Jamnesty to break silence on human rights issues
By Jen Pontzer, Staff Writer
April 25, 2008 | 9 p.m.
This Saturday, April 26 Jamnesty will be making noise and bringing an end to a day of silence.
The concert is, first and foremost, a celebration of the National Day of Silence, which takes place April 25. On the Day of Silence, participants stay silent all day to bring attention to the harassment or silencing of LBGT (lesbian, bi, gay, trans-gender) students and their allies. From 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. at McCracken Field, (located next to McCracken Hall, across from Jefferson Hall), Jamnesty will break that silence. The participating bands include The Werks, Paper Machetes, Death Beef, Gypsy Cab, May 68 and Jess Koffman.
Jamnesty is a concert organized by the Ohio University chapter of Amnesty International to bring together as many of the human rights groups on campus as possible. The concert is free, and there will also be speakers and information.
Occasionally throughout the event, people from the different organizations will talk about their causes and exactly what the event is about. The emphasis, however, is on the music because Jamnesty is an outdoor event and people have limited attention spans. The groups joining Amnesty International will be Up in Arms, the LGBT Affairs Commission, STAND, the Campus Coalition Against Trafficking, the emPOWER Campaign, the Global Learning Center, the Peace Corps, the Sustainable Living Organization, the OU Fair Trade Group and OU Students for Peace and Justice.
Patrick Heery, fifth-year senior and president and treasurer of Amnesty International, said that most of the human rights organizations on campus only have about five to ten core members, and their events are often not well-attended.
One of the purposes of Jamnesty is to create a coalition among these groups, because while Amnesty International focuses more on world problems, it also want to shine light on local issues. The different organizations will have tables set up with information and petitions for people to sign. Many groups will be selling things: emPOWER will sell jewelry to help Ugandan orphans receive an education, and there will also be anti-war t-shirts and food. The most important thing, though, is just to participate.
“We have a responsibility not only to the local community, but also the international community," Heery said. "We are so unaware of what’s going on and the depth to which people are suffering worldwide. This is an opportunity not only to become aware but also to realize how we can make a difference. It’s very easy once you do become aware to become overwhelmed by the massiveness of everything that is happening, to feel so small that you can’t make a difference and to become apathetic as a result. We want to change that."
One way people can participate is by bringing non-perishable food for the Food Pantry. The event is asking for nutritional food, so people should avoid bringing Ramen noodles. There is a particular need for products like tuna, canned fruits and vegetables, peanut butter and other foods needed for a healthy diet.
There will also be games and activities, from the usual corn hole to t-shirt making, face painting and creating reusable grocery bags.
Those who are planning to attend the event should check the Facebook event page for a new location if it ends up raining Saturday. Currently, the plan is to hold the event in South Pole if the weather does not cooperate.
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