#World Conference on Cultural and Arts Education

[indigenouspeopleday]

Preserve the rich diversity of the world's languages and protect indigenous scripts.

The Missing Scripts program aims to preserve the rich diversity of the world's languages and protect indigenous scripts, ensuring their existence in the digital sphere.

This initiative, launched as part of the International Decade of Indigenous Languages (IDIL 2022-2032), was presented at the UNESCO World Conference on Cultural and Arts Education (WCCAE) in February 2024 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

The Missing Scripts started from the alarming realization that nearly half of the world's writings remain absent from digital platforms. Among these are not only ancient scripts, some of which remain undeciphered, but also a large number of minority or Indigenous writings still in use today. Neglected by the digital industry, these writings, along with the languages they represent face the threat of extinction. How can we fix this situation? The initial step involves encoding these scripts, a process that entails standardizing them by assigning a numerical identifier to each symbol. 

This crucial task has been carried out by the Universal Unicode Standard since the early 1990s. However, mere encoding is insufficient. Equally imperative is the development of input methods such as keyboards to ensure compatibility across various operating systems, as well as the creation of appropriate fonts. Designing these “digital fonts” requires specialized expertise, involving collaboration with experts, including linguists, developers and native speakers. This is the mission led by the Atelier national de recherche typographique (ANRT), housed in a public art school, to allow these writings to be accessible on computers and smartphones. This approach thus makes a strong case for an interdisciplinary artistic education that combines technology, art, culture and typography.

This is an essential issue of digital empowerment. Without proper encoding, not only is the publication or exchange of texts is impossible, but also the construction of vital datasets essential to current technologies, such as automatic translation, voice recognition, machine learning and AI becomes unattainable. It was therefore a natural progression for The Missing Scripts project to join hands with the International Decade of Indigenous Languages, to draw global attention to the plight faced by numerous Indigenous languages. The Global Action Plan for the International Decade of Indigenous Languages provides enabling conditions for digital empowerment, access to information and language technologies, and artistic creation in Indigenous languages. In this context, The Missing Scripts project fits seamlessly with the proposed outputs in the Global Action Plan, contributing to the goal of enhancing the practical use of Indigenous languages.

On 14 February 2024, the event “Digital Arts and Cultural Inclusion: Navigating the Intersection of Technology, Identity and Dialogue” took place alongside the thematic sessions of the the UNESCO World Conference on Cultural and Arts Education (WCCAE). The speakers presented various initiatives in artistic education and digital creation focused on intangible heritage. Among them, Thomas Huot-Marchand, Director of the ANRT, presented the International Decade of Indigenous Languages, and spotlighted the work of the ANRT, a laboratory of the National School of Art and Design of Nancy, France. Founded in 1985, the ANRT welcomes student researchers from all over the world every year. One of its flagship programs, The Missing Scripts, has been developed in partnership with the Script Encoding Initiative (University of California, Berkeley) and the University of Applied Sciences Mainz (Germany) since 2016.

From 13 to 15 February 2024, the UNESCO World Conference on Cultural and Arts Education was held at the National Exhibition Center in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The event brought together nearly 1,000 culture and education stakeholders, including 90 ministers and 125 representatives from UNESCO's member states. At the closing of the conference, UNESCO Member States unanimously adopted a new Global Framework for Cultural and Arts Education. Notably, this framework prioritizes the enhanced promotion and preservation of Indigenous heritage and cultures.

Digital preservation of Indigenous languages: At the intersection of technology and culture

[classicalshorts]

So proud to be part of this again.

Do come along!

[culturaldiversityday]

 Ensure learners of all ages have access to the knowledge and skills to fulfill their creative potential, and thrive in an increasingly diverse and rapidly-changing world.

Culture and arts education relies on a range of actors to ensure learners of all ages have access to the knowledge and skills to fulfill their creative potential, and thrive in an increasingly diverse and rapidly-changing world.

With the generous support of the Republic of Korea, UNESCO will, for the first time, organize a Multistakeholder Dialogue bringing together diverse participants from around the world in a range of panels and dialogue settings to discuss key issues, share their experience and suggest priorities for the future Framework on Culture and Arts Education and in preparation of the World Conference on Culture and Arts Education in December 2023.

The event will include the participation of UNESCO Member States, United Nations agencies, UNESCO Education Institutes, UNESCO Chairs/UNITWIN networks, ASPNet, intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) and development banks, cultural and educational institutions, educators, artists, cultural professionals, youth, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other civil society organizations.

[jasfhercallejo]

The National Museum of Korea is the most representative and extensive museum in Republic of Korea. The museum holds an immense collection: it has more than 410,000 historically valuable and highly aesthetic relics ranging from the Paleolithic Age to the early 20th century, and more than 12,000 masterpieces of its collection are always on display in its permanent exhibition hall.

The museum also houses a Children's Museum, where visitors can learn more about the nation's history through educational programs and experiences. The outdoor grounds feature pagodas and other stone artworks too large to be on display inside. In addition to galleries with a wide array of national and international pieces, the National Museum of Korea is a stage for a number of cultural activities related to collection, preservation, research and analysis, social training, academic publications, intercultural exchange programs, concerts, and more.

The museum has six galleries: Prehistory and Ancient History, Medieval and Early Modern History, Donated works, Calligraphy and Painting, World Art, and Sculpture and Crafts Galleries.

The National Museum of Korea was established in 1945. In 2005, the museum extended and reopened on a site of 307,227㎡ (building area: 45,438㎡) in Yongsan, Seoul. Since its rebirth as a “cultural complex,” the National Museum of Korea not only to preserves and exhibits precious relics, but also provide various educational programs and cultural events.

The National Museum of Korea has a number of important cultural materials related to Silk Road (both land and maritime) from Central Asia, East Asia, and Korea. In particular, its unique collection of Sinan Undersea Relics which is a valuable source of information for study of ancient trade between China, Korea and Japan. A sunken Chinese trading ship was discovered in 1975, in the Korean southwest coast near Sinan, Jeollanam-do Province. The ship, carrying trade goods produced on orders from the Kyoto area, sank on its way to Japan from Ningbo in Zhejiang Province, China in 1323. About 30,000 maritime Silk Roads objects were excavated; they are 14th century Chinese goods, including celadon wears, coins, metal artifacts, medical artifacts, and many other types of objects.

Visitors can appreciate its vast collection; numerous national treasures of Korea are exhibited including Pensive Bodhisattva (a Korean National Treasure), Goryeo Celadon Openwork Burner, Ten-Story Pagoda from Gyeongcheonsa Temple Site, and Gold Crown from Silla.

In addition to the programs and contents respects mentioned above, the National Museum of Korea would be one of the best museums in the world, in terms of the size of the museum (biggest one in Asia and sixth in the world), the annual attendance figures (1st in Asia, 10th in the world in 2009), additional facilities (a theater, a cafeteria, a museum shop, education hall, conference rooms), and digital services for the exhibition (PDA, MP3 and kiosk system).

Opening hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday & Sunday : 10:00 am ~ 6:00 pm (Final entrance at 5:30 pm); Wednesday & Saturday : 10:00 am ~ 9:00 pm (Final entrance at 8:30 pm)

[y-rhywbeth2]

Arcane Magic #1

The perception of magic and its users by 'the common man.'

Link: Disclaimer regarding D&D "canon" & Index [tldr: D&D lore is a giant conflicting mess. Larian's lore is also a conflicting mess. There's a lot of lore; I don't know everything. You learn to take what you want and leave the rest]

Public Perception | Types of Mages | The Weave | Specialisations | Obscure types of magic | Elven High Magic | ??? [WIP]

Public attitudes about magic and its users and how they might vary through the realms. Mostly: don't spam cantrips for every minor thing and keep your weirdness to yourself.

Mostly the human societies that cover 99% of Toril, as usual, with the demihumans covered at the end.

'Life's better when you're not a frog.' - A saying that roughly translates to; 'avoid mages'

Supernatural and magical shenanigans have shaped much of Toril's history and still do, and human history has a legacy of ancient mage empires like Netheril and Imaskar, so the world is very conscious of it. However, considering the large numbers of disasters it can cause and the level of power whose workings are unknown to them, a lot of people are uncomfortable or at least cautious with magic. Probably especially so recently, what with the giant wild magic apocalypse that tore apart Toril in the wake of Mystra's murder in the 1380s.

(On the other hand; divine magic, or '[the] Power' is the gods' work and thus perfectly respectable.)

The average person does not know the difference between the various types or arcane spellcaster - 'wizard,' 'mage,' 'warlock' 'sorcerer,' 'spellsinger,' and 'witch' are all interchangeable umbrella names to them. Psionicists aren't mages but that doesn't matter to the public opinion either. You're somebody with magic, and thus you're probably dangerous and power hungry and do strange things and that's all the 'common man' needs to know about you. ('Bard' at least is recognisable as a unique term that means 'minstrel, but with training in magic' it's the arcane spellcasting that earns you the title of bard.)

Not helping is that most people also don't get the opportunity to see magic on a regular basis; mages are a minority of the population and generally have the sense not to be using it for every little thing (and/or have decided to be recluses). A Waterdhavian or Baldurian might be able to find minor magics for sale on the markets and places where the resident arcanists can hold conferences at or whatever it is they want to do, but not everybody in the world lives in a diverse trade city. And adventurers are a minority of weirdoes and very much the exception to all norms, so the growing collection of magical things or the mages your stereotypical DnD party is used to are not indicative of what the rest of the planet is experiencing.

Having a healthy dose of caution or even fear around the arcane (and/or a helping of ignorance) doesn't mean that anybody's rushing off to fetch kindling for a witch burning though: Magic is powerful and useful, and so many (rival, if not hostile) governments and organisations have mages on their staff, that even wary societies aren't a hurry to throw the whole thing out.

Societies that truly despise arcane magic and kill or drive away people who show signs of it are typically small and isolated from the larger world. Some orc and nigh-extinct dwarven tribes to the South, and human cultures like the Uthgardt of the North and the Bedine of the Anauroch are examples.

Of course popular attitudes regarding the Art depend where you go - the realms of Rashamen, Thay, Aglarond, and the city of Silverymoon, are ruled by mages, and Halruaa and Calimshan both place prestige upon arcane education. Waterdeep is the most open minded place on the planet. Meanwhile in the North mages are likely to be met with fear and distrust due to being associated with the Host Tower mages of Luskan (who are, in general, a bunch of power-grabbing corrupt assholes) and over in Amn, notably the capital of Athkatla, magic is heavily policed and its practitioners distrusted. The Mulhorandi see magic as the domain of the gods, and wizards to be usurpers and sinners stealing it for selfish - and probably dark - purposes.

Even for people where the Art is a commonplace thing intertwined with their culture and history, like Halruaans and the elves, magic is treated with caution and respect ('I cast fireball' is not an acceptable approach to life's problems). While Rashemen is unofficially ruled by its masked priest-witches, the Wychlaran, mages also must live apart from the everyday people, being tested for magic and taken from their families at a young age so that they can devote themselves to their gifts and the needs of their country. Men in particular must live segregated and in utter secrecy, and don't do any ruling (they're crafters and enchanters). ...Thay, historically, has ignored such cautious attitudes to magic and had evil mad scientist wizard-overlords running the country.

(And then there's the Dalelands, where mages are expected to dress like everybody else and some guy with a funny hat and colourful robes is going to make people roll their eyes - they've already got one Elminster: no more.)

Magic isn't illegal in most of the world, though it might be subject to laws:

On the simplest levels legal codes will usual have clauses outlawing non-consensual uses of mind-affecting magic and such. Within Athkatla one must pay for a license to legally practice the Art, attained by paying a fee and registering with the Council of Six. Rashemar men who are discovered to have magic are given the ultimatum of exile or a life of segregation as Vremyonni, where they are taught to become master enchanters, hidden away from the world. Cormyr requires that all mages of a certain power (5th level or higher in mechanics) register with the government. An unregistered 'renegade' mage is liable to be executed on discovery although Cormyr has a lot of laws regulating people and mages aren't special here (weapons must be 'peace-bonded' (ie tied in their sheath so you can't draw them in public), adventurers must have a registered charter, etc).

Many cities have their own official mage organisations serving their government (or being part of it) such as the Cloaktower Mages of Neverwinter, the War Wizards of Cormyr, or the Cowled Wizards of Amn, etc. Magic is commonly used in criminal investigations, and may be called upon in courts of laws to verify truth from lie with divination, if need be (although this role may be given to priests). In places that are more relaxed about magic it may be used for cosmetic or practical reasons, though it won't necessarily be cheap.

Since the Spellplague, when wild magic tore the world apart and left scars that lasted decades, the church of Gond has viewed magic as something dangerous - while they don't seek violence against mages they feel magic's influence must be limited and replaced with the stability (and equal power and potential) of science and technology.

The faiths of the gods of magic, in particular the church of Mystra, are charged with spreading education about the Weave and the Art, so that people aren't afraid and can come to see how magic can improve their lives - as well as impressing upon mages the importance of being humble and not abusing their power and giving people a reason to fear magic (the current incarnation, formerly Midnight, was a mage who loved magic for itself rather than its power and her dogma goes thus: 'Love magic for itself, not just as a ready weapon to reshape the Realms to your will. Learn when not to use your magic.'

On the demihuman side of things:

Halflings have little to no use for magic and their few spellcasters mostly focus on spells that help with daily life like cooking and farming and continual flame to make sure the streets are lit at night. It's the Strongheart who are most likely to practice said magic.

Gnomes are known for being illusionists; it's a large part of how they keep their societies hidden from getting stomped all over by the other, louder, violent races and their nonsense. Svirfneblin have a particularly strong cultural focus on it, and also tend to keep an archive of ancient spellbooks and powerful magical items they uncover (finding relics of ancient empires buried in the earth as they excavate it) They also have ancient traditions of rune magic, which is a guarded secret and only taught to women.

Orcs have little place for it (to begin with it's very elvish and respecting arcane magic is like respecting them). Grey orcs are basically theocratic and divine casters - usually women - rule the roost. Some mountain orc tribes may begrudgingly accept the tactical advantage of arcane magic but mages are disrespected for their cowardice in using the trickery of elves and humans rather than relying on their own orcish strength and gods. Orogs (underdark orcs) don't distrust arcane magic but lack the patience for wizardry (there's many other more important crafts to master) also favour their clerics as spiritual guides. Bards are actually the most common route to arcane magic in orog culture, where they play an important role in the military as healers and support.

Dwarves, historically, have had a heavy focus on divine magic and didn't have arcane magic until the 14th century. Some had a fascination with the stuff, but outside of enchanting weapons and tools it failed or went wrong at their hands. Mostly they're probably going to share the attitude of the non-dwarven culture around them. The dwarven-specific cultural attitudes that have grown around the arcane are mostly of a martial home-defence mentality. The Duergar have few mages but respect those that can contribute to crafting.

Dragonborn have never developed a cultural tradition of magic. I have no idea what their opinion is on the Art in general.

Elves are the magic race of the bunch, innately tied to the Weave and insisting they were the ones who taught humans magic in the first place. Only copper elves are bored with the arcane, having traded it in for the joys of Druidry. They're still usually careful with it, as shown with the absurdly powerful Elven High Magic although that's going extinct partially because the few remaining High Mages are so cautious about who they're willing to teach, apparently if you even ask to be taught then you haven't learnt enough patience to qualify (the elves have accidentally blown up continents with this stuff). Drow in particular love magic. Dwarves despair of dark elven architecture because it's often completely structurally unsound and held up only by magic. Surface elves have a strong stigma against necromancy and won't teach or learn it in elven lands. Excluding Eilistraeean drow, the dark elves don't share this issue.

[er1chartmann]

Alfred Rosemberg

This is Alfred Rosemberg, the ideologue of the Nazi Party, timeline:

1893: He was born in Reval.

1911: He graduated from the Petri-Realschule in Reval and enrolled at the Riga Polytechnic.

1914: The First World War began.

1914: The headquarters of the Polytechnic University was temporarily moved to Moscow.

1915: He married his first wife, Hilda Leesmann.

1917: He participated in the Russian revolution on the side of the counter-revolutionaries.

1918: The first world war ended.

1918: He immigrated to Germany.

1918: He  contributed to Dietrich Eckart's publication, the Völkischer Beobachter.

1919: He published his two anti-Semitic treatises, The Journey of the Jews Through the Centuries and Immorality in the Talmud.

1919: He conceived a theory about a global Judeo-Bolshevik-Masonic conspiracy.

1919: He joined the Nazi Party

1923: He became the editor of the Völkischer Beobachter

1923: After the failed Beer Hall Putsch, Hitler appointed Rosenberg as a leader of the National Socialist movement, a position he held until Hitler's release. Hitler remarked privately in later years that his choice of Rosenberg, whom he regarded as weak and lazy, was strategic.

1923: He divorced his first wife.

1924: Hitler was released.

1925: He married his second wife, Hedwig Kramer.

1929: He  founded the Militant League for German Culture.

1930: His only daughter, Irene Rosemberg, was born.

1930: He became a Reichstag Deputy

1930: He  published his book on racial theory The Myth of the Twentieth Century.

1932: He  participated in the Volta Conference.

1933: Adolf Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany.

1933: He was assigned the role of "Delegate of the Führer for the education and intellectual and philosophical formation of the National Socialist party".

1933: He visited Britain, intending to give the impression that the Nazis would not be a threat.

1933: He was appointed "Responsible for Foreign Affairs for the Party".

1934: Hitler granted Rosenberg responsibility for the spiritual and philosophical education of the Party and all related organizations.

1939: Again due to his strong knowledge of the Jewish question, he founded the "Institute for studies on the Jewish question" on Hitler's orders.

1939: The Second World War began.

1940: He founded his own operational staff, called Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg (or Commando Rosenberg), which was mainly (if not exclusively) responsible for stealing works of art from all the occupied territories of Europe but particularly from France.

1940: He was made head of the Hohe Schule (literally "high school", but the German phrase refers to a college), the Centre of National Socialist Ideological and Educational Research.

1941: He was appointed minister of the occupied territories.

1942: He issued an Agrarian Law annulling all Soviet legislation on farming, restoring family farms for those willing to collaborate with the occupiers

1945: The Second World War ended.

1945: He was captured by the Allies.

1945: He was tried at the Nuremberg trials.

1946: He was found guilty and sentenced to death.

1946: He died.

Sources:

Wikipedia: Alfred Rosemberg

MIlitary Wiki: Alfred Rosemberg

❗❗I DON'T SUPPORT NAZISM,FASCISM OR ZIONISM IN ANY WAY, THIS IS JUST AN EDUCATIONAL POST❗❗

[themswritinwords]

ALSO I'm once again going to be a panelist, presenter, and moderator at the LTUE Symposium in February!

LTUE is one of the most affordable writers'/creatives' conferences out there (extra discounts for if you're a student) while still giving you a massive bang for your buck. They have eight different 'tracks' for presentations and panels (writing, world building, art, TMA, academics, books, gaming, and professional development), but you can attend literally whichever sessions, panels, or presentations you want, so you can mix and match interests and professional goals.

It's super educational and I highly recommend it to anyone trying to go pro with their creative works, but it's also fun. Like obscene amounts of fun. It's all the best of a convention while also providing genuine professional opportunities. People come in cosplay, Sunday Best, and/or street clothes; I was on a panel last year next to an author with electric purple hair and a real silver fairy tiara whilst I was wearing a t-shirt with a sunglasses possum on it, and the guy on the other side of us was in a full suit and bowtie. There was a life-size Springtrap cosplay out in the main lobby. I pitched for the first time ever to 3 actual literary agents and got 3 requests. I got personal career advice from a 25+ year industry pro. A 12 year old with a "future author" pin asked me questions on my presentation and took notes, and so did an octogenarian in rainbow suspenders. I was taught how to write a professional query letter-- that has a 16% positive response rate, where standard is ~10%-- by a former lawyer in a pirate hat.

It's good vibes only, man.

But you'll also find professional agents, editors, artists, authors, directors, game devs and so on. It's a huge geek-fest that puts people at all levels of the professional world on equal footing. They've even got gaming events and filking circles.

In short, it's networking, fun, hyperfocus material, and professional-level education in equal measure.

I seriously can't say enough good things about it (and not just because I'm involved). There's something for every type of creator/creative out there, 11/10 highly recommend.

Anyway, here's what I'll be up to as a guest during all three days under the read more. (tl;dr conclusion, if you plan to attend and want to meet up, message me!)

Thursday

Original presentation (academics track): Folklore of the American South. An overview of myths, monsters, and old wives' tales from the rich storytelling heritage of the Southern States. AKA I finally have a platform to yell about my cultural heritage and by golly am I gonna yell about it! 10 am (yes it's a bit early, but I swear it'll be worth it! Y'all know you wanna hear about the Rougarou the destiny-determining powers of cornbread!)

Friday

Panelist: Shellshocked: Writing PTSD. Injecting realism into and dispelling myths surrounding characters with PTSD. AKA how flashbacks do and do not work, how to avoid making your character a caricature, and how to be sensitive so you don't use peoples' actual lived experiences as a sensationalist, reductionist cash grab. 10 am.

Panelist: Life After Coming Out. How to feature queer characters in more than just coming-out plots. AKA OwnVoices is not an excuse to exclude the reality of queer people in your built universes; don't write a story that's not yours to tell, but for the love of all things holy there's more stories to tell about queer folks than just The Big Realization! 11 am. (whew mercy, they gonna have me hoofin it all across that hotel RIP my ankles and my asthma)

Panelist: Fat Doesn't Mean Unfit. What it says on the tin. AKA a bunch of chubby folks are gonna demolish your fatphobia and why that's an important and good thing. Also I have a degree in health so I will be demolishing that fatphobia scientifically. 5 pm.

Saturday

Moderator: Dining Throughout History. A panel about how food, meals, and feeding communities did and did not work throughout history. AKA ancient Romans absolutely DID have takeout on the regular, and you're not a failure for not making 3 square meals a day at home with all-fresh all-natural ingredients. I mean, your characters aren't failures.... Yeah. That. 9 am.

Panelist: Nonnormative Relationships and You. The whats, whys, and hows of all the different non-romantic/nonsexual relationships your characters can find themselves in. AKA no shade to the romance crowd, but can we please stop forcing characters to kiss just because they're in physical or emotional proximity??? 11 am.

Moderator/Facilitator: Do-It-Yourself Medical Care: Hands-On First Aid. Come learn how to effectively injure and care for your characters by actually doing it! The caring part, not the injury part. We do not condone irl violence in the Marriott and as mod I will be obligated to fight you if you attempt to injure another participant. I can tell you right now as a both a stress crying asthmatic and the parent of a toddler with professional experience handling and subduing dangerous animals, it will be highly embarrassing for everyone involved. I seriously cannot tell you how excited I am for this one! It's me and four other authors who are also trained in medicine/health, so we're working hard to make this an informative and relevant experiential learning opportunity. They're only giving us 45 minutes, unfortunately, but we're already coordinating to try and pack in the most opportunities and most interesting exercises possible. It's gonna be so fun!! 1 pm, do not be late, we can only fit so many people and training dummies into the room!

Moderator: A Brighter Future: Solarpunk Fiction. A panel discussing the Solarpunk genre, why it's relevant, the ways conflict and worldbuilding would be different in a Solarpunk setting, etc. AKA a bunch of neohippies walked into a bar professional panel and decided to rant about sustainable living. 3 pm.

The rest of the time I'll be flitting around attending panels and presentations, checking out the art show and vendors room, socializing/networking, generally vibing, and maybe getting in a few pitch sessions. If you want to meet up, shoot me a message! I'm always open to Friending, and I know all the good places to grab lunch.

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 4.15

Holidays

Anime Day

Anniversary of Tarija (Bolivia)

AR-15 Day

Ariadne Asteroid Day

ASL Day (American Sign Language Day)

Banyan Tree Day (Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii)

Bija Mangala (Field Cultivation Festival)

Buck Rogers Day

Children’s Day (Spain)

Criminal Investigation Department Employees Day (Ukraine)

Da Vinci Day

Day of Love (Georgia)

Day of People (Aysellant)

Day of Radio-Electronic Fight Troops (Russia)

Day of the Sun (North Korea)

Father Damien Day (Hawaii)

Fluff Appreciation Day

415 Day

Freak Out Day

Gallaudet Day

Good Roads Day (Illinois)

Great Stichwort

Hardware Freedom Day

Hillsborough Disaster Memorial Day (Liverpool, UK)

Himachal Day (India)

Historical City Day (Malacca)

Hug Your Boiler Day

Income Tax Pay Day

International Biomedical Laboratory Science Day

International Pompe Day

Ivory Soap Day

Jackie Robinson Day

Kim Il Sung Day (North Korea)

Lilac Day (French Republic)

Lover’s Day (Kazakhstan)

Mariah Carey Day (California)

Melaka UNESCO Heritage Day (Malaysia)

Microvolunteering Day

National Anime Day

National ASL Day

National Collegiate Recovery Day

National Griper’s Day

National Hookup Day

National Keaton Day

National Laundry Day

National Poet Day (Peru)

National Rubber Eraser Day

National Security Education Day (Hong Kong)

National That Sucks Day

National Titanic Remembrance Day

One Boston Day

Purple Up Day

Quantum Teleportation Day

Rubber Eraser Day

Swallow Day (UK)

Take a Wild Guess Day

Tax Day (US)

Tax Resistor's Day

That Sucks Day

Tipsa Diena (Traditional start of plowing; Ancient Latvia)

Titanic Remembrance Day

Type 1 Diabetes Day

Universal Day of Culture

World Art Day

World Tiny Art Gallery Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Fast Food Day

McDonald’s Day

National Glazed Spiral Ham Day

National Takeout Day (Canada)

3rd Monday in April

Boston Marathon Day [3rd Monday]

National Stress Awareness Day [3rd Monday]

Landing of the 33 Patriots Day observed (Uruguay) [3rd Monday]

Patriots' Day (Maine, Massachusetts, Wisconsin) [3rd Monday]

Sechseläuten ends (Six Ringing Festival; Zurich, Switzerland) [3rd Monday]

Weekly Holidays beginning April 15 (3rd Week)

National Work Zone Safety Awareness Week [thru 4.19]

Undergraduate Research Week [thru 4.19]

Week of the Young Child [thru 4.19]

Independence & Related Days

Independence Day Holiday (Israel)

Unitedlands (Declared; 2022) [unrecognized]

Vishwamitra (f.k.a. Children’s Group; Declared; 2007) [unrecognized]

New Year’s Days

Day after Sidereal New Year (South and Southeast Asian) (a.k.a. …

Bengali New Year (India)

Bohag Bihu (Parts of India)

Himachl Day (Parts of India)

Lao New Yar (Laos)

Masadi (Parts of India)

Nababarsha (Parts of India)

New Year Holidays (Myanmar)

Sarhul (Parts of India)

Songkran (Thailand)

Water-Sprinkling Festival continues (Yunnan, China)

Poila Boishakh (Bengali New Year)

Festivals Beginning April 15, 2024

Boston Marathon (Boston, Massachusetts) [3rd Monday]

Coquina Beach Seafood & Music Festival (Coquina Beach, Florida) [thru 4.17]

Singing in the Sun (Myrtle Beach, South Carolina) [thru 4.20]

TED Conference (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada) [thru 4.19]

Feast Days

Abbo II of Metz (Christian; Saint)

Arshile Gorky (Artology)

Bananas with Everything Day (a.k.a. Banana Day; Pastafarian)

Basilissa and Anastasia (Christian; Martyrs)

Day of Tellus Mater (Pagan)

Elizabeth Catlett Mora (Artology)

Father Damien (The Episcopal Church)

Festival of Hero/Bast (Ancient Egypt)

Festival of Matsu/Mazu (Goddess of the Sea; Taoism)

Fordicidia (Old Roman Festival of Fertility to honor Ceres)

Henry James (Writerism)

Hippachus (Positivist; Saint)

Hunna (Christian; Saint)

Jeffrey Archer (Writerism)

Kanamara Matsuri (Iron Phallus Festival; Japan)

Leonardo da Vinci (Artology)

Munde (Christian; Saint)

Padarn (Christian; Saint)

Pammy (Muppetism)

Paternus of Avranches (Christian; Saint)

Peter Gonzales (Christian; Saint)

Ruadan of Lothra (Christian; Saint)

Rusalja (Celebration of River Spirts Rusalki of the Lemko People of Carpathia; Starza Pagan Book of Days)

Tellus Mater (Old Roman Mother Earth Festival)

Vlad Tepes Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Fortunate Day (Pagan) [14 of 53]

Sakimake (先負 Japan) [Bad luck in the morning, good luck in the afternoon.]

Uncyclopedia Bad to Be Born Today (because the Titanic Sank and it’s also Tax Day.)

Premieres

The Adventures off Marco Polo (Film; 1938)

Aftermath, by The Rolling Stones (Album; 1966)

The Art of Real Happiness, by Norman Vincent Peale (Book; 1950)

The Black Island, by Hergé (Graphic Novel; 1938) [Tintin #7]

Catalogue d’Oiseaux, by Olivier Messiaen (Pieno Pieces; 1959)

Colors (Film; 1988)

Dark Command (Film; 1940)

Donald’s Nephews (Disney Cartoon; 1938)

Don’t Speak, by No Doubt (Song; 1996)

84, Charing Cross Road, by Helene Hanff (Novel; 1970)

El Amor Bruno (Love, the Magician), by Manuel de Falla (Ballet; 1915)

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (Film; 2022)

Fargo (TV Series; 2014)

The Fitzgeralds and The Kennedys, by Doris Kearns Goodwin (Book; 1987)

Flashdance (Film; 1983)

Flowers for Algernon, by Daniel Keyes (Short Story; 1959)

Genghis Khan (Film; 1965)

Girls (TV Series; 2012)

The Hypo-Chondri-Cat (WB MM Cartoon; 1950)

The Little Goldfish (MGM Cartoon; 1939)

Little Red School Mouse (Noveltoons; 1949)

In Living Color (TV Series; 1990)

The Last Emperor (Film; 1988)

The Lumberjack (Oswald the Lucky Rabbit; 1929)

The Moon and Sixpence, by W. Somerset Maugham (Novel; 1919)

Mouse Come Home (Andy Panda Cartoon; 1946)

Outer Banks (TV Series; 2020)

Outer Range (TV Series; 2022)

Rattus Norvegicus, by The Stranglers (Album; 1977)

Ride ‘Em Plowboy (Oswald the Luck Rabbit Disney Cartoon; 1928)

Rio (Animated Film; 2011)

Robinson Crusoe’s Broadcast (Terrytoons Cartoon; 1938)

Rock & Rule (Animated Film; 1983)

Rock for Light, by The Bad Brains (Album; 1983)

Stage Fright (Film; 1950)

St. Matthew’s Passion, by Johann Sebastian Bach (Oratorio; 1729)

Think, recorded by Aretha Franklin (Song; 1968)

To the Finland Station, by Edmund Wilson (Novel; 1940)

The Twenty-One Balloons, by William Pène du Bois (Novel; 1947)

Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On, by Jerry Lee Lewis (Song; 1957)

Wild, by Cheryl Strayed (Memoir; 2012)

Today’s Name Days

Anastasia, Damian, Una (Austria)

Rastislav, Teodor (Croatia)

Anastázie (Czech Republic)

Olympia (Denmark)

Uljas, Uljo, Verner, Verni (Estonia)

Linda, Tuomi (Finland)

César, Paterne (France)

Anastasia, Damian, Una (Germany)

Leonidas (Greece)

Anasztázia, Tas (Hungary)

Anastasio, Annibale (Italy)

Aelita, Agita, Balvis, Gastons (Latvia)

Anastazijus, Liudvina, Modestas, Vaidotė, Vilnius (Lithuania)

Oda, Odd, Odin (Norway)

Anastazja, Bazyli, Leonid, Ludwina, Modest, Olimpia, Tytus, Wacław, Wacława, Wiktoryn, Wszegniew (Poland)

Aristarh, Pud, Trofim (Romania)

Fedor (Slovakia)

Telmo (Spain)

Oliver, Olivia (Sweden)

Mstyslav, Mstyslava (Ukraine)

Kenya, Octavia, Tavia, Tucker (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 106 of 2024; 260 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 1 of week 16 of 2024

Celtic Tree Calendar: Saille (Willow) [Day 2 of 28]

Chinese: Month 3 (Wu-Chen), Day 7 (Ji-You)

Chinese Year of the: Dragon 4722 (until January 29, 2025) [Wu-Chen]

Hebrew: 7 Nisan 5784

Islamic: 66 Shawwal 1445

J Cal: 16 Cyan; Twosday [16 of 30]

Julian: 2 April 2024

Moon: 50%: 1st Quarter

Positivist: 22 Archimedes (4th Month) [Varro]

Runic Half Month: Man (Human Being) [Day 6 of 15]

Season: Spring (Day 28 of 92)

Week: 3rd Week of April

Zodiac: Aries (Day 26 of 31)

[cptenvs3000w24]

Unit 06 - From Past to Present: Promoting Honesty in Environmental Interpretation

Hey everyone!

Edward Hyams’ quote illuminates the fundamental relationship between the past and present when it comes to interpretation. This realization is consistent with the ideas covered in ENVS*3000, which address the difficulties in accurately interpreting the past as well as the difficulties in presenting contentious histories (Beck et al., 2018).

The goals of environmental interpretation addressed in Unit 06 are in alignment with Hyams' claim that integrity requires the "keeping together of the parts of any whole". To make sense of the current landscape, environmental interpretation necessitates a grasp of the past (Hooykaas, 2024). This idea emphasizes the need of preserving the narrative's integrity across time, and it is comparable to the acknowledgment and assessment of history's significance in environmental interpretation.

The difficulties interpreters encounter when conveying historical narratives are covered in the textbook. The requirement of accuracy in interpretation is consistent with Hyams' claim that memory and familiarity with ancient things are necessary for integrity. The chapters stress the significance of identifying biases, distinguishing primary sources from secondary sources, and managing the dynamic nature of historical views (Beck et al., 2018).

Furthermore, the transient quality of interpretation is paralleled by Hyams' comparison of a railway station. The idea that history is incomplete as if a stop on a train only existed while our train was passing through, contradicts the idea that history is continuous (Beck et al., 2018). This is consistent with Unit 06's focus on the function of interpretation in fostering historical connections. Interpreters are like stewards of a railroad station; they make sure the station survives longer than a train passes by. The past becomes a continuing journey that informs the present through interpretation, rather than being limited to a past era (Beck et al., 2018).

The textbook’s discussion of the difficulties associated with controversial history highlights the necessity for interpreters to consider the difficulties of delivering difficult truths (Beck et al., 2018). According to Hyams, integrity requires knowledge of and remembrance of the past, which suggests a dedication to telling the truth about history despite disagreements. In the textbook’s discussion of the moral implications of historical interpretation, the notion that interpreters must approach difficult histories with tact and dedication to the truth is supported (Beck et al., 2018).

While reading the content for this week, I am reminded of my connection to the value of truthful storytelling. After hearing firsthand accounts from Holocaust survivors, the effects of this period of history are still very much present. The textbook's discussion of the Holocaust's aftereffects serves as a powerful reminder of the value of maintaining historical accuracy for future generations (Beck et al., 2018). In addition to visiting sites, such as Auschwitz, by educating visitors and creating awareness, Holocaust museums are a great source of information. By utilizing a variety of channels, including conferences, online events, exhibitions, and social media, they actively spread Holocaust consciousness and information to a broad audience, enhancing our understanding of historical facts (Oztig, 2023).

Holocaust Survivors - taken from https://www.un.org/en/holocaust-survivors-reflect

By dissecting this quote, interpreters can learn from Beck et al. (2018) and promote a more profound comprehension of the past, creating a story that endures while upholding moral and accurate historical interpretation.

References:

Beck, L., Cable, T. T., & Knudson, D. M. (2018). Interpreting cultural and natural heritage: For A Better World. SAGAMORE Publishing

Hooykaas, A (2024) Unit 4: Nature Interpretation Through Art and Planning for "All" Scenarios. ENVS*3000. University of Guelph

Oztig, L. I. (2023). Holocaust museums, Holocaust memorial culture, and individuals: a Constructivist perspective. Journal of Modern Jewish Studies, 22(1), 62–83. https://doi.org/10.1080/14725886.2021.2011607

[readyforevolution]

Dr. Cheikh Anta Diop was a champion of African history, devoting his life and brilliant intellect to proving the critical role Black Egyptian people played in the development of arts and sciences, dispelling long-held ideas that Africans contributed nothing of importance to humanity. Diop held five doctorates: in physics, African history, Egyptology, linguistics and anthropology, and with this, he set the record straight on who the original people of Egypt actually were and their brilliant accomplishments.

Diop was born Dec. 29, 1923, in Thieytou in the Diourbel region of Senegal to an aristocratic Muslim family. His early education was at a traditional Islamic school.

In 1946, at age 23, Diop left for Paris, where he would study physics at the famed Sorbonne. In 1953, he met Frederic Joliot-Curie, the son-in-law of famed scientist Marie Curie, who ran the Laboratory of Nuclear Chemistry of the College de France, where Diop had been studying nuclear physics. Diop translated Einstein’s theory of relativity into the Senegalese Wolof language. It was here and through his study that Diop would become a Pan-Africanist, immersing himself in the studies of sociology, anthropology, philosophy and Pan-Africanist thought.

Through his studies, he determined that ancient Egypt was founded and ruled by Black Africans, that the Egyptian language and culture still exist in modern Africa and that Black Egypt was responsible for the rise of civilization throughout Africa and the Mediterranean, including Rome and Greece. Diop published his findings in his first book, “Negro Nations and Culture,” which immediately made him one of the most controversial historians of his time.

Diop was active in the African nationalist organization called the Rassemblement Democratique Africaine (RDA) and served as general secretary from 1950 to 1953. Its slogan was “National independence from the Sahara to the Cape and from the Indian Ocean to the Atlantic.” The movement was dedicated to purging the African consciousness of slavery and colonial thinking and acknowledging the African role in civilization. He organized and hosted the first Pan-African student conference and revealed his plan to restore Black consciousness through focusing on ancient Egypt. He returned to Senegal in 1960 to begin what would be a lifelong pursuit of historic truth and political struggle.

In 1962, Diop produced his second major work, “Black Africa: The Economic and Cultural Basis for a Federated State,” in which he wrote “the formation of a federated and unified Africa, culturally and otherwise, is the only way for Africa to become the power in the world that she should rightfully be.” The work would serve as a manifesto for his political party, “Le Bloc des Masses Senegalaises,” (BMS). The party, with its call for consciousness, was seen as a threat to President Leopold Senghor, who was Senegal’s first president and the first African elected to the Academie Francaise.

Diop was arrested and tortured. The BMS was banned in Senegal for working against Senghor. Diop’s work was nearly lost. But the BMS and its supporters launched an anti-Senghor campaign. Senghor relented and released Diop, offering him a position in a new government. Diop refused the offer when Senghor refused to release all other political prisoners...

Here is a list of his books translated into English

(1)“The African Origin Of Civilization: Myth Or Reality”, by Dr. Cheikh Anta Diop

(2) “The Cultural Unity Of Black Africa”, by Dr. Cheikh Anta Diop

(3) “Civilization Or Barbarism”, by Dr. Cheikh Anta Diop

(4) “Black Africa: The Economic and Cultural Basis For A Federated State”, by Dr. Cheikh Anta Diop

(5) “Precolonial Black Africa”, by Dr. Cheikh Anta Diop

(6) “The Peopling of Ancient Egypt And The Deciphering Of The Meoroitic Script”, by Dr. Cheikh Anta Diop, Jean Leclant, Dr. Theophile Obenga, and Dr. Jean Vercoutter

https://amsterdamnews.com/news/2013/05/23/dr-cheikh-anta-diop-anthropologist-historian/

Via Sba Sa Ra Mwamba

please click this link below to subscribe to our youtube channel

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[aoawarfare]

Episode 30-Mustafa Cho’qoy the “Imperialist” Bogeyman from Turkestan

Mustafa Cho’qoy was the Minister of External Affairs for the Kokand Autonomy and when he wasn’t touring Turkestan trying to raise funds for a struggling government, he was reaching out to other countries to spread awareness of the deteriorating situation in Turkestan. Which makes sense when one considers that Russia was shattered by the rise of the Bolsheviks and engaged in a massive and devastating civil war. Who else were the people of Turkestan supposed to turn to if not other world powers when Russia was killing itself? However, for the Bolsheviks, serving in a government that wasn’t Communist sanctioned and reaching out to imperialists in the middle of an existential crisis was the ultimate betrayal and so they made Mustafa enemy number one amongst the Turkestan refugees. 

But who was this guy and why did the Bolsheviks do so much to discredit him? Mustafa was a Kazakh born in Perovsky, in modern-day Kazakhstan, on December 25th, 1890. He was born into an aristocratic family with connections to powerful Warlords of the Steppe Hordes and maybe the Khiva Khanate. Thus, he was able to study at a Tashkent gymnasium before earning a law degree at the University of St. Petersburg. True to other Kazakh activists such as Alikhan Bokeikhanov (who heavily influence Mustafa’s political development) and Akhmet Baitursynov, Mustafa’s first foray into reshaping his society was to work within the Muslim Faction of the State Duma. This is different from Jadid activists who focused on the cultural and educational dimensions of activism and social rewiring. Mustafa served as a secretary to the Muslim Faction and wrote several speeches for deputies while also running his own liberal Kazakh newspaper the Birlik Tui (Banner of Unity).

Interestingly, while Mustafa was in Tashkent, he met the Russian Opera singer Maria Gorina. Maria was married to a lawyer at the time, but would divorce him and leave her old life behind to marry Mustafa on April 16th, 1918. They remained devoted to each other for the rest of their lives and Maria worked hard to preserve Mustafa’s writings and memory after he died in 1941.

Kokand Autonomy

When the Russian Revolution occurred, Mustafa was in Tashkent and involved with the growing Turkestan Autonomy movement. He would sit in the Shuro and take part in the multi-Muslim conferences as the people of Turkestan struggled to establish a government strong enough to weather the storm that was the Russian Civil War.

Interestingly, despite being involved with the Alash Orda movement, Mustafa chose to serve as Minister of External Affairs for the Kokand Autonomy (if we remember correctly, many members of Alash Orda actually returned to the Steppe to create the Alash Autonomy because they felt Kazakh interests weren’t be heard or represented in Tashkent). As Minister, Mustafa took part in efforts to raise funds, such as his January 14th trip to fundraise in Andijan, and also to raise troops for Kokand’s non-existent army. But, like many other Kokand Ministers, Cho’qoy often met disappointment and frustration in carrying out his governmental duties.

When Kokand’s neighbors, the Tashkent Soviet sent an army to overthrow the Kokand Government, Cho’qoy fled. He escaped Tashkent into the Ferghana where he stayed for a few months. Following the fall of the Kokand autonomy, he would write:

“the core of the autonomists remaining after the defeat at Kokand called upon its supporters to work with existing authorities in order to weaken the hostility directed at the indigenous population by the frontier Soviet regime." - Adeeb Khalid, Making Uzbekistan, pg. 72

Which may explain why he initially fled to Moscow to negotiate with the Bolsheviks where he was arrested by the White General Kolchak as “enemy of the Russian state”. He escaped and went to Ashgabat where the Russian Mensheviks just overthrew Soviet power and was setting up its own autonomous government.

While in Ashgabat, he met Vadim Chaikin, a Socialist Revolutionary lawyer, and together they sent a telegram to the Paris Peace Conference. The telegram, titled “Committee for the Convocation of the Constituent Assembly of Turkestan asking for the congress to recognize Turkestan’s unity and its right to a “Free and autonomous existence in fraternal friendship with the people of Russia.” (Adeeb Khalid, Making Uzbekistan, pg. 82).

The telegram went nowhere, but condemned Cho’qoy, in the eyes of the Bolsheviks, as a class traitor willing to sell out his own people to capitalists and imperialists. Choqoy stayed in Ashgabat for two years before fleeing the oncoming Red Army. He eventually resettled in Turkey for a few years before traveling to Paris, with help from former President of the Russian Provisional Government, Aleksandr Kerensky.

The Archdemon of Paris

While in Paris, Cho’qoy would become active in the Russian emigre circles as a writer of newspapers edited by Kerensky and Miliukov. At first, he found a home amongst the Russian immigrant community, but, given his experience during the civil war and being cut off from his homeland, he grew increasingly anti-Bolshevik and nationalistic in view and so he found refuge in the Turko-Tatar immigrant community within Europe and Turkey. He associated with other Bolshevik bogeymen such as Ahmed Zeki Veldi Togan and Usmon Xojao’g’li. While in exile, he published several papers such as Yosh Turkistan (Young Turkestan), his own memoirs, and lectured widely. He settled in Nogent-sur-Marne, a village outside of Paris, but traveled throughout Europe, setting himself as the spokesman for Turkestan. Tensions within the Turkestan immigrant community grew and eventually Mustafa split from Togan, who seemed to have been going down a more pan-Turkic path as opposed to Mustafa’s more nationalist, Turkestan forced approach.

Because of whom Cho’qoy was associating with, his writing, and his outspokenness, he became foreign enemy number one in the mind of the Bolsheviks. Any known or suspected association with him often meant a death sentence for those he left behind in Turkestan. Despite his supposed influence, Cho’qoy struggled in exile, trying to get his work published and trying to get the world to notice what was occurring in Turkestan. While Cho’qoy was able to find other immigrants within Paris and around the world, he was cut off from Turkestan itself. So Cho’qoy wasn’t connected to what was happening on the ground nor could he shape what was occurring within Turkestan. He ended up being an immigrant that could only speak on situations as they were before he fled, unable to connect with the people most affected by the Soviet Union, fighting with other immigrant writers and spokesmen, and taking to a European audience that had long forgotten Turkestan.

Cho’qoy, like the Kokand Autonomy, was a danger to the Bolsheviks because of what he could have been. He offered an other option to disgruntled Turkestani immigrants and citizens of Turkestan, he provided uncensored and uncontrollable critique of a Soviet system the Bolsheviks were struggling to implement within Central Asia, and was connected with many other bogeymen that haunted Bolshevik dreams. While it is questionable what Cho’qoy could have achieved for Turkestan from Paris, the fact that he was out there at all was enough for the Bolsheviks.

In a Nazi Prison

World War II led to the fall of France to the Nazis and in 1941, they arrested Cho’qoy. He was placed in a camp in Compiegne with other Russian emigres. He was summoned to Berlin to work with other Central Asian POWs brought from the front and created a German Turkestan Legion. This would be the first time Cho’qoy spoke to someone from Central Asia since he fled Turkestan. He was astonished by their conditions, but also traumatized by Nazi brutality. He wrote:

“It is not possible to relate all the various cases of senseless executions in Debica. Every time I left the camp, I saw several corpses with smashed skulls…One wonders how much of this is because of the “Asiatic” contagion about which the loudspeakers scream everyday all over Germany.” - Adeeb Khalid, Making Uzbekistan, pg. 275

He had no sympathy with the Nazis but understood that a Nazi victory could mean the fall of the Soviet Union. He wrote:

“Yes, we have no path, other than the anti-Soviet path, other than the wish for victory over Soviet Russia and over Russian Bolshevism. This path, regardless of our will, is laid through Germany. And it is strewn with the corpses of those executed in Debica.” - Adeeb Khalid, Making Uzbekistan, pg. 275

This was a “small and pitiful speculative trade in human misfortune” necessary for national liberation. (Adeeb Khalid, Making Uzbekistan, pg. 275, Khalid) He discussed the idea of a Turkestan Legion and the future of Muslim states with Nazi General Alfred Rosenberg, laying down conditions that would save the lives of Muslim Russian POWs. After realizing the Nazis were negotiating in bad faith, he declared to lead the Turkestan Legion. Mustafa died on December 27th, 1941, supposedly from typhus he contracted while in the Compiegne Camp.

References

Making Uzbekistan: Nation, Empire, and Revolution in the Early USSR by Adeeb Khalid

Central Asia: a New History from the Imperial Conquests to the Present by Adeeb Khalid

The Politics of Muslim Cultural Reform by Adeeb Khalid

[theanimeview]

Getting Into Anime & Manga Studies

By: Peggy Sue Wood | @pswediting

School is starting back up again, and I thought it would be fun to share with you all a short post about getting started in anime and manga studies. If you are not sure what you want to do in your academic field of study but have an interest in anime and manga, then you may want to consider integrating it into some of your work. You can talk with your professors about how to make this possible and–hopefully–find a bit of inspiration in this post for getting started.

What are Anime & Manga Studies?

Anime and manga studies refer to the academic field that focuses on the critical analysis of Japanese animation (anime) and comics (manga) as well as related topics such as the Japanese culture, history, and society.It is considered an an emerging field of interest to scholars in many different subjects and disciplines around the world.

Anime and manga studies as an academic field is a growing community that often provides commentary on new trends in publications and cultural interests that relates to the sequential art media form. In these studies, scholars examine various aspects of anime and manga, including their aesthetics, narrative structure, cultural significance, and social impact. They may also analyze how anime and manga reflect Japanese society, its values, and its global influence.

Graphic by Paul Ocone | Source: https://sites.google.com/umbc.edu/animemangastudies/degree-plan/concept-map

If you look at the graphic above, this ties four overlapping fields together for a singular study on otaku subculture within the anime and manga studies realm. This is not uncommon for any field of academia really, as many fields find academic overlap in other areas.

Some of the most typical places you can find anime/manga academics are:

Asian Studies

Media Studies

Fan Studies

Cultural Studies

Literature Studies

Why study manga and anime?

Why people examine this particular media in an academic field varies from person to person. For example, I have a personal passion an interest in the media and in storytelling; one of my colleagues has an interest in the developing anthropology of popular culture; one friend of mine enjoys examining marketing techniques–reasons to enter are really endless, but if you have an interest in cultural notes or the humanities, media and particularly entertainment media like anime and manga are great places to find a starting point.

Rewards (and consequences) are as limited as other academic areas, as with most academic fields. You may gain recognition, or your financial backing if you become a professor or have influencer status with brand deals… but the rewards are more likely to include free attendance to conventions, some publishing opportunities, and better access to fans and public interest/support for your work.

Getting Started (Even Without A Degree)

To enter the academic field of anime and manga studies, you typically need to pursue higher education in relevant fields such as literature, film studies, cultural studies, or media studies. Some universities offer programs and courses in anime and manga studies, but many scholars in the field come from other disciplines by apply their knowledge to the study of anime and manga.

However, you do not necessarily need a degree to get started.

There are conferences and conventions you can attend or present at. Most anime conventions have the option of fan-panel submissions. You can pitch your panel ideas there! Typically, panels run through 30, 60, or 90-minute slots. So, prepare well!

There are also academic journals like Mechademia or The Journal of Anime and Manga Studies that you can submit academic paper to. There are also fan-related places to submit to (blogs, digital magazines, and such), like Anime Feminist and us at The Anime View.

Relating to this, you can also get started by simply building a presence either online or in-person, or both. Building a preseance is one of the easier steps and involves engaging with the community. If you are already submitting to journals and cons, then you’ve begun! Other ways include going to local meet-ups/events, building a social media presence, like blogging.

Again, there may be sometimes when you need a degree. Like, for example, certain publishing or presenting opportunities. This is certainly not the case with all places, but some journals and conferences–especially if they are within a particular field like English or Education, require those that submit work to either have a degree or be working on one. (Some even require a graduate-level degree.) Keep in mind where you plan to submit and what they require when deciding to share your work. Also, keep in mind that without a degree your work may not be prioritized

Teaching in a classroom is also preventative without a degree. Though you can inform a class on a subject via a school project or as a guest speaker, but to teach such materials in a classroom setting requires formal education.

Academia certainly has some ivy-tower parts to it, and this too, exists in anime and manga studies. However, remember that as you get further along in academia, you may need a degree to do some things, but you definitely do not need one to get started!

You should never feel discouraged from entering academia. If one group is not a good fit for you, remember that the anime and manga fans community is huge and that there are lots of academic places to get started. Academic spaces for consideration include, but are not limited to:

Schools (High School, College/University, Graduate School)

Libraries

Clubs

Online Forums

Conventions/Conferences

Also, for consideration is the many different ways you can approach the medium for study in a less formal way. Such as: analyzing the messages and themes, considering the creator’s intent, and how the media may be engaging an audience outside of its intended focus. 

I’ll end here by writing that I hope this brief introduction to getting started in the field of anime and manga studies was informative and thank you all for your interest.

—

This post is very close to the script I have prepared for a short presentation on the subject. If you are interested, you can view the presentation slides here.

[nsamfgc]

NSAMFGC Bangalore: Nurturing Excellence in Education and Beyond

NSAMFGC Bangalore (NSAM First Grade College) stands as a beacon of academic excellence and holistic development in the vibrant city of Bangalore, India. Established with a vision to provide quality education and foster ethical values, NSAMFGC has been a trusted name in the education sphere for several decades.

A Legacy of Excellence: NSAMFGC has a rich legacy of nurturing young minds since its inception. Founded by Late Sri N. S. Narasimha Swamy, a visionary philanthropist and educationist, the college upholds his principles and values, ensuring that education is accessible to all and empowers students to succeed in their chosen paths.

Academic Programs: The college offers a diverse range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses in arts, commerce, and science streams. These programs are designed to meet the dynamic demands of today's industries while focusing on the overall development of students. NSAMFGC's curriculum is aligned with industry trends and incorporates the latest advancements in respective fields.

Experienced Faculty: NSAMFGC boasts a dedicated and experienced faculty comprising subject matter experts and accomplished educators. The faculty members not only impart knowledge but also serve as mentors, guiding students on their academic journeys and helping them discover their true potential.

State-of-the-Art Infrastructure: The college's campus is equipped with modern infrastructure and facilities, creating an environment conducive to learning and personal growth. Well-equipped classrooms, laboratories, a digital library, sports facilities, and hostel accommodations ensure that students have access to all the resources they need to excel in their academic pursuits.

Holistic Development: NSAMFGC believes in nurturing all-round development among students. Alongside academic excellence, the college encourages students to participate in co-curricular and extracurricular activities, such as sports, cultural events, and community service. These activities instill essential life skills like leadership, teamwork, and social responsibility.

Placement and Career Support: NSAMFGC's placement cell actively assists students in securing job placements and internships. The college has a track record of producing graduates who are highly sought-after by leading employers in various industries. The placement cell also provides career guidance, soft skill training, and industry interactions to enhance students' employability.

Research and Innovation: NSAMFGC encourages research and innovation among faculty and students. The college supports research projects and provides a platform for students to showcase their research findings through conferences and publications. This culture of innovation fosters a spirit of curiosity and critical thinking.

Community Engagement: As a responsible educational institution, NSAMFGC actively engages with the local community through various initiatives. These efforts focus on social welfare, environmental awareness, and contributing to the betterment of society.

Alumni Network: NSAMFGC takes pride in its strong and supportive alumni network. The college maintains a close relationship with its alumni, who continue to contribute to the college's growth and success. The network serves as a valuable resource for current students, offering mentorship and career guidance.

Conclusion: NSAMFGC Bangalore stands as a prominent educational institution, dedicated to empowering students with quality education and fostering their holistic development. With a legacy of excellence, experienced faculty, industry-relevant programs, and a commitment to societal welfare, NSAMFGC continues to inspire and prepare the next generation of leaders and professionals to make a positive impact in the world.

[whatisonthemoon]

On How the Moonies Take Advantage of Imperialist Crises in Today’s Philippines

▲ Pictured: A class at the International Peace Leadership College prior to the rehabilitation program

The Philippines has a long history of facing violence and exploitation, as well as violent repression. The brutal crackdown on alleged drug users and dealers by President Rodrigo Duterte’s “War on Drugs” is one example that has has left over 27,000, mostly from poor and working-class backgrounds, murdered.  Thousands of others have been subjected to extrajudicial killings, indiscriminate bombing, and widespread human rights abuses at the hands of the government and its security forces, under both Duterte and Marcos Jr., often for alleged "terrorist activity". This violence is directly linked to the country's history of imperialism and feudalism, which continue to shape Philippine society today. 

The Unification Church, also known as the Moonies, has taken advantage of this exploitative system in a number of ways. One way, since at least the early 90s, has been to deceive women in the Philippines into marrying men in South Korea. Many of these women joined the Unification Church out of sincere faith in Moon, believing that they had found a God-centered “solution” to the problems of society, and were receiving their “matching” out of religious duty. Many were also tricked into joining the Unification Church, having the matching and blessing framed as a career opportunity abroad, with some of their families pushing them to go through with the matching so they could send financial support back from abroad. Many of these women were of course sent to church-owned factories or to become “help” for church leaders, some were even directly brought into the sex trade, but thousands are known to have been matched to farmers in rural Korea who were not church members but had saw an ad in the newspaper put out by the UC, framing the blessing as a marriage service. According to Toshiko Tsujimoto in "Church Organization and Its Networks for the Filipino Migrants: Surviving and Empowering in Korea," the Filipino Catholic Center in Seoul had women escaping these marriages come to their doors almost every day in the 2000s, speaking up about the abuse and violence they were enduring. The UC, in cooperation with their front organization and “Abel UN” Universal Peace Federation, have also taken advantage of Duterte’s War on Drugs. The church operates the International Peace Leadership College (ILPC), which was originally a seminary for Philippine Moonies but now it trains arrested drug users in Unification theology and martial arts and "character education,” as well as having these “students” (inmates) do community service.

Many of the participants in this program eventually join the church and become members of its student group, CARP. The program has been used as a recruitment tool for the Unification Church, and its ultimate goal is to prepare a thousand missionaries to go out into the world every year.

The UC has poured millions of dollars into courting many of the Philippines’ top families belonging to this bureaucrat capitalist class that controls the government, military, and economy. The UC in the Philippines is known for their “VIP Providence,” which had members faithfully tend to the country’s top government, military, and cultural leaders. The UC has also paid many of these leaders to attend their conferences, speak at events, and become members of their various organizations and boards.  The violences of the Unification Church go back beyond the 90s, as UC members were known to have organized in the Philippines on behalf of the WACL in the 70s, and later on CAUSA and other related organizations. These organizations were also said to have funded and organized vigilante violence against communists, even supporting paramilitary “death squad” groups that are responsible for the deaths of thousands who were rumored to be connected or sympathetic to communism. This includes thousands of social workers, teachers, nuns, priests, activists, etc., since the ousting of Marcos.  These groups often coordinate with the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police, and can effectively act as a cover for the Philippine government to avoid accountability. These groups have been identified countless times posing as “New Peoples Army,” committing heinous terrorist attacks as a form of “black propaganda” against the communists.

The legacy of the violent drug policies and the historic “labor export” policies are already continuing under the new president, Bongbong Marcos, and his vice-president, Duterte's daughter, as countless Filipinos continue to be red-tagged, imprisoned, tortured, and murdered. The Philippines remains a country deeply affected by the legacy of imperialism, feudalism, and bureaucrat capitalism, and its citizens continue to be vulnerable to exploitation and violence from both local and international actors, including from the Korea-based Unification Church and its related organizations. Even with the abhorrent repression, the Filipino people continue to organize and struggle to overthrow feudalism, bureaucrat captailism, and imperialism. It is worth learning from their work and struggle, which has fueled a 50-year war for social and national liberation, and doing what we can to support them!

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How to escape education's death valley | Sir Ken Robinson

6,465,494 views  May 10, 2013 Sir Ken Robinson outlines 3 principles crucial for the human mind to flourish -- and how current education culture works against them. In a funny, stirring talk he tells us how to get out of the educational "death valley" we now face, and how to nurture our youngest generations with a climate of possibility.

TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less). Look for talks on Technology, Entertainment and Design -- plus science, business, global issues, the arts and much more. Find closed captions and translated subtitles in many languages at http://www.ted.com/translate

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Emeralds showcased on the IAC 2024 Gold and Diamond Conference

 Emeralds lately showcased its commitment to sustainable mining practices at the Initiatives in Art and Culture (IAC) 2024 Gold and Diamond Conference in New York. As a player of Precious Brazil, Belmont Emeralds stands proud in promoting responsible mining practices, specializing in environmental duty and social impact. Wrap your fingers in the enchanting beauty of emerald band rings, where elegance meets everlasting charm.

IAC 2024 Gold and Diamond Conference

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Marcelo Ribeiro’s Contributions:

Emphasized the importance of environmental stewardship in mining emeralds.

Highlighted Belmont Emeralds’ initiatives in decreasing environmental impact and selling social equity.

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Reforestation Efforts: Belmont has preserved approximately three,700 acres of the Atlantic Rain Forest and planted over 20,000 saplings, assisting nearby biodiversity and natural world.

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To research extra approximately Belmont Emeralds’ dedication to sustainability, visit Belmont’s Sustainability Page.

Conclusion

Belmont Emeralds’ technique to sustainable mining and its contributions to the IAC 2024 Gold and Diamond Conference show the organisation’s dedication to main by using instance in the gemstone enterprise. By that specialize in environmental duty, community help, and innovative practices, Belmont Emeralds sets a benchmark for mining emeralds ethically and sustainably.

For those interested in learning more about how to shop for emeralds or figuring out actual emeralds, Belmont Emeralds gives comprehensive resources and guidance. Visit Belmont Emeralds’ Sustainability Page, Belmont’s Education Page, and Belmont Sparkle for more information.

Belmont Emeralds maintains to polish as a beacon of sustainability and moral mining, making sure that each emerald gem tells a story of responsible sourcing and commitment to excellence.

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