The Cultural Strategies Initiative (CSI) and its international partners and the Center for Partnership and Civic Engagement Trust (CEPACET) and its nine Kenyan coalition organizations, seek to implement a 2-year project to work with artists, arts organizations and civil society organizations throughout Kenya to engage the arts, education, government and business sectors in creating lasting networks of peace building, civic participation and the furtherance of democracy beginning with that country’s upcoming 2012 election cycle. Preceding and during the election season, projects will focus on reducing election-related violence, in order to provide for full democratic participation by all, and particularly women and youth. Post-election projects shall involve Anti-Corruption and Accountability campaigns.
All activities will be designed to integrate democratic civil engagement principles and themes with community generated arts and cultural products: training on arts and non-violent conflict resolution; locally-generated artistic presentations across the country in all mediums; a major series of arts programs for and by youth and gang members in the Mathare Valley ghettos; a community radio stations networking project; community dialogues to allow for processing the meanings of the work and promoting constructive self-expression; youth and community leadership workshops; art projects in schools; art parade escorts to the polls and pop-up arts centers for voters waiting on lines; intra-community peace postcards and photographic contests and exhibitions. The International Team will generate international publicity and also activate a worldwide network of exhibition platforms, both physical and virtual, where Kenyan art and media being generated from the project can reach a global audience that can, through social media channels, respond critically and artistically to the work, creating an “active witness” response to events in Kenya as they unfold.
Logo by Abe Dolinger
