This week in Cairo, Egypt, poets, musicians and mime artists will perform in public spaces in response to violence in the world. During the same week in Washington DC, an immigrant justice event will be held where local immigrant poets will read their work. There will also be poetry readings for peace in the strife-torn cities of Kabul and Jalalabad in Afghanistan.
At the same time, Mumbai’s poets and musicians will get together at a book shop tucked away in south Mumbai to showcase their work on peace and sustainability. The performances at Kitab Khana have been organised to mark the annual global event for 100 Thousand Poets for Change, an organization that brings communities together to call for environmental, social, and political change through creative processes. Artistes from over 100 countries will participate in the project, each one highlighting issues requiring urgent attention in their part of the world. The Mumbai edition of the event (September 26 to 29) will focus on the issue of the girl child and has been organised in conjunction with Ladli, an NGO that has been working on the subject. Organisers feel that it is a pressing issue which calls for immediate attention. “There is nothing to celebrate about the abysmal sex ratio in the country. In Mumbai itself, the affluent areas have been engaging most in pre-natal sex determination practices,” said poet Menka Shivdasani who is curating the event.
Friday has been kept aside for women’s writings. On Saturday, the global day for 100 Thousand Poets for Change this year, classical singer Neela Bhagwat of the Gwalior gharana will perform her interpretations of Rabindranath Tagore’s compositions from her concert Robi Anurag . This will be followed by ‘Poems for Peace’ readings by city poets, including Ranjit Hoskote, Mustansir Dalvi, Hemant Divate, Anju Makhija, Pallavi Jayakar and Vivek Tandon.
100 Thousand Poets for Change is an event that began primarily with poet organizers in San Francisco in 2011. It has now grown into an interdisciplinary coalition comprising year-round events with participation from musicians, dancers, mimes, painters and photographers from around the world. Issues like homelessness, global warming, education, racism and censorship will be highlighted by diverse artists through concerts, readings, lectures and performances.
