Stations Two to Rwanda

Stations Two, collecting the human voices of forgiveness, leaves for Rwanda in a few days. It will be part of the commemoration of the genocide 15 years ago in Rwanda. Be a part of this journey. Go to our website to learn more. Click on Stations Two spotlight project on our home page: www.todaymarksthebeginning.com

Grace Methodist Church, Dallas
inaugural appearance.

Secretary of the Arts?

Quincy Jones is putting together a petition to have a cabinet position for Secretary of the Arts. Many countries have a culture minister. Jones asserts that the arts play as an important role as Education, Commerce, etc. Others think that having a culture minister could actually hinder the wide variety of artists and disciplines. They think the NEA and other government funding organizations as they exist are enough. What do you think?

Public Forum on Peace Education

Please join us Thursday, January 15, at a community conversation about peace education, sponsored by Peacemakers Inc. (7 pm, Center for Community Cooperation) This is actually happening in DALLAS, TEXAS! Something like this seemed unimaginable 25 years ago.

Karen Blessen and Babrbara Miller ofToday Marks the Beginning will describe the TMtB program, MasterPEACE. MasterPEACE is active in schools in DISD, at Parish Episcopal, and at the GirlSMART and BoySMART summer programs in South Dallas. More exciting news: an exhibit of MasterPEACE student artwork of Great Peacemakers, beginning in March, at the beautiful Women's Museum at Fair Park.

Public Art & Forgiveness

STATIONS TWO, an interactive public artwork, will make its inaugural appearance on January 18 in Dallas before traveling to Rwanda in February. The trip from Dallas to Rwanda will be the first connection in the world wide network. Nancy Rebal is scheduled to present STATIONS TWO, at the international Gathering of Forgiveness and 15th year commemoration of the genocide in Kigali Rwanda. STATIONS artists are teamed with “Gardens of Forgiveness”, New York City and “Mizero”, children of Rwanda.

Experience this powerful artwork on Sunday, January 18 at 12:15 pm. Grace Methodist Church, Junius & Haskell. Learn more: www.todaymarksthebeginning.org and click on projects.

Purpose

"Do not let your fire go out, spark by irreplaceable spark, in the hopeless swamps of the approximate, the not-quite, the not-yet, the not-at-all. Do not let the hero in your soul perish, in the lonely frustration of the life you deserved, but have never been able to reach. Check your road and the tour of your battle. The world you desired can be won. It exists, it is real, it is possible, it is yours."

-Ayn Rand

Arts Activisim

The arts open up conversation and create dialogue in ways that politics, debates, editorials or community meetings can't. Today Marks the Beginning's mission is "using the arts to impact social issues." The issues we are focusing on this year so far are: teaching school kids about heroes of human rights and non-violent communication; breast cancer's effects on relationships and self-image along with educational components; interactive art giving voice to forgiveness 15 years after the Rwanda genocide and more. We invite you to join in on the conversation - creatively. www.todaymarksthebeginning.org