Call for Paper Dolls: The Ragdoll Project needs your dolls for Half the Sky: Intersections in Social Practice Art, presented by the Women’s Caucus for Art International Caucus at the LuXun Academy of Fine Arts in Shenyang, China

 

CALL FOR PAPER DOLLS!

The Ragdoll Project is creating a new installation that will be entered into the juried exhibition Half the Sky: Intersections in Social Practice Art, presented by the Women’s Caucus for Art International Caucus at the LuXun Academy of Fine Arts in Shenyang, China. 

http://www.nationalwca.org/membership/international.php

We request donations of handmade dolls cut out from paper. The dolls will be stitched together by organizers of the project and presented to the jury. 

Installation Theme: 

Witness. Millions of women and children across the globe suffer daily as victims of commercial sexual exploitation. As 53% of the world’s population, women can help victims of CSE and take action to end this crime. We can witness and reflect a woman’s value back to her, we can witness her suffering so it can be exposed, and then we can collectively take action to end it. We will create a web of interconnected dolls that stand as a witness for the women affected by commercial sexual exploitation. 

If you would like to include text on your doll, we ask you to write a statement about what you are a witness for by using the phrase “I see your ______” For example: “I see your pain,” “I see your courage,” “I see your uniqueness,” “I see that they mistreated you,” "I hear your voice."

Deadline: September 25, 2013 

Dolls:

Dolls should be made of paper that is at least the weight of copy paper and flexible enough that the final piece can be rolled up in a tube for shipping. Dolls cannot exceed11in x 14in. The theme is open to interpretation, keeping in mind our intention to be respectful of women who have been commercially sexually exploited. 

Dolls will not be returned. If we do not collect enough dolls to complete this project by the deadline, you may request that your doll be returned.

Contact: Joanna Fulginiti, joannfulginiti@aol.com 

Dolls can be mailed to:
Joanna Fulginiti 
2501 Fairmount Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19130

The Ragdoll Project was created in 2011 by the 
Philadelphia Chapter of the Women's Caucus for Art
http://phila-wca.blogspot.com/ 

New law in NJ for human trafficking!

I am honored to say that the WCA/Philadelphia's Ragdoll Project has brought awareness to the seriousness of human trafficking. It seems that New Jersey is listening.  Please check  out this article from www.nj1015.com.

The New Jersey Assembly has unanimously approved the Human Trafficking Prevention, Protection and Treatment Act.

Metlife Stadium (Jeff Zelevansky, Getty Images)

The measure enhances penalties for perpetrators, it holds landlords accountable, and provides help for victims.

“We think of human trafficking in undeveloped nations, 3rd world countries, but it’s happening right here in the United States and in New Jersey,” says one of the prime sponsors, New Jersey Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle.

She points out the legislation also calls for the creation of the Prostitution Offense program.

“Which is really a John’s school- for John’s to be told the dangers of trafficking.”

Huttle stresses the importance of Governor Christie signing the legislation into law quickly, so it can be implemented before the Superbowl next year in the Meadowlands.

“Statistics show – and it’s documented – that when there is a large sporting event, it serves as a breeding ground – a haven – for sex trafficking.”

She says law enforcement officials concur that when you have a large sporting event, you have millions of opportunity “of people gathering together and wanting to have services – those services are made available and it’s a multi-million dollar business and the victims – they’re coerced into this.”

Huttle stresses human trafficking s modern-day slavery, and you have young victims, as young as 12 years old, which is why it’s got to stop.

The Ragdoll Project (NGO Committee on the Status of Women Forum, NYC)

The Ragdoll Project for Human Trafficking Awareness will travel next Wednesday, March 6 to the Artisan Fair at the 2013 NGO Committee on the Status of Women Forum in New York City. The NGO CSW Forum is an open process, a democratic space where boys and girls, men and women can advocate for gender equality, development and peace. Sherri Cornett of the International WCA will present the dolls, doll kits, and flyers at the WCA's artisan booth. Many thanks to Sherri for making a collection of beautiful dolls and contributing fabric and finishings for 11 doll kits that include all supplies needed to make and contribute a doll to the Ragdoll Project. Take a look at the dolls and doll kits (left) assembled by Sherri Cornett (Women's Caucus for Art International Committee) and Ragdoll Committee Chair, Joanna Fulginiti, before they are shipped off to the fair! 

 

The Artisan Fair will be held on:

6 March 2013

8:30 AM to 6:00 PM

Location:

Armenian Convention Center

Lower Level

630 2nd Avenue at 35th Street

New York, NY 10016

For more information on the NGO CSW Forum, click here.

WCA Philadelphia Represented at MLK Needs Assessment by Philly DoGooder/United Way/Generocity

Women's Caucus for Art Philadelphia Chapter Ragdoll Project Chair Joanna Fulginiti and Co-President Bonnie MacAllister submitted our Ragdoll Project video to Philly DoGooder.  We were offered the opportunity to showcase our video as part of the Philadelphia DoGooder Nonprofit Video Awards on Philly in Focus.  As a result, Women's Caucus for Art Philadelphia Chapter was asked to participate in the MLK Needs Assessment today at Girard College. Read about the schedule here.

Watch the video here on Philly in Focus.  The video was previously screened by the Young Women's Caucus at the Kyoto Hotel in Los Angeles at the 40th Anniversary 2012 National WCA Conference.

To join the WCA Philadelphia Human Trafficking Awareness group on Facebook, click here.  To join the Women's Caucus for Art, click here, select a national membership level, and choose the Philadelphia chapter or your local chapter.

We encourage you to participate in the day of service today, and we would love to hear about how you observed the Martin Luther King Day of Service.

Event: Rachel Lloyd Book Reading and Signing (March 16th)

The Women’s Caucus for Art Philadelphia Chapter and Circle of Hope Church proudly announce that Rachel Lloyd, founder and executive director of GEMS: Girls Educational and Mentoring Services, will join us on March 16 at 7pm at Circle of Hope Church for a book signing and reading of her memoir, Girls Like Us

Dolls fromThe Ragdoll Project will be on display, and light refreshments will be served. Paperback copies of Girls Like Us will be available for purchase.

Rachel Lloyd is the Executive Director and Founder of GEMS and the author of Girls Like Us (HarperCollins). She earned her BA in psychology from Marymount Manhattan College, and an MA inapplied urban anthropology from the City College of New York. She has received numerous awards, including the prestigious Reebok Human Rights Award. Lloyd is an Ashoka Fellow and a Prime Mover Fellow, and was a leading advocate for the Safe Harbor for Exploited Youth Act, which makes New York the first state to protect, not prosecute, sexually exploited children. She lives in New York City.

GEMS website: www.gems-girls.org
Very Young Girls: http://www.gems-girls.org/get-involved/very-young-girls
Rachel’s latest interview in Forbes: http://www.forbes.com/sites/meghancasserly/2012/01/24/girls-
for-sale-rachel-lloyd-human-trafficking-exploitation/


Facebook e-vite here: http://www.facebook.com/events/293664130690181/

Call for Art: Stop Slavery Now: A Conversation About Human Trafficking

Stop Slavery Now: A Conversation About Human Trafficking

Featuring: The Ragdoll Project

CALL FOR ART: Deadline March 19, 2012

EXHIBITION DATES: April 6 – April 30, 2012

OPENING RECEPTION: Friday, April 6, 2012, 6-9pm

CONTACT EMAIL:  theragdollproject@hotmail.com 

WEBSITE: www.theragdollproject.org

The Philadelphia Chapter of the Women’s Caucus for Art in collaboration with Circle of Hope Church 

will host an exhibition at F&N Gallery in Philadelphia through the month of April 2012. The exhibition is part of

The Ragdoll Project, an ongoing project to promote awareness of human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation.

There are currently an estimated 27 million people globally that are enslaved. Human trafficking is the second largest organized crime in the world, generating approximately $32 billion. The majority of victims of sex 

trafficking are children, teens, and adults who were trafficked into prostitution before age 18. Awareness of the problem is key to creating a significant movement to stop slavery. The goal of this exhibition is to provide an 

artistic platform to expose the truth about trafficking and to share with the public ways to end the demand and support survivors.

SUBMISSIONS:

Artists submitting work to the exhibition are encouraged to read about trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation. Links to information can be found below and on our website www.theragdollproject.org.  

A statement about each piece will be displayed next to the artwork to add to the conversation.

All dolls donated to The Ragdoll Project will be displayed at the exhibition. To learn more about the project,

or to donate a doll, visit www.theragdollproject.org.

Please submit digital files of your work and a brief statement about each piece to 

theragdollproject@hotmail.com.  2D art is preferred as there is limited space for 3D work. 

Deadline for submissions is March 19. Notification of acceptance will be by March 23. Art must be delivered to

F&N Gallery by March 30. There is no fee to submit art, but there is a $10 administrative fee if your art is accepted. This fee is waived for all WCA Philadelphia Chapter members who have paid 2012 dues and artists 

who join the WCA Philadelphia Chapter by March 30. 10% of profit from art sales will be donated to support survivors of human trafficking.

Recommended Research Papers available on line in PDF form:

The Demand for Victims of Sex Trafficking: http://www.uri.edu/artsci/wms/hughes/demand_for_victims.pdf

 Deconstructing the Demand for Prostitution:  http://www.sapromise.org/pdfs/deconstructing.pdf

Further Information on Human Trafficking and Commercial Sexual Exploitation:

The Polaris Project: www.polarisproject.org

The A21 Campaign: www.thea21campaign.org

GEMS (Girls Educational & Mentoring Services): http://www.gems-girls.org

Opportunity: Covenant House

Join Covenant House Young Professionals Group on December 7 at Liberties Bar and Restaurant. We will have an open discussion about 2012 fund raising intitiatives and events, including the Women's Caucus for Art Philadelphia Chapter Spring Art exhibit to raise awareness around the issue of human trafficking.

Covenant House Pennsylvania serves homeless, runaway and trafficked youth. Providing a continuum of services for youth in need, Covenant House Pennsylvania is the largest private child welfare agency in the Delaware Valley. The Covenant House Young Professionals (CHYP for short) are a group of 20, 30, and 40-something young professionals affiliated with Covenant House Pennsylvania who are passionate about the issues surrounding youth homelessness. We plan fund raising events, volunteer our time, and get to meet other like-minded professionals in our area.

When: Wednesday, December 7 @ 6 p.m.
Where: Liberties Bar and Restaurant 
705 N. 2nd Street
http://libertiesrestaurant.com