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OperationSafe, a humanitarian organization, has created a story entitled “Pete’s Adventure” to help children recover from trauma. The story features 3-D animation and is translated into various languages. OperationSafe will soon be taking the story to Haiti.
I can’t figure out if OperationSafe is a charity, a faith based group, or a private organization. (It seems to be based in Tokyo.) If you know more please let me know…
–Deji Olukotun
The commonly touted figure is that less than 3 percent of foreign language books are translated into English. I’m not sure where that figure comes from. It’s become something of a legend. But the rate is definitely small. Some people believe this is market driven — that Americans are happy consuming quality books by their own authors — and others feel that it is because of American provincialism — that we just don’t care about other countries.
Anyway, a short list of Best Translated Books was recently announced. It is no surprise that Archipelago Books has two in the running. Archipelago produces beautiful volumes by living and deceased authors. Many of these works — including Wonder by the Dutch author Hugo Claus — touch upon social justice themes and I have reviewed them on this site. The prize will be announced on March 10.
CHECK OUT THE SHORTLIST HERE.
–Deji Olukotun
The Olympics are not just a place for athletes to explore the limits of human physicality, they are also a multibillion dollar entertainment industry. The ‘purity’ of the games — ensured through amateur requirements, drug testing — can’t hide the fact that it’s still entertainment content streaming through our media.
I have played sports my entire life and enjoy the thrill of a good contest. And I’ll admit that I love watching the Olympics, especially the sports that require totally bizarre training and skills.
But what is the human rights cost of such an event? It is clear that the human right to housing has been consistently violated for the past several Olympic Games and is currently being violated in Vancouver. Another sobering fact: no Olympic city has EVER turned a profit.
Check out this fantastic, well researched article by the Christian Science Monitor here.
–Deji Olukotun
Photo by tpower1978 on a Creative Commons License.
A new television drama about soccer will premiere in Kenya in May 2010. The Team will use the lens of soccer to help address the conflicts that erupted after the 2007-2008 election race between Mwai Kibaki and Raila Odinga, in which over 1,000 people were killed and more than 300,000 driven from their homes. (The International Criminal Court is currently investigating the post-election violence.)
The video was produced, written, and acted by Kenyans. The project was co-produced by the Search for Common Ground and Media Focus on Africa, a Kenya-Dutch non-governmental organization. Financing was provided by the UK Department for International Development.
–Deji Olukotun
Because it is unpredictable how any book or press release will affect any person, as a teacher I try to teach that the way we read can also affect how we interact with the world. We need to think about what was said as well as how things were said. Learning how to read things closely through the examples of novels helps us all become more ethical, concerned citizens.
–Kerry Bystrom
The past five years have seen an explosion in interest in the interplay between creativity and human rights. Kerry Bystrom is on the forefront of this swiftly evolving field. An Assistant Professor in the Foundations of Humanitarianism Program at the University of Connecticut, she also teaches at the University of Witswatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa. It’s rare to find someone so well versed in human rights and creativity.
I talked with Bystrom about how she got involved in the field, asked her for emerging trends, and picked her brain for some good reads.
–Deji Olukotun
