JustWrite to Participate on Panel at the Amnesty International Regional Conference in Albuquerque Reply

JustWrite visionaries, Carlos Contreras and Diahndra Grill, will be participating on a panel at the Amnesty International Regional Conference taking place the weekend of November 7th. The panel discussion will take place on Sunday, 11/9, from 10:45am-12pm. The title of the panel is “A beautiful Movement: Building Relationships and Power. This panel will discuss how different types of activism can contribute to a comprehensive human rights movement – be it through art, lobbying, or nonviolent direct action across distinct, yet interconnected, movements. The panelists will share experiences in diverse communities and movements, showing the power of working together for a shared vision of a more just future.

Carlos Contreras, Co-Founder, JustWrite
Diahndra Grill, Co-Founder, JustWrite
Justin Remer-Thamert, Program Director, New Mexico Faith Coalition for Immigrant Justice
Sofia Martinez, Co-Founder, Los Jardines Institute
Sara Schmidt, Amnesty International, Senior Field Organizer

You can find out more information about the workshops, panels, talks and events here: http://www.amnestyusa.org/events/regional-conferences/western-regional-conference We hope to see you at the event! If you’d like to attend, please register here: https://donate.amnestyusa.org/ea-action/action?ea.campaign.id=30643&ea.client.id=1839&myState=nm and be sure to list JustWrite under the Hosting Committee field.

“Upon Release” – JustWrite collaborative installation & performance with 516 Arts 2

Upon Release

Catch the JustWrite interactive multimedia installation at 516 Arts February through May, Gallery opening on February 1 (6-8pm) at 516 Arts, as part of the Heart of the City project.  JustWrite will also be performing on April 26 (7pm) – 516 WORDS:  JustWrite Poetry performance.

For details on this event and others check out the digital version of the Heart of the City Program Guide / Exhibition Catalog here:  Heart of the City Catalog Web

Tune into KUNM Women’s Focus Saturday (1/25) at 1pm to hear Diahndra talk about the JustWrite Installation and Performance as part of 516 Arts Heart of the City. http://kunm.org/programs/womens-focus

Heart of the City is organized by 516 ARTS, www.516arts.org   

Heart of the City_logo

JustWrite Partners with Sandoval County to Begin JustWrite Youth Reply

JustWrite is partnered with Sandoval County Juvenile Justice System, Bernalillo County Juvenile Detention Center and Bernalillo High School to begin JustWrite Youth in the Fall 2013 semester.  This literary and visual arts program is hosted alongside, but separate from, the JustWrite New Mexico Adult Program on this website, http://nowrongjustwrite.org.  Stay tuned for more poetry, art, performance and inspiration from our Youth!

“Unique Writing Program Decreases Violence at the County Jail” Reply

For the full story, visit http://www.kob.com/article/stories/S2927455.shtml?

The Lead Facilitators of the JustWrite Program, Carlos and Diahndra, would like to give a special thanks to the Albuquerque MDC for making this project possible and allowing it to flourish.  Thanks also to Wendy Jason and Jiva Manske at Georgetown University for co-facilitating a write exchange between MDC and Georgetown.  Thanks to Adriana Ramirez de Arellano for collaborating with JustWrite and allowing Interns to work with us from the Feminism In Action course at the University of New Mexico.  Lastly, we’d like to give a big thanks to the talented writers and artists who have chosen to be present and share their voice in this project; you inspire us.

JustWrite on KUNM Espejos de Aztlán program 

Lead facilitators and co-founders of JustWrite, Diahndra Grill and Carlos Contreras, join us live to talk about the program and share some pieces from past and current JustWrite participants.

If you missed the live show on 3/25, you can tune in here:   http://dl.dropbox.com/u/19011218/032513_JustWrite.wav

http://bit.ly/XBQP5m

Inmate Authored Poem 2

Manifesto

Never silent
We lived so hard
And so authentically
We decided
To Write our lives
My fellow poets
Our hearts shake the world
A constant tremor
We heard the call
And chose not to remain
Silent
Now they have our
Hearts in their hands
This is how we pulled them
Into The Conversation

No wrong
Just Write

A matter of survival
Expressed with style
The world is full of weapons
We chose
To split the atom
With words
Vaporizing our worst enemy
Ourselves

We hold the keys
To our mental prison
the thousand separate
Islands of our despair
In a world full of pain
We chose poetry

More…