Picking Up the Pieces - The Book Launch

In March this year, the Association of East African Cartoonists (KATUNI), the Goethe-Institut and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES) joined hands to hold a cartoon competition on the post-election violence that rocked Kenya in the aftermath of the disputed Presidential elections of 27 December 2007. The competition elicited cartons from cartoonists across the country and these have now been published in a book set to be launched at 4.00pm on Friday, 7th November at the Goethe-Institut, Nairobi.

The book, entitled “Picking Up the Pieces”, has been produced in collaboration with Mvule Publishers and will be available to the public at retail outlets for a mere Kshs. 300 per copy.

Featured cartoonists include GADO (Daily Nation), MADD (Standard), KHAM (Standard), Victor Ndula (Nairobi Star) and Patrick Gathara (Gathara’s World) as well as competition winners Mwaura Kirore, Kennedy Kaburu, Alphonse Otieno and Elly Maloba. 

Cartoon Competition: Journeys Without Borders

CARTOON AND COMIC STRIPS COMPETITION:

JOURNEYS WITHOUT BORDERS

ORGANISED by CIR (Consiglio italiano per i rifugiati, Italian Council for Refugees) in collaboration with AFRICARTOON, for cartoonists from the South of the world or refuges/immigrants in Europe (each participant must send a brief curriculum vitae and his/her contacts).

DRAWINGS for the competition: cartoons or strips which illustrate the theme of the competition or part of it.

SEND THE DRWINGS before the 15th of September 2008, possibly in a digital format to both the following email addresses: ginobrs@libero.it and marisapaolucci@tin.it,

or send the original (which shall not be returned) to the following postal address:

Marisa Paolucci, via Rastrelli 167, 00128 Roma, Italy.

THEME OF THE COMPETITION

The new explorers of the Third Millennium go everywhere, to search for new dreams and a chance to live. Comic strips and cartoons tell stories of immigrations, human rights violated and integration into pluralistic societies, to denounce the problems of the Third Millennium and open new ways of hope. They show the difficulties of survival, not only in the countries of origin but also in those of arrival. All this in the context of the celebration of the 60 years of Un Declaration on Human Rights, when after 60 years millions of people still must wander around the world searching and struggling for their own rights and basic needs.

1. Glimpses without borders: the negated human rights of invisible man and women. Global injustice, wars, civil and political rights, basic needs. The struggle of those staying behind.
2. Invisible paths: the silent journeys of peoples running away. It is not only a question of running away, but also the courage to look for new ways.
3. Refugees because of others’ decision: the right to political asylum. The difficulties to prove that you are in danger of life in your own country of origin and that you need to be welcome in the country of arrival.
4. Foreigners is your destiny: difficulties and successes in the countries of arrival, struggling towards a new multi-ethnic society. Racism, negated rights, integration, multi-cultural society.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

1. The best drawings will be part of an exhibition on immigration and human rights “Journeys without borders” which will be in “Lucca Comics and Games” (100.000 visitors, the most important event of this type in Italy) from the 18th of October to the 2nd of November 2008, then in Rome during the celebrations of the 60th anniversary of Un Declaration on Human Rights in December 2008; during 2009 the exhibition will travel and be exhibited around all Italy .
2. The best drawing will receive a money prize of the value of 500 euro.

Picking Up the Pieces Competition Winners

The following are the winning cartoons from the Picking Up the Pieces cartoon competition. These and other cartoons submitted for the competition can be viewed at the Goethe-Institut Library Lounge on Monrovia St., Nairobi.

First Place Winner
By Mwaura Kirore

Second Place
By Kennedy Kaburu

Joint Third Place
By Alphonse Omondi

Joint Third Place
By Elly Maloba

Picking up the Pieces: Cartooning the Post-Election Crisis

Over the last few weeks, Kenya has witnessed post-election violence on an unimaginable scale. As efforts to resolve the political stalemate continue apace, there is need for the Kenyan society to initiate dialogue on the root causes of this violence and also to provide alternative avenues for the people to air their grievances without resorting to force.

The Association of East African Cartoonists (KATUNI), the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES) and the Goethe Institut have organized a cartoon competition entitled “Picking up the Pieces” in hopes of contributing towards the identification of a lasting solution to the problem.

The goals of this competition are to identify the reasons for the violence and propose ways out of the crisis on the basis of the following questions:

1) What are the root causes of the violence?

2) How have our leaders reacted to crisis?

3) What is the way forward?

The competition has been open to all professional and amateur cartoonists throughout the country. All the country's top cartoonists (including the Daily Nation's GADO, MADD and KHAM of the Standard and Victor Ndula of the Nairobi Star) as well as a large number of other lesser-known-but-by-no-means-less-given-to-cutting-satire cartoonists have elected to participate and their works will be on show at the Goethe Institut for two months starting 7^th March 2008. Also participating are cartoonists from around the world who have sent in their cartoons on the crisis as they viewed it from their various countries. The exhibition provides a unique, tragicomic and compelling look at the events of the last two months through the eyes of our society's most unforgiving critics.

On 7th March, as part of the launch of the exhibition, we have arranged for a public forum from 4.00-6.00pm discuss various aspects of the crisis i.e the constitutional aspect, economic aspect, historical and cultural aspects, the role and impact of the media and the effect of the crisis on our democracy and its institutions. The forum will feature presentations by several panelists including former Secretary to the CKRC turned politician, PLO Lumumba; Muthoni Wanyeki, Executive Director of the Kenya Human Rights Commission; Mitch Odero of the Media Council; and Betty Maina, Chairperson of the Kenya Association of Manufacturers.

The forum will be followed by a cocktail at the same venue during which the winners of the competition will be announced.

All are welcome to attend. Entry is free.

Picking Up The Pieces Cartoon Competition

Over the last few weeks, Kenya has witnessed post-election violence on an unimaginable scale. As efforts to resolve the political stalemate continue apace, there is need for the Kenyan society to initiate dialogue on the root causes of this violence and also to provide alternative avenues for the people to air their grievances without resorting to force.

The Association of East African Cartoonists (KATUNI) and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES) are organizing a cartoon competition entitled “Picking up the Pieces” in hopes of contributing towards the identification of a lasting solution to the problem.

The goals of this competition are to identify the reasons for the violence and propose ways out of the crisis on the basis of the following questions:

1) What are the root causes of the violence?

2) How have our leaders reacted to crisis?

3) What is the way forward?

COMPETITION RULES:

1) Participation in the competition is open to all professional and amateur cartoonists.

2) All entries must include the artist’s address and daytime telephone number.

3) Submitted cartoons are to be either A4-Size (210X297mm) or A3-Size (420X297).

4) Digital copies submitted via email should be 300 dpi resolution and in JPEG format.

5) Cartoons may be either black-and-white or colored.

6) Cartoons advocating ethnic hatred, containing obscene language or scenes of gratuitous violence will not be accepted.

7) The deadline for receiving artworks is Monday 25th February 2008.

8) A jury of experts will select the 3 best cartoons for prize awards. The jury’s decision will be final.

9) The award of the prizes will take place during the opening of the exhibition on 7 March, 2008 at the Goethe Institut on Monrovia St., Nairobi.

10) All entries will be © FES and KATUNI and will not be returned.

THE PRIZES:

- First Prize: Art equipment worth Kshs. 30,000.00

- Second Prize: Art equipment worth Kshs. 20,000.00

- Third Prize: Art equipment worth Kshs. 10,000.00

Cartoons may be sent via email to

katuni@gmail.com

and should be in JPEG format with a resolution of 300dpi.

Original artworks should be marked “Picking up the Pieces Cartoon Competition” may be sent via post to:

Patrick Gathara, P.O Box 3613-00200, Nairobi

or dropped off at Communicating Artists Limited, 3rd floor, Revlon Towers, Kimathi Street, Nbi.