Hoosiers Fighting For The Rohingya (part of the Screamers series)
(Yeah, my graphic
artist made a spelling error...)
Alders Ledge:
April 29, 2013
If you have ever
watched the Travel Channel then chances are you have seen the show Bizarre
Foods. It is one of my favorite shows and has inspired me totry the foods that
the host samples from around the world. So much so that I rarely pass up an
oddity in the supermarket anymore. And yeah, that means that if there happens
to be a place selling edible insects... I've probably ordered, purchased, and
sampled everything they have.
But the combining
of this passion with the work Alder's Ledge does was a long process. I rarely
find that people who are willing to listen to me when I talk about genocide are
up for eating afterward. And the people willing to eat my not so bizarre dishes
rarely want to talk about genocide while eating. So the thought of combining the
two has been hard to decide upon.
So why is Alder's
Ledge putting the two together? It allows us to offer a "hook" that
draws in the listeners'. After all, how many people do you know who would pass
up free food? Thus giving us the opportunity to scream.
But before we
explain the Bizarre Foods aspect I should explain screaming once again.
A screamer is a
person who has witnessed or learned about a genocide and therefore finds him or
herself incapable of remaining silent about the tragedy they now know about.
This screamer goes out into the world around them and attempts to tell others
in anyway they can so that hopefully the information spreads. Like a spark in a
dry field of grass... the screamer starts a fire in their own community. Their
screams build up the flames of outrage and, with anyluck, create a movement to
stop the injustice that we know as genocide.
Alder's Ledge is
attempting to draw in the world around us here in central Indiana and spread
the word about the Rohingya Genocide. Through our interactions with the
community around us we have started a small group of screamers. And through the
author's own bullheadedness, we are driving the message home as best we can.
Yet the topic of
genocide seems to be difficult at best to broach with new audiences. And then
there is the underlying prejudices that sadly exist when you bring up Muslims
here in Indiana. Combining the two creates an uphill battle that we are
struggling to fight. That is why we are approaching the struggle in a way that
we personally know Hoosiers cannot resist... through their stomachs.
Now Indiana people
are not generally believed to be adventurous eaters. There are three or four
typical dishes that Hoosiers refuse to modify or abolish all together. However
it has been my experience that there are just enough foodies in this state
(there most likely more restaurants in Indy than bookstores, libraries, and
schools combined) to expand the audience to which we can spread our message.
And when you factor in the ones who just come to watch their friends eat
"icky" stuff... well the audience keeps getting bigger.
The only problem is
that Alder's Ledge is not an organization in the traditional sense. We are just
a bunch of misfits from all sorts of backgrounds. Some of us don't even live
here in Indiana. So the move to set out as an organized front and spread our
message in this manner depends on one thing... volunteers.
Alder's Ledge is
currently looking for people in the area surrounding Indianapolis that would be
willing to host a Bizarre Foods Night to Benefit the Rohingya of Burma. We
should first point out that we do not collect any form ofcurrency ourselves. We
only give you the information so that you can then donate yourself to Partners
Relief and Development.
These events should
be considered for church and religious groups, educational organizations and
facilities, and companies in the general area. We need churches, synagogues,
mosque, school leaders, and any other groups interested to help support us.
Without the help of the community we will continue to fight this fight the way
we have been... through social media, this blog, and my personal favorite...
one on one, face to face.
If you or your
organization is interested please leave a message below. Note that messages are
moderated and so they will most likely not be posted. But we will get back to
you as soon as possible. Want to put together something like this with your
friends and family and become a screamer? Inquire by leaving a message below, I
will personally get back to you as quickly as I can.
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