On April 7, 2012, students and community members from across New Orleans descended on Congo Square to lay 51,230 handmade bones on the city's famed Congo Square as a visual petition against ongoing humanitarian crises in Somalia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
In partnership with Students Rebuild, Architecture for Humanity is excited to bring this story - and a call to action - to our network of design professionals! We’ve joined One Million Bones and Students Rebuild in a global effort to cover the National Mall in Washington D.C. in 2013 with 1,000,000 handmade bones. Students Rebuild is challenging students worldwide to make bones, as a symbol of solidarity with victims and survivors of ongoing conflict in places like the Democratic Republic of Congo and Somalia. Each bone generates $1 for CARE’s work in these regions, up to $500,000!
Students Rebuild is taking the One Million Bones project global: From Tohoku, Japan, to Tehran, Iran, students across the world will collaborate in this participatory global arts project. To date, over 175 teams from 11 countries have crafted over 100,000 bones for the cause! Architecture for Humanity is inviting all Chapters and members to take action and sponsor a Students Rebuild event in their communities this Spring and Summer.
Co-founded by Architecture for Humanity, Students Rebuild is a collaborative, not-for-profit initiative mobilizing young people to connect, learn, and take action on critical global issues. Far more than an arts fundraiser, Students Rebuild provides an opportunity for communities to engage in a critical conversation about humanitarian crises and the role we all play in creatively contributing to relief and rebuilding efforts. This opportunity also affords all members of the Architecture for Humanity community with a great way to renew existing community partnerships and to forge new relationships with local leaders and youth.
Learn More:
Our Call to Action: Watch and share this short, 4-minute clip.
Art Inspires Activism on a Grand Scale: Read our recent Op-Ed in the Huffington Post.
Visit the Students Rebuild Challenge Site.
Here’s How You Can Take Action:
Whether you join forces on behalf of an Architecture for Humanity Chapter or as an individual, there are several ways you can take a stand with Students Rebuild. We’re looking for folks to host school workshops and bone installations in communities across the world. We also welcome the contribution of handmade bones from individuals and small teams. (Find out how here!)
While all are welcome to contribute on an individual basis, all members who wish to hold an event on behalf of their Chapter must seek approval from their Chapter Coordinator and confirm that they are a dues paying member of Architecture for Humanity’s Chapter Network. All confirmed Architecture for Humanity Chapter representatives will receive access to event planning toolkits and other resources designed to make your participation as successful and rewarding as possible.
To learn more about how your can participate on behalf of an Architecture for Humanity Chapter, please send inquiries to:
Zac Taylor
Design Fellow
Architecture for Humanity
zactaylor@architectureforhumanity.org
O: (415) 963 3511
Top Photo: Brett Duke, The Times-Picayune
