Genesis at the Crossroads
PO Box 14781
Chicago, IL 60614
www.gatc.org

Media Contact: Jerry Schranz
Beckerman Public Relations
(201) 465-8020
November 11, 2009 jschranz@beckermanpr.com

U.S. State Department to Feature Genesis at the Crossroads November 18, Non-profit organization uses music and arts to bridge cultures around the world

CHICAGO AND WASHINGTON, DC, Nov. 11 , 2009 – As a universal language, music itself can be used as a powerful tool to connect people despite their differences. Music offers countless potential opportunities to unite musicians and listeners regardless of age, cultural background, race, religion or even mother tongue. On Wednesday, November 18, the U.S. Department of State will be featuring two major initiatives of Genesis at the Crossroads, a Chicago-based non-governmental organization dedicated to bridging cultures in conflict through the arts, on its multimedia platform called CO.NX during a live program that is open to the general public.

Hosted by the U.S. Department of State, CO.NX delivers a combination of highly interactive media components such as live video, audio, presentations, and real-time polling that connect international audiences with U.S. experts and policymakers on a range of topics.

Since its establishment in 1999, Genesis at the Crossroads has paired artists from disparate communities and cultural backgrounds in a series of artistic, educational and humanitarian programs to serve as collaborative models for others. Its two branches—one for performance programs, the other arts-education, with humanitarian programs linking the two—inspire creation of new vocal, instrumental, dance, literary, documentary film and visual works of art, promoting cross-cultural understanding between individuals themselves and communities.

The first of two live chat/discussions will take place between 9:00a.m.and 10:00a.m. EST (1400-1500GMT) and cover Genesis at the Crossroads’ humanitarian program Arm Them with Instruments. It is a program through which North American youth collect gently-used instruments to donate to children around the world living in conflict zones or challenged circumstances. Join hosts: Wendy Sternberg, MD, Genesis at the Crossroads’ Founder and Executive Director and William Meyer, a high school student in Princeton, New Jersey who has taken on this program for his Bar Mitzvah community service project.

From 10:30am to 11:30am EST (1530-1630GMT) CO.NX will highlight Sternberg and hosts: Cantor Alberto Mizrahi, world-renowned vocalist; Kiu Haghighi, Iranian Santour Virtuoso, artists from
Saffron Caravan, the music ensemble under the aegis of Genesis at the Crossroads.

Made up of musicians from Iran, Afghanistan, Cuba, Morocco and the United States, Saffron Caravan is one of the most unique collections of musicians ever found together, all committed to bridging humankind through art and serving up an engaging model for others to follow. As they engage in this creative exchange and cross-cultural dialogue through music, they collectively serve as a model for other disciplines to emulate.

To participate in either of the two events, please visit: https://statedept.connectsolutions.com/music

Participants may enter as a guest and registration is not needed. CO.NX is also accepting questions and comments in advance of, and at any time during the program.

Genesis at the Crossroads (GATC), a 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit organization that offers a systematic approach to arts diplomacy to bridge cultures in conflict; they create and implement innovative performance, arts-education and humanitarian programs worldwide. For more information, visit www.gatc.org. More information on the CO.NX platform at the U.S. Department of State can be found at http://co-nx.state.gov.
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