November 9/10, 1938

On 9 November, the anniversary of Kristallnacht, the Anne Frank House will present the Anne Frank timeline a visual timeline in which Anne Frank’s story is placed in the context of important historical events. The Anne Frank Timeline starts in 1914 with the outbreak of World War One and Otto Frank’s conscription into the German army and continues through to today including the significance of the diary and the Anne Frank House.

The Anne Frank Timeline includes exceptional photographs and audio and video fragments. There is a TV interview with Simon Wiesenthal about his search for Karl Silberbauer, the SS officer who arrested Anne Frank and the others in hiding. There are also images taken in Amsterdam showing Jewish refugees from Germany who were taken in after the Kristallnacht. The timeline also includes fragments of radio broadcasts from Dutch radio stations with one of Otto Frank speaking at the opening of the Anne Frank House on 3 May 1960. (via Anne Frank House)

(photograph by D Sharon Pruitt)

Bird on the Wire

Darfur Peace & Development Organization (DPDO) is building the Gangy High School of Peace in El Fasher, Darfur, Sudan. Considering the news, things are moving along. We'll have on-the-ground news (& more photos) sometime in late May. Meanwhile, we don't ask that often. (No, we really don't.)

ciao-weary-meow/the Mgmt

[photograph by Bron, via we heart it]

Art Changes Lives - Ask Tom Block

"There is within these peoples' souls a tremendous amount of beauty and [conviction] that they can actually make a difference.." - Tom Block, artist & activist

We're gearing up at GG Central for the big festival in our neighborhood. Here are some Tom Block paintings & they have changed lives. (Not just those who bought the paintings, silly!) Here is a press account of his first meeting with one of his subjects.

We're so proud of Tom, yes. He is the producer of this weekend's Human Rights Art Festival sponsored by Amnesty International & also a local member of the Takoma Park-Silver Spring #297 local AIUSA group. Tom has worked long & hard (with many others, to them next week, you know who you are) to bring this off. Human rights activists are no easier to herd than any other group of people. Do not despair about the dark nature of Tom's work; you'll notice the bright color he uses--this is not incidental.

ciao-peace-meow/GG's editor

[images by Tom Block/all rights reserved/used with permission of artist]

In Darfur - Theater J Production

Based on true events, this impeccably researched chronicle of the unfolding genocide in Sudan is a searing story of humanitarian urgency and compromised journalistic ethics. Can one woman's story stand for the plight of a nation? And what are the costs of mobilizing world opinion?*

The production begins with two pay-what-you-can shows, 31 March & 1 April. The run continues through 18 April 2010. For box office information, click here. Beyond-the-Stage free discussions will take place throughout the run; here is the schedule. (Ms. Winter Miller, the playwright, & director Derek Goldman will be at the 4 April discussion.)

If you cannot see the play for any reason, please do consider one of the discussions. Hope to see you there!

*This production includes loud gunshots and depicts intense scenes of physical violence. Not recommended for children younger than 13.

[images via Theater J & MiaFarrow.org]

Remembering Miep Gies

A great woman & hero died yesterday at age 100. Please visit the Miep Gies & Anne Frank websites. You can leave condolences here. (Yes, we know that Miep famously said that she was not a hero but did what was necessary. We think otherwise because most people did not do what was necessary.) [photographs via Miep Gies & Anne Frank websites]

Have a Heart - Save the Date, Save a Life

Your signature is more powerful than you know. Amnesty International's Global Write-A-Thon is December 5-13, 2009. Register here if you are not with a local group. Residents of other countries, see this link.

[photograph by Giampaolo Macorig via flickr. Full size format, here.]

GG Central Breakfast Special

The special? Donate some time or funds (or both) to a humanitarian organization & we won't pester you about it until...tomorrow. If you're blogger, sneak in some do-gooder business. It's a deal, OK? Here's one of our very favorite organizations. Yes, we're running late. What else is new?

ciao-meow/GG's short-order cook

[photograph from Motley Photos via we heart it]

International Day of Peace - 21 September

Click on any link to a humanitarian organization & you'll be doing a great thing. It may be small but it is something (we keep telling ourselves). What you do matters. More information about the official UN observance. No cynics please. Unfortunately, we have enough to spare (& then some).

A big thank you to generous D Sharon Pruitt of Pink Sherbet Photography for her lovely photograph A child's cry for peace.

ciao-meow,
GG & her harried editor

Abandoned in Darfur - Week's End

It's a complicated subject, no doubt about it; we won't disagree. What brought this on? Someone asked us today if 'that Darfur thing' was over. Seriously. A good resource (wherever you are, even if not in the States) is the Enough Project. [Also in right sidebar]

At the very least, won't you protest to your (various) governments? In an e-mail or telephone call? If you've already done that, do it again. Discover your inner pest & redirect it towards officials-who-might-give-a-damn & keep out of trouble with family & friends.

The Management

[photographs by Susan Burgess-Lent/DPDO/all rights reserved/used with permission]

Cat Got Your Tongue?

No, we're just busy & tired. But you could wander over to a link or two or three or...

ciao-meow/the mgmt.

A big tip below for non-profits, indie bands, & so on. From generous D Sharon Pruitt to you, on flickr:

"My photos that have a creative commons license and are free for everyone to download, edit, alter and use as long as you give me, "D Sharon Pruitt" credit as the original owner of the photo. Have fun and enjoy!"

Anne Frank's 80th Birthday - Week's End

UPDATE - Sunday, 14 June 2009. Until further notice, no comments can be accepted on this blog. Please do something to counteract hatred in your part of the world--non-violently. Thank you.

We so wish that Anne were alive & celebrating with Margot on a summer's beach holiday. Please visit the Anne Frank Museum Amsterdam official website. There is much to interest people of all ages. Please educate yourselves, as well, about the uptick in activity & membership in hate groups.

The Southern Poverty Law Center is renowned for tracking hate groups & individual haters (& bringing successful suit against them when legally possible); you can visit them here. They are a dedicated & inspiring group of people. And, of course, please visit the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum (lower-right sidebar); the staff needs your support, moral & otherwise, especially this week.

"One single Anne Frank moves us more than the countless others who suffered just as she did, but whose faces have remained in the shadows. Perhaps it is better that way: if we were capable of taking in the suffering of all those people, we would not be able to live."
Primo Levi

[Anne Frank at desk photo credit; Anne & Margot at the beach; these credits will be updated as soon as possible as blogs & periodicals are not original sources of any Anne Frank images, as far as we know.]

Terrible News from Washington, DC

...in more ways than one. Please visit the U.S. Holocaust Museum & send your condolences to the family & colleagues of Mr. Stephen Tyrone Johns, a security guard murdered this afternoon at the museum. He worked at the museum for 6 years & was a wonderful man. He saved many lives. What you do matters.

UPDATE: There will be no post today (Thursday, 11 June 2009).

[photograph by generous George Brett, Washington, DC-area photographer.]

Never Again: What You Do Matters

“There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest.”
— Elie Wiesel

The Days of Remembrance this year are 19-26 April. Holocaust Remembrance Day, this year is tomorrow, Tuesday, 21 April 2009. (See here for explanation of date system & for 5 Things You Don't Know about Anne Frank.) See here for this year's theme (Never Again: What You Do Matters), activities, & reading from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. President Obama will give the annual memorial speech in the Capitol Rotunda on Thursday, 23 April. We will listen closely for his thoughts about Darfur. There is a fascinating exhibit at the USHMM on Nazi Propaganda; you can make a virtual visit if you're not planning to be in DC anytime soon. (photo credit)

Note: Unfortunately we cannot allow comments or back-links to/on this post. We are very sorry but cannot risk the possibility of a recurrence of what happened with the Rwanda post.