The Charles Horman Truth Project

I am very excited to be working again with the Charles Horman Truth Project. I will be helping them with communications strategy as they work to remember the 40th anniversary of the violent coup in Chile, and explore the coup's lasting consequences and the innovations in human rights legal matters that stemmed from it.

More to come...

"Does Social Media Exacerbate Poverty Porn?"

It's my pleasure to be participating in Technology Salon New York City's event on May 14, 2013, discussing social media and poverty porn, alongside Linda Raftree, TMS Ruge, and Tom Murphy.

The event will not be streamed or recorded, but look for our write-ups after the event.

The TFI Sandbox

The Tribeca Film Institute unveiled its TFI Sandbox, a site focusing on the work done by its Digital Initiatives department and the experience of interactive storytelling. Thank you to them for inviting me to be interviewed as part of their launch and resources section.

How Storytelling Can Address the Complex and Intertwining Issues of Modern Society

I recently wrote a piece in GOOD for the "Wish for the Future Series" about narrative and social change. Please find it here.

2012-2013: Thank You

AP/Kevin Frayer

This photo was taken at India Gate in New Delhi, India, during peaceful protests brought on by the  December 2012 gang rape (and subsequent death) of the woman alternately called Damini, Amanat, or Nirbhaya by the media. The woman in the photo was protesting peacefully and walking through water cannons being fired by police to quell the protest. I hope this image represents an anger and movement that will carry until lasting change is made in India. It also represents a spirit I see rising up throughout the world. This has in many ways been a year filled with unimaginable tragedy and what has hit me with the most force is the violence and brutality we've seen against ordinary people who were stopped in the midst of simply living their lives. But the hope we have is that never before have we had such such ability to connect worldwide to help each other. What this image represents to me is how I feel about the world in 2012 moving into 2013, with ordinary people continuing to raise their voices against injustice around the world. Thank you to each of you for the work you do in ensuring we move forward.  I hope your New Year is full of joy, kindness, beauty, wild fun, and good works.

A Gift to You All

Presented by Lakou Mizik

Olence Calixte is a blind musician from Ile de la Tortue off the North coast of Haiti. At the age of 15, he was struck by sudden blindness. Soon after, his mother gave him a guitar to keep him occupied. He's rarely been seen without one since. He now lives in a tent next to the ruins of the Catholic Cathedral in Port-au-Prince. He plays his plaintive songs for any of the tourists that come by, hoping they are feeling generous so he can feed his family. Mostly, though, he plays for his community of fellow homeless friends that live near him on the street. He brings comfort through his songs, which range from heartbreaking to humorous, but always speak to their everyday reality... With the help of filmmaker Inigo Gilmore, Lakou Mizik recently brought Olence into the recording studio to play some of his music - we fell in love with his songs and his spirit and now hope to release an EP for him in 2013.. it was produced in true international Lakou Mizik style with vocals and guitar recorded in Port-au-Prince, lead guitars in Montreal, Bass in Nashville and even some horn lines in Brooklyn. This song is a true collaboration... 

Lakou Mizik is a project I've been working with, helping to create a cross-media platform that supports the creative economy in Haiti. For the last days of this holiday season, I have personally sent in funds to support Olence Calixte's music. As a gift to you for engaging with my work and ideas throughout the year, please click here to download the song for free. (You will have to provide your email address to PeaceTones, who is handling Lakou Mizik's sales of this song, but you can unsubscribe at any time.)

If you'd like, feel free to donate further to Olence. Or support Lakou Mizik's work to support collaboration with other Haitian artists by clicking here.  And please feel free to share the links far and wide.

(100% of sales of this song through PeaceTones goes directly to blind Haitian street musician Olence Calixte.  Donations to Lakou Mizik support further work with Haitian musicians, include Olence and many others).

Happy 2013!

Seminario Transmedia

Spanish translation of a talk at Seminario Transmedia in Bogota', Colombia:

"Who Is Dayani Cristal" at Sundance Film Festival

Marc Silver's film "Who Is Dayani Cristal?" has been selected as the opening night film in the World Documentary Competition at the Sundance Film Festival 2013. A production of Pulse Films, Canana Films, and others, the film explores the mystery of an unidentified body found in the desert of Arizona, and opens up to questions of poverty, human rights, and migration. I am very proud to be collaborating with the team behind this film, as transmedia producer and social engagement strategist. I will post at this site in the coming months on our work on the social action projects. Find out more also at the film's website.

"20 Most Innovative "People" in Democracy, or 20 Most Innovative Men?"

Katrin Verclas and I published an op-ed about women in innovation and democracy at TechPresident.

You can find it at this link.

Presentation: Project Models: Narrative Design for Social Change

Project Models: Narrative Design for Social Change from lksriv