energy from the turbine to the small electric generator are installed. Then we put up the posts and string the cables of the electric grid.

Finally, we test the lights in the houses, school, hook up the refrigerators, public telephones, etc. With electricity, the community feels different both by day and by night. The people gather to celebrate with prayers and blessings, speeches and poems. The inauguration lasts all afternoon with music, dancing, lots of food, and piñatas for the children.

This small rural electrification project benefits 100 families.

It is difficult to express the depth of the gratitude I feel towards the San Carlos Foundation for the support you have provided me during the years of war, and continued during the years of peace. Without your support, none of this work would have been possible.

NOTA: puede ver la historia en español abajo del inglés.

by Vanina Bujalter

As throughout the world, also in Argentina, the impact of the pandemic produced by COVID-19 and the measures taken in the context of the health emergency produced an abrupt interruption of fair events and permanent handicraft fairs, suspension of the services of shipping and logistics, and almost total paralysis of tourism, which put the subsistence of the artisan sector at risk. Taking into account this problem, finally in October 2020 the Ministry of Culture in Argentina announced an economic aid program for artisans from all over the country entitled MANTA, defining this word as “fabric that is used as a personal covering, and that is also used as a basis to show artisan production”.

According to the basis and conditions of the Call, the money is to be directed to the development of the country’s artisans, with the purpose of investing in production and promoting improvement in all aspects that increase the possibilities of the activity in a sustainable way.

Definitions of Craft and Craftsman/woman were established in order to specify to whom the Call was directed:

“CRAFTS are understood as those produced by artisans, either entirely by hand, or with the help of hand tools or mechanical means, provided that the direct manual contribution of the artisan remains the most important component of the finished product. For its production raw materials are used in their natural or processed state. The special nature of crafts is based on their distinctive characteristics, which can be utilitarian, aesthetic, artistic, creative, culturally linked, decorative, functional, traditional, and/or symbolic and meaningful religiously and socially. ”

“CRAFTSMAN/WOMAN is any person who exercises their trade expressing their creativity through artisan production, representing a way of life and work.”

Based on these definitions, the artisans were able to apply online for this monetary incentive by completing a form that requested information regarding the activity carried out by the artisan and personal data.

Among the fields to complete were:

– Location

– Access to electronic connectivity

– Production history

– Marketing data

– Information on Indigenous Community, if applicable

– Data on the Intangible Cultural Heritage, if applicable

– Information on sustainability of the craft activity and years of experience

The applications were evaluated according to the following selection criteria:

• Importance of handicrafts as a generator of the main income of the family economy, i.e. if the creation, production and marketing of handicrafts is a regular activity that decisively supports the family economy.
• Federal impact according to the artisan population by districts: selection proportional to a federal distribution of resources considering the artisan population in each district
• Trajectory of artisans: the presence of the craft in their biography and their main milestones.

In December 2020, 1,600 beneficiaries were announced, of which about 700 will receive an amount in Argentine pesos equivalent to about US $630. The other 900 will receive half of that amount. In January 2021, artisans from the interior of the country and the Capital began to receive this help.

In accordance with the rules, in addition to the money, the authorities offered the selected artisans the opportunity to submit a proposal for a virtual training based on their knowledge.

In return for the grant received, the beneficiaries will be asked to add to their own publications on social media and other means of promoting their work logos provided by the Ministry and stories/publicity indicating that the support has been received. Finally, applicants are requested to permit the Ministry of Culture to use some images in eventual communication materials with the sole purpose of promoting the Ministry of Culture of the Argentine Nation, i.e. they will not use them for other purposes.

It is expected that this is only the beginning of a series of future aid to be given to more artisans. The artisan sector in Argentina is very broad, rich in crafts, traditions, and quality, which makes it one of the most important and representative cultural expressions of the country.

Here are some related links:

https://www.cultura.gob.ar/media/uploads/manta_pasoapaso.pdf – How to apply

https://www.cultura.gob.ar/manta-1600-artesanos-y-artesanas-de-todo-el-pais-beneficiados-en-la-pr-9926/ – Announcement of the winners and some details of the award

https://www.facebook.com/MATRIACulturaNacion/videos/225867389083623 – a thank you from one of the winners, a woman natural dyer

https://www.facebook.com/MATRIACulturaNacion/videos/440001500742317 – a thank you from another winner, a man who makes equipment for horses

VANINA BUJALTER of Buenos Aires has a degree in Psychology, but she found her true calling and has been dedicated to Textile Arts and Crafts for more than 30 years. Initially learning from her mother, the textile artist Mimí Bujalter, she has studied, taught, and exhibited throughout Argentina and internationally. Her work has won many awards, and can be seen in both public and private collections in numerous countries.

 

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Artesanes* en Argentina en Tiempos de Pandemia

de Vanina Bujalter

*Nota: el gobierno de Argentina está usando lenguaje inclusivo, entonces artesanes son de cualquier género.

Como en todo el mundo, también en Argentina, el impacto de la pandemia producida por el COVID-19 y las medidas tomadas en el contexto de la emergencia sanitaria produjeron una interrupción abrupta de eventos feriales y ferias permanentes de artesanías, suspensión de los servicios de envío y logística, y paralización casi total del turismo, lo cual puso en riesgo la subsistencia del ámbito artesanal.

Teniendo en cuenta esta problemática, finalmente en Octubre 2020 el Ministerio de Cultura en Argentina anunció un programa de ayuda económica para artesanes de todo el país titulado MANTA, definiendo esta palabra como “tejido que se usa como abrigo, y que también es utilizado como base para mostrar la producción artesanal”.

De acuerdo a las bases y condiciones de la Convocatoria, el dinero se destina al desarrollo artesanal de los artesanos, artesanas, y artesanes del país, con el propósito de invertir en la producción y promover la mejora en todos aquellos aspectos que incrementen las posibilidades de la actividad de manera sustentable.

Se estableció una definición de Artesanía, y de Artesano/a/e, a efectos de especificar a quienes estaba dirigida la Convocatoria:

“Se entiende por ARTESANÍAS a las producidas por los/as artesanos/as/es, ya sea totalmente a mano, o con la ayuda de herramientas manuales o medios mecánicos, siempre que la contribución manual directa del artesano/a/e siga siendo el componente más importante del producto acabado. Para su producción se emplean materias primas en su estado natural o procesado. La naturaleza especial de las artesanías se basa en sus características distintivas, que pueden ser utilitarias, estéticas, artísticas, creativas, vinculadas a la cultura, decorativas, funcionales, tradicionales, simbólicas y significativas religiosa y socialmente.”

“ARTESANO o ARTESANA es toda persona que ejerce su oficio expresando su creatividad a través de la producción artesanal, representando una forma de vida y de trabajo.”

Sobre la base de estas definiciones, los artesanes pudieron aplicar vía on-line a este incentivo monetario completando un formulario que solicitó información respecto de la actividad desarrollada por el artesane y datos personales.

Entre los campos a completar figuraron:

– Datos de localización

– Datos de conectividad electrónica

– Datos de producción

– Datos de comercialización

– Datos de pueblo originario, en caso de que corresponda

– Datos del Patrimonio Cultural Inmaterial, en caso de que corresponda

– Información sobre sostenibilidad de la actividad artesanal y años trayectoria

Las postulaciones fueron evaluadas de acuerdo a los siguientes criterios de selección:

• Importancia de la artesanía como generador del ingreso principal de la economía familiar: si la creación, producción y comercialización de artesanías es una actividad regular que solventa de manera contundente la economía familiar.
• Impacto federal de acuerdo a la población artesana por distritos: selección proporcional a una distribución federal de los recursos considerando la cantidad de población artesana en cada distrito
• Trayectoria de los artesanos/as/es: la incidencia del oficio de los artesanos/as/es en su biografía y sus principales hitos.

En Diciembre 2020 se dieron a conocer 1.600 beneficiarios, de ellos unos 700 recibirán un monto en pesos argentinos equivalente a unos US$630, los otros 900 la mitad de esa cifra. En Enero 2021, ya comenzaron a percibir la ayuda artesanes del interior del país y de la Capital.

De acuerdo a las bases,  a modo de contraprestación, las autoridades solicitarán a los artesanos, artesanas, y artesanes seleccionados someter una propuesta de capacitación virtual en base a sus saberes.

También se pedirá a los beneficiarios que agreguen a sus publicaciones en redes sociales y otros medios de promoción de su trabajo, logotipos provistos por el Ministerio y leyendas indicando que se ha obtenido el apoyo. Finalmente se solicita que los postulantes cedan sus derechos de imagen al Ministerio de Cultura para ser utilizada y difundida exclusivamente en eventuales materiales de comunicación con el único fin de la promoción y difusión del Ministerio de Cultura de la Nación Argentina.

Se espera que este sea sólo el comienzo de una serie de futuras ayudas a más cantidad de artesanes, ya que el sector artesanal en Argentina es muy amplio, rico en oficios, tradiciones y calidad; lo que hace de sus artesanías una de las expresiones culturales más importantes y representativas del país.

Aquí algunos links relacionados:

https://www.cultura.gob.ar/media/uploads/manta_pasoapaso.pdf

https://www.cultura.gob.ar/manta-1600-artesanos-y-artesanas-de-todo-el-pais-beneficiados-en-la-pr-9926/

https://www.facebook.com/MATRIACulturaNacion/videos/225867389083623

https://www.facebook.com/MATRIACulturaNacion/videos/440001500742317

 

VANINA BUJALTER de Buenos Aires es Licenciada en Psicología, pero halló su vocación de verdad y se ha dedicado al Arte y Artesanía Textil por más de 30 años. Iniciándose en el taller de su madre la artista textil Mimí Bujalter, desde 1982 ha estudiado, dictado clases y seminarios, y participado en exhibiciones y concursos en Buenos Aires, en el interior del país y en el exterior. Sus piezas integran colecciones públicas y privadas en Argentina y el exterior.

NOTA: puede ver la historia en español abajo del inglés.

by Yasmine Dabbous

 

WARP members work in cities and villages all over the world, and it is safe to say that the work is always challenging. WARP offers a community of peers, others experiencing the frustrations and joys of community development work, of helping provide opportunities for people to improve their own lives. This is just one story, more harrowing than most but also revealing the rewards, the “Why do it?” Good job, Yasmine, and thanks. And for all readers, please remember that Giving Tuesday is December 1, and WARP would welcome your support so it can continue to support members like Yasmine.

 

“Your heart saved our lives,” my student, Bettina, told me.

And she’s quite right. On the fatal evening of August 4, 2020, I was supposed to hold a weaving class at my studio, four blocks away from Beirut’s seaport. I cancelled the session a few hours earlier because I suffered an arrhythmia attack.

At 6:08 p.m. Beirut time, a massive explosion rocked the Lebanese capital, creating scenes of horror and havoc. According to the BBC, the blast was “one of the biggest non-nuclear explosions in history.” In a split second, 190 died, over 6,000 were severely injured, and more than 300,000 lost their homes.

Since then, a cloud of sadness has hovered above Beirut. Most of the city–away from the explosion’s epicenter–-is already rebuilt, but our sense of normalcy is gone, and so are our joys and our dreams. It did not help, of course, that the blast came amid the coronavirus outbreak and a severe economic meltdown, akin to 1929 US.

But four weeks later, we were already back to our weaving class (took a lot of energy, but we did it!). Two students dropped because they lost their homes, and had to focus on rebuilding, and two stayed. Invariably, their projects addressed the explosion. Rajaa expressed her anger, her fear, and the lingering, violent reflection of shattered glass.

Bettina, on the other hand, went for an out-of-the-box brooch that expressed her gratitude for all the love and support she felt after the explosion.

In the embroidery course, Hoda said that she wanted “to embroider in order to forget.” She said she needed to “escape Beirut.” By the end of the first session after the blast, the tense, agitated woman was calmly smiling. “I love this,” she said. “I cannot get enough of it. It feels like I traveled to a different world.”

I do understand Hoda. After the explosion, I remained in a state of hypervigilance and disarray for weeks. Any loud noise sent me below the table or behind the door. The sight of glass made me nauseous. But, when I embroidered, I was in my own zone, tucked behind the tactility of my fabric. I created colorful things, which made me feel that the world was still beautiful. And I thought of many projects to express my hopes and my sorrows through fiber art.

Stitching, at once easy and fulfilling, also provided us with a sense of resilient normalcy. Maha, my embroidery student, was sitting at home on her favorite couch when the blast occurred. She sustained severe injuries in her legs and her eyes. A few days later, she left the country but made sure to stop by her broken apartment and take her embroidery kit with her. Forty days and several visits to the ophthalmologist later, she sent me a WhatsApp message of her work: “I’m back,” she wrote with a sense of determination. “I’m still damaged, but I am lucky to be alive. And I have to finish my piece.”

For more information about the Beirut blast: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-53668493

For more information about my studio: www.espacefann.com

 

Yasmine Dabbous, PhD, is a visual culture artist and researcher. Formerly an assistant professor of journalism and cultural studies at the Lebanese American University, Dabbous left her position to pursue a degree in jewelry and textile design at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. She is the founder of Kinship Stories, a line of tribal art jewelry displayed at galleries and selective boutiques in new Beirut, New York City, and Washington, DC.

 

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Historias del Campo

de Yasmine Dabbous

Los miembros de WARP trabajan en ciudades y aldeas en todo el mundo, y se puede decir con certeza que el trabajo siempre es un desafío. WARP ofrece una comunidad de gente igual, otras viviendo las frustraciones y alegrías del trabajo de desarrollo, comunitario o personal, ayudando proveer oportunidades con que la gente puede mejorar sus propias vidas. Abajo es una sola historia, tal vez con más intensidad y temor que la mayoría, pero también muestra las recompensas, la razón de “¿Por qué lo hace?” Bien hecho, Yasmine, y gracias. Y para todos los lectores, por favor recuerden que El Martes de Dar viene pronto, 1 de diciembre, y WARP le da una bienvenida a su apoyo con el fin de apoyar miembros como Yasmine.

 

“Su corazón salvo nuestras vidas,” me dijo mi estudiante Bettina.

Y es correcta. La noche fatal de 4 de agosto, 2020, iba tener una clase de tejer en mi estudio, a cuatro cuadras del puerto de Beirut. Cancelé la clase unas pocas horas antes porque sufrí un ataque de arritmia.

A las 6:08 pm en Beirut, una explosión masiva sacudió la capital de Líbano, creando escenarios de horror y caos. La BBC dice que la sacudida era “una de la más grande no-nuclear explosiones en la historia.” En un segundo 190 se murieron, más que 6,000 estuvieron heridos severamente, y más que 300,000 perdieron sus hogares.

Desde entonces, una nube de tristeza ha colgado sobre Beirut. La mayoría de la ciudad – lejos del epicentro de la explosión – ya está reconstruida, pero nuestro sentido de normalidad se fue, y también nuestras alegrías y sueños. No ayudó, por supuesto, que la sacudida pasó en el medio del Coronavirus y un desastre económico como el de EEUU en 1929.

Pero cuatro semanas después, estamos en clase otra vez. Tomó bastante energía, pero ¡lo hicimos! Dos estudiantes dejaron el curso porque perdieron sus hogares y necesitan enfocarse en reconstruir, y dos siguieron. Invariablemente sus proyectos enfrentan la explosión. Rajaa expresó su enojo, su miedo, y la reflexión larga y violenta de vidrio hecho pedazos.

Por otro lado, Bettina creó un broche afuera-de-la-caja el cual expresa su gratitud por todo el amor y apoyo que sintió después la explosión.

En el curso de bordado, Hoda dijo que ella quiso “bordar para olvidar”. Ella dijo necesitó “escapar Beirut”. Al fin de la primer sesión después de la sacudida, esta mujer tensa y agitada estuvo sonriendo con calma. “Me encanta esta,” dijo. No puedo hacer suficiente de esto. Se siente como si viajó a un mundo diferente.

Yo entiendo Hoda. Después de la explosión, quedé en un estado de híper-vigilancia y desorden por semanas. Cualquier sonido fuerte me envió debajo de la mesa o atrás de la puerta. Sólo para ver vidrio me dio nausea. Pero cuando bordé estuve en mi propia zona, escondida atrás del toque de mi tela. Creé cosas muy coloridas, lo que me hizo sentir que el mundo todavía es hermoso. Y pensé de muchos proyectos para expresar mis esperanzas y tristezas a través del arte textil.

Hacer puntos, lo que es fácil y enriquecedor al mismo tiempo, también nos proporcionó un sentido de normalidad elástica. Maha, mi estudiante de bordado, estuvo en su casa sentada en su sofá favorito cuando la sacudida ocurrió. Recibió heridas severas en sus piernas y sus ojos. Unos pocos días después salió del país, pero primero pasó a su apartamento roto para recoger su kit de bordado y llevarlo con ella. Cuarenta días y varias visitas al oftalmólogo después me mandó un mensaje en WhatsApp de su trabajo. “Ya regresé,” escribió con determinación. “Todavía estoy dañada, pero tengo suerte de estar viva. Y tengo que terminar mi pieza.”

Para más información del sacudido de Beirut: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-53668493

Para más información de mi taller: www.espacefann.com

 

Dr. Yasmine Dabbous es una artista e investigadora de cultura visual. Previamente una asistente profesora de periodismo y estudios culturales de la Universidad Líbano-Americano, Dabbous dejó su posición para estudiar joyería y diseño textil en el Instituto de Moda de Tecnología (FIT) en Nueva York. Fundó Kinship Stories (Historias de Parentesco), una línea de joyería de arte tribal mostrado en galerías y boutiques selectivas en Beirut, Nueva York, y Washington, DC.

By Deborah Chandler

NOTA: puede ver la historia en español abajo del inglés.

For WARP the conversion from face-to-face to online connection is nearly complete. Painfully but realistically, the board has made the decision to again cancel the Annual Meeting that was scheduled for Bozeman next summer, opting to have an online meeting/conference instead. One advantage is that members who live around the globe can now more easily attend, good for WARP and good for them.

The board is made up of seven people who live all over the US. They now meet monthly by Zoom, and sub-groups meet even more often. This is a huge improvement over the days of individual letters and/or phone calls and one face-to-face meeting a year. Everyone is both more informed and more able to contribute. For the membership as a whole, great activities have already taken place and more are scheduled.

May

The Welcoming Circle that historically has begun each annual meeting moved to Zoom. Every member of WARP was invited, and more than 60 people spent a couple of minutes each introducing themselves and their connections to WARP. Old friends, new friends, a good chance to see and hear who is most like-minded and someone to seek out.

June

132 people answered the member survey that included our legally-required approval of last year’s meeting minutes and a vote on new board members. There were also questions about what people want from WARP so the board can take all wishes under advisement.

August

Last year, with initial support from WARP, Deb Brandon and Schiffer Books published Deb’s spectacular book Threads Around the World from Arabian Weaving to Batik in Zimbabwe. An outgrowth of the column Deb wrote for the WARP newsletter for many years, this is a good read for anyone who uses cloth in their lives – which means everyone. Deb loves doing book presentations and signings, but such luxuries are not options this year, so the board did the next best thing – a Zoom presentation during which 60 people got to ask questions and tell Deb how much they enjoyed the book. You can still buy copies from WARP. (Many WARP members have written books, and it is easy to imagine more presentations like this one taking place in the future. Watch the next newsletter for book reviews and let the board know which authors you would like to Zoom along with.)

September

The annual auction also moved online, and that allowed us to open it up to not only all WARP members but the whole online world as well. By the end over 100 people bid on 68 items, bringing just over $6,000 into WARP’s coffers for general expenses, scholarships, and assistantships. That is by far the most we have ever gained from the auction, so a big thank you to everyone who donated auction items – and bought them!

November

We are excited to announce the next Zoom event, Peru: Continuing Textile Tradition, a panel discussion including three WARP members with long experience of working with textile groups in Peru. Hedy Hollyfield of Anyi will be presenting her experiences of marketing tapestries from the Ayacucho region. Catherine Joslyn traveled to Peru as an academic and developed a continuing relationship with Nilda Callañaupa Alvarez and the Center for Traditional Textiles of Cusco. Gloria Miller has represented her order the Sisters of Mercy in their work with knitters of finger puppets from the Lake Titicaca region. The panel will be moderated by WARP member Judi Jetson, who has significant experience in promoting crafts, particularly textiles. There will be ample opportunity for questions from those attending the panel. This free event will take place on Saturday November 21^st from 1:00-2:00, EST, and everyone (WARP members and non-members, too) is welcome to attend. Please register at: https://weavearealpeace.wildapricot.org/events/

December

The next planned fundraiser event is Giving Tuesday, an international day for on- and off-line giving to NGOs (non-governmental organizations) everywhere. Given the new world we live in, the board is thinking about ways to provide a platform for members to help each other even more, the original intention of WARP. One focus would be giving groups from every continent the opportunity to present their stories to the membership. Another would be to provide useful information and contacts for members whose groups need a specific kind of help. If you have ideas, or needs, please contact any board member, as this is still in the planning stages. And everyone else, get ready! Giving Tuesday is December 1.

 

Thanks

Most of us would agree that meeting face-to-face is more fun and satisfying than watching each other in small squares on a computer screen. But since that is not an option at present, I want to congratulate – and thank – the board for rising to the occasion and making WARP even more accessible than it was. Now their task is to determine how to meet the networking needs of the membership, decide what kinds of programs to have online. For that your ideas are needed. What would you enjoy or benefit from that can be done online? Please, do tell.

 

WARP Board

President – Susan Weltman – sweltwoman@gmail.com

Vice President – Kate Colwell – kcolwell53@gmail.com

Secretary – Sara Lamb – lambspin@gmail.com

Treasurer – Mary Joan Ferrara-Marsland – maryjferrara@gmail.com

At large members – Maren Beck – maren@hilltribeart.com

Philis Alvic – philisalvic@philisalvic.info

Sara Borchert – sara@camphillhudson.org

Administrative Coordinator Extraordinaire – Kelsey Wiskirchen – info@weavearealpeace.org

Newsletter Editor and Sage – Linda Temple – lgtempleok@gmail.com

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WARP en la Época de Zoom

de Deborah Chandler

Para WARP la conversión de reuniones en vivo a conexiones en-línea está casi completa. Es triste pero práctico que la junta otra vez ha decidido convertir la Reunión Anual que iba estar en Bozeman, Montana en el verano entrante a Zoom en vez de ser en vivo. Una ventaja es que los miembros quienes viven alrededor el planeta ahora pueden asistir más fácilmente, lo que es bueno para ellos y bueno para WARP.

La junta tiene siete personas quienes viven en todos lados del EEUU. Ahora ellos se reúnen cada mes por Zoom, y los sub-grupos tienen reuniones más frecuentemente. Esto es bastante mejor que antes, cuando hubieran cartas y llamadas individuales y una reunión juntos en vivo una sola vez cada año. Todas están mejor informadas y pueden contribuir mejor. Para la membresía en general, hemos tenido actividades diversas, y más están planificadas.

Mayo

El Circulo de Bienvenida, que históricamente abrió cada Reunión Anual, se trasladó a Zoom. Todos los miembros de WARP eran invitados, y más de 60 personas dieron unos pocos minutos para auto-presentarse y sus conexiones a WARP. Eran amigos viejos, amigos nuevos, y una oportunidad buena para ver y oír quien tiene una historia o intereses similares.

Junio

132 personas contestaron una encuesta que incluyó los elementos legales anuales como aceptar los Actos de la Reunión Anual del año pasado y votar para las miembros nuevas de la junta. La encuesta también tenía preguntas sobre lo que quiere la gente de WARP así la junta sabe los deseos y necesidades de la membresía.

Agosto

El año pasado, con apoyo inicial de WARP, Deb Brandon y Schiffer Books publicaron el libro espectacular de Deb, Hilos del Mundo, De Los Tejidos de Arabia a La Batik de Zimbabue. Una expansión de la columna que escribió Deb para el boletín de WARP por muchos años, este libro es una buena lectura para cualquier persona que usa tela – lo que es todas. A Deb le encanta hacer presentaciones y firmar libros, pero no es una opción este año, entonces la junta hizo la mejor alternativa – una presentación por Zoom en la que 60 personas tenían la oportunidad de escuchar, preguntar, y celebrar el libro. Todavía puede comprarlo de WARP. (Varios miembros de WARP han escrito libros, y es fácil imaginar que vamos a tener más presentaciones similares en el futuro. Mire el próximo boletín para más información de libros y diga a la junta qué autores quiere conocer por Zoom.)

Septiembre

La Subasta Anual también se realizó en-línea, lo que nos permitió abrirla a no solamente miembros de WARP pero a todo el mundo electrónico. En fin más de 100 personas hicieron ofertas en 68 objetos, ganando poco más de $6,000 para becas y gastos generales. Es lo más que hemos ganado, entonces mil gracias a todos quienes donaron algo para la subasta – y ¡a quienes los compraron también!

Diciembre

El próximo evento es Martes de Dar, un día internacional para hacer donaciones a ONGs (organizaciones no-gubernamentales) en todo el mundo. Considerando en el mundo donde vivimos hoy, la junta está pensando en plataformas con las que los miembros pueden ayudar entre ellos más, la intención original de WARP. Una posibilidad es dar a los grupos de cada continente la oportunidad de presentar sus historias a la membresía. Otro sería proveer información útil y contactos para miembros que trabajan con grupos que necesitan un tipo de ayuda particular. Si usted tiene ideas, o necesidades, por favor contacte a cualquier miembro de la junta, porque todo esto está en etapa de planificación. Y a todos – ¡prepárense! El Martes de Dar es el 1 de diciembre.

Gracias

La mayoría de nosotros está de acuerdo que las reuniones en vivo son más divertidas, más interesantes, y nos dan más satisfacción que vernos en cuadros pequeños en una pantalla. Pero como esa no es una opción ahora, quiero felicitar – y dar gracias – a la junta por adaptarse a la situación por hacer WARP aún más accesible de lo que era. Ahora su tarea es determinar cómo enfrentar y lograr las necesidades de comunicación en red de la membresía, decidir cuál tipo de programas producir en línea. Entonces necesitan las ideas de ustedes. ¿Qué disfrutaría o de qué se beneficiaría de lo que puede hacer en línea? Por favor, nos cuenta.

WARP Board

President – Susan Weltman – sweltwoman@gmail.com

Vice President – Kate Colwell – kcolwell53@gmail.com

Secretary – Sara Lamb – lambspin@gmail.com

Treasurer – Mary Joan Ferrara-Marsland – maryjferrara@gmail.com

At large members – Philis Alvic – philisalvic@philisalvic.info

Maren Beck – maren@hilltribeart.com

Sara Borchert – sara@camphillhudson.org

Administrative Coordinator Extraordinaire – Kelsey Wiskirchen – info@weavearealpeace.org

Newsletter Editor and Sage – Linda Temple – lgtempleok@gmail.com