Local Action to End City-Wide Violence

In November here at Overflow, we're providing the opportunity for some local action to end violence in Chicago, city-wide.  Here's what's happening and how you can join us:

Film Screening - The Interrupters
Tuesday, November 8, 7pm 
Increase your awareness of what's happening by viewing The Interrupters - a Chicago-based documentary.  Cobe Williams, one the stars of the film will be here!  Scroll down to the next blog post for the full details.  Click here to reserve your seat.  Tickets are also available at the door while seating lasts.

Ethos - Party for Peace
Thursday, November 19, 7 to 10pm 
Show your support for ending violence by attending Ethos - Party for Peace. A portion of tickets and sales during the event will support Cease Fire Chicago. We'll also have DJ Toxxic spinning. Tickets are $6.  Purchase tickets in advance here.  Tickets are also available at the door.

Click here and invite your Facebook friends to join you.

Thoughts on Ending Human Trafficking

When I bring up human trafficking, also called modern day slavery, in a conversation, there are a few responses I typically get…

… “What’s that?”

… “That’s a huge problem but what can little-old-me do about it?”

… “As long as humans exist, that’ll always be a problem.”

… “I don’t want to talk about it; it’s depressing.”

In these conversations, I normally take one of three routes…

… awareness.

… behavioral change.

… dreaming.

In the case of awareness, I find myself just telling stories of the people who are trafficked and of those who rescue them.  In the case of behavioral change, I first mention the idea of purchasing products we know weren’t made by slaves and secondly, spreading awareness to others.  When someone doesn’t want to talk about it or is jaded towards to topic, I remember a famous quotation from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

"If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people together to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea."

To change the world, we don’t start with collecting wood, assigning tasks, or just putting our noses to the grindstones.  First, our imaginations need to be awakened to the possibilities of change.

These are the ideas behind Ethos and why we’ve asked Traffick Free to partner with us for the first one.  We hope to awaken dreamers, who will not just react to emotional stories but will thoughtfully respond with world changing actions that last a lifetime.

Maybe I’m an idealistic activist, maybe I believe in making the impossible possible or maybe if there were more people like me and those like me the world would be a different place.

Ethos

Concert with a Cause

Supporting… Traffick Free

Featuring… Mathien and Fine Tuning

September 24, 2011

7pm

Purchase tickets at www.daystarcenter.org/afterdark.

Music and More!

We are very excited about these two events coming up this month.  Both are being hosted in partnership with the Daystar Center.

First, Show and Tell on Saturday, September 17.

6:00-6:45 - Sign up for slot in the Show and Tell.
7:00 - Show and Tell starts.
Show and Tell is kind of like an open-mic night but with opportunities for more artists than just musicians. Here are the simple ground rules:

• Each person makes a presentation, five minutes or less.
• Each presentation is followed by an opportunity to receive encouraging feedback, and constructive feedback if you so desire.
• Original music, poetry, paintings, photography, comedy, theatre (very short plays or excerpts, please), dance, video - or whatever else you do!

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Then, our first ever Ethos: Concert with a Cause on Saturday, September 24

Supporting...
Traffick Free
Featuring...
Mathien (playing at 8pm)
Fine Tuning (playing at 7pm)

Tickets: $15 in advance, $20 at the door - $5 goes to Traffick Free, $5 goes to the musicians.  Childcare available!

"Ethos" is a series of monthly benefit concerts entitled “Ethos” from the Greek word meaning the underlying sentiment that informs the beliefs, customs, or practices of a group or society. The purpose of “Ethos” is to help develop an underlying sentiment of global citizenship in the South Loop and beyond. Each month:

• Attendees will be entertained by local artists and their musical, theatrical and visual art. 
• Attendees will be educated about a cause.
• Part of the money raised from ticket purchases will be (a) given to a particular nonprofit connected with the cause highlighted that month and (b) given to the artists showing that evening to support their world-changing work. 

During Ethos and Show and Tell, Overflow will be open for business for those who attend the concert.