اینها را در داخل هواپیما در راه رفتن (یا برگشتن؟) از بیروت نوشتم. بیست و پنج روز قبل. هنوز وقت نکرده بودم اینجا را باز کنم و بنویسم. آن نوشته‌ها را کپی می‌کنم اینجا:

اولی
آرت توگدر یکساله شد.
یعنی یک سال گذشت از روزی که اولین برنامه‌اش انجام شد.
این نامه‌ای هست که به مناسبت یک سالگی‌اش برای دوستان و همراهان نوشتم. میذارمش اینجا.

Dear Friends,
Today marks the first anniversary of ARTogether’s first public event. A year ago today, we got together with a group of immigrants and refugees to discuss and share through the making of art, what the ideas of “leaving home” and “finding home” meant for them.

We have come a long way since then. We are now a registered non-profit with 501(C)(3) with a tax-exempt status. In our goal to promote community and healing through art, we have held 70 events and workshops, serving more than 700 members of refugee communities who are resettled in the Bay Area. We have held 15 children’s projects including an art summer camp, design classes, and introductions to great female artists; 9 programs for at-risk teens including freestyle painting, art journaling and sculpture classes; 10 programs for men including art-therapy and oil painting lessons; 30 women’s craft circles; 5 cultural and social gatherings; and 1 parenting through art workshop.

Through individual and group art projects, we have found that our participants, who often, due to language and social barriers, have trouble expressing themselves, have found outlets to deal with their trauma, and also form a renewed sense of community in their new home country. In this time of political turmoil and uncertainty, we have held strong to the belief that it is possible for each of us to play a positive role in the lives of those who have fled from war and persecution.

None of this would have had happened without the dedicated support of our team. Project ARTogether functions with the help of 6 volunteers, 9 interns, and 7 advisors, who donate their time and services, as well as 8 teachers who are compensated for their services. Our members and teaching artists come from over 22 countries; 72% of the participants are women and girls. Almost all the teachers are themselves artists with immigrant and refugee backgrounds; almost all are women of color.

We are a fast- growing organization, and have ambitious plans for the next year. There is a long waiting list of schools and community organizations who need the one-of-a-kind experiences and the demonstrated outcomes we offer and have asked to partner with us. We are also expanding globally and will soon be launching our program in a refugee camp in Switzerland.

While we have survived so far on personal finances, we need a strong base of funding in order to continue and grow. We need regular, monthly contributions, to be able to afford supplies, personnel and infrastructure, and would be grateful for your support and generosity. If you can donate $10 or more a month, it would go a long way to helping us meet our operational costs. We are also always on the lookout for enthusiastic and committed volunteers and interns, as well as experts for our leadership team. Please do spread the word, to help us achieve our goal to reach out to more communities. With the current wave of political anti-refugee sentiment, it has become more important than ever for us to lend our support to those who seek refuge in our country.

Warm regards,

Leva Zand

——
دومی
یه وقتایی‌ که از خستگی و بی‌چارگی دلم می‌گیره از کسی، هی به خودم یادآوری می‌کنم که یه وقتایی هم همه چی راجع به خود آدم نیست و طرف ممکنه حال و روز خوشی نداشته باشه. سخته تمرینش. یه ذره هم وقت می‌بره. مهم اینه که تو اون وقتی که داره می‌بره، آدم دهنشو باز نکنه یا تصمیم عجولانه نگیره. فکر کنم ناخواسته دارم بزرگ می‌شم.

——
سومی
اولین گرنت آرت توگدر رو بهمون دادن. خیلی خیلی کوچیکه و کم. یعنی یک هشتم اون چیزی هست که در خواست کرده بودیم. اما بالاخره یک جایی به ما و کار ما اعتماد کرد. این از همه چی مهم‌تره.
سر شام با دوستانم بودیم که ایمیلش اومد. زدم بیرون از رستوران و هق هق تو کشور غریب شروع کردم به گریه کردن. رفیقام وحشت زده که چی شد. آدم نمی‌دونه چطوری باید توضیح بده که چقدر ممکنه که از گرفتن این پول خیلی کوچیک، که احتمالا اندازه خرج همین سفر هست- خوشحال شده و چرا. فاکینگ یک سال. فاکینگ یک سال.

—–

چهارمی
پارسال تو مراسم جهانی روز پناهنده‌ها، من و الکساندرا رفته بودیم همینطوری گیج و گم به آدم ها نگاه می‌کردیم و حتی کارت ویزیت نداشتیم که بدیم به کسی. امسال آرت توگدر جزو کمیته برنامه ریزی مراسم بود. یه میز خوشگل داشتیم. بنرمون به دیوار بود. یه دیواری بهمون داده بودن که آدم‌ها می‌آومدن اسمشون رو می‌نوشتن رو یه تیکه کاغذ می‌چسبوندن به کشوری که ازش اومدن. شهردار اوکلند اومد روی میزمون.
نمی‌گم نمی‌ترسم. هنوز خیلی خیلی می‌ترسم. اصلا حالا که جدی تر شده بیشتر می‌ترسم. اما امیدوارم.

——
پنجمی
دوتا دوره آموزشی (فلوشیپ) برنده شدم. یکی آموزش چهار روزه برای مدیران اجرایی executive director بود، یکی هم ماه آینده هست به اسم socil enterpernourship