User:Arts4Africa
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[edit] Arts4Africa - The Mission
None are strangers to the decades-old humanitarian crisis in Africa. From Live Aid to Live 8, many influential individuals and international aid organizations have worked tirelessly to bring attention to the ongoing plight of some of the world’s poorest people, and to effect lasting social and economic change in Africa. But there is always more that can be done.
Arts4Africa is a vision created by Wade Watson and Roberto Rabanne to promote awareness of the potential of socially responsible business development in Africa. Capital put to work to create profits by doing well for investors while doing good for local communities is an ethical, sustainable business model that has the power to totally transform the world’s poorest continent. Watson and renowned rock and roll photographer/historian/designer Roberto Rabanne have joined forces to bring awareness to socially responsible businesses in Africa, and to offer artists a unique opportunity to add their voices and talents to this cause.
The Vision
Arts4Africa will be a series of intimate marquee events designed to visually demonstrate the transformative power of socially responsible business practices. Watson and partners already have a substantial market-capitalization, socially responsible diamond and gold mining company operating in Sierra Leone Target Resources/Pride Diamonds. A number of artists have taken up the challenge to create unique and limited-edition jewelry and art using ethically sourced and/or recycled raw materials supplied by Target/Pride. These items will be exhibited and auctioned to raise funds to promote and create economic sustainability in Africa.
The A4A Cause
Proceeds from the Arts4Africa events will fund a number of initiatives, including:
Job creation within socially responsible businesses in Africa A professional internship program for Africans School twinning program to link US schools with village schools in Africa Facilitate rock and roll icons & celebrities visiting Africa, starting with Sierra Leone Multi-country impact establishing a pilot scheme in Sierra Leone that can be replicated and implemented in other African countries and around the globe.
Arts4Africa intends to work closely with NGOs that focus on initiatives promoting job creation, micro-loans for small local businesses, education, and women’s issues, and is currently engaged in high-level discussions with NGOs such as CARE International, Trickle Up and others.
The Background
Wade Watson is the co-founder of Pride Diamonds, a socially responsible diamond and gold mining company in Sierra Leone, Africa, which recently acquired by Target Resources (a London Stock Exchange-listed company TGT). Target is also a socially responsible company with a much larger footprint in Sierra Leone and the vision to expand throughout the alluvial mining countries in Africa.
Pride Diamonds is supplying a cadre of jewelers with ethically sourced gold, rough and cut diamonds, and recycled metals (silver, platinum, gold, ruthenium, cobalt, and aluminum). The artists featured in the Ars4Africa events will emphasize the responsible business values Pride has established in order to create awareness of and a cultural connection with the source of the raw materials they use. Pride’s business policies include: 1. higher than living wages (Pride/TGT currently pays the highest wages in Sierra Leone); 2. Gender Equality; 3. Environmental Responsibility; 4. Local community-based projects; and 5. Reinvestment of profits into long-term economic development.
Roberto Rabanne began his career in New York as the influences of the counter culture were being felt on music, fashion, art and politics. His iconic photographs of Bob Marley, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, The Grateful Dead and other rock idols quickly earned him a reputation as a master at capturing the exhilaration of live performances on film. In the 1980’s Rabanne extended his work into high fashion and has continued to document shows and foremost publications such as Rolling Stone, Spin, Vogue, Der Spiegel, Time, Newsweek, among many. In 2002, Rabanne founded Rabanne X as a limited creative laboratory for expanding the limits and applications of photography to both objects and environments. Rabanne is determined to make a positive difference with his influence and contributions for Arts4Africa.
Arts4Africa 395 South End Ave. Suite 22F New York, NY. 10208 Info@arts4africa.org www.arts4africa.org
Wade Watson, Executive Producer 917.913.7273 wade@arts4africa.org
Roberto Rabanne, Creative Director 646.322.6767 roberto@arts4africa.org
Kip Singer, Exec. Tour Production & Sponsorship Sales 917.573.8496 kip@arts4africa.org
