Month: October 2015 (Page 7 of 7)

Imagine lending out your favorite shirt to a friend and not being able to get it back. That’s the situation that four Crimean museum, Tavrida Central Museum, the Kerch Historical and Cultural Preserve, the Bakhchisaray History and Culture State Preserve of the Republic of Crimea, and the National Preserve of Tauric Chersonesos, found themselves in. Except it’s much more complicated than that.

The Allard Pierson Museum

In 2013, the four museums loaned their artifacts for a traveling exhibition. It went first to the Rheinisches Landesmuseum in Bonn, Germany. Then it was sent to the Allard Pierson Museum in Amsterdam in February 2013, which was expected to display there until August 31, 2014.

However in March 2013, Crimea was invaded by Russia and was separated from Ukraine. This is where the problem began.

After the exhibition ended at the Allard Pierson Museum, the 565 rare artifacts are packed in boxes in a storage facility until court decision determines where they should be sent towards.  “Should the collection be returned to Crimea, which would essentially deliver it into Russian hands? Or should it go to Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, which owned the collection at the time of the display?” as questioned in the article “Artifacts from Crimean Museums Are Held Hostage by Politics” by Nina Siegal.

Ukraine claimed the arts are part of the public state museum fund, their state property, and should be returned to the government instead of the museums in Crimea. Also there has been fear that Russia, with its claim over Crimea, would move the treasures to its cities, St. Petersburg or Moscow, permanently.

On the other hand, the four Crimean museums are “extremely frustrated at missing these culturally important aspects from their collections.” They argued that the only parties in the loan contracts are they themselves and the Allard Pierson Museum so neither the Russian government or Ukrainian government has a role in this court case.

The Russian Ministry of Culture also supported returning the artifacts to the museums in Crimea. The statement said, “In the almost 18 months after the Crimea joined Russia, the Crimean museums have not lost a single item.”

It is unfortunate that due to the political tension in the area, the treasures are hidden in boxes in storage. The collection of artifacts reveals the different influences and culture in the Black Sea region throughout its history. There are influences “from the Greek, Roman and early medieval periods.” Also since this area is part of the crossroad, there are Chinese goods there from the Silk Road trade. It is a tragedy that these unique pieces are being buried in a storage facility. Regardless of where the court decides to send these treasures to, they should be in display showcasing the vast history of the area instead of burying them in a storage facility.

While reading this New York Times article, “Review: Global Citizen Festival, Including Beyoncé and Pearl Jam, Mixes Music and Activism” by Jon Pareles, on the Global Citizen festival this past Saturday, I was able to analyze the mediums that the organization used to address our major world problems and invigorate people to be activists for change.

The incentive – celebrities. By getting famous musicians, actors, hosts, politicians, executives and social leaders to come together on stage, the organizers of the Global Citizen Festival ensured there would be a lot of media hype surrounding the concert. The publicity would incite audiences’ attention to get tickets and see their heroes in person.

From a showing of 60,000 people, we can see how popular music is and how it reaches out to audiences of tremendous size. The music itself was varied, from Beyonce’s fierce style to Coldplay’s steady rhythms, Ed Sheeran’s smooth vocals to Pearl Jam’s head-banging rock. The appeal reaches all branches of music tastes and therefore, all branches of people.

Beyonce, Ed Sheeran, Pearl Jam, Coldplay (left to right)

The set list was carefully chosen to include audience favorites and still send the right message. The article places a lot of emphasis on the feminist empowerment underlying Beyonce’s performance – “Who runs the world? Girls!” – in line with the UN goal of gender equality. With Pearl Jam and Eddie Vedder’s performance of John Lennon’s “Imagine”, an activism anthem weaseled its way into people’s hearts. The pathos associated with the dreamy ideas of “no need for greed or hunger” and “a brotherhood of man” is intrinsically connected to the central goals of the UN and envisions a brighter future for us all.

Then there is the method audiences can get tickets – they must complete a list of tasks that promote the UN’s sustainable development goals on social media. This is great for free publicity as social media spreads information across all borders. The more people hear about the goals and concert, the more people will spread the message to get tickets. They will also invite their friends to join the cause so they can all attend the festival together. In the process, the candidates for tickets learn about the issues affecting our world and teach others about it as well.

The massive crowd of 60,000 that attended the Global Citizen Festival.

The Global Citizen Festival cleverly mashes social activism, social media, and music to get the attention and support of everyone.