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DEADLINE EXTENDED! We've extended the deadline to submit your application until Friday, July 14th. You have a little bit of breathing room so take advantage of the extra time and get your application in! The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has launched a new initiative titled “United We Stand: Connecting Through Culture” to leverage the arts and humanities against the rising tide of hate-motivated violence in America. “United We Stand: Connecting Through Culture” will provide funding to NEH's partners across the country for humanities programs that will encourage social cohesion, civic engagement, and cross-cultural understanding.
To address the “United We Stand” initiative, NMHC is creating a “special edition” catalog of speakers separate from our regular Speakers Bureau. The goal of this special catalog is to provide New Mexico communities—especially rural and underserved communities—with the opportunity to learn about the components of hate-motivated violence and the importance of cross-cultural understanding. NMHC is especially interested in topics related to the histories of domestic extremism, hate-based violence, inter-racial and inter-ethnic cooperation, and peace activism in New Mexico. For “United We Stand” to be effective, NMHC and NEH need members of our communities to step up and engage in open, honest, and respectful discussion on these issues.
When ordinary citizens cannot go about their daily lives—going to the grocery store, praying in their house of worship, etc.—without fear of being targeted simply for being who they are, our national security and democracy are at risk. The arts and humanities can be powerful tools against ignorance and hatred. They remind us of the things we have in common as citizens of this country and as human beings. They are the ways we explore what it means to be “human.”
“The arts and humanities have always been an avenue for acknowledging and expressing pain, coming to terms with that pain, and building support networks for survivors. In moments of loss and tragedy, we come together to both create and turn to art, poetry, music, literature for solace and healing. And to the lessons of history for understanding, and to religion and philosophy for acceptance. Combating hate not only requires us to identify the root causes of that hate but also to identify our inherent capacity for love, acceptance, empathy, and belonging.” —NEH Chair Shelly C. Lowe. Without community solidarity, real change is impossible.
Scholars or speakers will receive a $250 honorarium per event, plus reimbursement for mileage, lodging, and per diem. If you are interested in being part of United We Stand as a scholar, please fill out and return an application by July 14th. The application can be accessed here. Completed proposals must be submitted in e-mail and sent to Speakers Bureau manager Keelyn Byram at keelyn@nmhumanities.org with “United We Stand application” in the subject line.
For more information about being considered for the Speakers Bureau: United We Stand roster, please contact Keelyn Byram at 505-633-7370 or email keelyn@nmhumanities.org.
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