Universal Declaration for Human Rights Quilt Update

As we find ourselves getting back into our fall routines Tal Fitzpatrick is collecting the last quilt blocks as they arrive in Australia for 4 quilts that will be made for this exciting craftivist project. You can find my first two posts detailing the beginnings of the project here and here.

I sent off my block in the mail in early August and after some nervous days of waiting I was relieved to see that it arrived just fine.

I mentioned the inspiration behind each element to my block in the post linked above. Overall, I hope this piece demonstrates four different textile cultures that coexist today despite the attempt by two to overthrow the other two. There are so many wonderful textile based arts in First Nations culture and they stand proudly beside European based textile works to tell rich and varied stories of people and their handiwork over the centuries.

What a monumental task Tal and her volunteers are going to have to piece and quilt all these blocks together.  Many important issues relating to Human Rights today and in the past are featured. You can visit Tal's Instagram feed to view many of the blocks. I will update you all about the project as it progresses.

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JJ

Universal Declaration for Human Rights Quilts

Through the magic that is the internet artists from all over the world can connect and make art collaboratively. Instagram lead me to learn about a new craftivist project created and coordinated by Tal Fitzpatrick (@talfitzpatrick) and Stephanie Dunlap (@illuminatembroidery).  Originally the artist call was for 30 artists and it expanded due to demand to include enough artists to make 4 quilts of 30 8 and a half by 11 inch panels each.
Each panel is an interpretation of the Universal Declaration for Human Rights (UDHR). This document was drafted by representatives from different legal and cultural backgrounds from all regions of the world at the United Nations Assembly in Paris in 1948. This was the first document of it's kind setting out fundamental human rights for all.  It has been translated into over 500 languages. You can read the document here.
Part of the initiative of this project is to promote the understanding of these rights and also to raise awareness about the UDHR as well as raise funds for the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR). This Agency was created after WWII to help displaced Europeans find homes.  Despite only having a four year mandate they are still active today and are more needed than ever. 21.3 million refugees, over half under the age of 18, are given aid through the UNHCR. Refugees are often the first people whose human rights are compromised. Any profits from this project will be donated to the United Nations Refugee Agency, and their is much potential for the reach of this project to go farther than each individual artist could take it. It is an honour to be a part of it.
As the project moves forward I will post about it here and through my social media channels.
Next week I will give details about the UDHR article that I am interpreting and share in-progress photos.

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For more information about this project please visit the official project page at: http://talfitzpatrick.com/udhr-craftivism-project

JJ