Working with artists in Tanzania for MDGFive.com

I am currently in Tanzania with two Brooklyn based artists - Maya Azucena and Okai - and we are working with some of Tanzania's most well-known artists on a new song and mini doc for MDGFive.com.

Check out the article posted on the UN wire below. I'll post more soon - internet is spotty in Tanzania.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=37502&Cr=maternal&Cr1

9 February 2011 – The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has teamed up with a group of artists from the United States and Tanzania to raise awareness, through music, on the need to have better maternal health services in the East African nation, where deaths related to childbearing remain a serious challenge.
The collaboration, made possible with the help of the global network of artists known as MDGFive.com, just concluded a three-day music workshop with the production of a song calling for increased attention to maternal health in the country.

Goal number 5 of the eight globally agreed anti-poverty Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) calls for the reduction of maternal mortality deaths by three quarters, and the attainment of universal access to reproductive health services by the target date of 2015.

The music workshop featured MDGFive.com co-founders Emmy-winning filmmaker Lisa Russell and Grammy-winning singer Maya Azucena, and New York’s famous MC Okai, along with a group of Tanzanian stars, including Lady Jay Dee, Mzungu Kichaa, Mrisho Mpoto, FidQ, Sauda and Mama C.

The song produced at the end of the Arts and Advocacy workshop calls on world leaders to pay greater attention to the rights of women and girls, and urges the people of Tanzania to further empower, engage and encourage women as partners in development.

A short documentary film will also be produced featuring interviews with participating artists and maternal health representatives and highlighting the importance of uniting artists and activists around maternal health.

“UNFPA believes that artists have an important role in shaping opinions, informing the public and advocating for positive change,” said Dr. Julitta Onabanjo, UNFPA’s representative in Tanzania.

“While the voices of the marginalized are often not heard, the voices of artists break boundaries and are heard by all, the young and old, community leaders and policy makers, opinion shapers and development practitioners,” she added.

YOUTH ZONES

Here is some information on my recent film, "YOUTH ZONES" produced with UNFPA and the Women's Refugee Commission. Check out the film above and our website at www.youthzones.org.


Youth Zones: Dealing with the Aftermath of Conflict or Natural Disasters

In conflicts and natural disasters around the world, young people, at a crucial stage of their development, are faced with profound challenges. Emergencies often steal their adolescence and force them to undertake adult responsibilities. The structures and institutions that should guarantee their secure, peaceful development – schools, family, community and health centres – have often broken down, leaving them with little, if any, support. Access to basic sexual and reproductive health services, including information on sexually transmitted infections and HIV, is often impossible.

Yet in the midst of hardship and deprivation, young people show tremendous resilience. They raise their younger siblings, form youth groups and organizations, put food on the table for their families, conduct peer education activities, contribute to peace movements, galvanize their communities and contribute in numerous other ways to positive change.

But many of their stories are never told, many of their voices are not heard.

However, a new film, Youth Zones, Voices from Emergencies, produced in association with UNFPA and the Women's Refugee Commission, documents the lives of young people affected by conflict and natural disaster in five countries.

Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Lisa Russell, accompanied by spoken word poet Luke Nephew and youth activist Chernor Bah, facilitated discussions and conducted creative writing and poetry workshops with youth from Colombia, Lebanon, Liberia, Northern Uganda and New Orleans. The 25-minute film profiles youth who work as educators, peace activists, healthcare assistants and drama mentors in an effort to rehabilitate their communities after emergencies.

Filmmed in English, Spanish, Arabic, and Luo with English subtitles.

Happy Holidays 2010

As 2010 comes to a close, I wanted to take this time to wish you and yours a happy holiday season and to thank those of you who have supported me and my work this year. This has been a highly productive and inspirational year for me in which I have been lucky to work with amazing colleagues from both the development and creative worlds. It has been extremely exciting - scary at times! - in trying to find new ways to combine efforts to unite people and save lives. I couldn't do it without the support, trust and attention of so many of you so THANK YOU!



Here's to an even greater 2011!


Lisa

Highlights of 2010
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- June 2010: Accepted as one of 25 filmmakers for the prestigious CPB/PBS Producer's Academy at WGBH.

- June 2010: Curated and screened "Not Yet Rain" and "Youth Zones" at the "Cinema Corner", was a presenter on Christy Turlington's film panel and secured live entertainment for the historic WOMEN DELIVER conference in Washington, DC.

- August 2010: "Youth Zones" - a film profiling young people from Lebanon, Liberia, Colombia, Northern Uganda and New Orleans who share stories of struggle and resilience in the face of conflicts and natural disasters screened at the UN General Assembly for the launch of the International Year of the Youth. Produced with UNFPA and the Women's Refugee Commission (look for our revamped website in 2011.)

- August 2010: Featured (remote) presenter for the "Maternal Health Digital" panel at the Global Maternal Health Conference in New Dehli, India.

- September 2010: Launched MDGFive.com - a social media site that unites artists and activists for maternal health - with Grammy-winning artist, Maya Azucena, at the MDG Summit. With support from EngenderHealth, UNFPA, IpasWomen Deliver and Reality Digital.

- September 2010: Featured speaker/presenter at the UN Digital Media Lounge on "Reel Impact: The Power of Film to Change Lives" which was featured on the home page of Mashable.com.

- September 2010: Selected as a Special Media Guest for the TEDxChange summit sponsored by TED.com and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

- August/September 2010: Traveled to Swaziland and Kenya for the production of an AIDStar One project for JSI, funded by USAID.

- November 2010: Finalized film, "The Silence is Deafening" on preeclampsia for the Preeclampsia Foundation. Produced with the help of young filmmakers in Singapore, Tanzania, and Florida.

- December 2010: Finalized film, "When Peace Comes" on women, war and peace for UNIFEM (Part of UN Women) for the 10-year anniversary of Security Council Resolution 1325. Produced with the help of a young filmmaker in Sudan.

- March 2010: Received Pepsi Refresh Mini-Grant for Urban Word NYC for a live recording of "LIFE FOR LIFE", a poem/song on maternal health which was featured in this MTV Commercial.

- February 2010: Launched UrbanWordLIVE - a live streaming of Urban Word NYC's Annual Teen Poetry Slam

- Screenings and Keynotes: Gene Siskel Film Center, Columbia University, Yale University, Middlebury College, Global Health Council Annual Conference, Unite for Sight Conference, National Abortion Federation Annual Conference, National Youth Leadership Forum.

2011 Projections
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- Develop and produce short film on use of mobile phones for maternal health advocacy.

- Build MDGFive.com as the "go to" site on arts/artists and maternal health. Solicit more creative content from professional artists for International Women's Day.

- Produce an "Arts and Advocacy" pilot project illustrating how UN/NGO agencies can attract and retain the involvement of artists in global health advocacy.

- Conduct training workshops for emerging filmmakers interested in development work both in NYC and Africa.

- Finalize spoken word/film "41" with award-winning poet and actor, Carlos Andres Gomez.

- Finalize music video for SLUMCODE Group, a youth artist collective from slums of Nairobi.

- Develop new film, "Travels of a Lyrical Ambassador" on the work and words of legendary emcee, hip hop artist, Toni Blackman.

- Begin writing script on life and work of Pete O'Neal.

- Finalize fictional script with Urban Word poets.

- Continue building linkages with professional filmmakers and musicians around the world on my contracted work.

- Continue fundraising for production funds for "The Parliament of One" and "Myth of the Motherland."