Thursday, April 14, 2011, 6:45pm
LC101,Yale University, 63 High St., New Haven

1. Costa Rica: Green or Gold?
2. Bolivia's Glaciers: A Vanishing Future
3. Brazil: The Judge Marked for Death
4.Guatemala: The Struggle for Justice 
5. Paraguay: Julio and Jorge 
6. Peru: Kill or Cure 
7.Brazil: The Ethanol Revolution From A Cane -Cutter's Perspective
8. Colombia: Beyond Tears
9. Argentina: Letter to the President

One of my best friends, Kugako's husband Akira - we all spent time in college together - sent me an email on Sunday. His hometown is Kesennuma, which is one of the hardest-hit towns, as you may know.

WE ARE ONE
Monday, April 11, 5-9 PM
Gallery 61, New York Institute of Technology
16 West 61st street, 11th fl.

It would be great if I see you. If not, please spread the word! I really appreciate your kindest support.

Respectfully, Hiromi
______________________________

The situation In my hometown are severely dire. People seemed on high alert, perhaps carrying on in a state of shock since the disaster hit them.

My parents are safe. They've always led a simple life and are in good spirits, saying "we are not at all inconvenienced." My uncle, who is the patriarch of my family, is still missing, and the feeling is that the situation with him is utterly hopeless. His iron factory was destroyed by the tsunami, forcing many people out on the street. My cousins also survived but lost their homes. They could only take the clothes on their backs when they sought shelter with their parents. They commute to the refugee center to find clothing for their young daughters. One of them wryly said, "We beg daily to survive now." His words killed me.

How did it all come to this?

The town, the ocean and the beaches where I grew up are no longer what they used to be. It is tormenting to feel such a sense of loss. Kugako is worried about the radiation and hasn't been motivated to cook. But those of us in Tokyo have it easier and are in a position to offer help that is needed. I am keeping my head up and pushing on.

I heard you too are helping out by organizing charity events. If people would consider donating to my hometown, I would take the responsibility of bringing those donations back to Kesennuma and distribute them among those who lost their homes as well as to those children who lost their parents.

I visited some of the refugee centers there and found disturbing disparities. I went around distributing supplies myself and saw some centers had way more supplies than the demand while at others, people waited a whole day just to receive three pieces of hardtack. The distribution needs to be better balanced.

Also, people who lost their homes, as well as the fishing and farming population who suffered damages, are being considered for governmental support. But what about those whose homes were okay but who lost their jobs? They aren't receiving supplies and have no promise of income. Hundreds of people like that rush to the job center every day.

People are keeping it together for now, but in another month I fear if they might not grow desperate enough to ignore the social order.

I took some pictures of the place. The area where a fire had started was straight out of a picture of Hell. All I could do for much of the time was stand there in prayer with my camera hanging from my shoulder.

From Hiromi Oikawa (an incredible artist, but don't tell her I said so -- you know Japanese are not comfortable with praise

For the tomorrow's event, I am donating drawings and small paintings. I asked my artists friends for help and their outpouring was extremely generous. There are a lot of talented artists who are offering their work. This is a  great chance to own an original piece of artwork (at a great price)

Friday, April 1,  6-8 pm
 Excy Laser: 147 W 35th St. (between 6th and 7th Aves.)
212.695.1888

They will have a performance, plus a silent auction for:
- NY-West Coast round-trip air ticket
- Yankees Delta Suite tickets
- Spa gift certificates
- Broadway tickets (Billy Eliot, Catch Me If You Can)
- Lingerie
- Jewelry and more

-  cash only
- Proceeds earmarked for the Japan Red Cross & Animal Rescue Headquarters at Urgent Disaster.However, if you want to designate where your donation will go for the art sale, you can just let me know.

I will also participate in:

WE ARE ONE: Japan Earthquake and Nuclear Crises Relief Exhibition

More information coming.

Respectfully,

Hiromi Oikawa

Showcasing 93 outstanding feature films, short fictions, documentaries, animations and youth works from  Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, USA, México, Ecuador, Peru, Guatemala, Suriname, Australia, Argentina. All programs free

Our moderator will be Mitch Teplisky, a documentary producer and marketing/fundraising consultant. His film, Soy Andina, about two New York dancers who journey to Peru to reconnect with roots, aired on Latino Public Broadcasting's "Voces" series in 2009-2010. It was crowd-funded by more than 150 donors and business sponsors. Before that, Teplitsky was the long-time marketing director at the Film Society of Lincoln Center -- and a volunteer for Docuclub, back in the late 1990s. So moderating this event marks a return to his own Docuclub roots! 

Admission at DCTV is free for current DocuClub members and $6 for non-members.
Tickets will be sold at the door, cash only.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. No admittance after 7:15 p.m.

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