The Voice of the Tawaiffs
Accompanied on the Tabla by Sri. Sajjad Chowdhury
Carl A. Fields Center
Continuing with our look at women in Indian music, we are pleased to present the perspective of someone who while she was not born to India or Indian music, has adopted both as a passion. Amelia Maciszewski is an ethnomusicologist, activist and concert performer of the North Indian instrument sitar, whose soft, subtle tones are reminiscent of the human voice.
Amelia will be in Princeton this Saturday to perform on the sitar. Following her recital, Amelia will speak about Tawaiffs, socially marginal women musicians of India. The Tawaiff (courtesan) is a traditional Indian icon of Music, nostalgia and sensuality. At the same time, she struggles with socioeconomic and sexual exploitation. Amelia has worked with the Tawaiff community in India and has also directed two movies, we screened last week.
This event is organized jointly by P-AID and Asha Princeton
Guria, Gossip and Globalization
Thursday, September 9thFilms on women in Indian Music
7.30 pm to 9 pm
Dodds Auditorium, Robertson Hall Directions
Princeton Commemorates Bhopal's 20TH Anniversary
The 1984 gas leak in Bhopal, India, known as the "Hiroshima of the chemical industry," remains the worst industrial disaster in human history.
On December 3rd, 2004, the Association for India's Development- Princeton Chapter coordinated a memorial vigil for the 20th anniversary of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy. About 20 students outside Princeton University's Student Center to acknowledge the 20,000 + victims that died of the world's worst industrial disaster. Students raised awareness by holding up signs that screamed, "Justice For Bhopal," "Gassed To Death," "Bhopal Is Not Far" and by sharing historical facts, statistics and analysis of the tragedy to students, faculty & staff members that passed by. This vigil was held by AID- Princeton in the hope to raise awareness of the tragedy and its implications on corporate and government responsibility.
The Water Man
Magassasay Awardee Rajendar Singh's work on water harvesting in the Thar desert has earned him the sobriquet of "India's Water Man." His organization, the Tarun Bharat Sangh builds rain water dams, revitalizes rivers and perhaps most significantly, builds interest in conserving natural water resources. The villagers that Tarun Bharat Sangh works with now have a new level of confidence that they can manage their water - and hence their livliehoods.
The Water Man will be in Princeton to talk about how he does it, what remains to be done and how we can help. Come listen to him - water can be a fascinating subject.
June 11, 7 p.m.Computer Science Building, Rm CS 105
How Big is a 1000?
Balaji Sampathi and Kalpana Karunakran are Association for India's Development(AID) Jeevansathi fellows, who work full time with AID and the Tamil Nadu Science Foundation (TNSF). They will share their experiences on the 100 Block Plan, a revolutionary grass roots development program that targets 6000 villages - affecting millions of people. They make innovative use of science to help improve literacy, community health and agriculture. They fight for social justice, women empowerment and help people help themselves. They fuel all this using local volunteers, large hearts and great commitment. To share their ideas on this new kind of mass movement, join us.
May 8, 11.00 AMFrist Campus Center room 307.
More information on the hundred block plan
For directions click here
The continuing tragedy
Rashida Bi and Champa Devi are survivors of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy world's worst industrial disaster, a gas leak in the Union Carbide pesticide factory in Bhopal, India. For the past twenty years they have galvanized the grassroots in India and abroad, to secure justice for the victims and cleanup of the factory site. Bi and Devi were recently awarded the 2004 Goldman Environmental Prize. They were also honoured by the city of San Francisco for their tireless and courageous efforts.
They spoke in Bowl 16, Robertson Hall on April 28, 2004. We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your support. We wish them all success in their campaign.
Raghu Rai and Maude Dorrs' photographs capture the tragedy of Bhopal's morning of December 3rd 1984 and the unhealing scars it left on its land and people. They also capture bits of pain and compasssion, of hardships and strength, and bits of Bhopal and its spirit. The exhibit was on display in the Frist campus center from April 1 to April 14. More information on the exhibit can be found here .
Bhopal Express
Screening of Bhopal Express on Saturday, Feb 28th.