What is 100 Thousand Poets for Change?
100 Thousand Poets for Change is an annual event in which poets, musicians and artists around the world come together to call for environmental, social and political change. On September 28, 2013, concerts, readings, workshops, flash mobs parades and demonstrations will take place in more than 115 countries around the world.
100 Thousand Poets for Change’s Founders Michael Rothenberg and Terri Carrion stated that peace and sustainability, “…is a major concern worldwide and the guiding principle for this global event.” All participants are hoping, through their actions and events, to seize and redirect the political and social dialogue of the day and turn the narrative of civilization towards peace and sustainability.
What kind of CHANGE are we talking about?
The first order of change is for poets, writers, musicians, artists, anybody, to actually get together to create and perform, educate and demonstrate, simultaneously, with other communities around the world. This will change how we see our local community and the global community. We have all become incredibly alienated in recent years. We hardly know our neighbors down the street let alone our creative allies who live and share our concerns in other countries. We need to feel this kind of global solidarity.
– Co-founder Michael Rothenberg
And of course there is the political/social change that many of us are talking about these days. There is trouble in the world. Wars, ecocide, the lack of affordable medical care, racism, the list goes on. We are advertising change within the guidelines of peace and sustainability.
It appears that transformation towards a more sustainable world is a major concern and could be a global guiding principle for this event. Peace also seems to be a common cause. War is not sustainable. There is an increasing sense that we need to move forward and stop moving backwards. But I am trying not to be dogmatic. I am hoping that together we can develop our ideas of the “change/transformation” we are looking for as a group, and that each community group will decide their own specific area of focus for change for their particular event.
THE 100 THOUSAND POETS FOR CHANGE MOVEMENT!
Do you want to join other poets across the planet in a demonstration/celebration of poetry to promote serious social and political change? If so, join our poetic community “Nas With Notepads” as we represent Sudan on the September 28, 2013.
“Nas With Notepads” hosted the first Sudanese participation in the world’s largest poetry event on September 29, 2012.
2012 Event: