Invitation to the preparation of the Caravan Festival of African
Masquerade Masks and Music Parade in 2010:

Help is needed! Get involved in the preparation of the Caravan Festival
African Masquerade Masks and Music Parade in Jena, 4th -6th June, 2010

Save Lives - Protest against the brutality and deaths of the refugees and migrants by the Frontex and the barbaric policies of Fortress Europe

Call:

Appeal for a Caravan Festival – For the Rights of Refugees and Migrants in
Europe

Africa is not far from us – Unite Against Colonial Injustice

Save Lives - Protest against the brutality and deaths of the refugees and
migrants by the Frontex and the barbaric policies of Fortress Europe

A Political "Funeral" in remembrance of the refugees and migrants who died
in the sea and at the borders of Europe, and those persecuted,
criminalized, deported and brutalized by the police: the victims of the
consequences of national and international injustice in Germany and in the
fortress within Europe.

We will not allow any of the victims to have died without a trace.
Remembering also the horrors that our families have endured and conscious
of the fact the more will die, we will reveal a “monument” during the
festival in Jena for all victims of Frontex and the barbaric policies of
Fortress Europe.

African African Masquared dancers and Music Parade (during of the Festival)
African Masquerades are divine arts and performance during special
traditional festivals which in west and central Africa are also celebrated
during funerals

The VOICE Refugee Forum Jena

More information and proposal for help: http://thevoiceforum.org/node/1410

Time: 4th to 6th of June 2009 in Jena

Themes:

a) African Masquerade dancers und Music-Parade
b) Cultural-political-program: Save lives! – Deaths at the fortress
borders of Fortress Europe with installations on the boat people and
exhibitions.
>>>>
Our ideas on the program so far – please see how you can contribute with
your own ideas, supporters, exhibitions, discussions, contacts, dancers,
musicians….

a) African African Masquared dancers and Music Parade (during of the
Festival)
African Masquerades are divine arts and performance during special
traditional festivals which in west and central Africa are also celebrated
during funerals

Masquared as spiritual event
Funeral for those who never had one

We don't know much about a parade and we have not been organizing any
before... ;-) so these are just thoughts of what can be done...help is
needed!

– Music and Mask-groups (around 30-50 peolple?)
– maybe all together 120 to 150 people taking part in the parade
with masks or music or otherwise (theatre, dancing, chorus,.. .) -> than
it looks like a parade

At the moment we are expecting to have blocks from the caravan groups in
Thüringen, north and north-west of Germany and from groups in Hanau,
Bremen, Berlin, Frankfurt

There will be at least a 5 – 6 blocks – parade. Every block starts from a
different location in the city and than they come together on one place
where the 'big' parade starts, at the end coming to the place where the
festival/program takes place.

Every block should have a minimum of 60 persons:
– 5 to 10 people with mask
– 5 to 10 people playing music (or one soundsystem?)
– the rest may play theater, dance, sing,...take part in some way

If possible we may organize more masks and costumes for people in
different blocks and for those who want to join as artists in performance,
with people from the parade animating others to join the parade.

Inform us, if there are other thoughts, ideas, groups who can be invited
to join us...
We can look for the structure, space and contents. We need people (you?!
:-)) have to fill it with life!

b) Political-Program

Discussions and protest against Fortress Europe, linking with the families
and friends of the victims here and those back home.

c) Cultural – Political program :

This should start before and after the parade on Friday, Saturday and
Sunday. We were thinking of: music, films, poetry, reading,
percussion-session/-workshops ( there will also be special for kids on
Sunday!), handcrafts, and the theme of 'fortress borders'... But here also
is a call to you: just an idea/proposal...tell us what you want or what
you can to do!

We want to spread informations early: we may need statements from you that
call for participation and motivations for the festival, we thought of
posters, small 'newspaper', a Radio-clip...the people from Jena (and
maybe also other cities) we want to bring people out of their homes onto
the street! and: maybe it's possible to make a CD of this event: from the
music-groups that will be coming together (and maybe also with
pictures/film of the parade and ...We'll see! Statement from artists and
activists will be highly appreciated)

This proposal is only a note on what we think about the festival. There
will be a call and improvement of the contents with the program of the
festival before the end of November, so your early contribution will be
highly appreciated. We will like to extend our invitation to Solidarity
network of activists and artists, survivals, friends and families of the
victims of Fortress Europe and beyond if we have enough support and
finance to realize the events.

First open meeting on the preparation will take place in November 2009

We are planning for 400 - 500 or more participants, we need every support
to make the events attractive enough for the mobilization to the three
days event.

Video Demo of one the African Masquared dancers blocks "Badjis Tanz- und
Trommelensemble Diamoral" that will perform in Jena with attached photos
below
http://de.youtube.com/watch?v=doW_0U0iRDg (Stelzentanz-Performance.)

For more information and inquiry on the festival or participation: E-mail:
daskarawanefest-jena2010@gmx.de

Update of information on proposals of action and program:
http://thevoiceforum.org/node/1410

We are inviting political, human rights and cultural organization or
groups including activists and single persons to join us for the
co-organization and support for the Festival.

The Caravan Festival is an initiative of The VOICE Refugee Forum in
Thueringen with activists of the Caravan for the rights of refugees and
migrants in Germany

The VOICE Refugee Forum Jena
Adresse: Schillergässchen 5, 07745 Jena
Tel. Handy 0049(0) 17624568988,
Fax: 03641 / 42 02 70,
E-Mail: thevoiceforum@emdash.org,
Internet: http://www.thevoiceforum.org
Gegründet: 1994, Arbeitsweise: Kampagnen,Aktionen, Vernetzung.
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