Sunday, May 13, 2007

The Awaken Humanity Music Festival

UPDATE ON AWAKEN


The confusion surrounding the organization "Awaken" continues with the Awaken Humanity Music Festival taking place tonight, May 13, 2007, at the Mayan. Consider these excerpts from on-line promotional materials regarding the concert:


The information below is taken from an advertisement regarding the Awaken Humanity Music Festival


Charity


Awaken Africa


1. Africa is in a state of unprecedented crisis. In response to the human poverty that threatens to devastate an entire generation,Awaken Humanity will be focusing on several projects including healthcare initiatives,a women’s conference,and developing a children’s village outside of Lusaka,Zambia. The Children’s Village will provide a stable, secure, family-like environment that will allow the children who have been orphaned after losing their parents to HIV/Aids to interact with the neighboring community.


Awaken Los Angeles


1. NightLight, an organization in Bangkok, Thailand and Los Angeles committed to combating the exploitation of women and children.


2. Homeless Service is in cooperation and support with other agencies such as L.A. Mission and Union Rescue Mission.


3. Neo-Underground Railroad encourages disadvantaged children and youth in South Los Angeles to experience and develop their abilities through a free creative arts and tutoring program.


(Questions: Awaken Humanity will be focusing on "several projects?" Is Awaken Humanity referring to Breath of Heaven Children's Village as a "project" of Awaken? Did Awaken ever receive written permission from the L.A. Mission, Union Rescue Mission and Neo Underground Railroad for the use of their names?)


The Hard Music Magazine, HM News Update: Week Ending 5-12
http://www.hmmagazine.com/exclusive/hm_news_update_week_ending_512200705/index.php
Quotes from the article, Rival Projects Awaken Humanity, featuring the band Project 86:


But first off, they will headline the
2007 Awaken Humanity
Festival
on May 13th (Mother's Day) in Los Angeles to benefit critical assistance programs for women and children. The Awaken Humanity organization supports a wide range of programs, both local and abroad, ranging from helping at-risk Los Angeles youth in their efforts to graduate from high school to developing a“children’s village” in Zambia, Africa for children orphaned by HIV/AIDS.

"For the first time in the history of the band, we have
the opportunity to align ourselves with a cause like The Awaken Humanity Festival," says vocalist Andrew Schwab.

"We completely supportAwaken and their
desire to provide relief in areas where it is needed most
. This is an effort that anyone with a heart can make a true impact on the downcast, broken, and
meek. We are proud to be a part of this."



(In the first paragraph cited above, the line "helping at-risk Los Angeles youth in their efforts to graduate from high school" refers to the unnamed Neo Underground Railroad while Breath of Heaven Children's Village in Zambia is simply referred to as a "children's village."



It is interesting to note that lead vocalist Andrew Schwab praises "Awaken" for its "desire to provide relief in areas where it is needed most" without mentioning the actual charities the concert proceeds are intended to benefit.)


Christian Examiner, Los Angeles County Edition
http://www.christianexaminer.com/Regions/LA_briefs.html



Festival benefits moms, children
LOS ANGELES — Mosaic, a multi-cultural church based in Los Angeles, is hosting the Awaken Humanity Music Festival May 13 as a benefit to numerous agencies that serve children and mothers in need.

Supported by Mosaic’s Awaken ministry, which fosters creativity as a means to usher in global change to end suffering, the event will feature 26 bands on four stages. It will be held at the Mayan Theatre, beginning at 4 p.m.


The featured performers include Project 86, Stranger,
Northern, Until June, Odd Thomas, Buddy, Avner, Kari Kimmel, Spur58, Stevie Scott, Bobbito The Chef , Sovory, Avion Blackman, Legacy , Gina Star, John Torres, Matt Shockley, Matt Thomas, Trent Dean, Brian Thomas, Devil Dust, Liam Hardman, Graffiti61, Dana Elliot and Glare of Rockets.


The cost is $10, with proceeds to benefit a children’s village that is raising money to build an orphanage outside of Luska, Zambia; NightLight, an organization in Bangkok, Thailand and Los Angeles that is committed to combating the exploitation of women and children; Homeless Service, which cooperates with and supports other agencies such as L.A. Mission, and Union Rescue Mission and Neo-Underground Railroad, which encourages disadvantaged
children and youth in South Los Angeles to experience and develop their abilities through a free creative arts and tutoring program. Food will be available beginning at 7 p.m., when In-N-Out burgers will provide a mobile truck.

A special gift will be provided to mothers.

The theater is located at 1038 S. Hill St.

For more information, visit awakenhumanityfestival.org.



(Mosaic . . . is hosting the Awaken Humanity Music Festival? Isn't Awaken Humanity a separate entity? Also, what does this mean, "Supported by Mosaic’s Awaken ministry, . . .?" Does this mean that "Awaken" will show up in the yearly budget for Mosaic? If this is the case, then why does it need its own 501(c)(3)? When did it become a ministry of Mosaic?

As I have revealed in my previous blogs, Awaken Humanity's claim that it "cooperates with and supports other agencies such as L.A. Mission . . . and Neo-Underground Railroad," does not match what I was told by the representatives of these two charities.)



This item on the Festival can be found at Eric Bryant’s MySpace Blog, (remember, Eric Bryant is the Vice President of Awaken and is listed with the California Business Portal as the Agent for Service of Process for the corporation “Awaken Humanity” filed on April 20, 2007.)
http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm

Friday, April 27,
2007


Awaken Humanity Music Festival Mayan May 13th

In the spirit of changing the world, don’t miss the Awaken Humanity Music Festival
at the Mayan on May 13th featuring 5 stages, 20+ bands and 6+ hours of
music.

All proceeds go towards Awaken Humanity projects which include building a Children’s Village in Zambia and helping at risk teens in Los Angeles.




(Again, the question comes up: Why is Awaken Humanity labeling these charitable works as "projects" of Awaken?")



The questions keep piling up.





Yvonne W.




A Brief Follow Up

This information is posted in a sidebar on the Awaken Humanity Music Festival MySpace page:

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=182148849

"Our main interest is to bring together people from all walks of life who care
about humanity enough to join us in a fight for those who cannot fight for
themselves."


(The above text is a link to other MySpace webpages with similar "interests." The top entry listed, www.myspace.com/commie_dic, is a page on socialism.)


". . .We all have different beliefs,"


(Again, this short portion is a link to other pages which discuss political views, social issues, and philosophy. Among these are sites with sexually offensive graphics.)


". . . but share the common goal.

(There is another link associated with this statement.)


In regards to this ending phrase, "...but share a common goal," after reading through a sample of the sites linked to this sidebar I am still wondering, what is this "common goal" between Awaken Humanity and these other webpages? Whatever this goal is, it does not appear to have the Gospel of Jesus Christ as it's focus.


Perhaps I'm just missing the point. I leave it up to you, the reader, to check this out for yourself but please, if you do find something that relates back to chrisitianity in a positive way, would you be so kind as to let me know what it is?

More . . .

Eric Bryant, vice president of "Awaken" maintains two different blog presences on the internet. Here are contradictory quotes from each:


1. Eric Bryant's Blog http://www.ericbryant.org/blog/


The evening was filled with the sounds of great bands at the first ever Awaken Humanity Music Festival at the Mayan. All of the extra proceeds will go towards
some of our humanitarian efforts in Zambia and Los Angeles

.

Extra proceeds? Compare this to below:


2. Eric Bryant's MySpace blog http://www.myspace.com/ericmichaelbryant


"All proceeds go towards Awaken Humanity humanitarian projects. . ."

(To find this quote, click on the Awaken Humanity Music Festival link under "Eric's Latest Blog Entry.")

For independent confirmation of the "all proceeds" line, I searched the Tooth and Nail Records site, http://www.toothandnail.com/news.php for the cached page regarding the "Awaken Humanity Music Festival."

"This festival is a humanitarian benefit for several worthwhile causes, with all proceeds going directly to the hands of those in need. "



So what is the actual amount going towards these "humanitarian projects?"

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Is this for real?

Yes, Awaken got permission from the charities they work with. They have a very close working relationship. Very few church dare partner with these charities... on day of serving the homeless is enough for them. Obviously there is a good relationship and alot of support.

If you went to the festival, you would have known that several of the charities were there, set up booths,had representatives and interacted / thanked the people for their support.

"Mosaic . . . is hosting the Awaken Humanity Music Festival". Yes. Mosaic is hosting it. Anyone there will tell you that Awaken was birthed from Mosaic, but they are separate legal entities. So in essence, Awaken is a ministry of Mosaic, but they are two different entities. Just like the Ronald McDonald house is a charity of McDonald's. These things happen all the time

The questions don't keep piling up, you are just not willing to see the answers.

Yvonne W. said...

"Anonymous",

I don't where you are getting your information but I just got off the phone with Yvonne Napoleon, the FOUNDER of the Neo Underground Railroad and she told me she DID NOT give "Awaken" permission in writing to use the name of her organization.

She also told me she didn't know about the Music Festival AT ALL until I told her about it last week! She has never been approached by anyone representing "Awaken" regarding working in "cooperation or support" of her organization.

She is the only person who can authorize "a booth" at such events and DID NOT DO SO for the Awaken Humanity Music Festival.

She had this to say about Eric's claim that the "extra proceeds" would go towards the projects mentioned in the promotional materials:

"How do you define "extra proceeds?" Does this mean Awaken is raising funds for some main project and whatever is leftover will be given to the other charities? How do they break it down in percentages?"

To this day, Yvonne Napoleon has still not received a dime from "Awaken."

I have left phone messages with Teresa LaManna of Breath of Heaven's Children's Village in Zambia, Nuria of the Los Angeles Mission and Liz Mooradian of the Union Rescue Mission asking them to confirm if each of these organizations granted "Awaken" written permission for the use of their names and if they had "booths" at the festival.

Since I am still waiting for a response to my initial contact with Nightlight L.A. I did not try to get in touch with this organization.

I will post any further information I receive as soon as I receive it.

Given what Yvonne Napoleon has confirmed for me, I think you may want to reconsider your comment:

The questions don't keep piling up, you are just not willing to see the answers.



Yvonne W.

Anonymous said...

Wow you really have done some research haven't you. I'm impressed that your so detailed. I see how you were trying to prove a point, but that whole section on myspace is a tad far fetched. I added all those people, and to be honest I was totally cool with people showing up with different values(and they did). That was actually one of the key points to the event. So good job, lol. Anyway, good luck with your search for drama.

Matt Thomas

Yvonne W. said...

Thank you for checking in Matt Thomas, it is always refreshing to hear from someone who is not afraid to take ownership of the things he/she has posted on-line.

My point in emphasizing the links connected to the sidebar commentary at the Awaken Humanity Music Festival website was to demonstrate the strange (almost contradictory) relationship Mosaic and Awaken (in this case, Awaken Humanity.)

On the one hand, you have a christian church (Mosaic) promoting a "christian" concert (this is according to the quote in the Christian Examiner.)

On the other hand, you have the actual Awaken Humanity Music Festival organizers (such as yourself) who knowingly included non-christian music artists in the concert line-up.

In addition, you, added those interesting sidebar links to all those people with "different values."

So my question is this: was the Awaken Humanity Music Festival a "christian" concert or was it something else?

Yvonne W.