The Art of Gaman

At the Renwick Gallery of Art yesterday viewed this exhibition, coincidentally ending today.

Delphine Hirasuna organized and curated the show based on her book of the same title. She too was “blown away by the quality” of the objects when she began to collect them in 2005, especially since most of the detainees had had no artistic training or experience prior to living in the camps.

Gamansuyoi.

Islands of distrust

Haiti (and Haitians) one year after the massive earthquake remain(s) mostly devastated, crippled and as distrusting as ever.

Bas-Ravine, in the northern part of Cap-Haitien

As one Haitian man said (heard on the radio) this morning (paraphrasing): "As some come here to help, they are seen as only wanting to help themselves."

And as is chronicled here, distrust of "the government" (or total nonbelief) lies at an almost unbelievable, 99%.

With illiteracy persistently at 50% plus, is such really that much of a surprise?

Somehow, Haiti remains a singular island among various islands worldwide of almost complete isolation and despair.

On the other hand, here comes technology (and all that usual and necessarily, incumbent greed) to bring some semblance of reprieve, if not, virtual, rescue.

Read about what The Gates Foundation and Digicel have recently accomplished and have in mind for a future Haiti here.

Also, here you find Digicel Haiti’s CEO Maarten Boute referring to the new mobile banking service as "the Tcho Tcho mobile banking service."

Now where did that moniker come from?

Perhaps . . .

Tcho tcho:

"The Tcho-Tcho are a primitive tribe of Asiatic people found living in the remote corners of Asia. The name has a long legacy of darkness attached to it. Among the Tibetans, Tcho is a word for black magician,' 'evil monster' and 'destroyer.' Among the Hmong of Laos and Vietnam, they are known as Tchaw-Tchaw, 'the Eaters.' They are universally hated by their neighbors, loathed for their fearsome pratices and their worship of inhuman gods."

Or maybe simply:

 Tcho:

The name TCHO is a phonetic spelling for the first syllable of chocolate. Some have said that TCHO means where Technology meets Chocolate, because we are obsessed with innovation in everything we do.

Whatever the derivation, it is certainly hoped that both the completely illiterate and the rest within Haiti somehow embrace the future and each other with a greater, more substantial degree of trust.

Is that so much to ask?

With malice toward none . . .

Some comments from top leaders and political figures about the shocking shooting yesterday that critically wounded Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) and killed at least 6 others in Tucson, Arizona.

"It's not surprising that today Gabby was doing what she always does,
listening to the hopes and concerns of her neighbors. That is the essence of
what our democracy is about.

"Gabby Giffords was a friend of mine. She is not only an extraordinary
public servant, but she is also somebody who is warm and caring. She is well
liked by her colleagues and well liked by her constituents." ~ President
Barack Obama.

"We do not know yet the motivation behind these shootings. But what we do know
is that there is simply no justification, no rationale for such senseless and
appalling violence in our society." ~ Vice President Joe Biden.

*****

"Ms. Giffords represents a new generation of principled and thoughtful political
leaders that have come to Washington in recent years." ~ Defense Secretary
Robert Gates

"We at the Tea Party Express are shocked and saddened to hear about the terrible
tragedy that took place in Tucson today. It is appalling that anyone would
commit such unthinkable violence against Congresswoman Gabrielle Gifford, her
staff, a sitting federal judge and the many other victims and families impacted."
~ Tea Party Express Chairman Amy Kremer.

Full Los Angeles Times story here.

Rep. Gabrielle Giffords' favorite quote (from her Facebook page):

"With malice toward none, with charity for all, ... let us strive on to finish
the work we are in, ... to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and
lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations."

Other victims include baseball legend Dallas Green's granddaughter, Christina-Taylor Green (born on September, 11, 2001), U.S. District Judge John M. Roll, Gabe Zimmerman (Giffords' 30-year-old communications outreach director who was engaged to be married), Dorthy Morris, 76, Phyllis Schneck, 79, and Dorwin Stoddard, 76.

Other victims include Stoddard's wife, Mavanell, who was shot in the leg but is expected to recover,

Also injured but expected to recover are staffer Pam Simon and deputy director Ron Barber.

******

Prayers for "a just and lasting peace among ourselves . . . "

Satellites in the Sky

George Clooney, actor and activist for Sudan (previously noted here) brings George Orwell's Big Brother to a new level, perhaps not envisioned even since certain reactions to Lt. General Daniel O. Graham's High Frontier.

The Satellite Sentinel Project, "combines satellite imagery analysis and field reports with Google's Map Maker technology to deter the resumption of war between North and South Sudan. The project provides an early warning system to deter mass atrocities by focusing world attention and generating rapid responses on human rights and human security concerns.
This project is the result of an unprecedented collaboration between Not On Our Watch, Google, the Enough Project, the United Nations UNITAR Operational Satellite Applications Programme (UNOSAT), the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, and Trellon, LLC."

Also, the Satellite Sentinel Project has been provided seed money by Not On Our Watch -- co-founded by other Hollywood luminaries besides Clooney (including Don Cheadle, Matt Damon, Brad Pitt, David Pressman, and Jerry Weintraub).

Cost projections, compared to those of SDI/High Frontier back in its days of infamy seem practically, modest.

In an exclusive interview with ABC's Jake Tapper today, Mr. Clooney noted that:

The project, which will cost $750,000 to run, is a cost-effective way to prevent violence, instead of “putting Band-Aids on a wound after the wound has been inflicted.”

Interesting, generally positive reaction in the context of President Eisenhower’s efforts in support of a UN surveillance system (in 1960!) as well as further information regarding the project from Patrick Philippe Meier's iRevolution blog can be found here.

Perhaps it is time to give SDI and High Frontier a closer, fairer look, once more, also?