ALR designletter [3.2]
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Welcome to a new issue of the ALR designletter. In recognition of the current political environment we have chosen to share a few more items than usual with you. We hope that you will forgive the extra length and that you find these items helpful. As always we welcome your comments, suggestions, criticism or praise. Thanks for reading.
Noah Scalin, founder
ALR design
socially conscious graphic design
http://www.ALRdesign.com
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[01] ALR NEWS
2 of ALR’s designs will appear in the special section on paper in the next issue of How Magazine.
ALR’s work will also be featured in the upcoming “Great Ideas on Limited Budgets” article in Communication Arts.
ALR’s work will be the subject of the “Printed Matter” column in an upcoming issue of I.D.
ALR’s founder Noah Scalin has become the chairman of the board of directors of the Richmond Peace Education Center (http://www.questionwar.org).
[02] WAR & PEACE
Want to hold a sign at your next peace rally, but can’t think of a clever idea for one? The designers behind Another Poster for Peace (http://www.anotherposterforpeace.com/) want to help you out. Over a dozen concerned graphic artists (some very well known) have come together and created peace posters that are available copyright free for download from this site. They are available in several sizes and formats and users are encouraged to distribute however they see fit.
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Who better understands the issues of war than the people that have to fight them? And the former soldiers at Veterans for Common Sense have a thing or two to teach us about our current state of affairs. Read their statement to the president about Gulf War II and more at http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/.
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Artists have always been a strong voice in anti-war movements. This time is no exception. To see an overview of who is involved and what they are up to check out http://www.artistsnetwork.org/
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If you are against participating in the military it seems you are in good company. Apparently George W. Bush went AWOL from the Air National Guard and avoided participating in Vietnam. Read the details here: http://www.awolbush.com/.
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Take a former US Army Ranger, turned cartoonist, add WWI and WWII posters and what do you get? The Propaganda Remix Project. Micah Ian Wright has created dozens of poignantly (and often hilariously) modified war posters which have been collected in the soon to be published book “You Back The Attack, We’ll Bomb Who We Like”. But for now you can see them all for free at: http://www.antiwarposters.com
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It might not be Woodie Guthrie, but people in need of inspiring modern political music do have some interesting options. Popular rap group the Beastie Boys have recorded the anti-war track “In a World Gone Mad…” and have provided it as a free download from http://beastieboys.com/. Zack de la Rocha (formerly of Rage Against the Machine) has teamed up with DJ Shadow to create the song “March of Death" which can be downloaded from http://www.zackdelarocha.com/. And hard rock group System of A Down have created a pro-peace song and video that can be seen on their site at: http://www.systemofadown.com/. They along with Tom Morello of Audio Slave and Rage Against the Machine have formed the social awareness-raising organization Axis of Justice (http://www.axisofjustice.org/).
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Last January, when Sam Hamill asked for submissions of anti-war poetry in response to an invitation to a White House poetry event, he had no idea what kind of response he would get. He certainly didn’t expect 13,000 submissions. His site http://www.poetsagainstthewar.org/ culls the best of them and tells the story of the March 5th event when he presented the collected works to congress.
[03] ACTIVISM
When wars end, the killing doesn’t stop. The landmines that are left behind continue to injure and kill innocent people for decades. The work of landmine clearance is difficult and expensive which is why the United Nations Association of the US created the Adopt-A-Landmine program. Individuals and organizations are asked to contribute funds to help specific areas in need of clearance and every dollar sent goes directly to them. Sign on at: http://www.landmines.org
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Former US Attorney General Ramsey Clark’s call for the impeachment of George W. Bush at the January 18th anti-war rally in Washington DC was met with resounding applause. Now the question is will people act on it? His site http://www.VoteToImpeach.org/ explains the logic behind his proposal and gives you a chance to register your own vote.
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Standing up for your rights is dangerous work and many a peaceful protestor has ended up in jail for their efforts. The folks at The Just Law Collective want to help. This mobile team provides education and legal support for non-violent protestors at events across the US. They also have handbooks about legal rights and dealing with the court system available online at http://www.lawcollective.org
[04] DESIGN
Yes, it’s a little past Valentines Day, but the folks at Free Range Graphics have given you til May 1st to ask for a belated gift. One lucky non-profit organization will receive a Valentine grant in the form of a Flash animation movie created exclusively for them. These effective fund raising tools generally cost quite a bit, so what are you waiting for? Sign up here: http://www.freerangegraphics.com/html/valentine/
[05] INSPIRTATION
Greg Mortenson is fighting terrorism one student at a time. Since 1993 the former mountain climber has set up dozens of schools for Muslim girls in Afghanistan and Pakistan from his Montana home. Mortenson began this work after a failed climbing expedition left him in the care of Islamic mountain dwellers. Learn more about his organization, the Central Asia Institute at http://www.ikat.org/.
(source: Christian Science Monitor 1/12/03)
[06] FOOD
Growing your own garden? The Garden Writers Association wants you to consider dedicating a portion of it to the needy. Their program “Plant A Row for the Hungry” encourages just that. They ask that you donate the extra you produce to soup kitchens and food banks. Learn more at: http://gwaa.org/par
[07] HEALTH
The EPA has banned the use of chromated copper arsenate (CCA) as a means of protecting wooden playground equipment from rot. However, the substance which is known to cause lung and bladder cancer, is currently found in some 90% of all wooden playground equipment. The Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends parents thoroughly wash children’s hands with soap and water immediately after they play on treated wooden equipment. (source: Environmental News Service 2/12/03)
[08] BOOKSHELF
It’s no surprise that after Bill Maher was ousted from television for his politically incorrect comments on his own “Politically Incorrect” a book was soon the follow. The resulting “When you ride alone you ride with Bin Laden” is a wide-ranging look at current issues in Maher’s bitingly sarcastic style. Filled with updated propaganda posters and well thought out (if not always appealing) proposals, there is something for everyone. People of both the political Left and Right will alternately enjoy and be annoyed with this work, and isn’t that what we should expect from a good cultural critic? (http://www.ridealone.com/)
[09] NOSH
Feel like corporations are running your country? For the 33,000 citizens of Liechtenstein this may be a very literal reality soon. For a modest fee corporations can take over the 60 square mile country for conferences, celebrations and even office parties. Renters will have access to the national art gallery, the royal wine cellars and will be allowed to put their logo on major buildings. (source: The Guardian 2/14/03)
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The ALR Designletter is a semi-regular update on the activities at Another Limited Rebellion design, the world of socially conscious design, and beyond. You are on this list because you have worked with, contacted, or have a personal connection to ALR design. The names on this mailing list will never be sold or given away. If you no longer wish to be on this list, just respond with "REMOVE" in the subject section and there will be no hard feelings. Back issues can be found on our web site in the ISSUES section.
Sources are listed when information was found in one specific location. However, no articles are quoted verbatim in this newsletter. The addresses provided below are to encourage further reading and support of these fine publications:
The Environmental News Service: http://ens-news.com/
Christian Science Monitor: http://csmonitor.com/
The Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/
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