The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, in partnership with the Republic of Turkey, commemorated the power of jazz as a vehicle for peace, unity, dialogue and the enhanced cooperation of all people. The Istanbul Jazz Festival, organized by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts, served…
In appreciation of his 70-year career in jazz and his contributions to promote peace, culture and education, the International Committee of Artists for Peace honored famed arranger/composer Gerald Wilson with the ICAP Founder’s Lifetime Achievement Award. This presentation took place in Santa Monica, California, on April 21, before hundred of fans on hand to attend…
Most Inhumane of Weapons I believe that most of the world’s citizens would agree that nuclear weapons should be considered inhumane. It is encouraging to see that there is now a growing, if still nascent, movement to outlaw nuclear weapons based on this premise. This was highlighted at the 2010 Review Conference of the Parties…
On 4–5 March 2013, the Norwegian government hosted a conference on the humanitarian impact of nuclear weapons in Oslo during which governments, UN agencies, international organizations, and civil society analyzed the effects of the use of nuclear weapons on human health, the environment, economies, development, and more. Diplomats from 127 governments gathered in Oslo, Norway…
For the final leg of the iChoose Auckland, New Zealand tour, iChoose cast and staff joined the crowd of 450 (K9, K10) students at Kelston Boys High School on March 1. Kelston Boys’ High School (“KBHS”) is an all-boys state secondary school in Kelston, a suburb in the Waitakere region of Auckland, New Zealand. Created in…
Situated in an attractive rural and farming environment with wild west coast beaches, the meandering Waikato River and the wide open Manukau Harbour , approximately 45 minutes from Central Auckland, a co-educational high school from year 9-13 with 830 students, Waiuku College provided the opportunity for more than 400 students to experience iChoose. Students excitedly responded…
The empowering message of iChoose made its impact felt this morning at One Tree Hill College in the Auckland suburb of Penrose. One Tree Hill is a co-educational, secondary school that takes its name from a local historical landmark where stands an obelisk above the grave of Sir John Logan Campbell (1817–1912), “the father of…
The second day of iChoose proved another thrilling day for the team. Staff and students of Albany Senior High School warmly welcomed cast and crew onto their gorgeous campus. Albany is a state-of-the-art facility where, according to principal Barbara Cavanagh, students are focused on as young adults. All along the corridors these young adults voiced…
The iChoose team couldn’t have asked for a better start to their anti-bullying campaign at schools in Auckland. Debuting in front of Year 9 students at Mount Albert Grammar (High) School, one of the largest and most multicultural schools in New Zealand, the cast were warmly welcomed and given plenty of positive feedback from both…
Under the direction of Lisa Brickell, the multiethnic cast of iChoose wowed the 210-strong audience at a dress rehearsal held at New Zealand Culture Centre in Ellerslie, Auckland, on Saturday, February 23. Finishing touches were being put on ahead of the iChoose program rollout to ten Auckland high schools the following week. Audience members included…