THE OLIVE TREE

The olive tree

stands above my yard.

Ages fuse

to perplex the wide trunk.

Crafted by pain fissures

sculptured in peace curves

make a precious piece of Art

echoing the pulse of eternal life..

Sacred and silent

stands in the middle of my dreams

guards my steps to the river

calls me back in danger

always there

like a huge hug.

Η ΕΛΙΑ

Πάνω απ' την αυλή του σπιτιού μου 

στέκεται η ελιά.

Αιώνες συντήκονται 

να περιπλέξουν τον πλατύ κορμό.

Χαρακιές που σκάλισε ο πόνος

έλικες που σμιλεύτηκαν σε καιρό ειρήνης

αρμολογούν μονάκριβη Τέχνη

που αντηχεί το σφυγμό αιώνιας ζωής.

Kαθαγιασμένη και σιωπηλή

στέκει καταμεσίς στα όνειρά μου

φρουρεί τα βήματά μου στον ποταμό

με καλεί κοντά της σε ώρα κινδύνου

βρίσκεται πάντοτε εκεί για μένα

θεόρατη, ανοιχτή αγκαλιά. 

ΠΗΝΕΛΟΠΗ ΝΤΟΥΝΤΟΥΛΑΚΗ

 For her remarks about the olive tree and tress in general, see

• Penelope Dountoulaki
  • Liturgy for peace
  • The Olive Tree by Penelope Dountoulaki

   

Kids' Guernica - Guernica Youth - Activities in 2015

Kids' Guernica – Guernica Youth meeting in Wroclaw, May 13 – 16, 2015 to prepare exhibition in Walbryzch for June 2016.

1 - 6 Sept. Exhibition in Olympia in conjunction with the Symposium 'A need for a constructive dialogue and the Olympic Truce'.

In Tripoli, Lebanon youth along with three children painted a mural with the significant title: To remember we need to forget. The mural was painted in commeration of the bombings of two mosques in Tripoli 2013. They developed a very rich symbolic language out of a strong longing for peace.

Kids' Guernica - Guernica Youth action took place in the local community of Zabbar / Malta 2014 under the guidance of Gertrude Spiteri and Paul Dalli together with Hatto Fischer .

Gerold Schuman in Ecouen initiated an action in "parc naturel duVexin" in March/April 2015 with the murals painted in commeration of the First World War. See Mémoire(s) de la Grande Guerre 2015

Alexandra Zanne completed her documentary film of the mural action 'Seeds of Peace' or in French Graines de paix 2014 done with children battling with their bodies due to epileptic attacks. See https://vimeo.com/114130300

The artist Sonia Goggisberg and Ariana Rocha, director of ONG taking care of 270 kids per day, have started together in August 2015 a Kids' Guernica - Guernica Youth action in Sao Paulo, Brazil. They will start painting on the canvas in October 2015.

The first mural painted in Togo, Africa in 2015 came about thanks to the initiative of Christa Klenbub-Dunkl and Rainer Rene Mueller.

Bericht von Christa Kleinbub-Dunkl und Rainer-René Mueller

The Togo Report by Christa Kleinbub-Dunkl and Rainer-René Mueller

Greece before elections on September 20th, 2015

            The Third Memorandum of Understanding and the trading in of an old political uncertainty with a new one.    

The question constantly posed, but likewise denied is the prospect of Greece being forced to leave the Eurozone with all the unknown consequences. While Schäuble has proposed a temporary exit, the rebels in the Syriza party, now under the leadership of Lafazanis, wish to exit rather than face the tough measures agreed upon under the Third Memoranum of Understanding. Again political dialogue seems impossible as Tsipras is cast into the silouette of a traitor.

Tsipras fighting shadows of the past

The term 'traitor' reflects the totalitarian language in the making and propels hatred against the one branded as traitor (Jean Pierre Faye). Brendan Kennelly in 'Judas' states children are taught from day one at school to hate the traitor, hence the most difficult thing is "to unlearn learned hatred." Many more questions need to be posed about the Radical Left and their contradiction between political purity and absolute denial of the need to compromise.

See furthermore Tsipras, Syriza and the Radical Left

Another alternative is a simple prescription also found on the wall in the streets of Athens.

A demand for beer and weed by those who see no way out. Or else what has been described as

The lost generation of the Memorandum

Conferences 2015

Next museum conference:
http://www.museumnext.com/museum-conference-call-papers/

14  May Poetry Workshop in Wroclaw: "Bridge of Redemption / Vineyard / Valley of Vine Trees"

15 - 16 May Meeting of Kids' Guernica - Guernica Youth in Wroclaw

16 - 18 June Symposium "Reading Architecture," organized by McGill University. Place: Benaki Museum, Vas. Sofias in Athens. Abstracts are due by Jan. 15th.
http://www.readingarchitecture.org/

18 - 20 June Mons Meeting of Les Rencontres about "Virtual Culture, Real Responsibilities: Which concrete applications today?" or "Does Europe have still a cultural ambition." Les Rencontres European Association of cities and regions for Cultureinfo@lesrencontres.eu 165, Boulevard de la Liberté 59000 Lille - France +33 (0)3 20 85 14 15 www.lesrencontres.eu

22 - 23 June 30th anniversary of European Capitals of Culture and coordinated by Spyros Mercouris - see Athens Meeting 2015

1 - 6 September "The need for a constructive dialogue between people and cultures and the Olympic Idea" in Ancient Olympia and a Kids' Guernica - Guernica Youth exhibition

6 September - reception at the Cycladic Museum, Athens and presentation of Kids' Guernica - Guernica Youth

2-3 October Think tank of Les Rencontres in Milan on theme "What does a Network of European Cities and Regions for Culture mean today?"

18 - 21 October 
7th World Summit on Arts and Culture
IFACCA and Arts Council in Valletta, Malta

22 - 23 October
Mapping Culture II: Debating Cultural Spaces and Places  
2nd Annual Valletta 2018 Foundation International Conference on Cultural Relations in Europe and the Mediterranean 
in Valletta, Malta

Publications by POIEIN KAI PRATTEIN 
Catalogue "Imperishable Water", 2012 with Haroula Hadjinicilou, Anna Arvanitaki, Hatto Fischer (ed.), Athens ISBN 978-618-80160-0-2  
Hatto Fischer: The poem 'Destiny still flows' by Katerina Anghelaki Rooke - this concerns a discussion of the poem which inspired the action on Rhodes last year
 "Nation and Identity" by Kreisau-Initiative, with introduction by Hatto Fischer is crucial for answering the question whether or not Patriotism is an alternative to Nationalism. Youth met first in Kreisau, Poland and were inspired by this example set by the Kreisau Circle which went into resistance against Hitler on the basis of a non discriminatory approach for the day after Hitler fell.
Article by Anna Arvanitaki and Haroula Hadjinicolaou, "Action on Rhodes" in Journal "Nissides" (small islands). Rhodos, Vol. 9, 2012 
The poem "strong images" by Hatto Fischer was published on August 18, 2015. See http://labloga.blogspot.com/search?q=hatto+fischer.

Poiein kai Prattein is member of the Mediterranean Directory organized by the 
                                    René Seydoux Foundation
http://www.fondation-seydoux.org/repertoire_presentation.htm
Mediterranean Directory

Cultural Calendar for 2015