By Staff Writer - Vernon Morning Star
Published: June 07, 2013 1:00 AM
Published: June 07, 2013 1:00 AM
On his 12,000 kilometer international bicycling and
performance tour, Jeremy Bally is riding into Vernon for a Sunday event
at All Saints Anglican Church.
Pedalling for Papua aims to raise awareness of the
50-year-old human rights and environmental abuse in the underreported
region of West Papua.
“As home to the bird of paradise, the second largest
jungle remaining in the world, and our planet’s most bio-diverse marine
zone, this beautiful region has been subject to what many observers have
dubbed a slow-motion genocide,” said Barbara Liotscos, volunteer for
Pedalling for Papua.
“As many as 500,000 indigenous West Papuans have died
as a result of the military presence and lack of development in their
homeland.
“This story needs to be told, and it will be.”
Bally is touring a multimedia performance on his bicycle.
The show takes recorded conversations with West Papuan
exiles, refugees and activists live on stage through an original
animation. This is projected beside Bally as he narrates with original
spoken word poetry and ukulele based hip-hop music.
“Last year I rode my bicycle 7500 kilometres across Canada,” Bally states on www.pedallingforpapua.com.
“I did a series of multimedia presentations about my
experience in West Papua. I let some folks know about what was going on
there. It was good. But not enough.”
He will hold a by-donation performance at 7 p.m. at the Anglican Church, 3205 27th St.
“Changes happen when people get together and demand it,
and that takes awareness. I can do that. Sorry, scratch that. We can
do that,” said Bally.
