Technology and me...and SPREAD in Santa Fe!

I learned somthing today: for anyone to actually post a comment to this blog, the comment has to be approved by the website manager.  Who knew!  Obviously not me.

For all of you who have posted, I am SO sorry not to have been in touch (except the UGG shoe promotion people. You can go bother someone else's blog for all I care). 

We've posted all the old comments that we can, and will be keeping up with it from here on out.  

And then, there's SPREAD--a fundraising-palooza, all wonderful artistic show, and not a small amount of pressure for the arts groups selected to present their project.  How does it work?  This Friday, 7pm at the Santa Fe Farmers Market.  Dinner for 350.  Cash tickets. 8 artists or groups present, and then a vote.  Winner gets the piggy bank!

Here's the information:

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26 /  SITE MEMBER PRE-SALE ONLY!STARTING AT 6:00 PM:  LIMITED TICKETS WILL BE RELEASED FOR SALE AT SITE FOR CURRENT SITE MEMBERS ONLY (Two tickets per Member Household in line, please)

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27 /

IN ALBUQUERQUE @ Acequia Booksellers, 4019 4th St. NW Albuquerque / STARTING AT 5:00 PM: 50 TICKETS WILL BE RELEASED FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC (Two tickets per person in line, please)

IN SANTA FE @ SITE Santa Fe, 1606 Paseo de Peralta  / STARTING AT 6:00 PM: TICKETS WILL BE RELEASED FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC (Two tickets per person in line, please)

/ NO TICKETS WILL BE SOLD THE NIGHT OF SPREAD! /

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR FRIENDS AT ACEQUIA BOOKSELLERS FOR HELPING MAKE SPREAD TICKETS AVAILABLE IN ALBUQUERQUE! www.acequiabooksellers.com

SPOOKY SPREAD AFTER-PARTY!

The Spread Host Committee invites SPREAD revelers to a post-party at The Ore House at Milagro (139 West San Francisco Street) beginning at 9:30 pm, complete with a Costume Contest and prizes. $5 suggested donation at the door goes to support the next SPREAD.

Come support One Million Bones, if you can, BUT YOU MUST GET TICKETS AHEAD OF TIME!

We'll let you know how it goes...

One Million Bones and Students Rebuild

Hello!

We're SO excited about our partnership with Students Rebuild and CARE and we hope you'll be too.  Take a minute and check out these amazing organizations and then please, go to facebook and like Students Rebuild, and like CARE.  Oh, and if you haven't already, while you're on Facebook, like One Million Bones, too. We have 3,267 likes and we want you to help us get to 3,500.  LIKE US!

And, if you're a student or an educator and you want to participate in One Million Bones PLEASE do it through the Students Rebuild challenge.  It's an amazing opportunity for students to participate in an educational program AND generate support for children on the ground in Somalia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.  You can read all about it at Students Rebuild, Take the Challenge, A Path Forward.

Finally, help us spread the word about this amazing partnership that educates youth around the globe, connects them to children struggling in Somalia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, provides direct aid for those struggling kids, and helps One Million Bones get that much closer to our visible petition of 1,000,000 bones on the National Mall. This is a release with info you can use or share to help us get the word out.

We are moving forward, making a difference, changing the world bit by bit.  We couldn't do it without YOU!

An on-the-ground look at Congo

OMB's researcher Kim Woods found the video series we're posting today.  This is her introduction:

"Dear friends and supporters,

Today, I focus on a view short clips of the Democratic Republic of Congo. VICE is an independent journalism organization. They developed a collection of five videos addressing the conflict in Congo in a very personal light. Especially important in these films are conflict minerals, sexual assault and the Rwandan Hutu rebels as well as the Lord’s Resistance Army.

For individuals who desire a greater understanding of these horrific events, VICE is great in pushing fact based stories versus opinion based. The videos are incredible!"

And they are indeed, but I have to warn you that there are some scenes that are VERY DIFFICULT, especially in video 4. Please be aware and watch accordingly.

http://www.vice.com/vice-news/the-vice-guide-to-congo-1

http://www.vice.com/vice-news/the-vice-guide-to-congo-2

http://www.vice.com/vice-news/the-vice-guide-to-congo-3

http://www.vice.com/vice-news/the-vice-guide-to-congo-4

http://www.vice.com/vice-news/the-vice-guide-to-congo-5

Guest Blog

One Million Bones has five terrific interns working with us: Santana, Squirral, Risa, Miranda and Brendan.  They come to us from Amy Biehl High School and each brings unique and wonderful talents to the work.

Today, we're featuring a blog written by Brendan which he wrote in response to the question,  "why do you think the work of One Million Bones is important?"

We'll be sharing more insights from our interns over the next few months.

"Why Spread Awareness of Genocide?

by Brendan Donohoe

There exist a great many debates around the world.  However, while such trivial topics as political slander are strained to their breaking point, one issue remains virtually untouched by the western world.  Even more remarkably, this issue is one that ravages countless individuals and societies each day, and one that shows no signs of yielding its march of destruction.  This monster is known as genocide.  Webster's Dictionary defines genocide as "the deliberate and systematic extermination of a national, racial, political, or cultural group".  To eastern societies such as the Republic of Congo, this definition is common knowledge as humans, particularly those who continue to actively experience the pain of losing their friends, their parents, their siblings, and their children to those who deem themselves "superior", and use this broken reasoning to justify their massacre of the group referred to as "inferior".  Indeed, genocide is a manmade tool of destruction, used by humans to decimate once-proud societies.

Yet, surprisingly, not many are aware of the pain, destruction, sorrow, and death that genocide brings to a population.  If one is blind to an issue, how can it be fought, let alone stopped?  Interestingly, a large portion of the United States, though quick to commit itself to its own priorities and concerns, seems to remain oblivious to the agony around them.  If this pattern continues, countries such as the Republic of Congo will not sustain themselves much longer, for a blind world's wounds never heal, but, without treatment, worsen.  

This is why I believe that action must be taken now.  Each second we delay ourselves, another dies.  As humans, I believe that we must come to the aid of our brothers and sisters braving these difficult times, who, each waking day, attempt to fend not only for themselves, but those they love.  But, in spite of this effort on their behalf, some 5.4 million people have been killed since the first outbreak of fighting in Congo (and, also notably, 47% of these deaths were those of children), a fact which has led this event to be referred to as the world's deadliest conflict since World War II.  And, at a steady rate of 45,000 deaths per month, it shows no signs of ceasing.  This is why I believe awareness of these events must be spread, so that, not just as a country, but as humanity, we can recognize this problem, and thus, begin our work to end the destruction of so many lives."

See you all here, on Friday.

What's ahead for One Million Bones

Hello to you all,

We've been blogless for a while, but hope to be getting back into the swing.  Today, I have exciting news, exciting news, more exciting news and some sad news.

Exciting first!  

One Million Bones is going to be working with a really remarkable organization called Students Rebuild over the course of the next school year on an education and action project for students. "Students Rebuild mobilizes young people to connect, learn and take action on critical global issues. Current efforts are underway to support reconstruction in Japan through Paper Cranes for Japan and rebuilding schools in Haiti through the Haiti challenge."  

OMB is going to be part of a brand new challenge that will launch just a bit later in October. I wish I could give you the details now, cause it's amazing, but you can check back here, or sign up at the Students Rebuild site for email updates that will give you clues to the location and the challenge itself.

We are so proud to be part of this project!

More exciting news:

One Million Bones has been selected to be part of SPREAD Santa Fe

We'll have more information for you about that next week as well.

The exciting news just keeps on coming:

We're going to have guest bloggers. This Wednesday you can check out the first blog from one of our superstar Amy Biehl High School interns, Brendan.  

Yep, there's more exciting news: 

Have we told you about the Road to Washington Campaign? Well, on April 28, 2012, we're planning simultaneous 2,500 bones installations in all 50 state capitals. We have confirmed groups in Florida, Tennessee, Illinois and here at home in New Mexico -- WhooHoo.  Are you interested in helping?  Let Kathleen know at kathleen@onemillionbones.org

And the sad news is that Isa Beaulieu, our community liaison is leaving us.  She'll be headed east to spend some time with family and then will be off on the next adventure of her life.  We are all going to miss her!

So there you have it -- the update of all updates.  Check back on Wednesday for Brendan's blog and more updates on SPREAD and Students Rebuild.

Oh, and feel free to leve a comment to let us know what's going on with you!