The Baha’i community of Brazil is planning a major artistic event on the beaches of Rio de Janeiro as part of its observance of the five year anniversary of the imprisonment of the seven Iranian Baha’i leaders.
Noted Brazilian artist Siron Franco is helping to organize the event, for which he has created a special image, shown here, which he has described as “Human beings should be free as birds.”
An image created by Brazilian artist Siron Franco for the Five Years Too Many campaign.
The event will take place on Copacabana Beach in Rio on 5 May. The “free as birds” image will be printed as a 15 by 10 meter banner, and will be laid in the sand, to be surrounded by Mr. Franco and other participants in the event.
“We will be inviting members of the Brazilian parliament, representatives of other human rights organizations, and the public to participate, said Mary Aune, deputy national secretary for actions with society and the government for the Brazilian Baha’i community.
“We expect literally thousands of people to attend. In our experience, events on the beach such as this have the capacity to attract considerable attention. For example, we are printing 5,000 copies of our informational pamphlet.”
Ms. Aune said Brazilian Federal Deputy Chico Alencar will be among the featured speakers, as will Mr. Franco. Amnesty International of Brazil has also confirmed participation at the event.
The Baha’i community of Brazil has set up a special website about the event, in Portuguese, which can be viewed here: http://cincoanosbasta.blogspot.com.br/
Brazilian artist Siron Franco
Born in the state of Goias in 1947, Siron Franco has produced over 3,000 drawings, paintings, sculptures, and urban interventions. Many of his works focus on issues related to human rights, such as the Peace Monument in Rio that he created for the 1992 Earth Summit.
For more information, contact Ms. Aune at: [email protected]