I highly recommend this event for anyone interested in the often-unseen side of Charlottesville– the very large international refugee community that exists here. If you’ve seen the movie Beyond Rangoon, which is a heartbreakingly awful, great film, you know.
One of the local Burmese men has been attacked, beaten, and robbed by masked persons while riding his bicycle home from work at night on Cherry Avenue. Is it possible that there are people like that living in this “peaceful” town? Does racism and violence HAVE to seethe beneath every surface? The man comes half way around the world to escape a terrorist regime, only to be treated like this in our “free” and “civilized” society?? Pathetic.
What: Party, fundraiser, and documentary showing: Friends of Burma Charlottesville and 200+ other people around the world are “arresting ourselves” in our homes for 24 hours in solidarity with the world’s only imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize recipient, Aung San Suu Kyi.
When: 10-4pm, June 16th
Where: Summit House, 717 Rugby Road
Come to learn about the culture of Burma, meet Burmese refugees living here in Charlottesville, and share food and drinks while raising awareness for a worthy cause
For more information, e-mail Cherry at stewartcherry@yahoo.com
Popularity: 2% [?]
Tagged as: Charlottesville, Events, Non-Profit, Parties, Uncategorized
Wait, so let me get this straight here, and please please please correct me if I’m under a false impression: the plan is to express solidarity with and concern for a political prisoner by… sitting at home for a day?
Which is not to discount the chance to meet expatriates with valuable perspective on their country’s plight. Seriously, this event sounds hell of worthwhile and something I am actively considering attending, but I fail to see the benefit in associating it with a bunch of hippies taking one of their days of sloth and labeling it with a cause.
I’d like to preempt this by saying this sounds like an important issue of global scale, and I’m very impressed to see it being addressed in our Charlottesville.
Only a comment, not an opinion, in response to Marshall. The same has often been said of Woodstock: standing up for a cause by engaging in drugs and promiscuity and listening to bands that would go on to shape a generation. This has become relevant again as young people protest an unpopular war through indirect strategies: for example, boycotting classes because of on-campus military recruiting. I’d be curious to know how the honorees of representative homage feel about, say, public head shavings. I really don’t know. These do not produce the same dynamics and social/economic impacts as sit-ins, for example, because sit-ins directly affected a business’s income, if not a local economy. Any experts out there want to weigh in?
This is an interesting discussion, actually.
I think I could argue both sides.
What about those marches I’ve seen by pro-lifers on the streets? What is the purpose or effect? Do people driving by see that parade and say, “Oh gee, I WAS pro-rights, but now, seeing that line of people, I think I”ll change my mind!”?? Or when the peace folks try to get cars driving by to Honk for Peace. What the heck does that accomplish? (A lot of annoying noise.)
When it comes down to it, a lot of “protest” and “action” is more SYMBOLIC than it is PRACTICAL. Parades and honkings and Woodstocks and head shavings and the like are often much flashier and fun and more about rallying the troops/the believers than it is about converting outsiders. And I guess there’s something to be said for that. When symbols have power, they do inspire people.
Having met some of the Burmese refugees, I guess I would say that for me, attending this party is more about showing my support to them than it is about thinking that our actions here in Cville will change foreign policy. I tend to think the local is where we have to make our efforts; because even small actions at the local level can have large effects. AND, to make one other person happy, even briefly, is, I think, worth effort.
Moment of Cheese: Quote from Victor Hugo: “to love another person is to see the face of god.”