Between the global day of military spending, tax day and earth day, this event is inspired by the poem "On this Land" by Mahmoud Darwish. His poem describes "the tyrant's fear of songs" and reminds us of "all of that which makes life worth living"- music, culture, land, solidarity, and dance. Drawing from this and other art, we hope to create a container to hold our community with care and accountability through the solidarity work we need to sustain.
Our lineup includes live Palestinian music and poetry, Dabke dancing, Drumming by Sikh Ragis, Rena Priest and more! We'll also have an art and baked goods auction to raise additional funds. Sliding scale donations will be encouraged online, at the door and in person through the night, but no one will be turned away for lack of funds. Please bring your masks, indoor dance shoes or socks as well as a kuffyieh or headcover for a special performance by our Sikh friends. We will have masks and some head coverings if you aren't able to bring them. Participate in this community gathering around Earth Day and Tax Day and help us raise tax-deductible donations for Palestine. Access to the venue requires the ability to walk up two sets of stairs, so to make our event more available, we are hoping to livestreaming the performances. For accessibility requests, please email office@whatcompjc.org Register here to jumpstart the fundraiser!Accessibility NoteWhat Makes Life Worth Living, is meant to hold in remembrance and solidarity, the lives, culture, and resistance of the Palestinian people. Simultaneously, we will be raising funds for the Palestinian Children's Relief Fund (PCRF), an organization that provides medical attention and critical nutrition care to Palestinian children. More than 10 Palestinian children a day have to undergo amputations of limbs due to Israel's continuous militarized assault on the people of Gaza. War is a mass-disabling event in a variety of ways. Whether it is from the obvious violence of bombings to the CTPSD, starvation, infectious diseases, or the destruction of hospitals that Palestinian people and land continue to endure. This reality stays with us while we gather in solidarity for this event.
Palestinian liberation must include dis/ability liberation. Within this context, we understand the shortcomings of limited accessibility for this event and are aware of our venue’s restrictions. The event is up two flights of stairs, which can be a barrier for some folks with mobility struggles. To provide a virtual alternative, we assure folks that the whole event will be live-streamed through the Whatcom Peace and Justice Center’s Instagram (@whatcompjc), for those who cannot attend the event in person. Folks are encouraged to review the accessibility notes listed below and participate in the way most comfortable to them. This collectivity in participation is What Makes Life Worth Living. COVID-19
VENUE
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LineupPoetry by Rena PriestRena Priest is an enrolled member of the Lhaq’temish (Lummi) Nation. She served as the 6th Washington State Poet Laureate (2021-2023) and was named the 2022 Maxine Cushing Gray Distinguished Writing Fellow. See her website here.
Headliner: Seattle-based Palestinian Musician Intisaar Jubran
Intisaar Jubran is a Seattle-based Palestinian-American singer/songwriter, guitarist, recording artist, and live performer. Born in Seattle to a Palestinian father and Armenian/Welsh mother, Intisaar traveled to Palestine often as a young girl, and has carried the spirit of Palestine into several of her songs. Primarily known for her wide vocal range and emotive story-telling, Intisaar draws audiences in with conviction and keeps them captivated from start to finish.
Find her on Instagram at @intisaarband and on bandcamp here. Drumming by Sikh Ragis
Members from our local Sikh community will offer a special drumming performance for us. Everyone will be requested to cover their heads, take off their shoes and be seated.
Please bring your nice socks and a kuffyieh or scarf to cover your head in respect. Fire Musical set gifted to us from Bay Area artist, activist and Dj Mansafmama (Alia)
Alia Taqieddin is a freehand audio storyteller DJ and emerging sound artist based in Oakland, California, with roots in Palestine, Syria, and Jordan. Before switching to audio, she spent over a decade in grassroots community organizing in Seattle. mansafmama mixes features contemporary and classic SWANA music and global beats like dembow and reggaeton. She speaks about her own work in an Air Media feature here, and you can find her on Instagram at @djmansafmama. Hear mansafmama's incredible playlist at our event!
Brazilian Music by Adriana Giordano and Ensemble!Originally from Brazil, Adriana is the vocalist and percussionist for Northwest-based Brazilian bands Entremundos Quarteto and Foleada. She co-founded the jam session at A Stir (previously known as Capitol Cider) and promotes touring Brazilian artists. Find her on Instagram at @adrianagiordanovocalist and her band @foleadaforro.
For this concert, Adriana couples her agile voice with pianist/accordionist Gabe Hall-Rodrigues and local percussionist Steve Jones for an afternoon of musical dialogues, where you'll experience interpretations of her favorite Brazilian songs. Poetry by Fiona Martinez and more!Fiona Martinez is a poet and student from Boise, Idaho, of Mexican and Irish descent. She is a recent graduate of Western Washington University, with a Creative Writing major and minors in Spanish and Education & Social Justice. Fiona is WPJC's communication's intern, devoting her time to growing community relationships, expanding her knowledge of peace and abolitionist efforts, and engaging in transformative work beyond the university. She believes in creativity as an act of resistance and seeks to harness the power of her poetry as a tool for activism. Find her work here.
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The Whatcom Peace & Justice Center calls on our government and society to disavow policies of violence and seek a culture of peace.
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