Re:RHIZOME_RAW:Remember Crimes

Dec. 10, 2002

Type: discussion

Hi Wally,

> Is there a single artist on this planet that has ever made a piece
>as poignant about the genocide that Russia is meteing out to Chechnya.

check out
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=Chechnya.protest+art

>It would seem to me that that is far worse than anything the USA is
currently
>up to. Why ignore the worst violence in the current world? Why does the

>artistic community turn its face away from this grossly lethal
atrocity?
>Hmmm?

You are addressing this question to a tiny sector of the 'artistic
community'.
Assuming that such work would be documented on the Internet etc. Have
you
thought about that?

Perhaps the reason why us English speakers and other people from
countries in
political alliance with the US, feel that it is more appropriate to
critique and
protest U.S. State violence against civilian populations, historic and
current,
is due to a sense of responsibility. In the same way that human beings
often
feel more of a sense of responsibility and even culpability for the
actions of
their family members and friends. Much more so than with further flung
'tribes'.
There is a long cultural and historical connection between Europe and
the US, an
exchange of elements of culture and social sensibility.

One of the slogans being shouted at the protest to Stop the war against
Iraq,
here in London in September, was 'Not in my name'. As a subject of the
UK, a
firm ally of the US, it is URGENT that I express my opposition to the
dangerous
views of our country's leaders along with the millions of others of the
same
view. Andrej did this by presenting a picture of the consequences of
recent
tendencies and power play of US Foreign Policy. It was a truly local
response.

Do you really think that all criticisms of US foreign policy can be put
down to
faddishness and a need to conform?

All the best

Ruth

furtherfield.org

Wally Keeler wrote:

> > Hi Andrej,
> > Just for the record, publicly - A poignant piece, it paints a
thousand,
> no!
> > a million woes…
> > marc
>
> I agree. Is there a single artist on this planet that has ever made a
piece
> as poignant about the genocide that Russia is meteing out to Chechnya.
It
> would seem to me that that is far worse than anything the USA is
currently
> up to. Why ignore the worst violence in the current world? Why does
the
> artistic community turn its face away from this grossly lethal
atrocity?
> Hmmm?
>
> Well, of course, it pays to conform, to conform to the politically
correct
> way of thinking of the arts community, which is to slag the USA. This
is not
> to say that it should not do such – but the conformity to do so is
> absolutely overwhelming.
>
> All I have to do is suggest that other nations can also be slagged –
and
> get a load of the rallying, like lemmings, to stand by the USA-bashing

> principle.
>
> > > Dear Keeler,
> > > I see you got much documents about Roma. But that "Yugoslavia"
about
> which
> > > you are talking does not exist any more, many of its parts have
seceded
> in
> > > last ten years. And other fault - there were Roma refugees in the
Kosovo
> > and
> > > Macedonian war, but they were not a result of "Yugoslavian"
politics at
> > all,
> > > but a result of Albanian Kosovo Liberation Army and Macedonian
Albanian
> > > National Army activities, that were fully SUPPORTED, ARMED,
FINANCED,
> > > LOGISTICALLY SUPPORTED by the U. S. A. Yes my dear, you heard
well, if
> you
> > > didn't know. And the result of the same politics are 300.000 Serb
> refugees
> > > from Kosovo too.
> > >
> > > —– Original Message —–
> > > From: "Wally Keeler" <[email protected]>
> > > To: "Andrej Tisma" <[email protected]>; <[email protected]>
> > > Sent: Tuesday, December 10, 2002 4:29 AM
> > > Subject: Re: RHIZOME_RAW: Remember Crimes
> > >
> > >
> > > > —– Original Message —–
> > > > From: "Andrej Tisma" <[email protected]>
> > > > To: "Wally Keeler" <[email protected]>
> > > > > Dear Wally Keeler,
> > > > > I'll be glad to produce such work if you could hand me some
> > > documentation
> > > > > regarding your statement. Since I live here I can't see those
> > things…
> > > >
> > > > The Roma Refugees of Kosovo
> > > >
> > > > Text by Owen Durkin
> > > > Photographs by Asmet Elezovski
> > > >
> > > > A flood of refugees has been entering Macedonia since late
March
> 1999;
> > > > many are ethnic Albanians from Kosovo, but some are Roma from
Kosovo,
> > yet
> > > > other Roma are from Serbia. Kumanovo, Macedonia is near the
Serbian
> > border
> > > > and has received many people from Serbia who have fled the NATO
> bombing,
> > > or
> > > > the conflict on the ground. There are also Roma fleeing ethnic
> hostility
> > > > directed at them in Albania. Those identified as coming from
Kosovo
> are
> > > > accepted as "refugees" by the Macedonian government and the
UNHCR; the
> > > > others are "guests" or "tourists". The distinction is critical:
a
> > refugee
> > > > has the right to remain in the country, receive medical
treatment and
> > > > humanitarian aid, and also the right to emigrate to another
country.
> > > Shabani
> > > > is a Rom from Kosovo who has been registered in Kumanovo as a
refugee,
> > but
> > > > he was told by Stenkovec authorities that one has to be Albanian
or
> very
> > > > rich to emigrate to another country; appeals to the UNHCR have
been
> > > > fruitless. Some Roma refugees head into the refugee camps;
others seek
> > > > billet accommodation with Roma families living in the area.
> > > > The members of the Roma Community Centre "DROM" Kumanovo have
been
> > > > labouring to assist Roma refugees in the camps and in private
homes,
> > > > providing food, medical assistance, accommodation and other aid.
The
> > > > Macedonian Roma families who are hosting Roma refugees are not
> wealthy;
> > > they
> > > > need assistance to provide food, medicine, clothing and bedding.
In
> some
> > > > cases Roma have experienced discrimination or rejection by aid
> > > organisation
> > > > staff workers perceiving Roma as allied with the Serbians. DROM
has
> > drawn
> > > > heavily on its own funds to assist Roma and has worked with
other
> local
> > > Roma
> > > > organisations to distribute aid consignments from the Soros Roma

> > > > Participation Project and Karitas Essen. This work has
necessitated
> > paying
> > > > transport costs for the consignments, hiring a truck to
distribute the
> > > aid,
> > > > and having volunteers work from early morning to midnight. The
stress
> on
> > > > volunteers includes risk of ethnic disputes, particularly when
> > objections
> > > > have been raised by Albanian refugees to Roma receiving aid.
Some
> > > volunteers
> > > > resigned following such an incident. There are large crowds of
Roma
> > > outside
> > > > the DROM centre every day.
> > > >
> > > > While this is going on, DROM volunteer workers have to cope
with
> > visits
> > > > from representatives of non-government organisations and
enquiries
> from
> > > > foreign media. Situation reports are translated into four
languages,
> and
> > > > daily news releases are provided to RomNews
<http://www.romnews.com>.
> > > There
> > > > are also conferences and meetings with other organisations for
> planning
> > > and
> > > > coordination. Submissions have to be prepared for improved
social
> > welfare
> > > > from the government.
> > > >
> > > > DROM has invested particular energy in fostering and
preserving good
> > > > ethnic relations. Normal tensions are inflamed by the stress of
war,
> and
> > > > small incidents can easily trigger nasty mob reactions. For this

> reason
> > > Roma
> > > > seek help from Roma families and from DROM and other Romani
> > organisations.
> > > >
> > > > DROM has received several donations from individuals in
England and
> > the
> > > > USA, and help from a Romani organization in Australia. These
funds are
> > > > greatly appreciated but will soon be exhausted helping needy
families.
> > The
> > > > annual budget DROM receives from the Soros Roma Participation
Project
> is
> > > > almost depleted. They may soon run out of the resources needed
to
> > continue
> > > > helping Roma refugees if more donations are not received soon.
> Donations
> > > can
> > > > be sent to the DROM bank account:
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Stopanska Banka a.d.-Skopje
> > > > SWIFT:STOB MK 2X
> > > > Bank account: 40100-623-79
> > > > ZPP-Kumanovo- 40900-678-6121
> > > > Mailing Address:
> > > > Roma Community Centre "DROM" Kumanovo
> > > > Lokalitet serava prizemje 7a, 91300 Kumanovo
> > > > MACEDONIA
> > > >
> > > > Tel/Fax: +(389) 90127558
> > > > Asmet Elezovski, e-mail: [email protected]
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > + ti esrever dna ti pilf nwod gniht ym tup
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> > > +
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> > > Membership Agreement available online at
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> > >
> >
> >
> > + ti esrever dna ti pilf nwod gniht ym tup
> > -> post: [email protected]
> > -> questions: [email protected]
> > -> subscribe/unsubscribe:
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> > -> give: http://rhizome.org/support
> > +
> > Subscribers to Rhizome are subject to the terms set out in the
> > Membership Agreement available online at
http://rhizome.org/info/29.php
> >
>
> + ti esrever dna ti pilf nwod gniht ym tup
> -> post: [email protected]
> -> questions: [email protected]
> -> subscribe/unsubscribe:
http://rhizome.org/preferences/subscribe.rhiz
> -> give: http://rhizome.org/support
> +
> Subscribers to Rhizome are subject to the terms set out in the
> Membership Agreement available online at
http://rhizome.org/info/29.php