"Africa is My Heart" by Valerie Chow Bush Download CIIS Spring 2009 Newsletter (.pdf) >> Alum and Fulbright Scholar Gloria Simoneaux (ICP, '98) on introducing expressive art therapies to traumatized children in Africa. "Their art is an expession of what they're going through and what they've experienced." ~ Gloria.

NEW:  Gloria, the Social Change Honoree, is coming to California!!! Join Gloria and friends. Registration and Ticket Information >> Founder Gloria Simoneaux has recently been selected as a 2009 Marin Women’s Hall of Fame honoree. She will be honored on the evening of Thursday, March 26, 2009 for the Marin Women's Hall of Fame celebration dinner. The Marin Women's Hall of Fame is dedicated to being an ongoing source of inspiration for all who value excellence. Marin Independent Journalby Beth AshleyJanuary 12, 2009First D.A., 'running nun' new Hall of Fame honoreesRead the Marin Independent Journal Article >>

Yesterday was a CRAZY day! Even more crazy than usual. I set out early in the morning for a meeting across town. I was driving along Ngong Road, listening to Bob Marley (it’s my only CD) when suddenly a big Mercedes station wagon comes out of nowhere and crashes into the passenger side of my car. The sound of smashing and glass breaking is big, and when I look out the window I see 4 (FOUR) policemen standing right there. One of them approached my car and said, “Pole” (“sorry” in Swahili), “It wasn’t your fault. Don’t worry, we will […]

  I had arrived in Nairobi the night before from a marvelous three-week vacation…two weeks on the beach in Watamu, a wild stretch of 4 miles of white sand and rugged rock formations…and then three days on safari. The beach is a natural marine reserve with pristine coral heads and fish of every size and color. I saw lion fish (absolutely extraordinary), parrotfish, moray eels, enormous puffer fish, manta rays, schools of huge iridescent blue fish and many, many others. For two and a half weeks I found a rhythm of snorkeling for hours, very long walks in the morning […]

Solo 7 is a young artist from the Kibera area of Nairobi, the largest urban slum in Africa, with close to a million inhabitants.   View Photo Album of Solo 7's PEACE Statements >> Kibera is known as a “high density” area, which means extreme overcrowding and no quiet, private spaces anywhere. When I walk through the dusty, narrow, pot holed alleys with a friend, the children scream, “How are you? How are you? How are you?” They also yell, “TeaCher. teaCher, teaCher.” Or sometimes just, “Cher, cher, cher.” Recently, I was visiting some artist friends and there were children everywhere […]

View Fulbright Letter from Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey >> When I left my position as founding director of DrawBridge, after almost twenty years of intolerable stress trying to support the children that I loved, I decided to apply for a Fulbright fellowship. I can’t remember how the idea occurred to me, but it was a long shot…considering that I don’t have a PhD and I don’t have a research bone in my body. Immediately after leaving DrawBridge, I went to Cuba where I danced away my stress night and day and kissed dark skinned, elegant men in white shirts with cowrie shell […]