deviantART: by:anthonyasael

My page | My Journals | http://anthonyasael.deviantart.com/journal/12728671/ Wed, 25 Apr 2007 10:19:34 PDT
Dear Romanian dA friends,

Many of you wrote me lately because you probably know that I will be crossing soon the border from Moldova towards Romania.
I had a great experience in the last weeks Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova and the Baltics. I promise I will try to write a nice travelogue on it (in fact I wrote it already but it is part in French, part in Spanish. So I need the time to translate. Any volunteers ?).

We will be working in Craiova in a school thanks to our fantastic volunteer Andreea Ciobanu.
As we will be passing by in Bucarest this next Monday, I would like to organize a small dA meeting if some of you are interested ? It could be at lunch for example ? Any suggestions ?

Please come with suggestions because i do no know anything abotu Bucarest... please write me by email anthonyasael@artinallofus.org

Hope to see you soon,

Anthony

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]]> `anthonyasael News from Art in All of Us in San Marino http://anthonyasael.deviantart.com/journal/12331579/ http://anthonyasael.deviantart.com/journal/12331579/ Mon, 26 Mar 2007 04:09:43 PDT
Dear dA friends,

As you must know, 2006 has been a year of great achievements for Art in All of Us. I invite you all to read our recently published annual report, analyzing our results for 2006.
[link]

As a summary of the report, here follow a couple of highlights:
-3615 children visited in 55 countries
-Successful launch of the AiA Pen Pal Program
-6 photos exhibitions in 3 countries
-Attending one of our exhibitions in Brussels, Princess Mathilde honored our art works

We would also like to invite you to our new membership program for 2007. We need your help and contributions to continue develop our programs. [link]

If you have some more time and wish to get directly involved with Art in All of Us, please visit our new page for volunteer workers recruitment [link]

We would like to continue this mailing following the childrens spirit, through a medley of questions and answers sessions held during Art in All of Us visits to schools.

About Art in All of Us

Micronesian Children: What should I do to correspond with other children of the world?
It is very easy! With the help of your teacher, you can participate to our Pen Pal program. We will put you in contact with another school in the world, where each one of your classmates will have a friend to correspond with. The basis of the exchanges is CREATIVITY here again, you will express yourself and communicate with your pen pals through art.

Chilean Children: What kind of art can we use in the AiA Pen Pal program?
You are the artists and you can choose whatever art form you would like to express yourself with (drawings, poetry, paintings, collage etc)

Pakistani Children: My neighbor is attending a different school. How can he participate to your activities?
Any children and schools can take part to our programs. They can directly contact us by email or fill in the online school participation form. They can also ask their teacher to do so.
([link])

Vietnamese Children: When will our art works be published online? Why does it take so long?
It takes a couple of months before your works can be published online. We need to follow different steps to be able to update our online galleries. First, all the poems must be translated in English before being submitted to our AiA poetry committee, which will choose the best artworks. Additionally, during our visits, we take a huge amount of photographs that must be selected, classified and archived. Each picture must be indexed with keywords and captions, in a giant library already containing over 90000 pictures. This task requires a huge amount of time.
The AiA World Art Book is a global project and we will only publish it once schools in every one of the 192 countries have participated to our programs. We estimate that 2 more years are still necessary to achieve this goal.

Uruguayan Children: How and where can I read the poetries of other children?
We are working with about 40 volunteer translators worldwide that help us translating the thousands of poems we have received. On our website, you can read them in English, Spanish and in French

Malaysian Children: Why Art in All of Us?
Art in All of Us was created to promote art among the children of the world. The name was chosen because: ART is the main communication language used for our programs; and our programs are extended to every single country recognized by the United Nations In other words, we target ALL the children of these countries.

Congolese Children: How did you choose our school?
We dont have any criteria for choosing schools. As indicated in its name, Art in All of Us is for everybody it is the corporation of all the children. We have worked in public and private schools; in rural or in urban areas; in orphanages or social centers. Our only criterion is on the age of children: that should be between 8 and 12.

Creative questions

Syrian Children: Are the other children of the world different from us?
Children all over the world are very similar in a sense. All they want is to play, to be loved and to discover new things. Each culture and social environment does that in a different way, but they all keep this aspiration to happiness.

Gabone... ]]> `anthonyasael Back to Africa - Need help in East Europe http://anthonyasael.deviantart.com/journal/11642415/ http://anthonyasael.deviantart.com/journal/11642415/ Thu, 01 Feb 2007 02:05:19 PST
Dear dA friends,

It will take probably some days or weeks before I can upload or even comment again something. I am back in Africa. It is with big smile that I can again enjoy of the contradictions of the black continent.
Today, we have worked with Stephanie (stephanier.deviantart.com) in a school in Sao Tome. Green country, creative kids, and sunny weather and some great shots were taken !
what should I ask more ?

My only nightmare is to get online

Well, maybe some of you can help me with the following I will be back in Europe in 2 months now and will start visiting Eastern European schools.
I would like to know in the following countries when are the Easter holidays, to be sure not to arrive there when the kids are enjoying their days outside the school.

Answers can probably be found on the net or just through one of you who come from that country and who can just ring a local school or check his own agenda?

By the way, if one of you are interested that we drop by in a school of your knowledge in of those countries, we will be glad to do so! If one of you can lodge us, it is also welcome

Please do reply by email to anthonyasael@artinallofus.org as my internet connection is really bad for the moment !

The countries are:
Latvia
Lithuania
Czech Republic
Greece
Ukraine
Belarus
Poland
Hungary
Slovakia
Moldavia
Serbia
Romania

Again thank you for your help,

Best wishes from Sao Tome (on my way to Equatorial Guinea)

Anthony

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]]> `anthonyasael News from Art in All of Us in Belgium http://anthonyasael.deviantart.com/journal/11296277/ http://anthonyasael.deviantart.com/journal/11296277/ Wed, 03 Jan 2007 02:42:12 PST
Dear Deviant friends,

One year ago, we started our intensive trip to meet children of the 6 continents to promote cultural exchanges through artistic activities with a vision of a more tolerant world.

We are really excited by the results we have obtained so far. We succeeded to meet over 4200 kids in 64 countries:
-giving to all of them a voice, a chance to address the world and present their own vision of their country and daily life
-introducing them to new forms of art, stimulating their creativity to better express themselves.

All of them were very enthusiastic about Art in All of Us; so are we! And we invite you again to see what some of them told us [link]

We were sometimes shocked by the lack of resources in some schools and stunned by the innovation of some others. Kids are eager to learn about other cultures and were fascinated about stories and artistic activities. However, too few academic programs include lessons about distant cultures and creativity stimulating courses. We really hope it will change in the future as most of conflicts arise today based on misunderstanding, un-tolerance or simply the fear of unknown cultures/people.

We wanted to give you a tribute for these achievements. You, who have helped us closely and supported us in the evolution Art in All of Us. Our organization has evolved and took its present shape and dimensions thanks to you.

We have also built a team of translators (both amateurs and professionals), already helping us in 32 languages. Other volunteers from over 30 countries have also joined Art in All of Us to help organizing our activities in their countries or in fundraising matters. We didnt have yet the chance to meet many of them personally, as they have mainly reached AiA through the Internet. But they participate very actively to the evolution of Art in All of Us thanks to their very creative ideas. If you are keen to join the team, just write us a mail as well

This year was also a success thanks to your donations and fundraising efforts, which are both essential for the organization of our activities. This year we have received 8723 USD from companies and individuals. Art in All of Us is still today over 80% auto-financed. We hope to reduce that part to 50% next year thanks to more active fundraising and photo exhibition campaigns.

We would like also to thank the 59 families from 41 countries who lodged us during this year and significantly contributed to reduce our daily costs and shared with us interesting and beautiful aspects of their traditional cultures.

As a conclusion, we can say that after one year, we are of course smiling but on the knees.. We rushed through 189462km nearly 5 times around the world of which 74231 were covered by road. We have spent 2115 hours on transportation, moving for one place to another (88 days and nights). We have slept in 181 different beds. This meant having 362 times packed and unpacked.

We have recently updated our website with:
-amazing stories from Nauru and Papua New Guinea
[link]
[link]
-New galleries in Cameroon
[link]
-New galleries in Timor Leste
[link]
-some press releases from Brazil and Chile
[link]
[link]

Our exhibition is still running in Milan, for the one who wants to see it online please go to [link]

We are now about to travel towards Eastern Europe, Central and Southern Africa, to visit the countries hereunder. As always, any contact of yours in those countries or people that might be able to lodge us will be of a great help:
Gabon
Congo Brazzaville
Sao Tome
Equatorial Guinea
Angola
Belarus
Latvia
Lithuania
Ukraine
Poland
San Marino
Mozambique
Malawi
Swaziland
Lesotho
Botswana
Comoros
Mauritius
Seychelles
Namibia

We still look for some more v... ]]> `anthonyasael News from Art in All of Us in Nauru http://anthonyasael.deviantart.com/journal/11151401/ http://anthonyasael.deviantart.com/journal/11151401/ Fri, 22 Dec 2006 14:28:30 PST
Some time ago, I promised to write a travelogue in French.... and i did ... 3 months ago... but forgot to publish it... so here you are....
For the ones not reading French, you can always try to translate it online or go to older Travelogue in English for Papua New Guinea ([link]) or Brunei ([link])....

If you speak french... here follows on the little tiny isolated island of Nauru... my most memorable experience this year....
(anyone speaking french and wanting to translate in English, are most welcome

Jour de lindépendance chilienne, je viens de me faire remettre quelques dessins et poésie par le Président de la République de Nauru. Je suis dans lavion qui me ramene à Brisbane. Drôle dhistoire ce périple à Nauru rempli de frustration, de déception et de joie a la fois.. commençons par le début de cette chronique amusante .

Nauru, un petit îlot perdu au milieu du Pacifique, situé à quelques km seulement de lEquateur et à quelques milliers de km de Kiribati et des Iles Salomon, ses plus proches voisines. Cette île na rien de paradisiaque. Elles a été vidée de ses forêts et coraux et ruinée par une « mauvaise » gestion gouvernementale cette dernière décennie. Une petite catastrophe pour ses quelques 10000 habitants qui se vantaient il ny a pas si longtemps dêtre lîle et le pays le plus riche au monde en PIB par habitant ... grâce à leur réserve de phosphate.

Cependant, après quelques « scandales » financiers et le quasi épuisement des réserves de phosphate, il ne reste plus aux habitants que leur jolie maison construite pendant les heures de gloire. Aujourd'hui, lîle est dépourvue de port ou de compagnie aérienne et tout aussi dénuée délectricité, deau courante ou dessence. Dur retour en arrière pour toutes les générations qui ont connu la fortune, l abondance, mais aussi ceux qui nont connu que la misère.

Je craignais un peu aussi cette isolation forcée pendant 8 jours, car seul un vol est affrété par le gouvernement australien tous les 8 jours (et non 7) !!! On mavait mis en garde contre la criminalité des petits jeunes. Javais tout de même du mal à y croire car lîle est ruinée, sans une banque pour un territoire de moins de 20km2 je me demande bien ce que des brigands pourraient voler et surtout où et comment ils pourraient senfuir. Autre hic : il ny a quun seul hôtel sur lîle... et dont le modique prix des chambres s élève à 100 dollars la nuit ...sans électricité, ni eau dix fois notre budget.

Hier matin, je fais donc mon check-in au moment où la lune partait se coucher. Les étoiles scintillaient encore sur Brisbane. Rhonda, la prof de lécole australienne où je logais, a bien voulu se lever au milieu de la nuit pour me dropper à laéroport. Il fait encore tout noir et coup de théâtre, japprends un peu par hasard que le vol du vendredi est annulé et reporté au mardi suivant . « si tout va bien ». Dans lavion ma tête travaille et je ne vois que deux petites options. Une c'est de passer seulement une nuit a Nauru et repartir le lendemain matin a 9h ce qui ne me laisserait pas le temps de visiter lécole et lautre c'est de rester 8 jours de plus avec le risque d'un nouveau changement qui retarderait encore plus mes connexions et autres rendez vous dans les prochaines écoles jopte rapidement pour la première option.

On arrive à Nauru à 15h ... dans les temps cependant laéroport nattendait pas davion avant 16h et donc pas moyen de débarquer. Quelle étrange confusion pour un aéroport qui accueille moins dun avion par semaine. (tous les huit jours). Ça annonce déjà la couleur et réduit mon temps précieux. La seule chose que j'avais en main était le nom de lécole et de la prof qui devait nous recevoir ce mardi, mais rien de plus. Les écoles ferment à 13h30 donc plus moyen darriver à temps non plus Je débarque immigration. Papier svp . Autre pépin. A Nauru il faut donner son passeport au chef de limmigration et on ne peut le récupérer que 2 jours plus tard au Ministère moyennement le payement de ... 100 dollars. J'ai donc du jouer des mains et des pieds pour trouver une solution et heureusement avec bonne volonté, lofficier me promet de me rendre mon passeport à mon hôtel le soir même. Je devais cependant lui remettre les sous. Nayant pas trop le choix, je lui fais confiance et lui file mon passeport et 100 dollars. Je prends mon bagage et cours vers la sortie pour trouver un taxi, tenter ma chance à lécole et peut être trouver quelquun... ]]> `anthonyasael Emerald Eyes on Sale !! http://anthonyasael.deviantart.com/journal/11003913/ http://anthonyasael.deviantart.com/journal/11003913/ Sat, 09 Dec 2006 08:57:14 PST
Dear dA friend

Finally I got convinced. I will put 2 copies of Emerald Eyes on sale in dA. Many of you asked me to buy a print. I always refused because there were only limited copies of it and now only 5 is left.
I will put 2 of them on sale in big format on dA.

Please note that 100% of the sales will be reversed to Art in All of Us (www.artinallofus.org)

If you want the copy to be signed, please send me an email before orderning at anthonyasael@gmail.com

Keep Smiling

Anthony

If you are in Italy, dont forget the opening of my exhibtion next Thursday !!

--------
Marcel Proust:

"The only true voyage, the only Fountain of Youth, would be found not in traveling to strange lands but in having different eyes, in seeing the universe with the eyes of another person, of a hundred others, and seeing the hundred universes each of them sees, which each of them is."

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]]> `anthonyasael Photo Exhibition in Belgium and Italy + Princess v http://anthonyasael.deviantart.com/journal/10900454/ http://anthonyasael.deviantart.com/journal/10900454/ Thu, 30 Nov 2006 10:50:03 PST
Dear dA friends,

After our successful exhibition in Santiago de Chile last month, I would like to invite you all to Belgium (Antwerp and Brussels) for our 4 new Photo Exhibitions.

2 of them will be on the Millennium Goals ([link]) and another will be 150 portraits of children from 100 different countries.

The last one received the visit of Princess Mathilde of Belgium yesterday who honoured our work and Art in All of Us [link]

You can find all the information on [link]

I will be present to all 4 openings. I hope to finally some of you there

By the way for those one leaving in Brussels, Art in All of Us is participating in Christmas market in the Halles St Gery on Sunday 4th of December. We will be delighted if some of you can stop over

Big hug from home.

Anthony

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]]> `anthonyasael The Millenium Goals 6of8 http://anthonyasael.deviantart.com/journal/10842277/ http://anthonyasael.deviantart.com/journal/10842277/ Sat, 25 Nov 2006 06:40:20 PST
Millennium Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases

I have decided to share with you an exhibition that Art in All of Us has hosted for the 60th years anniversary of the UNICEF in Brussels. This exhibtion is showing now in Santiago de Chile and will shortly in Antwerp and Milan (more info on [link]/exhibitions).

Art in All of Us decided to promote the importance of the 8 UN millennium goals for Development (MDG) set in 2000 ([link]) Each one of the goals was represented by photographs (4-6), a drawing and a poem written by a child from all the 6 continents. I will publish them now in dA. I will try to do one Millennium Goal per week

This exhibition was a real success and we succeed to raise some funds to continue sponsor art education projects in developing countries. But still a long way to cover all the needs maybe online can we help too. through buying photographs online or even through small donation online at [link] , and dont forget that even the most symbolic individual contribution of the price of 2 beers of movie tickets can fund art activities in one school of a developing country.

If you are interested, to host one similar exhibition, dont hesitate to write me at anthonyasael@artinallofus.org

The 8 Millennium Goals are:
Millennium Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

Millennium Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education

Millennium Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women

Millennium Goal 4: Reduce child mortality
http://anthonyasael.deviantart.com/journal/10470766/ Sat, 21 Oct 2006 22:57:24 PDT
Dear dA friends,

I know it is a long time, I havent uploaded something nor did a proper journal
A lot of work lately with edition of our AiA World Art Book ([link]), preparing of our next exhibition in Chile ([link]), itinerary 2007, and at the same time traveling in bus through south america visiting schools

I hope to be more active next month though.

In the meanwhile I would like to invite you all to Chile for our new Photo Exhibition for the FotoAmerica Photography Marathon ([link]). Art in All of Us (www.artinallofus.org) decided - as most of you can imagine - to promote the Millennium Goals.
Here is an invitation if you are around [link]

By the way , do you like the design (I had a lot of conflict preparing it )

Inauguration is the 4th of November in the Biblioteca de Santiago at 1500. Unfortunately, I have been without time to do some marketing or communication around the Event. So if you are in Chile and wanna help please let me know

Hope to see some of you there.

Un abrazo de Brasil,

Anthony

]]> `anthonyasael The Millenium Goals 5of8 http://anthonyasael.deviantart.com/journal/10031208/ http://anthonyasael.deviantart.com/journal/10031208/ Sun, 10 Sep 2006 17:22:31 PDT
I have decided to share with you an exhibition that Art in All of Us has hosted for the 60th years anniversary of the UNICEF in Brussels.

Art in All of Us decided to promote the importance of the 8 UN millennium goals for Development (MDG) set in 2000 ([link]) Each one of the goals was represented by photographs (4-6), a drawing and a poem written by a child from all the 6 continents. I will publish them now in dA. I will try to do one Millennium Goal per week

This exhibition was a real success and we succeed to raise some funds to continue sponsor art education projects in developing countries. But still a long way to cover all the needs maybe online can we help too. through buying photographs online or even through small donation online at [link] , and dont forget that even the most symbolic individual contribution of the price of 2 beers of movie tickets can fund art activities in one school of a developing country.

If you are interested, to host one similar exhibition, dont hesitate to write me at anthonyasael@artinallofus.org

The 8 Millennium Goals are:
Millennium Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

Millennium Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education

Millennium Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women

Millennium Goal 4: Reduce child mortality
http://anthonyasael.deviantart.com/journal/9998627/ Thu, 07 Sep 2006 13:07:18 PDT
Have you ever heard about Papua New Guinea ? Do you know Port Moresby ? If so, it was probably in statistics books Indeed: 12000 violent attacks occur each year, 7 rapes and 8 carjacking each day, and all of that happens in a small village of less than 1 million inhabitants. This expanded area has only 80.000 houses. Just make your calculation to see what that means in percentage of the population. And last but not least: every day you have 19 times more chances to be killed here than in Sao Paulo or Mexico City. There are only 3000 policemen in service, and they are supposed to protect you.
Well, if not in the statistics, you may have read in the press that half of all the cyclones of the world pass through Papua New Guinea!!! I have also read another article claiming that Port Moresby was the only capital in the world without any road connection to other cities! If you want to get out of Port Moresby, you´d better get a plane or a boat and, because of the ridiculously expensive airfares, some people use to say this city is worse than a prison.
You may also have received some security briefings advising you that it is dangerous to go out 24 hours/day without armed bodyguards. They may have told you also to avoid restaurants and shops because of too frequent hold ups. They probably added that you cannot go more than two times a week to your work place at the same time of the day, because you would create a pattern and increase the probabilities to be a target to organized gangs. They for sure ended by saying that even when you leave the country, your plane might be hijacked because of the absolute lack of security at the airport and weapons are frequently found onboard.
Well, after hearing that, if you still dare speaking to locals, they will probably proudly claim that not only Port Moresby is the world most dangerous city but also that it has such a level of corruption that even Nigeria or Cameroon cannot compete!

If you are interested in history and in this part of the world, and you may also have figured out in some history books that not so long ago Papua New Guinea was the capital of cannibalism, along with its neighbors Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands.

If you have been here, you probably have stayed at a hotel room which had 4 locks (FOUR) on your doors and have listened to your neighbors´ loud Bollywood music.

Well, I would now like to sing you a different song. If you havent heard about this place in the past, just forget about the first part of my writings and start here.

This story begins in a beautiful city called Port Moresby. It lies like an egg sunny side up on a giant turquoise blue painted plate. Some old World War II wrecks still decorate the seashore. A few other boats, newer, dance in the harbor. A few houses, perched on dry hills are lucky to enjoy every day this beautiful scenery. As for the unlucky others .. well they just climb up the hill to enjoy it as well.
At my arrival at the airport, I was welcomed with a big smile by a friend of a friend of a friend of another friend. She embarrassedly told me about the housing statistics and how it was difficult for her to offer me a bed or couch at her place. Property has also a very different meaning here. Furthermore people simply like to live outside. Houses are just kept as storage space and sometimes (when it is rainy), to sleep. There is no real need to stay enclosed. People prefer playing rugby or softball in the parks, fields, or simply on the roads. Which is lovely, because no policemen nor heavy traffic disturb the game !
My friend then brought me to one of the few hotels of the city. Too embarrassed about her situation, she obliged me to accept that she would pay for my hotel bill. It was already very hard to tell her that a simple couch was more than enough for me. She insisted also to escort me to the door of my meeting with the Unicef. which she indeed did. When we arrived at the UN House, she couldnt enter, because she didn´t have any papered card what for, she asked. I am still wondering also
On my way up to the 14th floor, I was with a 7 years old boy in the large square elevator. His eyes were just so frightened and stunned at the same time. His knees were shaking. I asked him which floor he wanted to go. He was literally paralyzed. first time in an elevator. As a little and scared mouse, he got through the security of the building to realize his dream to fly like a bird. Silently, I took him to the top floor to show him the view. His eyes were humid and still a little scared. So I decided to go back to our spaceship and went up and down 2 extra times, just for fun only to see those eyes smiling and shining like stars again !
`anthonyasael News from Art in All of Us in the Pacific http://anthonyasael.deviantart.com/journal/9809510/ http://anthonyasael.deviantart.com/journal/9809510/ Mon, 21 Aug 2006 21:13:00 PDT
Dear Deviant friends,

Asia has welcomed us with open arms in the last months. We have been really touched by their Latin welcome. Smiles were in most faces, creativity in most hands and eyes. We will bring along with us some beautiful artworks and many excellent memories.

However, on the education level things are not always bright, even some rich countries of Asia, should review their archaic teaching methods as far as we could notice. Compelling children to learn by recopying propaganda texts with a stick is not the best way to teach a child. We have been shocked seeing this method used in Brunei for example (please read my travelogue of Brunei ([link]). Unfortunately, sometimes so little is done to boost children imagination.

Many of you have asked us what a typical day in a primary school was like. Most of the time we organize 4 small workshops. We try to begin with photography as it is the best way to break the ice with even the shiest children. It is also their favorite activity, as we teach the children individually how to use digital cameras and some basics on photo composition. After a short theory, every child gets to take photographs with our professional cameras. Most of the time, it is an emotional time as it is the first time they touch and handle a camera and their amazed faces as they discover their picture in the LCD screen is truly worth the visit. Afterwards we come back into the classroom and begin the drawing and poetry sessions. We are mainly interested in showing the vision that each child has of his country and we ask them to prepare poems and drawing with the following theme « Tell me and draw me about your country ». I am sure you have already seen some of their masterpieces on our website. At the same time we show them also the vision that children from other countries have of their own country, thanks to other artworks we have collected from children in other countries.
The last workshop is to awaken awareness to other cultures worldwide among the children we visit, by organizing small interactive games and showing pictures of other sides of the world or simply from their neighbors. After these wonderful hours, we feel exhausted but happy and praise the courage and strength of most primary school teachers of the world.

July has been a very exciting month for Art in All of Us. We have received a lot of new support. We are so grateful for all the help that has kept Art in All of Us moving on:
-The prestigious law firm Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP has accepted to do a Pro Bono job to advice Art in All of Us in the United States.
-As most of you know, Art in All of Us has won the Deviousness Award which enabled us to have a lot more visibility online and to boost our website statistics to more than 16000 additional hits/day. As another result, Art in All of Us has also welcomed over 60 new volunteers in less than a month. If you are also interested in getting aboard, please leave me a email at anthonyasael@artinallofus.org .
- We would also like to welcome Rochelle Michaels, our new AiA North American ambassador, and Vinita Agarwal, our UK ambassador, who have recently and actively joined our team. Their enthusiasm and excellent vision will be of great support to AiA.
- We will also receive the generous help of Gaelle Jacques, on post processing some ( only a few thousands) of our pictures. Her unique experience of working as an assistant of the famous French photographer Olivier Follmi will be of great value for Art in All of Us. She is also keen on helping promoting Art in All of Us activities.
- A last special thanks to Sandrine Wanet and Bruno Hellemans who are getting married next month, and who generously decided to share their happiness to kids of the world and added a line on their invitations, to sensitize their wedding guests to the cause of Art in All of Us.

Today, we are also happy to announce you some news on the website:
-Bangladesh Art Gallery:
[link]
-Nigeria Art Gallery:
[link]
-Brunei Travelogue:
[link]
-For the ones who can read Japanese, some news in the Nagoya newspaper
[link]
-Our message board is back on track and you can read some of the latest postings and send some new ones `anthonyasael News from Art in All of Us in Brunei http://anthonyasael.deviantart.com/journal/9753159/ http://anthonyasael.deviantart.com/journal/9753159/ Wed, 16 Aug 2006 20:32:31 PDT
Hello fellow dA artists,

I am now in the plane bringing me back to Kuala Lumpur, in Malaysia from the tiny kingdom of Brunei Darussalam, where I have spent a short week working there in 2 schools on Art in All of Us´ activities. Through the window I can admire a last time the dark blue of the South China Sea encircled by ribbons of black dark clouds. I hope we will not get again a typhoon in the region, but it looks scary outside. No angel in sight. They are all hiding. The pilot even did some muslim prayers in the microphone just before the take off. Surprising and creepy at the same time. Well, I am sure that it is part of the normal procedure in this proud muslim country of less than 350,000 inhabitants. Thus, half of them are foreigners doing all the work the Bruneians dont want to do. Most of them are Filipinos, Chinese, Malays and some Indians making this country a lot more diverse culturally than it sounds like.

Brunei is a country of contrasts. It is ruled by a Sultan who is at the same time President, Prime Minister, Chief of Army, and collects all the money from the petrol. Since he has so many responsibilities, he finally decided that he should get some rest for his 60th birthday, and has established a parliament: the first Bruneian parliament is now under construction (the entity itself, as well as the building!); he has already decided to give a brand new window job to some parliamentarians, asking them to set up a legal system.
The job description is not yet available for these positions, but keep posted on the sultan website if you are interested. But I have to tell you that even though he´s got a lot of money, he doesnt pay well at all! Big news in the sultanate: he gave his 5000 civil servants a big salary raise of 1%!!! (actually the first one in 20 years of fellow service).
In two decades, he will be 80 and may even decide to give them 2% extra. Such a strict management of his money may be the way he got quoted wealthier than Bill Gates in 2000 and gathered more money than 6 billion people on earth! Feeling embarrassed by his own selfishness, he decided to give some money to casinos, the Nasdaq where he used to gamble, some more to private resorts where he likes to dive, and to some catering services because he really enjoys partying out and inviting the 5000 richest persons of the country to have fun with him. However, he also cares for his people. Brunei indeed has a free university however anyone who has some money still goes to Malaysia, New Zealand or the UK to study. There is almost no choice in the studies available and learning is limited to 3 years.
Since his nomination in 2000 as one of the wealthiest persons on earth, and after 6 years of crazy expenses, he has lost 80% of his fortune in spite of the incrise in the price of the petrol by 300% over the same period. By the way, petrol still represents 95% of the income of the country euhhh I mean of the sultan´s and some of the 5000 employees of Shell´s income.

Well lets stop criticizing one man, and lets talk about the wonderful people of Brunei. For a second time in my life (the first time was in Myanmar), I have found a country where most of the smiles of the adults were as genuine and spontaneous as children´s. A real child smile not a business oriented smile. One who shouts you welcome, my friend and not one begging please buy from my shop. One who is ready to help, one who is curious to learn. I have spent two days in the floating villages close to the capital. About 30.000 persons have been living there for generations. I was told that all the bruneians were living there before, as the land was used for cemetery people then used to live on the water instead. Well, there are still 30.000 persons keeping this tradition. They succeeded to install electricity and running water in the village. Still, waste management is missing to make their life and their village perfect and healthier. Seen from above, it can look like a huge pool of garbage.. but lets close our eyes for a while and play with the children around! Every sunday they have a national wooden boat race. I will miss it unfortunately, but I got a prime demonstration only for me (keep posted for some amazing pictures !). They took their boat in the water and began to paddle with some rectangular hand size wooden boards (without any handleimagine how hard it can be). Amazing how fast they can get. I have ridiculously tried to imitate them, but I was so slow and weak compared to them !

After all those floating smiles, other kids´smiles were expecting on the land, at school. It was slightly more difficult for me, though... Children were marvelous and full of energy, as they are anywhere we have been. However th... ]]> `anthonyasael The Millenium Goals 4of8 http://anthonyasael.deviantart.com/journal/9674786/ http://anthonyasael.deviantart.com/journal/9674786/ Thu, 10 Aug 2006 08:44:07 PDT
I have decided to share with you an exhibition that Art in All of Us has hosted for the 60th years anniversary of the UNICEF in Brussels.

Art in All of Us decided to promote the importance of the 8 UN millennium goals for Development (MDG) set in 2000 ([link]) Each one of the goals was represented by photographs (4-6), a drawing and a poem written by a child from all the 6 continents. I will publish them now in dA. I will try to do one Millennium Goal per week

This exhibition was a real success and we succeed to raise some funds to continue sponsor art education projects in developing countries. But still a long way to cover all the needs maybe online can we help too. through buying photographs online or even through small donation online at [link] , and dont forget that even the most symbolic individual contribution of the price of 2 beers of movie tickets can fund art activities in one school of a developing country.

If you are interested, to host one similar exhibition, dont hesitate to write me at anthonyasael@artinallofus.org

The 8 Millennium Goals are:
Millennium Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

Millennium Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education

Millennium Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women

Millennium Goal 4: Reduce child mortality (THIS WEEK)
http://anthonyasael.deviantart.com/journal/9623580/ Mon, 07 Aug 2006 00:49:49 PDT
Dear dA friends,

It is a long time I couldnt upload a picture.. finding time in the last weeks was just impossible. I visited some very surprising and amazing regions like Borneo, Bali, East Timor, Brunei. I promise you some new pictures and travelogues, but please be patient, as I have still to catch up with many of you. Our deviousness award of the month of July was a wonderful surprise. So many of you discovered Art in All of Us and want to get involved. I am so happy for the new children that will be able to participate and for Art in All of Us.

I will reply to all of you individually, just give me some time.

I have also some delay with my millennium goal series. You will probably not get before end of September as in the next month I will be traveling in the 14 State Islands (Australia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, New Zealand, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu) of the Pacific Ocean. Internet might be very scarce there and for sure crazy expensive. so I can only wish you an excellent summer !
I hope I will see your beauties upon my return from the islands. And by the way, if you know anybody down the islands, please write me at anthonyasael@artinallofus.org
Any contact will facilitate us to organize our art workshop and maybe someone interested to lodge us .. also if you know any school in Auckland, New Zealand that might be interested to participate, please contact me !!

Keep all smiling !

Anthony

]]> `anthonyasael We are so honoured ... http://anthonyasael.deviantart.com/journal/9249322/ http://anthonyasael.deviantart.com/journal/9249322/ Tue, 04 Jul 2006 20:45:00 PDT
Dear dA friends,

I am so surprised and honored today by seeing that we have received the Deviousness Award.

I am using the word "We" because even if the dA account is on my name, I cannot consider this Award for myself but for all the Art in All of Us team around the world and of course to all the Children Artist.

I would like to thank all the volunteers of Art in All of Us that have joined their spirit, energy and hands to make our organization stronger. Thank you for all the time you devote passionately to accomplish our Mission of promoting cultural exchanges and developing the creativity, curiosity and artistic sensitiveness of some children of the world.

Thank you for the thousands of children that we visited in the last months. Your smile and beautiful artworks always boost us up. We are always ingeniously surprised by the quality of your artworks. I am sure some of you are reading this now on dA. I hope you will continue promote your work on this beautiful community.
You, children of Africa, Asia, Americas, Europe and Oceania, we are definitely convinced that throughout your photographs, rhymes and drawings, we will share and learn about everyones culture and everyones appeal to happiness. This will lead the adults better understand and welcome similarities and differences of all people on a worldwide scale

After all the thank you. Now I am sorry. Because it will take me a lot of time to reply to all of you individually because we have a very heavy program in the next weeks please have patience and I promise I will reply to you as soon as I can even if I am overwhelmed.

Many of you ask me if they can help us and how ?
THE ANSWER IS YES !

There are many ways for you to get involved in this adventure [link] and the easiest and fastest way for you is to send our website to your contacts all over the world.

Since Art in All of Us is until now 90% auto-financed, even though we have found a large non-financial support from organisation like for example the UNICEF, Tides Foundation or SOS Childrens Villages , we need to lower at the minimum our travelling and housing expenses: we stay at locals houses, and offer them in exchange to cook one of the numerous and exotic dishes we will learn to cook along our way. So, if you know anyone living in one of the countries, we will be visiting soon [link] , please send us his contact information.

I would like to seize the opportunity of this journal to call on your help on our marketing and fundraising activities. If there is anyone having some time availabilities and are willing to help us, please raise the hand and drop me a mail at anthonyasael@artinallofus.org ! You can also find more on this topic and how to get involved at [link] We will happy to hear also any suggestion to boost fundraising activities.

If you are fluent in a particular language, please write to stephanie@artinallofus.org and inform us of the languages you speak, and the translations you can do. We will get back to you, and send you the corresponding poetries.

If you dont have the time but want to contribute to our mission you can do it through small donations on our website [link] or through buying photos on dA (100% of the proceeds will go to Art in All of Us). Dont forget that with the price of a couple of drinks or 2 movie theatre tickets, we can buy some art material for one school and organise full art activities there.

A last sorry. Sorry this journal to be too long
A last thank you thank you all for your continuous support and for reading this till the end

All the best from Korea,

Anthony, just an unpretentious way to pass on the message

]]> `anthonyasael Looking for a school in Malaysia,Brunei and E-Timo http://anthonyasael.deviantart.com/journal/9219680/ http://anthonyasael.deviantart.com/journal/9219680/ Thu, 29 Jun 2006 19:38:56 PDT
Dear dA friends,

As most of you now, we are in Asia for the moment to organise Art activities (www.artinallofus.org) in schools and teach photography to many children. In some countries we had some trouble to find an interested school (ages 10-12) to participate for mostly bureacratic reason as not getting permission from the local Ministry of Education.
As we decided to visit those country in any case, I was wondering if some of you can help us out in 3 countries:
Malaysia: 20-23 July
Brunei: 24-27 July
East Timor: 3-8 August

Thank you all for your help or suggestions.

I will be happy to provide more info about organisation or logistics, i will be happy to provide, just drop me a mail at anthonyasael@artinallofus.org

Greetings from Korea

]]> `anthonyasael The Millenium Goals 3of8 http://anthonyasael.deviantart.com/journal/9195032/ http://anthonyasael.deviantart.com/journal/9195032/ Tue, 27 Jun 2006 01:24:25 PDT
I have decided to share with you an exhibition that Art in All of Us has hosted for the 60th years anniversary of the UNICEF in Brussels.

Art in All of Us decided to promote the importance of the 8 UN millennium goals for Development (MDG) set in 2000 ([link]) Each one of the goals was represented by photographs (4-6), a drawing and a poem written by a child from all the 6 continents. I will publish them now in dA. I will try to do one Millennium Goal per week

This exhibition was a real success and we succeed to raise some funds to continue sponsor art education projects in developing countries. But still a long way to cover all the needs maybe online can we help too. through buying photographs online or even through small donation online at [link] , and dont forget that even the most symbolic individual contribution of 10 USD can fund art activities in one school of a developing country.

I will also upload some of the photography and kids artworks online in the next weeks. I hope you enjoy it !

If you are interested, to host one similar exhibition, dont hesitate to write me at anthonyasael@artinallofus.org

The 8 Millennium Goals are:
Millennium Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

Millennium Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education

Millennium Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women (THIS WEEK)

Millennium Goal 4: Reduce child mortality
Millennium Goal 5: Improve maternal health
Millennium Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
Millennium Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability
Millennium Goal 8: Develop a global partnership for development

]]> `anthonyasael News from Art in All of Us in Cambodia http://anthonyasael.deviantart.com/journal/9152584/ http://anthonyasael.deviantart.com/journal/9152584/ Thu, 22 Jun 2006 20:27:29 PDT
Dear Deviant friends,

We have been on the roads of southern Asia for 6 weeks without giving you much news. Since our last Newsletter, we have travelled and visited schools in Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. The smile and creativity of the Asian children brought new colours to Art in All of Us. Having still huge delay to put online our galleries, we wanted already to share with you the following poetry:

Rain Drop, from Quách Hoang Hanh Tháo (10 years old, Vietnam):

Small grey clouds
Wandering in the sky
Like precious stones
On a rainy day

Rain drop fall down
Dancing in the fields
With farmers
Producing rice
()
If I had a wish
I would wish
That rain was not so heavy

So that my mother could sow rice
And rice could grow
Into white rice,
To feed people.

We are also very pleased to announce a new global partner of Art in All of Us. SOS Childrens Villages ([link]) manage orphanages and schools in more than 130 countries. Our first experience in Vietnam was very enriching for us and of course for the children. We strongly believe that by this new tight collaboration, we will be able to bring our multicultural exchange mission on a even more global reach. We are also full of pride to be able give the opportunity to all the orphans of SOS Villages to participate in the programs of Art in All of Us.

During the month of April, Art in All of Us (AiA) launched formally 2 new programs within a worldwide network of schools: AiA Pen Pal Program and the AiA Awareness Program, further promoting communication between children of different continents or of neighbouring countries

Today, we are also happy to announce you some news on the website:
-one new press article published by the Unicef in Pakistan:
[link]
-the official launch of our 3 Programs:
[link]
-Benin Art Gallery:
[link]
-Niger Art Gallery:
[link]

Last month, we have hosted a very important and successful exhibition for the commemoration of the 60th years anniversary of the UNICEF in Brussels. Many thanks to Regis, Cathy and Raphael to have made this possible !!
The subject of the UN Millennium Goals brought an important public and we have been asked to repeat the exhibition in Santiago de Chile, Milan and Antwerp (2006), and USA and London (2007).
In the meanwhile, we are also exhibiting today in Antwerp, Paris, Köln, Luxembourg and Rixensart for the iDAY (International Day of the African Youth). For more information, please visit [link]

Many of you have asked us what one of our typical days was like. Here is a typical day when we are not on the roads
4 am:
Stephanie: sleeping
Anthony: waking up
4:15 am:
Stephanie: sleeping
Anthony: working on the laptop (working on the thousands of pictures, look for new sponsors, organising our next countries visits)
7 am
Stephanie: shower
Anthony: shower
Because: yeesssssssssssss it is possible to travel and stay clean and smell good
7:30 am
Stephanie: organising art activities within one school
Anthony: organising art activities within one school
12 am
Stephanie: lunch
Anthony: lunch
1pm
Stephanie: shower
Anthony: shower
Because: it is very hot and we sweat a lot
1:20pm:
Stephanie: working on the laptop (classifying the thousands of pictures, update accountability, organising our next countries visits)
Anthony: siesta
3pm
Stephanie: administrative duties (exchange money, visa, phone calls, organising next road travel)
Anthony: administrative duties (exchange money, visa, phone calls, organising next road travel)
4:30 pm
Stephanie: Taking pictures in the city we are into
Anthony: Taking pictures in the city we are into
6 pm
Stephanie: working on poetry and drawing
Anthony: working on the laptop
6:30pm
Stephanie: shower
Anthony: shower
Because: cold showers feel so good when it is so hot and humid outside
8 pm
Stephanie: dinner
Anthony: dinner
9 pm
Stephanie: prepar... ]]> `anthonyasael The Millenium Goals 2of8 http://anthonyasael.deviantart.com/journal/9017910/ http://anthonyasael.deviantart.com/journal/9017910/ Fri, 09 Jun 2006 11:26:43 PDT
I have decided to share with you an exhibition that Art in All of Us has hosted for the 60th years anniversary of the UNICEF in Brussels.

Art in All of Us decided to promote the importance of the 8 UN millennium goals for Development (MDG) set in 2000 ([link]) Each one of the goals was represented by photographs (4-6), a drawing and a poem written by a child from all the 6 continents. I will publish them now in dA. I will try to do one Millennium Goal per week

This exhibition was a real success and we succeed to raise some funds to continue sponsor art education projects in developing countries. But still a long way to cover all the needs maybe online can we help too. through buying photographs online or even through small donation online at [link] , and dont forget that even the most symbolic individual contribution of 10 USD can fund art activities in one school of a developing country.

I will also upload some of the photography and kids artworks online in the next weeks. I hope you enjoy it !

If you are interested, to host one similar exhibition, dont hesitate to write me at anthonyasael@artinallofus.org

The 8 Millennium Goals are:
Millennium Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

Millennium Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education (THIS WEEK)

Target for 2015: Ensure that all boys and girls complete primary school.
As many as 113 million children do not attend school, but the target is within reach. India, for example, should have 95 percent of its children in school by 2005.

Millennium Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women
Millennium Goal 4: Reduce child mortality
Millennium Goal 5: Improve maternal health
Millennium Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
Millennium Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability
Millennium Goal 8: Develop a global partnership for development

]]> `anthonyasael The Millenium Goals 1of8 http://anthonyasael.deviantart.com/journal/8908095/ http://anthonyasael.deviantart.com/journal/8908095/ Sat, 03 Jun 2006 04:53:47 PDT
I have decided to share with you an exhibition that Art in All of Us has hosted for the 60th years anniversary of the UNICEF in Brussels.

Art in All of Us decided to promote the importance of the 8 UN millennium goals for Development (MDG) set in 2000 ([link]) Each one of the goals was represented by photographs (4-6), a drawing and a poem written by a child from all the 6 continents. I will publish them now in dA. I will try to do one Millennium Goal per week

This exhibition was a real success and we succeed to raise some funds to continue sponsor art education projects in developing countries. But still a long way to cover all the needs maybe online can we help too. through buying photographs online or even through small donation online at [link] , and dont forget that even the most symbolic individual contribution of 10 USD can fund art activities in one school of a developing country.

I will also upload some of the photography and kids artworks online in the next weeks. I hope you enjoy it !

If you are interested, to host one similar exhibition, dont hesitate to write me at anthonyasael@artinallofus.org

The 8 Millennium Goals are:
Millennium Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger (THIS WEEK)

Millennium Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education
Millennium Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women
Millennium Goal 4: Reduce child mortality
Millennium Goal 5: Improve maternal health
Millennium Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
Millennium Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability
Millennium Goal 8: Develop a global partnership for development

]]> `anthonyasael News from Art in All of Us in Gambia http://anthonyasael.deviantart.com/journal/8890265/ http://anthonyasael.deviantart.com/journal/8890265/ Sat, 27 May 2006 06:40:35 PDT
As Art in All of Us (www.artinallofus.org) is a multicultural Exchange Project, Ive decided to add some journal entries also in other languages. I believe most of our readers reads English, but some of them have Spanish as first language. So for them, I choose Spanish for my next entry. French will follow probably Please forgive me for my grammar and other mistakes
For the English speakers, just be patient, I dont forget you
By the way, just a small side note, today I saw the nicest sunset in my 31 years life keep posted for small spectacular shot with my brand new D200. It was just after we worked in a school in Chumphon, a small city south of Thailand.
Last small note before, my Spanish journal, THANK YOU ALL for your comments and on Emerald Eyes My message box has received 1200 messages in 2 days it will take time before I can all get back to you, please be patient. I have also decided to dedicate one of my future journal about that picture
For the new readers, please refer to the old journal entries to know more about our 191 countries project Art in All of Us or visit us at [link]
Noticias de Art in All of Us in Gambia:
Aquí estamos en Gambia después de un viaje tumultuoso de 12 horas para hacer 200 miserable km. La noche anterior tampoco habíamos logrado cerrar los ojos. Pasamos una noche bien larga en el aeropuerto de Dakar en donde ni una banqueta se encuentra para sentarse. Vamos a tener que acostumbrarnos a estas condiciones.
Esta vez no me puedo quejar del estado de las rutas, entre Senegal y Gambia porque estaba casi como en Europa, en buen estado todo el camino. Entonces porque tanto tiempo buena pregunta. Realmente pensándolo ya no me acuerdo. La vuelta de vacaciones de los gambianos Hmmm no tiene que ser eso? Demasiado tráfico por los semáforos, tampoco es . La cantidad enorme de barricadas de la armada con sus controles y coimas? Aquí en Gambia, no nos ha tocado Bueno me quedo entonces simplemente con la ineficiencia de los transportes públicos y sus interminables paradas cada 5 minutos bajo un calor insoportable para blancos como nosotros.

Felizmente a nuestra llegada a Banjul, nos estaba esperando nuestro amigo y contacto local Sr. Amidu. Tuvimos suerte porque, en esta asustadiza oscuridad, Amidu nos evitó una tentativa de robo! Después de recuperar nuestras emociones, nos dejó en un hotel en la ciudad cercana de Serekunda. El hotel se encuentra en el estadio nacional. Un lujo para nosotros, con piscina, cama doble, baño en la habitación, televisión francesa, aire condicionado. Solo faltaba el frigobar. Aquí también tuvimos suerte porque la familla cucaracha, con el papa, la mama y los 146 hijos también estaban presentes para acompañar nuestras noches, y gracias a ellos pagamos menos de 10USD la noche. Nos permitimos este lujo en familia un par de días más entonces.

Al día siguiente volvemos al trabajo. Tenemos cita en la madrugada en una pequeña escuela de Serekunda. Es un gran cambio porque teníamos la costumbre de encontrarnos con clases de 50 o 60 alumnos; en cambio esta vez son menos de 15. La directora de la escuela primero nos mostró toda la escuela y sus clases. También vimos una clase con tan solo 2 alumnos. Imagínense el lujo para la escuela y para los niños. Eso nos permitió hacer un trabajo más en profundidad con los alumnos y una vez mas nos sorprendieron por su imaginación y creatividad. Uno nos habló de como había escalado un baobab gigante para ver las Américas desde la cumbre.

Tuvimos mala suerte ese día también porque se le cayó nuestra cámara a una niñita de 2 años, llamada Stephanie, y la cámara dejó entonces de funcionar. Entonces, nosotros tal como los otros niños caímos en un estado de desesperación total porque no podíamos más tomar fotos. Buscamos en desespero alguien que nos pueda reparar nuestro instrumento de trabajo y devolver la sonrisa a nuestra caja de imágenes. La única persona que encontramos era un hombre de los años 60 viviendo en una gran casa de madera húmeda. El era el hombre que reparaba los televisores y videos. Por suerte, el cirujano de los años 60 no tuvo que meter las manos. felizmente, y casi por magia y un poco de suerte, un par de horas mas tarde resucitó la cámara.
En resumen, lo pasamos muy bien en Gambia y estuvimos muy sorprendidos por el desarrollo rápido del país. Recuerdo que en los años 70 el país solo contaba con un par de médicos, aún menos juristas o profesores. Ellos se construyeron solos, y lograron una política de apertura y de tu... ]]> `anthonyasael News from Art in All of Us from Bhutan http://anthonyasael.deviantart.com/journal/8819155/ http://anthonyasael.deviantart.com/journal/8819155/ Wed, 24 May 2006 05:23:32 PDT
Hi there some notes from Bhutan...
Sitting in humid grass and facing the "male" river of the Wangdu valley, I contemplate some blue stains in the sky. Mick Jagger is shouting in my ears some nostalgia. Houses of all colours decorate the towering hills. At the bottom-end of the valley, I can see rice fields in staircases (terrace) protected by the wild marijuana fields, recently watered by the heavy rains. It is funny to see marijuana growing over here, since Bhutan is probably the only country in the world where smoking tobacco is already considered as an offence.

I was really in need of such a small moment of peaceful rest after crowded India and political unrests in Nepal. Sunset should be in one hour or so. I hope that the sun will offer me a pretty colourful exhibition since I have barely seen him these last days. I left the capital Thimphu under the morning rain for a school in the East of the country. To get to this beautiful blooming valley, weve had to drive through a pass of more than 11,000 feet high. My eyes prayed all the gods to receive the dramatic view praised by all guides and travellers guide books. Unfortunately, it was a snow storm that welcomed us up there and had us immobilized for some hours. We were stuck there, in the impossibility to go forward, let alone backward. I can only be patient, and dream of Stephanie left in the warmth of Kathmandu. My feet are almost naked, wearing only poor summer flip-flops and I only have 4 t-shirts to cover my chest and knees. Having left Kathmandu with 90F, I didn't think to take warmer clothes. Hence, I close my eyes hoping that Orfée willl warm me up. However, within 10 minutes my shaking teeth wake me up. Fortunately enough, Buddha had some mercy and stopped the snow for a couple of minutes. The driver took advantage of it, and rushed towards the valley 7000 feet below, like an ice-skating ballerina. The road was not larger than a half dozen of small pigs. Our hero driver is sweating like a duck, but we eventually arrive at destination safely.
However, it will not be possible to see the children today, because schools close early here in the region. It will be for the next day, if conditions are more favorable. Fortunately, I visited another school yesterday. It was full of smiles and some marvellous drawings and poetries were created. It was a delightful day for them and me.
The kingdom of Bhutan is ruled under a totally different way from most countries that I have visited. Religion and environment have a central function in everyones life. Tobacco isnt legal in the country, neither are plastic bags
To illustrate such concerns, I have been requested of a special message to the world from a 9 years old yesterday, at the school: "please tell them to take care of the forest like we do". Indeed, this must be the only country that has been able to preserve its forests for centuries. If 60% of the country was green forest some 500 years ago, today they can still count on the same proportion of green areas.
This country has never been colonized and has only undergone 4 short Tibetan invasions between the 12th and 19th century.
A Buddhist monk whispered me proudly that his country´s development was maintained on purpose late, comparing to other countries, and they hear to remain like that. It enables them to learn from other countries mistakes and wisely and accordingly adjust to the best of the development of a couple of others picked up with care. They will never blemish their rich religious and cultural heritage . Lesson to meditate.

Anthony
Bhutan April, 18th 2006

]]> `anthonyasael News from Art in All of Us from the Indian Subcon http://anthonyasael.deviantart.com/journal/8668361/ http://anthonyasael.deviantart.com/journal/8668361/ Thu, 04 May 2006 04:00:10 PDT
We have recently left the Middle East for the Indian Subcontinent. In our precedent newsletter we were really hurt by the decision of some educators in Syria. But today we want to share with you some positive remarks Syrian children of a public school told us when asked what they thought about Art in All of Us:
"You allow all the children from every country to express their opinions"
"You showed the adults that a child can even have more thoughts than the adults"
"You let everyone discover the talents of the children"
"You allow us (children throughout the world) to know each other better and become friends"
"You have taught us about the culture and traditions of other countries
We have learnt to work socially together"

As you must know the Middle East is a region that brings passions out and that has many contradictions. Peace cannot start without correct and adequate education of children. It is a hard task to have politics excluded from it, but maybe having hatred of the neighbour barred from school books is a first good step in the right direction.

We are already impatient to share with you the works of the children of that region, but still, you will have to be patient till the month of June. In the meanwhile you can see two press articles from our works in Egypt and Lebanon:
[link]
[link]

We are already impatient to share with you the works of the children of that region, but still, you will have to be patient till the month of June. In the meanwhile you can see two press articles from our works in Egypt and Lebanon published in conjunction with the Unicef:
[link]
[link]

Today, we are also happy to announce you some news on the website:
-Cote dIvoire Art Gallery and Travelogue:
[link]
-Ghana Art Gallery and Travelogue:
[link]
-the updated the Gallery of the Month:
[link]
-Mali Travelogue:
[link]
-Some new poetry from Guinea Bissau and Cabo Verde translated English and French:
[link]
[link]

I would like also to invite you to an Art in All of Us exhibition ([link]) in an important art gallery in Brussels the 7th of May. This exhibition will be realised in collaboration with the UNICEF to commemorate their 60 years. We have decided to illustrate the 8 Millennium Goals for Development set by the UN ([link]) by photographs, a poem written by a child and a drawing. We have still a couple of invitations over for the opening. Please write to raphael@artinallofus.org if you want one. All proceeds from sales of photographs will be all donated to projects of UNICEF Belgium and of Art in All of Us.

As usual here are some core figures of our month trip:
-We have travelled over 11254 km in 33 days covering 5 countries (and we have reached our 79th country).
-We took 5232 photos in Middle East
-Our latest favourite statement comes from 11 years old Rua in Jordan: "I do radio broadcasting, I love to draw, I did theatre, and today I learn photography. Thank you very much. What a wonderful world
- small coincidences make big surprises: I met by chance in the streets of Jaipur (Rajasthan, India) a friend I had made during my first stay in India 9 years ago, and from whom I had totally lost contact! He recognised me and called me by my name. we could not believe it, especially considering that a couple of minutes before I was just telling Stephanie about him what are the odds???
-Our angel is still taking good care of us. under the heavy sun of India, our laptop just melted. but is still in working condition. However our DVD burner just passed away under those rough conditions.
-We are both in excellent health and condition and safely left the troubles in Nepal, and now are still licking our fingers from Indian and Pakistani food.

We are now leaving Nepal and will be heading shortly towards East Asia soon, to visit the following countries. Any c... ]]> `anthonyasael Where to buy Nikon d200 ? http://anthonyasael.deviantart.com/journal/8556318/ http://anthonyasael.deviantart.com/journal/8556318/ Wed, 26 Apr 2006 07:18:44 PDT Lost my nikon d70 in India and need to buy a new one URGENTLY . i was thinking of the d200 in Bangkok. Can someone tell me the approximate price of buying it in Thailand ? I saw 73300Baht online (1930 US) body only. It seem expensive too me as it is made in Thailand... Maybe buying in another asian country is a better option ? Can someone help me ?

Thanks,

Anthony

]]> `anthonyasael News from Art in All of Us in Syria http://anthonyasael.deviantart.com/journal/8483696/ http://anthonyasael.deviantart.com/journal/8483696/ Sat, 15 Apr 2006 22:17:43 PDT
Dear Deviant Friends and colleagues,

This newsletter will be of an exceptional length, we wanted to share with you, since it is directly related to our mission. We ask you thus to read it carefully and entirely.

Indeed, it is with great consternation and sadness that we just received distressing news: we (Art in All of Us) have just received the refusal of visiting a private school in Damascus, Syria. As you know, we are now in the Middle East. As you know, our project aims at visiting schools throughout the 191 countries recognized by the United Nations. And, as you also know, there are some countries in the Middle East that just cant reach to get on well. However, among the goals we have set for Art In All of Us, and we expose to the children we meet, is the promotion of the artistic and cultural exchanges among all the children of the world. We also wish to show them the similarities that the human share, regardless of their nationality, skin colour, or political views.
Why have we chosen to promote these exchanges among the children? Simply because we are convinced that if the kids of today learn to know each other better, and discuss with each other as from an early age, then, adults of tomorrow will be more tolerant, open-minded, or at least better informed. We do wish to help the children of today to be responsible and conscious adults of tomorrow.

We had an appointment with a private school in Damascus. We had previously met the director, to explain our project, mission etc (a meeting that had been or at least we thought so- very positive). Since we didnt know how to get to the school, we had made an appointment in front of our hotel, early in the morning. Unfortunately, after having waited for an hour on the sidewalk, nobody had come to pick us up! we learned a few hours later, by the phone and through another person, that we couldnt visit the school because the director refused to participate or involve its school in a project or a book involving also Israel! And we insist on the fact that we are talking about a private upper class school, and that the meeting we had held with the director the day before ended with her approval, and that we had arranged an appointment to visit the school on the day after!
It is with sadness that we note that the education of our children is sometimes placed under the responsibility of persons of extremist opinions, who dont give a chance to teach open-mindedness!
It is with great disappointment that we realize we won't meet these children, and won't be able to give them an opportunity to see the world through different eyes, and know their close as well as further neighbours through different words and images (neutral ones.
However, this extremist and authoritative decision reinforces us in our mission, and confirms that there are still so many things to do, to try to change todays world, and bring a bit of this tolerance, open-mindedness, and greater conscience that we are sometimes lacking. This lack unfortunately can lead us to such negative and regressive decisions.

However, we refuse ourselves to leave Syria on a negative impression, and would rather think that this is an isolated case we have been confronted to. And we do hope that our visit to other pupils in another school (public one), has brought some interest in other countries and cultures, as different from Syria as they can be, under all points of view.

Having now closed this long but important parenthesis, we can resume the usual course of our newsletter, and present you the final news and facts of our trip in West Africa, as well as the latest news and updates on our website.

Our fourth newsletter comes along with the end of our visit in West Africa covering 17 countries. Each of them was different and similar at the same time. They all keep their traditions and believes, but have the same dreams and aspirations. Through art activities in about 30 schools and children centres, we tried to give their children the opportunity to express themselves, something that is really missing in too many schools throughout the region.

Today, we are building a network of schools for a new Pen Pal project where children from different continents will be able to correspond about specific issues. We hope that this new PPP (Paintings, Photos, Poetry) Pal Project will contribute to promote cultural exchanges between people, which is the mission of Art in All of Us. Please feel free to join us if you are interested.

Today, we are happy also to announce you some news on the website:
-Mali Art Gallery:
[link]
-Our new what they told us section where the children expressed themselves through simple statements:
http://anthonyasael.deviantart.com/journal/8433682/ Tue, 11 Apr 2006 00:25:46 PDT
Being in our 5th country of West Africa, and travelling always by road, we have already experienced very long journeys on the road, stuck at the back of a Peugeot-Taxi. The worst part was the Gabú (Guine-Bissau) to Boké (Guinea Conakry) one. Indeed, we arrived at the bus station in Gabú at 8 am, the Peugeot taxi left at 10 am (we had to wait during 2 hours for the Peugeot Taxi to be full... Exactly the same Peugeot Taxi that are foreseen for 7 people, transport here 9, plus the mechanic on the roof of the car, on the top of the mountain of luggage). At about noon, we left the tar road, for a dusty trail, we won't leave until Boké, where we arrive during the night, at 1am! The promised 8 hours journey had just transformed into a chaotic and exhausting 15 hours one! Indeed, the car kept having problems: stopping whether to cool the engine, or to repair the wheel. Arriving at the hotel, we discover in the bathroom mirror our faces covered with dust we both look like mummies or like Indian redskins! We need to shower and shampoo twice to take off all the dust on our skin, inside our nose, and ears! Well, I also have to write about the hospitality of the guinean people: one man who travelled with us, and with whom we began to sympathize refused to leave us at the bus station in the middle of the night. He led us to a house, where he asked a man to lodge us. Unfortunately that man (working for the Guinean intellectual rights agency) was already lodging some artists. But he advised us a hotel, and managed to find a car to bring us to the hotel. In fact he stopped a car in the street and asked the guy to drive us to the Filao Hotel, in exchange of 5.000 Guinean francs (1 USD), which the driver (Sane Karim) in the end didnt even accept!
In Conakry we work with a catholic primary school, where we visit the 4th year class. Children are great, as well as their teacher and the supervisor. This catholic school´s attendance is very representative of Guinean´s people repartition: the majority of the children studying there are Muslims, and only a small percentage is christian. During the catholic religion classes (of course only for christians), Muslim kids have other classes (e.g: civic education ...) I find this a very beautiful example of the multi-cultural, religion acceptance, tolerance and savoir-vivre.

The most interesting side of using the local means of transport, to travel within a country, and from a country to another, (apart from knowing the people), is to see the changes in the landscapes, changes of vegetation, weather conditions, Leaving Guine Bissau from the northern part, we enter the north-western part of Guinea Conakry, and travel through a very nice forest. Countries southern Senegal and The Gambia are definitely greener and more humid. It is also more difficult for us to face the heat and the humidity. We dont bother anymore to sweep the sweat from our faces, since the second you sweep it, new drops appear on our skin We just gave up the battle and spend the day with a nice moustache of sweat and nice drops all over our face!

First stolen items: one small purse (with 2.000 CFA, +- 3 EUR) I bought in Chile, made by the aunt of my friend Francisca, was stolen from Anthony´s backpack while we were shooting pictures with some street children on the bridge linking the island of Saint Louis to the Langue de Barbarie, in Senegal.
The other theft we have undergone until now happened in Tarrafal (Cape Verde), and is sooooo strange! At the end of our stay, and preparing our bags, I realize that my conditioner has disappeared. It is so strange that it is the only item that was stolen/had disappeared, because we had all our stuff in the same room (clothes, shampoo, lotions etc) And we are both 100% sure we had it with us in Tarrafal because I had used it the day before! We talked to the persons of the hotel, but they looked honest and sincere.

Another very interesting thing is the way the whiteness of our skin is considered: in Chile I was black, in Belgium, I was black here in Africa, I am white, and the kids call me the same way they call white tourists: toubab in Senegal, branco in Gine Bissau In Madagascar kids differentiate between the vazah (white, stranger) and the vazah mainty (black stranger). During our photo session with the class we visited in Conakry, some girls began to touch my hair, as I was sitting and shooting a picture. Another one laughed at them and explained that they had never touched a white persons´hair!. This also raises the question of my identity: divided between two countries, I don´t really feel a stronger attachment for one or another. I think I just feel I am as African as I am European (neither specifically Belgian, nor Malagasy)

Stephanie
Conakry (Guinea) December, 8th 2005

]]> `anthonyasael News from Art in All of Us in Sierra Leone http://anthonyasael.deviantart.com/journal/8372583/ http://anthonyasael.deviantart.com/journal/8372583/ Wed, 05 Apr 2006 10:24:36 PDT
Freetown, Sierra Leone 9th of December,

A 12 hours and 350km journey brought us from Conakry to Freetown by the end of the afternoon. Checkpoints and the omnipresent corruption took the major and most painful part of our day and of our stressCops of the two countries are really shady. I wonder who would win the Oscar Some of them are very direct in their approach; others are more conservative and prefer to create an unhealthy atmosphere without asking directly for their Christmas gift. This last attitude is more time consuming and painful than the direct one.
The good thing is that we have the feeling that they dont see us as walking moneyboxes coming through. Most of the time, local passengers are on the same level and suffer the same aggressiveness as we do. Solidarity links are created between us and the other fellow passengers. Another positive point is that with a couple of smiles, we have always succeeded quite easily to negotiate our bribe debt and reduce it to some cigarettes or some small and insignificant notes.

Freetown is quite a big melting pot of countries Ive visited. It reminds me a little of Colombia and its small fishing villages; but also of the port of Aden in Yemen, with its swarming markets and its non-stop singing mosques; or also the 7 hills of Antananarivo, capital of Madagascar; but it is probably more similar to Rio de Janeiro, with its green hills and favelas.
Crossing the city, I try to go 2-3 years backwards and remember the attack of the rebels on Freetown. "No Living Thing" was their motto. Trying to picture this bloody slaughter is a very painful exercise. How can we imagine that just a couple of months ago, Freetown has been the scene of 6000 brutal deaths, and that some other thousands were tortured, raped, etc? And all this for nothing, except some precious stones worn by the wealthiest of this planet.

The famous Bintumani hotel has been destroyed quite entirely and requisitioned by the rebels during their occupation. I cant imagine what happened in our room during those days. I see rebels everywhere, and my head imagines fields of battles on the gardens that edge the hotel. I have pain in my head and the anger is unbearable.

It is very difficult to describe our first impressions of Sierra Leone, as we saw only a luxuriant vegetation, paradise environment, hot delicious food, and charming people. How can we imagine there was war only 2-3 years ago?
How to believe the awful stories that one tells you with a thin voice?
How could the people forgive the rapes, murders, torture from their neighbours?
How to trust the taxi driver, the waiter or the street seller?
How not to imagine that some of them took part to the atrocities?
How to presume that rancour does not exist in this country?

We met a judge of the war criminals. He told us that soldiers are sent to reinsertion camps for a stay of 3 weeks to 6 months.. Either Sierra Leoneans adapt to their environment as well as chameleons, or they were, as said, drugged soldiers - but what a rapid adaptation to a new normal life!!

We have been for about a week in Sierra Leone, and I couldnt resolve the mystery of the reintegration. I believe that it is necessary to divide the topic in two. First of all, the children soldiers whom one tried to bring back in the society, and secondly the society itself that must try to reintegrate and tolerate those young criminals. How can families forgive the committed barbarisms so quickly?
A big work has apparently been done with children soldiers themselves, but less effort has been done within the society in itself or with victims of rapes, crimes, etc How could these martyrs accept so easily the return of mercenaries under the lemma "forgive but dont forget ". As a sceptical European, I could not trust their sincerity, but today I want to believe it ingenuously, as the sierra leoneans do.

It hurts me to write on the atrocities that have been committed. There are so many stories. I cannot translate them in words and spread the emotions of people without travestying them. Others would have more talent to do it.

We worked with the UNICEF in an Islamic school inland in a small city called Makeni, eastern Sierra Leone. We observe that there is still a huge job to realize in Education. The level of instruction is low. For teens it is often also their first years of schools as they couldnt attend during war times.

After spending the morning in the school working on the poetry, drawing and pictures, we trained the local UNICEF staff on digital photography.
We wander afterwards around the small communities in the village. As usual, we were welcomed with the gleeful eyes of children. They became once more crazy when they saw the camera. They were smiling... ]]> `anthonyasael