Drum Out Poverty Day, Saturday, June, 12, 2010

Drum Out Poverty Day is Coming!

 This is the last week before the Drum Out Poverty event here in Washington, DC.  We've done all we can to promote it and I think we're as ready as anyone can be to make this happen.  The only thing we may be short is event day volunteers.  It has been a learning experience for me and the rest of us.  I've done events before but never with such few resources ... funds have been very limited for this kind of a public event.  We have a number of sponsors, but only TD Bank and Giant Foods have actually contributed cash ... the other sponsors are "in-kind," for example Comcast gave us a 4 minute interview on their "local Newsmakers" edition but we have no idea how many people actually see it.  Dominoes Pizza is providing some pazza's and soda and Col Brooks Restaraunt is giving as a few dinners to auction off, but cash needed to promote and provide payment for talent has been virtually non existent.

Developments

We were recently contacted by The Millennium Goals Foundation, a UN affiliated non profit dedicated to supporting the UN Goals of eradicating poverty by 2015.  It seems that the developed countries (US Included) have NOT put up the funds they promised at the original summit conference.  The Foundation wants to remind these countries of their pledges and to move them to honor their obligations.  That is where the Drum Circle comes in.  They reached out to us because of our original effort to link drum circles in Nairobi and Washington, DC.  We are visiting them in NYC at the UN today, Thursday, May 13th.

Our conceptual plan for the UN involves linked drum circles in all the recalcitrant countries at their national capitals.  We wold simulcast on both internet and global video from a central locations with a celebrity host (Bono, George Cluny, etc)  This will gain us global coverage by all media.  We should start with Drum Out Poverty Day in DC and build from there.

Watch this space to see how our thoughts are accepted, of ... not!

May Update: Brookland Drum Circle - Drum Out Poverty Day

Progress against milestones -   We have produced a site plan.  Most likely have one more site walk through before we finalize the plan.  We also have the approved application from Parks and Recreation for the site and time slots requested.  We have confirmation from Councilman Thomas's office (Neil Rodgers) that he is aware of the event but the Parks and Rec folks cannot find the application (it is DC don't forget)  I emailed him a PDF  of the completed and approved application immediately.  We still need confirmation and assurance from the Councilman that he will contribute fees and equipment as promised.

Sponsorship:  We have completed our "package" and have distributed it to a number of local businesses.  We are quite optimistic as to potential outcome.  In addition, we are talking to Councilman Jim Graham and plan to reach Kwami Brown as well.  Councilman Gray's office will also be contacted so as to create a sense of community momentum.

Program:  We intend to have a professional community drum circle facilitator from REMO.  We heard from the Drum Circle Facilitator and will see if we can secure him and his drums for the event.  REMO is supporting us there, but I'm not sure of a financial commitment.  I need to secure that commitment.  There will be two Pavilions: The Children's Pavilion and The Djiembe Pavilion with appropriate demonstrations and timed events.  The principal event will be a facilitated community drum circle.

Promotion:  Lack of funds and time has limited our promotion and outreach.  We have been limited to personal contact and even more limited print promotion.  This week we plan to print 2,500 postcards, produce several PSA's (public service announcements), and work with Dance Place along with the political structure ... councilmen and the ANC's.

Status Update: April

So ... we have the completed application for the Drum Circle back from DPR (parks and recreation)  along with the costs of the specific equipment necessary to make this happen, (stage, generator, sound system, etc) the cost will hopefully be born by our councilman with whom we are partnering on this event.  We really can't move forward much more until we have a confirmed date from the city.  Meanwhile we continue to meet every Tuesday afternoon at 5:00 pm here in Brookland to keep the communications links open and update the planning process.  So far we have:  me as slave driver, Martinez Bengly (Il Gato, The Messenger) as program, Carl Bruce - Logistics and planning, and Roxanne Carter as overall event manager and sponsor relations.  There is, of course, Linda Yahr, CPA as chief pocketbook watcher.  Rosie Dempsey, communications expert just provided us with a promotional plan outline and we are in process of adopting that to our overall program.

I plan to publish all documents relevent to this event here and on Facebook and Linkedin as well.  That should begin to happen as soon as we have confirmation of our date:  Saturday, June, 12, 2010.  We are also about ready to reach out to REMO drums once again for short term sponsorship.  I am working on the package for them along with a proposal. ...

In regards to the global drum circle and fund raising event, we are planning on waiting until after the completion of the Regional Microcredit Summit in Kenya next week before engaging in that discussion.  We WILL be in attendance in Spain next year however and will begin that process shortly after completion of our trial event in June. ... watch this space.

Drum Out Poverty

Surely a gallant effort, but the global drum circle proved to be just to ambitious.  That, and the advent of the Haiti crisis simply overwhelmed our sponsors who are, mainly global NGO's who rushed immediately to Haiti and funding simply disappeared.  Well, we've had a month to lick our wounds (and our egos) and have decided to relaunch the effort as follows:  First, we will recalibrate our "Drumming An End To Poverty" event so that it runs in conjunction with the Global Microcredit Summit in Spain in 2011.  That is a year way and should provided us and our prospective sponsors, supporters, and volunteers plenty of time to get organized.

In addition, we also have decided to add an innovative, unique, and exciting feature to the mix.  We will run a series of "Drum Out Poverty," events right here in Washington, DC and in our own community.  We will run these events in cooperation with other local drum circles, most notably the famous and long running (30 yrs) Malcolm X park circle.  (I have played there every Sunday for the last few years)  Working with these folks will give us the coordination and relationship building expertise necessary.

So now the question has been asked, what does drumming have to do with poverty?  This is our vision ...   Every year, according to the UN's leading authority on poverty, 8 Million people die simply because they cannot afford to stay alive! ... just think about that for a moment.  Eight Million People - Every Year!

The heart beats within all of us.  The heart is the primal drum of life.   What could  be more compelling than to imagine the stilling of 8 million hearts.  ... those drums will never beat again!  How totally appropriate that voice in our drums should speak out for those who will never speak again.  How fitting it is to dedicate our "drums" to memorialize these lives   How righteous is it for us to use the voice and spirit in our drums to raise the alarm, to Drum Out Poverty!

 The great Ghandi once said that,"... poverty is the worst possible form of violence.".

A Page From the Obama Fund Raising Book ...

Our experience over the last few years has been informative and frustrating, but it has convinced me that Sustainability is not just something for us to bring to the LDC's (lesser developed countries) and the economically disadvantaged.  It is the best advice we can give ourselves.  Those of us who have the light of social responsibility and mission burning within us need to take aggressive responsibility for our own development.  We have to be our own funding agency.  It is as simple as that.  One cannot do good if one has not done well!  It has always been thus, if someone gives you money for a program they will determine how and where you spend it. ... and for reasons too many to catalog here, those reasons will usually not mesh well with yours.  It is an application of the golden rule of money.  "He who has the gold, makes the rules."

My dear friend, Kevin Clauson, of Reach The Children, spent $10 Million of his own funds building schools, digging water wells, and making micro loans in Africa.  He did it his way without anyone second guessing  him, or dictating priorities. Unless, like Kevin, one has significant personal funds to dedicate to development, one must go to the philanthropic and donor sector hat in hand seeking funds.  When one does this one gets told how to spend the money.  We do not believe the traditional approach to funding can be successful.  It has NOT worked to date.  Why should it work NOW?    That's where Drumming An End To Poverty comes in!

Soon, we will announce the debut of "Drum Out Poverty," day!  It will be one day in the summer of 2010. On that day, I will attempt to organize all drum circles to meet in the name of 8 million people who die every year simply because they can't afford to stay alive!  One day's drumming dedicated to raising funds, NOT JUST FOR CHARITY ... but for Sustainable Development ... to give people the skills, tools, and investment dollars needed to build their own business, hire others and create viable healthy families and communities.

I will reach out to dum cireles thorugh any medium, any means available to us.  We now have a presence on Facebook and Linkedin under our name:  Drumming An End To Poverty and on Twitter: drum2endpoverty.  I will be updating this blog on a regular basis now, every few days.  Here's how you can help us if you feel the spirit move within you.

Help Make Sustainable Development Work - First, social networking!  Become a fan on Facebook, link to us on Linkedin, and follow us on Twitter for one thing!  Then, next follow this blog.    Send us the name and an electronic address for you, and or your drum circle.  Our plan is to send information on how we will organize get banners, Tshirts, hats etc and our model for funding you and us a s well.  Please let me hear from you.  I don't care if you read this today or six months from now ... we need every drummer out there.  We can do this.  Finally email me at: jpeloquin@microventuresupport.org.

Reality Rushes In ...

 Given the significant resource requirements of the effort and the increasing escalation of the Haitian crisis,  I have decided to restructure the Drumming An End To Poverty event  to accommodate the new realities of the post Haitian crisis environment.  It is difficult, if not impossible to focus upon poverty in Africa when we have such a devastated economy right here in our hemisphere.  The Nairobi Microcredit Summit is, in fact, although important, a regional event.  Next year is the Global Microcredit Summit and given the present situation, we have determined to redirect our near term efforts to Haiti! We will then readjust our sights upon the 2011 Global Summit in Spain.

Even without the terrible events surrounding the "quake," Haiti was already a disaster for those 80$ of all Haitians who live below the poverty line there.  For us, the earth quake is a wake up call.  Unless we can rebuild the economy from the bottom up, the existing power structure will defeat any effort to create a prosperous middle class by sucking up all funding and diverting it to their purposes.  We need a plan to support the creation of new growing businesses, a plan to redistribute, not the money, but the opportunity in Haiti.  We need to level the playing field.

So, very soon we shall see a new website spring up where this one once stood.  It will be "Drumming An End To Poverty in Haiti!  We will hold the Drum Circle here in Washington DC!  We expect it to be held in mid-June.  It will be on a Sunday and held at, or near The Catholic University in NE Washington.  Proceeds from the event will go to establishment of a fund to support small business growth in Haiti.