HEARTQUAKE ♡ 24hrs ♡ Open Air + Indoors

♡♡♡ For further information, see below. Join us at our fundraiser “Heartquake” on 30 May 2015 at Loftus Hall. The doors will open at noon (12:00 p.m.) and will stay open for 24 hours. An amazing ensemble of DJs and performance artists/live acts awaits you on 2 indoor floors and 1 outdoor venue. All donations will be directly channeled to local and queer organizations working in long term recovery projects on the ground in Nepal: ▸▹ Blue Diamond Society (largest LGBTI organization of Nepal: https://iglhrc.org/nepal) ▸▹ Chautara Sporting Club (CSC) (a local club in Chautara, headquater of Sindhupalchok district led by young boys and girls: http://www.gofundme.com/te2w9sg) ▸▹ Aythos, Inc. (providing medical supplies and shelter: http://www.aythos.org/) ▸▹ Urban Environment Management Society (supports urban and sub urbs population, especially marginalized communities through its work in water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), Solid Waste Management, etc.): http://www.youcaring.com/emergency-fundraiser/help-those-affected-by-the-recent-earthquake-in-nepal/344834 ▸▹ others (still setting up ways to transfer funds) Our event is gratefully sponsored by Ginger Ale/Schweppes®, Jameson® as well as actor and producer G Beaudin. ♡♡ Line-Up ♡♡ ▼▽ DJs: 2Faro Akirahawks Alex Cliche AlterNegro Billie Ray Martin Brett Knacksen DeepNeue Discognate Electrosexual Fata Kiefer Hyperaktivist Jared Abbott Joe Roberts Jon Dark Joseph Diel Juan Ramos Julie Chance La Schmock Laura De Vasconcelos Lucky Pierre Mario Lauriano Mashyno Mauro Feola Paolo di Nola Per QX Projekt Gestalten Riku Roberto Scatena Sampo Hanninen Samuel Gieben Santiago Lecce Tim Vitá Tony Overbeat Yes.No.Maybe (André Moritz, Tomas Spohn) ▼▽ Performers: Antonio Onio Kewin Bo Otto Oscar Hernández Reverso ▸▹ RA event: http://www.residentadvisor.net/event.aspx?719522 ♡♡♡ Background: Over the last couple of weeks, a series of well more than 100 earthquakes, two out of which registering at a magnitude of over 7, has left a trail of devastation in the Himalayan country of Nepal. Especially in the rural areas of Gorkha and Chautara, entire villages have been leveled to the ground. In the capital of Kathmandu, tent cities covering most open spaces have become shelter to thousands. While relief efforts, hindered by bureaucratic obstacles, continuing aftershocks and landslides blocking many roads, are only slowly starting to reach more remote areas, other problems remain: with most sanitary facilities destroyed and the rainy season ahead, the risk of infection with contagious diseases such as cholera is on the rise. The continuous series of aftershocks, resulting in a sheer never ending possibility of exposure to disaster, has left many people traumatized and caused severe psychological damage. On the other hand, we have been getting personal reports that queer people have been excluded from the distribution of food, water and medical supplies or have not been admitted to shelter at rescue sites. Levels of discrimination may rise in situations where relief authorities, administrative and executive staff perceive discrepancies between gender presentation and documentation of people in need. Prevailing homo- and transphobia, for example among patriarchal military cadres engaged in most relief efforts, further reinforces the marginalization of the already vulnerable LGBTI community in Nepal. Finally, there are reports of increasing incidents of rape and abuse as security forces take control over affected areas. Although we welcome the international attention Nepal has received in media coverage and the transfer of international aid to the ground, we wish to point to some of the deficits of the way the disaster management is being handled: - Donating to big international aid organizations such as the Red Cross DOES NOT guarantee that the funds will actually reach Nepal or anybody else in need of relief or assistance. The same goes for Nepali governmental services and organizations. Many of the funds may instead vanish along the way. - Donating to only a few big organizations NEGLECTS the fact that inequalities and discrimination may be reproduced on the ground; vulnerable social groups such as girls and women, LGBTI people and school children may be excluded or not considered within the dominant paradigms of relief management. For these reasons, we want to propose an alternative way of channeling funds to people who have been on the scarce end of international aid so far. We are looking forward to dancing with you for this cause. Thank you for your support!