ONE MILLION BONES 

Video of the 50,000 bone preview installation in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

We posted this re-cap on the blog last week.  We'll share more photos as soon as we can.

August 27^th started out the way most Saturday mornings do on Central Avenue: quiet and calm.  While it ended up being a typical hot, crystalline blue summer day the morning was lovely, and cool.  At 8am or so volunteers in white started moving into the stillness and workers in trucks began barricading the street and setting up the canopy, everyone going about the work of getting ready to lay 50,000 Bones in the street at Central Avenue and Fourth Street.

By 10am, we were ready and a lone volunteer in a white dress walked up the empty street with two white bones in her hands.  She laid them in the street, bowed her head, and moved away, silently. We started slowly, a few volunteers moving up the street with bones, laying them down and walking back. Eventually, a quiet line of volunteers formed, everyone dressed in white, everyone still, everyone carrying bones.  For the next two hours, over 200 volunteers laid over 50,000 bones in the street, one at a time, until almost the entire block was covered. 

When the laying of the bones was finished, we all gathered under the shade of the trees outside Amy Biehl High School for short talks by survivors, Eric Ndaheba, Kigabo Mbazumutima and Yves Muya; anti-genocide advocates Carl Wilkens and JD Stier, heartfelt words from our MC, Hakim Bellamy, and for a performance by Albuquerque’s own Matunda Ya Yesu/South African Orion Duet. Every one of them spoke to our hearts, and we’ll share this quote from Carl Wilkens which captures the heart of One Million Bones,  “When we make something with our hands, it changes the way we feel, which changes the way we think, which changes the way we act.”

After the presentations, everyone was invited into Amy Biehl, a most generous partner in the event, for lunch and refreshments. We all had a chance to rest, to think about the day and what it meant, and to spend some time with others who worked along side us all day.

Around 2pm, we headed back out into the sun to start the reclaiming of the bones, and many, many of the volunteers, who had spent all morning working, spent the afternoon working as well.  By about 4pm, the bones were reclaimed and packed, ready for their next use in Washington, D.C.

By 5pm, all the tables and equipment, volunteers and boxes, bones and water jugs were gone, leaving the street as quiet, but never as empty again. I can’t walk past that intersection without seeing the expanse of white bones lying there in the sun, an accounting of crises around the world, and a tangible demand for actions to end them.

__________________________

Profile piece:

Naomi Natale & One Million Bones

Naomi Natale

2010 TED Global

One Million Bones

A Survivor Speaks:

Evelyn Apoko,

Strongheart Fellow

When she was just a little girl, Evelyn Apoko was abducted in the middle of the night by a brutal rebel group in Uganda that calls themselves The Lord's Resistance Army. Left unchecked by the world community for decades, the group - which is also known as the LRA - has abducted thousands of children to serve as soldiers, porters or sex slaves. After years in captivity, Evelyn was badly wounded and faced the terrible choice of attempting a near-impossible escape or certain death at the hands of the rebels who were repelled by her horrific injuries. Miraculously, Evelyn escaped and made it to a rehab center and hospital, where she came to the attention of Strongheart.

An example of remarkable courage and icon of resilience, Evelyn has undertaken the long journey of healing mind, body, and spirit as a Strongheart Fellow with strength, grace, and determination.

Recently, President Obama authorized a small group of 100 US military advisors to work with local African armies on strategies to apprehend the LRA and end their long reign of terror. When Evelyn heard that a prominent US media professional misguidedly criticized this action, she had this to say:

"We Women Want to Be Heard"
Eva Carroll interviews activist FÁTIMA HERNÁNDEZ

"At the start I felt alone," says Fátima Hernández. Credit:Eva Carroll/IPS Buy this picture

MANAGUA, Oct 25, 2011 (IPS) - Fátima Hernández, a young Nicaraguan rape victim who has become a symbol in her country in her fight for justice, is now working to help women in a similar situation, and preparing to take her case to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.

"We women are demanding and shouting for the government to listen, we want to be heard," Hernández said in an interview with IPS at her office in Managua.

On the night of Jul. 25, 2009, Hernández, who is now 24, was raped and beaten by Farinton Reyes, one of her co-workers in Nicaragua's department of immigration.

She believes that Reyes, whose family is well connected in government circles, spiked her drink before the assault.

In a country where sexual violence is at epidemic levels and often goes unreported and unpunished, Hernández was determined that her attacker be brought to justice.

To bring attention to her plight, she held a 25-day hunger strike as well as vigils outside the Supreme Court and public offices, and went to the media and human rights groups.

She finally saw Reyes sentenced to eight years in prison, in June 2010. But in July 2011, the sentence was reduced to four years by a Supreme Court ruling that downgraded the crime to a "fit of passion under the influence of alcohol" in which Hernández was said to have been "permissive".

The young activist, who hopes to complete her law degree, established an organisation last year, the Association of Women for Critical Thinking (Asociación de Mujeres Forjadoras "El Pensamiento") to support other women and girls who have experienced gender-based violence.

Q: What was your experience of reporting your attack to the police, and of the Nicaraguan justice system?

A: The police were negligent in their handling of my case. I felt that they were not impartial, that they took the side of my attacker. They lost my statement, and it took them 43 days to send my clothes to the laboratory for testing. On the day that I reported the attack, I asked the official to conduct a blood test to see what kind of drug had been put in my drink, but he refused.

Furthermore, the public prosecutor's office was reluctant to charge my attacker, and said that there was not enough evidence, even though a physical exam showed that I had been raped and beaten.

The lawyer who supported me, José Manuel Urbina, took on my case for free. Finally, after many attempts, he brought my case to an impartial judge. All the others had said that there was not sufficient evidence to press charges. The attacker was sentenced to eight years, but his family appealed the sentence and it was reduced to six, and then to four years by the Supreme Court.

Q: The Supreme Court's decision to reduce your attacker’s sentence to four years is final, and cannot be appealed in a national court. What is your next step?

A: I realise that there is nothing more I can do here in Nicaragua, so I’m working with the (non-governmental) Permanent Human Rights Commission to see if I can pursue the case internationally. I know that it will be a long process, but I have waited two years already. I can wait longer to have my case heard in a place where it will be understood and acknowledged that I have been completely denied justice.

Q: What is the situation like for human rights campaigners in Nicaragua?

A: It is dangerous. Before my attacker went on trial, I went to my lawyer’s radio station to denounce him publicly. When I got off the bus at the station, a man grabbed me around my neck and showed me a photograph taken of me. He said this was a warning and that if I continued my fight, it would happen again.

After the trial, while leaving the courthouse, my attacker’s family grabbed me and his older brother hit me in the face.

After the sentence was passed, my family and lawyer were attacked again and my lawyer and I have received death threats over the phone. On Oct. 5, my lawyer's brother, Pablo José Urbina, was murdered as a warning to his brother for his work (as a human rights lawyer). I fear for my life, and that of my lawyer.

Q: How did your family and community react to your fight for justice?

A: Parts of my community rejected me. I couldn’t go to the market with my mother, they would point and say, "There’s the liar." Only rarely did women say, "I’m with you, I’m a woman and I understand how you feel." Some supported me, said that they were there for me in my fight, that I wasn’t alone. I was surprised at how many men supported me.

My family suffered a lot during the process as I put myself at risk by going on hunger strike in the pursuit of justice.

At the start I felt alone, apart from the support of my family and my lawyer, and that is why I started this Association. Every day I check the news and when I see there has been an attack, I look to see how I can help the victim. I go there and tell her, "I’m with you, the Association is with you, and you’re not alone."

Q: What is your message to women and girls in Nicaragua?

A: Under the current (left-wing Sandinista) government we are experiencing an epidemic of violence against women and girls. It is really worrying. The government does nothing - it pretends not to hear, it doesn’t want to see what’s going on.

We women are demanding and shouting for the government to listen, we want to be heard. We are in despair knowing that it discriminates against us and completely ignores the rights of women and girls.

Women and girls must know that it is important to break the silence, not to remain quiet. Victims must not be alone. With the power of God, we will have the strength to fight this. (END)

"We Women Want to Be Heard"
Eva Carroll interviews activist FÁTIMA HERNÁNDEZ

"At the start I felt alone," says Fátima Hernández. Credit:Eva Carroll/IPS Buy this picture

MANAGUA, Oct 25, 2011 (IPS) - Fátima Hernández, a young Nicaraguan rape victim who has become a symbol in her country in her fight for justice, is now working to help women in a similar situation, and preparing to take her case to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.

"We women are demanding and shouting for the government to listen, we want to be heard," Hernández said in an interview with IPS at her office in Managua.

On the night of Jul. 25, 2009, Hernández, who is now 24, was raped and beaten by Farinton Reyes, one of her co-workers in Nicaragua's department of immigration.

She believes that Reyes, whose family is well connected in government circles, spiked her drink before the assault.

In a country where sexual violence is at epidemic levels and often goes unreported and unpunished, Hernández was determined that her attacker be brought to justice.

To bring attention to her plight, she held a 25-day hunger strike as well as vigils outside the Supreme Court and public offices, and went to the media and human rights groups.

She finally saw Reyes sentenced to eight years in prison, in June 2010. But in July 2011, the sentence was reduced to four years by a Supreme Court ruling that downgraded the crime to a "fit of passion under the influence of alcohol" in which Hernández was said to have been "permissive".

The young activist, who hopes to complete her law degree, established an organisation last year, the Association of Women for Critical Thinking (Asociación de Mujeres Forjadoras "El Pensamiento") to support other women and girls who have experienced gender-based violence.

Q: What was your experience of reporting your attack to the police, and of the Nicaraguan justice system?

A: The police were negligent in their handling of my case. I felt that they were not impartial, that they took the side of my attacker. They lost my statement, and it took them 43 days to send my clothes to the laboratory for testing. On the day that I reported the attack, I asked the official to conduct a blood test to see what kind of drug had been put in my drink, but he refused.

Furthermore, the public prosecutor's office was reluctant to charge my attacker, and said that there was not enough evidence, even though a physical exam showed that I had been raped and beaten.

The lawyer who supported me, José Manuel Urbina, took on my case for free. Finally, after many attempts, he brought my case to an impartial judge. All the others had said that there was not sufficient evidence to press charges. The attacker was sentenced to eight years, but his family appealed the sentence and it was reduced to six, and then to four years by the Supreme Court.

Q: The Supreme Court's decision to reduce your attacker’s sentence to four years is final, and cannot be appealed in a national court. What is your next step?

A: I realise that there is nothing more I can do here in Nicaragua, so I’m working with the (non-governmental) Permanent Human Rights Commission to see if I can pursue the case internationally. I know that it will be a long process, but I have waited two years already. I can wait longer to have my case heard in a place where it will be understood and acknowledged that I have been completely denied justice.

Q: What is the situation like for human rights campaigners in Nicaragua?

A: It is dangerous. Before my attacker went on trial, I went to my lawyer’s radio station to denounce him publicly. When I got off the bus at the station, a man grabbed me around my neck and showed me a photograph taken of me. He said this was a warning and that if I continued my fight, it would happen again.

After the trial, while leaving the courthouse, my attacker’s family grabbed me and his older brother hit me in the face.

After the sentence was passed, my family and lawyer were attacked again and my lawyer and I have received death threats over the phone. On Oct. 5, my lawyer's brother, Pablo José Urbina, was murdered as a warning to his brother for his work (as a human rights lawyer). I fear for my life, and that of my lawyer.

Q: How did your family and community react to your fight for justice?

A: Parts of my community rejected me. I couldn’t go to the market with my mother, they would point and say, "There’s the liar." Only rarely did women say, "I’m with you, I’m a woman and I understand how you feel." Some supported me, said that they were there for me in my fight, that I wasn’t alone. I was surprised at how many men supported me.

My family suffered a lot during the process as I put myself at risk by going on hunger strike in the pursuit of justice.

At the start I felt alone, apart from the support of my family and my lawyer, and that is why I started this Association. Every day I check the news and when I see there has been an attack, I look to see how I can help the victim. I go there and tell her, "I’m with you, the Association is with you, and you’re not alone."

Q: What is your message to women and girls in Nicaragua?

A: Under the current (left-wing Sandinista) government we are experiencing an epidemic of violence against women and girls. It is really worrying. The government does nothing - it pretends not to hear, it doesn’t want to see what’s going on.

We women are demanding and shouting for the government to listen, we want to be heard. We are in despair knowing that it discriminates against us and completely ignores the rights of women and girls.

Women and girls must know that it is important to break the silence, not to remain quiet. Victims must not be alone. With the power of God, we will have the strength to fight this. (END)

NICARAGUA
"We Women Want to Be Heard"
Eva Carroll interviews activist FÁTIMA HERNÁNDEZ

"At the start I felt alone," says Fátima Hernández. Credit:Eva Carroll/IPS Buy this picture

MANAGUA, Oct 25, 2011 (IPS) - Fátima Hernández, a young Nicaraguan rape victim who has become a symbol in her country in her fight for justice, is now working to help women in a similar situation, and preparing to take her case to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.

"We women are demanding and shouting for the government to listen, we want to be heard," Hernández said in an interview with IPS at her office in Managua.

On the night of Jul. 25, 2009, Hernández, who is now 24, was raped and beaten by Farinton Reyes, one of her co-workers in Nicaragua's department of immigration.

She believes that Reyes, whose family is well connected in government circles, spiked her drink before the assault.

In a country where sexual violence is at epidemic levels and often goes unreported and unpunished, Hernández was determined that her attacker be brought to justice.

To bring attention to her plight, she held a 25-day hunger strike as well as vigils outside the Supreme Court and public offices, and went to the media and human rights groups.

She finally saw Reyes sentenced to eight years in prison, in June 2010. But in July 2011, the sentence was reduced to four years by a Supreme Court ruling that downgraded the crime to a "fit of passion under the influence of alcohol" in which Hernández was said to have been "permissive".

The young activist, who hopes to complete her law degree, established an organisation last year, the Association of Women for Critical Thinking (Asociación de Mujeres Forjadoras "El Pensamiento") to support other women and girls who have experienced gender-based violence.

Q: What was your experience of reporting your attack to the police, and of the Nicaraguan justice system?

A: The police were negligent in their handling of my case. I felt that they were not impartial, that they took the side of my attacker. They lost my statement, and it took them 43 days to send my clothes to the laboratory for testing. On the day that I reported the attack, I asked the official to conduct a blood test to see what kind of drug had been put in my drink, but he refused.

Furthermore, the public prosecutor's office was reluctant to charge my attacker, and said that there was not enough evidence, even though a physical exam showed that I had been raped and beaten.

The lawyer who supported me, José Manuel Urbina, took on my case for free. Finally, after many attempts, he brought my case to an impartial judge. All the others had said that there was not sufficient evidence to press charges. The attacker was sentenced to eight years, but his family appealed the sentence and it was reduced to six, and then to four years by the Supreme Court.

Q: The Supreme Court's decision to reduce your attacker’s sentence to four years is final, and cannot be appealed in a national court. What is your next step?

A: I realise that there is nothing more I can do here in Nicaragua, so I’m working with the (non-governmental) Permanent Human Rights Commission to see if I can pursue the case internationally. I know that it will be a long process, but I have waited two years already. I can wait longer to have my case heard in a place where it will be understood and acknowledged that I have been completely denied justice.

Q: What is the situation like for human rights campaigners in Nicaragua?

A: It is dangerous. Before my attacker went on trial, I went to my lawyer’s radio station to denounce him publicly. When I got off the bus at the station, a man grabbed me around my neck and showed me a photograph taken of me. He said this was a warning and that if I continued my fight, it would happen again.

After the trial, while leaving the courthouse, my attacker’s family grabbed me and his older brother hit me in the face.

After the sentence was passed, my family and lawyer were attacked again and my lawyer and I have received death threats over the phone. On Oct. 5, my lawyer's brother, Pablo José Urbina, was murdered as a warning to his brother for his work (as a human rights lawyer). I fear for my life, and that of my lawyer.

Q: How did your family and community react to your fight for justice?

A: Parts of my community rejected me. I couldn’t go to the market with my mother, they would point and say, "There’s the liar." Only rarely did women say, "I’m with you, I’m a woman and I understand how you feel." Some supported me, said that they were there for me in my fight, that I wasn’t alone. I was surprised at how many men supported me.

My family suffered a lot during the process as I put myself at risk by going on hunger strike in the pursuit of justice.

At the start I felt alone, apart from the support of my family and my lawyer, and that is why I started this Association. Every day I check the news and when I see there has been an attack, I look to see how I can help the victim. I go there and tell her, "I’m with you, the Association is with you, and you’re not alone."

Q: What is your message to women and girls in Nicaragua?

A: Under the current (left-wing Sandinista) government we are experiencing an epidemic of violence against women and girls. It is really worrying. The government does nothing - it pretends not to hear, it doesn’t want to see what’s going on.

We women are demanding and shouting for the government to listen, we want to be heard. We are in despair knowing that it discriminates against us and completely ignores the rights of women and girls.

Women and girls must know that it is important to break the silence, not to remain quiet. Victims must not be alone. With the power of God, we will have the strength to fight this. (END)

Mahen Bonetti

Comedy, mystery and

post-apartheid fallout:

The best of African film

By Mahen Bonetti, Special to CNN

October 25, 2011 -- Updated 0937 GMT (1737 HKT)

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Ten films chosen for exhibiting the words and voice of African people

• Choices include classics, audience favorites, links to the past and show societal trends

• They illustrate the difference in storytelling that emerges from Africa

 

Editor's note: Mahen Bonetti is the founder and Executive Director of the New York African Film Festival, a non-profit arts organization founded in 1990, which aims to highlight the work of African filmmakers and share the culture of African film. Below she chooses 10 films to introduce audiences to African cinema.

 

New York (CNN) -- I have chosen 10 films which, I feel, begin to tell our stories in our own words and belong in the annals of international cinema. Some are classics, some are audience favorites, some reconnect us to our past, some reflect deep societal trends.

They show Africa's unique brand of storytelling and add a distinct African flavor to modern and universal themes. They have swept me away. I am sure they will also touch you.

Sex, Okra and Salted Butter (Mahamat Saleh Haroun, Chad/France, 2008, 81m)

This is a must! A truly hilarious film that shows we Africans also like comedy and know how to turn the lens on "the other." Hortense, a 40-year-old nurse originally from the Ivory Coast, leaves her family for her lover, Jean-Paul, an oyster farmer in the area of Bordeaux, France. Her husband -- a macho, very traditional man -- sees his whole world turned upside down. His son, who turns out to be homosexual, the arrival of his sister-in-law from Abidjan, all provide many surprising and funny twists to the story.

Guelwaar (Ousmane Sembene, Senegal, 1993, 115m)

 

We revere Sembene, who is the master of storytelling. "Guelwaar "("The noble one") revolves around the mysterious death and disappearance after death, of a philandering patriarch and pillar of the local Christian community. Guelwaar's errant corpse was mistakenly buried in a Muslim cemetery. This sets off a tempest of bureaucratic red tape, family conflicts and religious factionalism, culminating in a tense standoff at the disputed grave site. Guelwaar is many films in one.

Forgiveness (Ian Gabriel, South Africa, 2004, 112m)

 

"Forgiveness" is the story of Tertius Coetzee, an ex-apartheid policeman, who resigned from the South African police force after giving evidence at the Truth and Reconciliation Hearings. He is tormented and his search for the family of one of the victims he "eliminated" triggers a ferocious series of revelations as events rapidly spiral out of control.

Yeelen/Brightness (Souleymane Cissé, Mali, 1987, 105m)

 

"Yeelen" is an adaptation of an ancient oral legend from Mali, and it is one the most acclaimed and widely seen African films ever made. An Oedipal story mixed with magic, Yeelen is visually stunning. Set in the powerful Mali Empire of the 13th century, Yeelen follows the journey of Nianankoro, a young warrior who must battle the powerful Komo cult. He travels through the arid Bambara, Fulani and Dagan lands of ancient Africa, as his own father, a corrupt wizard, uses his dark magic to try to destroy his son.

Cosmic Africa (Craig and Damon Foster, South Africa, 2002, 72m)

 

Astronomer Thebe Medupe embarks on a quest to reunite his science with the origins of celestial knowledge in Africa with these words: "I know so much about the stars, yet I know so little about my own continent and how my people are connected to the sky." His journey takes him to the ancestral lands of the Ju/'hoansi in Namibia, to the Dogon people of Mali, and deep into the Sahara, where a cosmic clock attests to the African origins of astronomy. A beautifully shot, densely layered meditation on the influence of the cosmos on our daily lives.

The Colonial Misunderstanding (Jean Marie Teno, Cameron, 2004, 78m)

 

We lost our own history. Teno reminds us in this documentary feature that we must reclaim ourselves and our heritage, through the knowledge of our traditional culture. This film sheds light on the complex and problematic relationship between colonization and European missionaries on the African continent. It reveals how colonialism destroyed African beliefs and social systems taking away our "minds and souls" and reveals that the genocide of the Herrero people was indeed a launching pad for the Second World War and is a neglected aspect of contemporary history.

Mossane (Safi Faye, Senegal, 1996, 105m)

 

I love this film. It is one of the most beautiful tragic love stories ever made! Faye's gorgeous film begins as a detailed study of contemporary, Wolof life and unfolds with the mounting force of ancient tragedy. Mossane, whose mythic beauty is tied to her family's future, has been betrothed to a rich man but is in love with Fara, a student with no prospects. Unable to follow her dreams and bound by tradition, Mossane takes action and tragedy ensues.

Cuba: An African Odyssey (Jihan El Tahri, Egypt / South Africa, 2007, 118m)

 

"Cuba" shows how a film can be incredibly informative about little-known historical facts and full of brilliant humor. It will also keep you on the edge of your seat. It is the previously untold story of Cuba's support for various African revolutions, one of the Cold War's most vigorous contests over resources and ideology. This film attempts to understand the world today through the saga of these Cuban fighters who won every battle but ultimately lost the war.

Hyènes / Hyenas (Djibril Diop Mambety, Senegal, 1992, 113m)

 

An extraordinary example of how a famous play by a Swiss author, Friedrich Dürrenmatt, "The visit," set in Europe in the 1950s, can be revisited to fit the African landscape. An aging, wealthy woman returns to her village and lavishes luxuries in exchange for the murder of a shopkeeper who abandoned her after she became pregnant at 16. Hyenas adapt a timeless parable of human greed into a biting satire of today's Africa.

Rostov Luanda (Abderrahmane Sissako, Mali/Mauritania, 1997, 70m)

 

Director Sissako travels to Luanda, in search for his old friend, the Angolan freedom fighter Bari Banga and embarks with us on a voyage of discovery of the landscape and people of Angola. This is turbulent African history written in actual flesh and blood, as Sissako captures the painful stories of the habitues of all colors of the Biker Cafe, located in the heart of Luanda.

 

The opinions in this piece are solely those of Mahen Bonetti.

Nneka

Julie Dexter

at Jazz Cafe London

On Oct 2nd Julie Dexter returns to Jazz Cafe in London with her first album in 6 years. The former Soul II Soul frontlady has become a main artist on the USA Nu Soul scene since relocating to Atlanta some years ago.

She will be performing her critically acclaimed new album “New Again” for the first time in Europe.

Also on the night our taste maker new acts to watch, the freshest the UKSoul scene has to offer live. At the end of the night the stage is opened up to the public for an Open Mic Jam – previous guests include Amy Winehouse, Marsha Ambrosius, Jeffrey Daniel of Shalamar

Julie Dexter is a world renowned, award winning, British vocalist, who is born and raised in Birmingham, England

Snippets from the new album "New Again"

For more details about the event check out KEEP THE FAITH Events – SOUL Events in London: http://www.keepthefaithful.com

 

Zócalo Public Square Poetry Prize

The Zócalo Public Square Poetry Prize is awarded annually to the U.S. poet whose poem best evokes a connection to place. “Place” may be interpreted by the poet as a place of historical, cultural, political or personal importance; it may be a literal, imaginary or metaphorical landscape. We are looking for one poem that offers our readers a fresh, original and meaningful take on the topic.

Like everything else we feature, we will most be on the lookout for that rare combination of brilliance and clarity, excellence and accessibility.

The winning poet, as judged by Zócalo Poetry Editor Stephanie Brown, will receive $1,000.

The poetry prize competition is hosted in conjunction with our book prize, awarded to the nonfiction book that most enhances our understanding of community, and our essay contest for Los Angeles-area high school seniors on how to make their communities stronger.

Submission Guidelines

Eligibility
Poems must be original and previously unpublished work. Entries will be accepted between September 5, 2011 and November 5, 2011.

Submission
For consideration, please enter up to three poems to poetry@zocalopublicsquare.org

Include your name, address, phone and email address on each poem. Personal identification will be removed prior to judge’s review. We will accept online submissions only.

Judging
Entries will be judged based on originality of ideas, how well the poem fits the theme, and style. Judging is at the sole discretion of Zócalo Public Square. The winner will be announced in March 2012, and the winning poet will receive $1,000. The winning poem will be published on zocalopublicsquare.org.

Conditions
The winning poem becomes the property of Zócalo Public Square. By entering the contest, the entrant grants Zócalo the right to publish and distribute his or her poem for media and publicity purposes, along with the poet’s name and photograph.

The Zócalo Public Square Poetry Prize is sponsored by the Southern California Gas Company.

*Photo courtesy of Kartik Sahay.