Provocate.org

From the remarkable partnership between the IU Medical School and Moi University in Kenya to the individual immigrants who raise money for schools in their home villages, people from central Indiana are redefining what it means to live generously in the world.

When: Saturday, November 17, 2007 1:30 PM - 4:00 PM
Where: Christian Theological Seminary 1000 W. 42nd St., Indianapolis, IN 46208

The theme of Spirit & Place in 2007 is “Living Generously”: you can learn about the density and diversity of Indiana’s international connections at one of S&P’s final events. Congregations, schools, and civic organizations will discuss their international projects, discover unsuspected mutual synergies, brainstorm about potential partnerships, and share ideas about how to make their global initiatives more effective.

Stimulating the discussion will be a series of digital maps showing where and how Hoosiers are “living generously” around the world … whether it’s establishing medical clinics or uncovering abuses in refugee camps, teaching (and learning) the fundamentals of democracy or building or-phanages while on vacation, people from Indianapolis may be transforming the world in ways that are more profound and more beneficial than most of the policies coming out of DC.

Complementing the digital maps will be pictures and video clips of Hoosiers giving generously abroad … and of people from around the world giving back to Indiana. More importantly will be the chance to hear from everyday heroes, our neighbors and friends who are working with groups around the world to help devise local solutions for global problems. Before and during the event, members of the audience will have a chance to share information about their own global initia-tives, and to see their projects projected on the big electronic map.

Come not (only) to celebrate and praise these Indianapolis initiatives. Come to learn about how we can do it better: come to learn how you can become more engaged, to meet new potential partners, to discover new ways of thinking about how we are part of the world.

This event is being organized by Provocate, an original approach to stimulating innovative ideas and provoking thoughtful action to solve our most urgent problems. Provocate provides an infra-structure to help transform the ideas discussed into effective projects and solutions. The event is presented in partnership with the International Interfaith Initiative; Christian Theological Semi-nary; International Center of Indianapolis; The Polis Center; and IUPUI Herron School of Art and Design, Department of Visual Communications.

Format: Two projectors in the auditorium, one showing electronic maps, the other pictures illus-trating the relations depicted on the maps. Most of the maps and pictures will be prepared in ad-vance, with the exception of the final two maps and the final set of pictures. Different people will explain the stories behind the maps and pictures. John Clark moderates.

I. Imagine a map showing the threads connecting Indiana to the world

• Story: Indianapolis may seem isolated from the world, sheltered by a continent and oceans. But another way to think of our place in the world is through the hundreds of relations of giving and sharing that connect Hoosiers to churches and schools, clubs and colleges, families and friends around the globe.
• Map: World map with Indiana in the center. Then show threads from Indianapolis to several dozen countries and cities around the world.
• Pictures: Images from International Center’s book, New Faces at the Crossroads; selected pictures form Indianapolis people around world
• People: John Clark

II. Imagine a map showing how Indianapolis Rotarians have touched a Jamaican town

• Story: Tracing all the threads of giving and receiving that connect us to the world would produce a map that was nothing but threads … too much information! We might get a better idea of how we touch and are touched by the world if we look at a map of a single town. For more than fifteen years, the Rotary Club of Indianapolis has partnered with the Rotary Club of Savanna La Mar in Jamaica.
• Map: Zoom to map of Jamaica, then Westmoreland Parish, the Savanna La Mar; highlight schools re-ceiving nonviolent conflict resolution training and dyslexia diagnoses, hospitals, areas receiving Tim Dudley’s dental services
• Pictures: Pictures from Rotary trips and from Jamaicans’ trips to Indianapolis.
• People: Gregg Keesling, Tim Dudley, Courtney Burkey

III. Imagine a map of a town in Kenya, transformed by and transforming Hoosiers.

• Story: The partnership between Indiana University Medical School and Moi University in Eldoret Kenya is more than the most ambitious and effective AIDS treatment program in Africa. If has served as a conduit for hundreds of other Hoosiers to get involved in Eldoret.
• Map: Zoom to map of Kenya, then Eldoret
• Pictures: Pictures form Moi programs, courthouse, farms, child rescue, Kenyans in Indianapolis
• People: Fran Quigley, Bob Einterz, Judge Riley, Kelly Campbell

IV. Imagine a map showing our sister-cities … and our sister-in-law cities

• Story: In October Eldoret became Indianapolis’s fourth sister city, joining Taipei, Cologne, and Pirin Slo-venia. The Cologne partnership has led to a new International Interfaith Initiative being estab-lished in Indianapolis. What may be most valuable about our sisters is that they have their own sisters, potentially multiplying our connections around the world.
• Map: World, threads from Indianapolis to Eldoret, Cologne, Taipei, and Pirin. Then show threads from Cologne to its other 20 sister cities.
• Pictures: Pictures from sister-city exchanges.
• People: Sven Schumacher, Henry Cole, Charlie Wiles

V. Imagine a map of Hoosier Peace Corps alumni, and their global career trajectories

• Story: Indiana is home to hundreds of alumni of the Peace Corps. As will be discussed at the November 16 Spirit & Place event at Franklin College, “Volunteering Abroad,” the Peace Corps is more than a one-time opportunity to live generously in the world. For many it is the first step on a lifetime journey of living in many other countries.
• Map: Map of world, threads from Indianapolis to 25 countries where PC volunteers served; then threads from several of those countries to other countries where volunteers lived and served af-ter PC service.
• Pictures: Pictures from PC volunteers
• People: Several PC alumni

VI. Imagine a map that shows how a group of Hoosier twenty-somethings are making a movie to help end sexual slavery in South East Asia

• Story: 27 million people are enslaved worldwide, 50% of them are children. Burdened by what they knew, a group of Hoosier twenty-somethings spent the summer of 2007 making a documentary uncovering the truth behind sex slavery in Thailand and Burma. Spring of 2008 The SOLD Project will be going on tour to call upon their generation to fight for these children’s freedom. See their clips, hear their story.
• Map: Map of Thailand and Burma showing where The Sold Project filmed
• Pictures: Trailer for film
• People: Rachel Sparks

VII. Imagine a map of the homes of Burmese-Hoosiers … past and present.

• Story: People in Indiana are learning just how closely connected our state is with Burma. Burmese are becoming part of the fabric of our daily lives. We are one of the leading destinations for Burmese refugees, mostly Karen and Chin ethnic minorities who have been huddled in refugee camps on the Thai border.
• Map 1: Map of Burma showing ethnic distribution; Chin and Karen refugee camps
• Map 2: Map of Indianapolis showing neighborhood in South Indianapolis where Chin have settled and Nora where Karen have settled; churches that are sponsoring and supporting, schools with Bur-mese kids; places where refugees are working
• Pictures: From refugee camps; Burmese in Indianapolis; pro-democracy rallies in September
• People: Alex Peralta and Naw Phaw of Exodus

VIII. Imagine a map of Mexican-Hoosier building bridges her two homes

• Story: Juana Watson, the Governor’s adviser on ethnic issues, is a native of the Hidalgo village of Cal-nali. Now she leads several groups of Hoosiers every year to learn about Mexican culture and help train Calnali firefighters, police officers, doctors, and others.
• Map: Calnali, in Hidalgo Mexico
• Pictures: From Hoosiers visiting Calnali
• People: Juana Watson

IX. Imagine a map showing the impact one Hoosier’s foundation has had on the world … and the impact many Hoosier foundations have had on countries around the world.

• Story: One of Spirit & Place’s featured conversationalists, Hoosier Patty Stonesifer, heads up the Gates Foundation, which has reshaped private philanthropy around the world. But despite the Hoosier values at the top, we can let the Gates Foundation appear on Seattle’s “Living Generously in the World Map.” Indianapolis-based foundations have also actively contributed to the economic and intellectual development of the poorest parts of the world.
• Map 1: Map of world with all countries in which Gates Foundation works
• Map 2: Map of world with countries funded by Lilly Endowment, West Foundation, Cristel de Haan
• Pictures: Patty Stonesifer, Bill & Melinda Gates; then pictures of recipients of Indiana foundations’ funding
• People: Emily West

X. Imagine a map showing how a third grade class in Indianapolis can help fly assistance to the poorest parts of the world.

• Story: A third grade class at Heritage Christian School raised nearly a million dollars to purchase a newly-designed airplane that can safely deliver much greater relief to bush and jungle regions in Latin America and Africa.
• Map: Map of world with destinations of Kodiak planes
• Pictures: Heritage Christian class, Kodiak plane and factory, Kodiak plane in action
• People: Renee Anthony

XI. Imagine a map showing where Hoosier volun-tourists have touched the lives of kids in dozens of countries.

• Story: As will be discussed at the November 15 S&P event, “Volun-tourism = Travel + Service,” Indian-apolis is one of the most important locations of organizations offering humanitarian vacation trips.
• Map: Destinations of trips by Ambassadors for Children, Timmy Foundation, eco-tourism?
• Pictures: From volun-tourist trips
• People: Sally Brown, Chuck Dietzen

XII. Imagine a map showing all the home countries of visitors the US State Department has sent to Indianapolis … and imagine how we can use this network to help change the world even more.

• Story: The S&P event of November 6, “Transforming the World One Handshake at a Time,” will discuss why the State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program sends more foreign visitors to Indianapolis than any other city. What sets Indianapolis apart from the other cities is that we go beyond being nice, or even being helpful with our guests. We are eager to establish long-term partnerships after the visitors return home. We don’t just want them to have fond memories of In-dianapolis … we want to use their visit as the beginning of a sustained effort to jointly solve prob-lems. This is something new for the hosts of the International Visiting Leaders, not seen any-where else in the country.
• Map: World showing home town of International Visitor Leadership Program alumni from past couple of years
• Pictures: Pictures from trips sent by alumni
• People: Kristin Garvey

XIII. Imagine a map showing how the world touches Indianapolis through Hoosier places of worship.

• Story: A major change for churches is to send worshippers themselves to other countries rather than only sponsoring full-time missionaries.
• Map: World, with dots for cities and towns with partnerships with Indianapolis churches, synagogues, mosques
• Pictures: Hoosiers visiting places of worship, visitors from other countries at Indianapolis churches
• People: Several who have been active in partnerships

XIV. Imagine a map showing how Indianapolis artists have generously shared with the world, and how through these artists the world has shared with Indianapolis.

• Story: Many Indiana artists have traveled to just about every country in the world in search of ideas and inspiration for their work. An example: Spirit & Place kicks off with “Danke Schoen,” an exhibit by local artist Kyle Ragsdale, is inspired by his journey to Germany as a 2007 Creative Renewal Arts Fellow. Bill Rasdell has taken dozens of local artists with him on his annual trips to Cuba.
• Map: World showing places Indianapolis artists have lived and visited
• Pictures: Pictures of visits, art that reflects international connections
• People: Bill Rasdell, Rodrigo Cardoso

XV. Imagine a map that shows the many relations of giving and receiving that link Indiana and the world … from just one room of Hoosiers.

• Story: Participants at the event will be encouraged to submit information about their own instances of “living generously in the world.”
• Map: World showing links drawn from cards submitted before and during discussion, entered into GIS database.
• Pictures: Pictures sent before event
• People: Drawn from event

XVI. Now imagine a map that brings together all these maps of Hoosiers living generously in the world … and imagine how we can use this map as a guide to really start making a difference.

• Story: This mapping exercise isn’t intended only to pat ourselves on our collective back. It should inspire participants to think of new connections they can form.
• Map: World, showing all threads discussed in event
• Pictures: Of participants talking with each other taken during the event
• People: John Clark

This entry was posted on Monday, September 3rd, 2007 at 5:00 am and is filed under Events, Democracy, Foreign policy, Iraq, Religion, Mexico, Crossing borders, Jews & Judaism, Islam & Muslims, Hoosier history, Europe, Health & Medicine, Technology, China, Business, Way we live, India, Empire, Art, Education, Globalization, GLOCAL-ization, Africa, Volun-tourism, Poverty, HIV/AIDS, Philanthropy, Citizen Diplomacy, Taking action, Latinos, Middle East, Provocate Event. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.