On Saturday March 19th from 3-4pm, the Edmonton Small Press Association of Canada is hosting a One World Beat "Drumming in One World Beat" event, in conjunction with the "Anti-War Global Day of Action" (starting at 12:30pm and running till 4pm), organized by the Edmonton Coalition Against War and Racism (www.ecawar.org). ECAWAR, as it is called, sorganizes actions and activities designed to address an end to war, to demand greater investment of resources in health, education, the environment, and human welfare, to "Make Poverty History", to put an end to racism, and to build a better and more equitable future for all.

The Edmonton Small Press Association (ESPA) is a nonprofit which seeks to foster awareness of and support for small-press ventures in Canada and beyond. They are media and arts activists, encouraging creative ventures in a variety of media, from printed matter to film and video, web-based projects, to musical/performance activities. They do an annual small-press fair, film and video screenings, and also initiate special projects to foster their belief that small-press initiatives are valuable artistically, are important tools for social-change, and impact in a positive way on global culture. ESPA has a Small-Press Library and Archive with 650 member artists and collectives from 29 countries, and in 2003 they produced the first "North of Nowhere Expo", a multi-disciplinary festival of independent and underground media.

The day begins with a gathering at 12:30pm at Gazebo Park, followed by a March starting at 1pm (heads west on Whyte Ave.), and a rally as the March makes its way to U. of A.'s Corbett Hall. There will be music, speakers, and more, and people are asked to bring their own percussion. The OWB "Global Drum Circle" will be held at the same place. For drumming info contact communityenvisioning@yahoo.ca.

See the Event page...