Art-Word- Performance for Peace
Building and Human Rights
Namaya & the B4 Peace Team
Namaya - Artistic Director
Namaya and his team of artists and designers create projects globally to engage communities on critical global issues of peace, ecology, and human rights.
“I am a USN Vietnam era medic, and since my service, I have focused my art, writing, and life’s work on peace and human rights. ” said Namaya
“An integral part of my lifelong journey has been about healing and forgiveness as individuals and communities as an artist, activist, poet, and Homeopathic physician. In Vietnam in 2020, I undertook a two-month art, and writing residency called a “Journey to Forgiveness.” These and other journeys to Yemen, Palestine, Syria, South Africa, Belfast on peace projects have all shaped understanding of peace and reconciliation.
Namaya is the author of books of poetry, essays, and stories-“GOD.SEX.POLITICS,” “Vermont My Home,” “Thirst,” “Journal of the Plague: Living and working with AIDS,” and “Celebrate Life: Viva La Vida.” His children’s stories and CDS are “On the Island of Binga Bonga. His plays have included “Beatnik Café: Musical Revue of the Jazz Beat Generation,” “Memoria. Hablar. Dignidad” in Santiago Chile. Current plays are: “House of War: House of Glass” a children’s play about children confronting the ecological disaster. Follow his blog and podcasts at www.namayaproductions.com/blog. As a performance poet, he has performed on 5 continents www.thejazzpoet.com.
ZOE KOPP MPH, Ph.D. – Co-director of the B4 Peace Projects and con-founder of www.gracecare.org. A pioneer in women’s health care, she has co-lead the B4 Peace Projects Globally. She said, “We have travelled the globe and through music, art, and performance we have engaged local communities in peace building.” www.gracecares.org
B4 Peace Team
Namaya, and Zoe Kopp are co-directors of the B4 Peace projects. Twenty years ago they created GRACE Cares, which provides grassroots community development and peace projects throughout the world.
Team members: Zoe Kopp Project Director of the B4 Peace Projects• Joey Sawyer Shaw- Videographer and audio engineer who has worked with NPI for over a decade.• Dean Gallea – Chief technical engineer and project advisor. • Grace Cares Team and a host of committed volunteers and technical advisors
Key Peace, Art and Performance Installation Art Projects
Projects have included: “Witness: Israel-Palestine: Journey to Peace,” “War is a Racket: Major Gen Butler” and the “Pornography of War – In An Age of Desire.” 100 Flowers of Peace has been presented at peace centers and museum. “House of War: House of Glass” is a new play on
• News Space Art Center. Residency Hue, Vietnam | Jan 2020 |
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• New Orleans Art Center –Pornography of War | Jan 2018 |
•International Museum of Peace Conference Belfast, Ireland. | April 2017 |
•Vermont Center for Photography–Member show | 2012 – 2016 |
•Fellowship of Reconciliation, NY–100th Anniversary Peace Sculpture | 2015 |
Edinburgh Peace Center –Presentation of 100 Flowers of peace | 2016 |
•Tehran Peace Museum –Invitation to present “Peace Building” | 2015 |
•Peace Abbey, Massachusetts–100 Flowers of Peace | 2015 |
•Dominican Republic –Community “Water is our Human Right” | 2016 |
•War is a Racket –Maj. General Butler –Performance Multimedia | 2016-2019 |
•School for International Training, VT -“Inevitability of Peace” | 2015 |
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•Witness: Israel-Palestine: Journey to Peace Performance | 2012-2015 |
•Artrageous Gallery, VT–Art and photography | 2014 |
•Rose D’espoir-Peace Community Building, Algeria | 2014 |
•Clearwater Festival, NY-B4 Peace Art & Sculpture | 2011-2014 |
•Villa Grimaldi, Chile–Multimedia art for Human Rights | 2013 |
•Vermont My Home: Multimedia/ photography touring show | 2015 |
•Al Rowadd Theater in Palestine, a performance of “Witness” | 2011 |
•Gallery Posos, MexicoWinner“Wings for Peace.” Peace Arts | 2011 |
What people say
“Namaya shares insights of a life spent on the political and religious margins, in conflict zones such as Israel, Palestine, Yemen, and North America. Most of all, as an artist and a public intellectual, he sees his work not as a static statement, but as a starting point for open and frank conversation – welcoming a dynamic exchange, with critics and supporters alike, in a collaborative forum to envision a just and peaceful world.”
Ethan Vesely-Flad – Fellowship of Reconciliation
Namaya’s art subject goes straight to the danger zone and it is what is needed in our moment. In going to our collective underworld, it honors our humanity and foibles. The direct imagery, actual charged objects and his availability to participate in dialog about war and peace creates a safe place to bring matters out from the darkness, which is exciting and refreshing.”
Alison Beth Levy, Independent Art Curator
VILLA GRIMALDI SANTIAGO, Chile Memoria. Hablar. Dignidad. We were very pleased to have Namaya and the B4 Peace Team created a collaborative project here Villa Grimaldi. They showed great sensitivity and understanding in creating a dance, performance and art project that celebrates human Rights. Many of our guests were deeply moved by this art project.”
– Director at Villa Grimaldi-Carola Hidalgo.“