Performing Arts for Equal Dignity

HumanDHS is primarily grounded in academic work. However, we wish to bring academic work into "real life" as well. Our research focuses on topics such as dignity (with humiliation as its violation), or, more precisely, on respect for equal dignity for all human beings in the world. This is not only our research topic, but also our core value, in line with Article 1 of the Human Rights Declaration that states that every human being is born with equal dignity (that ought not be humiliated). We agree with Shibley Telhami, Anwar Sadat Professor for Peace and Development, who advocates the building of bridges from academia as follows, "I have always believed that good scholarship can be relevant and consequential for public policy. It is possible to affect public policy without being an advocate; to be passionate about peace without losing analytical rigor; to be moved by what is just while conceding that no one has a monopoly on justice." We would like to add that we believe that good scholarship can be relevant and consequential not only for public policy, but for raising awareness in general.

To promote the HumanDHS vision of a world of equal dignity for all, away from practices of humiliation, the performing arts may contribute, locally and globally. Please see an article by Koichi Nagashima on what he calls a glocal approach to developing culture throughout the world. This article is written for architecture but it applies equally to other cultural realms.

Please see furthermore two articles by Kjell Skyllstad (2006):
1. Dance and Democracy
Summary: Dance as symbolic representation of and maintenance of social equality
Analyzing various dance movements in developed and tribal societies such as the Viennese dance movement of Mozart's times and his own contribution, folk dance movements of eastern Europe, ritual dances of tribal South East Asia, the dance around the Tree of life.

2. Dance in Person Reconstruction and Conflict Transformation
Summary: Theory and practice of dance therapy with examples, among others, from Greece (Zorba), Italy (Tarantella), Lombok (Gendang Beleq), and East Greenland (drum-dance).


We look for interested people, who would like to develop our PArtED page. Please see our Call for Creativity.




Links

Please note that the entire HumanDHS website is maintained by volunteers, since its inception in 2003, and this is mainly done by Evelin Lindner. Until 2012, she usually pasted interesting news into this Links section. From July 2012 until 2017, she tagged interesting information on delicious.com. From 2017 onward, you see Evelin's personal list of interesting web links on Twitter:

donkeysaddle projects
'donkeysaddle projects' combats inhumanity through exposing the humanity of those who have been marginalized and oppressed, through platforms such as writing, film and theatre.

Global Water Dances
Global Water Dances is a world event planned for June 25, 2011. On this day, a 24 hour series of dances around the globe will be danced, centered around water issues. Beginning in the Western Pacific Rim, and encircling the globe, the series of dances will also be broadcast online...
Please read more at http://www.globalwaterdances.org/event.html.

Dance 4 Peace
Dance 4 Peace is a conflict resolution, civic education program that promotes tolerance, understanding, mediation skills, anger management, emotional and civic engagement through dance in youth around the world. Through exercises and activities utilizing our bodies, music, emotions, experiences, and thoughts, we build emotional and social competencies for peace.
Dance 4 Peace began as Danza para la Convivencia en Bogotá, Colombia, as part of Sara Potler's Fulbright Scholarship project in 2007. In conjunction with Aulas en Paz (Peaceable Classrooms), a multi-component pedagogical project designed to promote social and civic competencies and conflict resolution among primary-school students, Dance 4 Peace was designed, implemented, and evaluated in public schools in the outskirts of Bogotá.
Today, the program is being implemented in Washington, D.C.; New York City; Colombia; and Nepal. Dance 4 Peace works through grassroots, local community and international-scale academic, public, and private partnerships to bring Dance 4 Peace programming to varying cultural contexts. They ensure thorough and sustainable educational support, monitoring, and evaluation that is completely physical, creative and movement-centered.

Buddha with Thousand Hands Dance
It is performed by a Group of Chinese handicapped girls. They cannot hear or talk. They dance by reading the signs given by the 2 teachers standing at each side; they are so famous now that they are being invited by countries around the world at $400k for a performance. Please turn on your speakers. See http://www.employees.org/%7Ehshen/12371032.wmv. We thank Lynn King for making us aware of this magnificent work!

Conseil International de la Danse
Francais: Son but est de favoriser tout ce qui peut servir la danse à travers le monde et de rassembler autour d'elle les organisations internationales, nationales et régionales, ainsi que les personnes individuelles dans les états membres de l'UNESCO. Le CID entretient des relations formelles de consultation avec l'UNESCO dont il contribue aux objectifs et aux projets dans le domaine spécifique de la danse: préservation et revitalisation du patrimoine, création et nouvelles technologies, éducation et échanges. Les membres du CID peuvent être des: - organisations internationales - comités nationaux de la danse reconnus par les instances gouvernementales de leurs pays respectifs - organisations, fédérations, associations, institutions d'envergure nationale - toutes institutions et personnes individuelles de pays où il n'existe pas encore de comités nationaux - personnes individuelles de renommée internationale dans le domaine de la danse - personnes individuelles entretenant une coopération active avec le Secrétariat Général du CIDLes langues de travail du CID sont le français et l'anglais.
English: The International Dance Council (CID) is the official umbrella organization for all forms of dance in all countries of the world.
It is a non-profit non-governmental organization founded in 1973 within the UNESCO headquarters.
It is a worldwide forum bringing together international, national and local organizations as well as individuals active in dance.
It represents the art of dance in general and advises the UNESCO, national and local government agencies, international organizations and institutions.
Membership is open to associations, schools, companies and individuals.
Main characteristics: The CID is an umbrella organization, in the sense that it evolves on a different level than its members. Is is not connected to any particular dance school, company, festival or other institution. The CID is strictly non-profit. Its officers do not receive any fee - they frequently cover their own expenses when acting on behalf of the CID. The CID is strictly non-commercial. It has no products or services to sell. It is open to membership, inviting persons and institutions active in dance to enrol. It is non-discriminatory. Reflecting the principles of the United Nations and UNESCO, it is open to all approaches to dance, without prejudice for race, gender, religion, political affiliation or social status. The CID treats all forms of dance on an equal basis. It does not promote a particular view of dance, recognizing its universal character as an art form, a means of education and recreation, or a research subject. Working languages are English and French.

Performing Art Data Service
(This information is not available in English. It is currently available in French)
PADS is the new web site for the AHDS Centre for the Performing Arts (PADS). You could search and brow collections of digital resources, many of which can be searched in an interoperable environment for the first time. The site also offers enhanced support and advice materials for varied user communities, including the full text of a new Guide to Good Practice, Creating Digital Audio Materials. We welcome your comments and ideas for further improving the site.

29 April is World Dance Day
The International Dance Day (World Dance Day) has been celebrated on April 29 through promotion by the International Dance Council (CID), an umbrella organization within UNESCO for all kinds of dance.

Peace Circus Project in Mozambique
The aim of the "Circus of Peace" in Mozambique was to deal innovatively with the conflict and violence facing the youth of local communities. Like a circus, the project was organized as a traveling show that wove drama and the arts into its exploration of the nature of war and conflict. The show discussed conflict-resolution skills, illustrated possibilities of moving toward peace and reconciliation, and helped people to grieve the losses they had suffered.
See also Malvern Lumsden (1997). Breaking the Cycle of Violence. In Journal
of Peace Research
, Vol. 34, No. 4, 377-383.