Creative Activism

Drawing Lessons from Dams and Displacement

Carpenter in front of his home, before and after it was demolished
Carpenter in front of his home, before and after it was demolished Linda Butler, 2001 and 2003 "Art goes around our neatly arranged arguments. Art allows us to see beauty, feel joy and anger. Art doesn't follow a party line, but punches us in the stomach when we least expect it."- Peter Bosshard, opening of Artists Respond to Three Gorges. For the Three Gorges Dam, the world's largest and most (in)famous dam, you could throw around some impressive facts and figures and everyone would shake their heads at them: 1.3 million people displaced and 13 cities, 140 towns and 1,350

I Know the River Loves Me

Blues and greens swirl on the page and around a young girl who shares her love for her river. The river cools her in the summer, holds her up when she dives in, and takes takes care of her as she takes care of it. While rivers around the world are being threatened, polluted, and dammed, Maya Christina Gonzalez's book, I Know the River Loves Me, is a tribute to the relationship people, and especially children, continue to have with their rivers. Each beautifully illustrated page carries a message, in both English and Spanish, about the personal relationship one can have with their river.

Temaca’s Children at Rivers for Life 3

Gibran with his tile of the Chinese flag
Gibran with his tile of the Chinese flag On the chilly Friday evening when many of the international delegates arrived for Rivers for Life 3 in Temacapulín, they were greeted not only by the meeting's coordinators, but also by many of the shorter residents of the town – Temaca's children.One of the boys, Gibran, had been practicing huanying (欢迎), or welcome, for weeks, in preparation for his big role as a greeter for the Chinese delegation. Evidence of the kids' excitement and cultural awareness was everywhere in the town, from the international flags hanging on the walls

Da Vinci and the Art of Water

Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519)
Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) www.vivoscuola.it "The body of the earth is of the nature of a fish...because it draws water as its breath instead of air," said the Italian painter, scientist and engineer Leonardo da Vinci. Block that flow of life with a massive concrete dam, or clog it with a thick solution of toxic chemical and organic pollution, and the earth grows sick. This is not just poetic metaphor, but reality for communities living along the Mekong, the Amazon, the Omo River, and so many others. Da Vinci went beyond poetics as well and compared the human body's vascular

Wild River Dance Video Winners

Thank you to everyone for making the Wild River Dance contest a success! And now... The Winners Mira Manickam is our first place winner! She recruited dancers from 15 locations across the United States. Her video features an original rap, beat track and samples with choreographed and coordinated dance moves that people in each different location learned through a video tutorial on YouTube. Amazing!  River Rap(ids) from Mira Manickam on Vimeo. Second place goes to Brad Lehrer. Being a trucker gave Brad a great opportunity to visit many rivers. He parked his rig (safely) by the side of

Wild River Dance Videos

See the Winners of the Wild River Dance Contest In Spring of 2010 we held a Wild River Dance contest to celebrate free-flowing rivers. Take a look at the main Wild River Dance video and the Wild River Dance Preview below. The video responses that came in were creative and inspiring. The "official" contest is over, but you can still watch them and post your own Wild River Dance video response! Watch Our Videos on YouTube Wild River Dance International Rivers created the Wild River Dance Video on the International Day of Action for Rivers on March 14, along with many other acti

Tools for Educators

Near the River in the Afternoon
Links to educational and environmental groups that provide curriculum, tips, and other resources for educators relating to rivers, dams, and people. We provide this list to encourage you to further engage your students in river issues. The links below are arranged by education level and then by topic: The Water Cycle, Rivers and Biomes, Rivers and People, and Protecting Rivers.
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