On 20 March 2008 it is the 5th anniversary of the American invasion of Iraq. The Free Articulator is marking this day by hosting the Peace March 20 initiative, focusing on artists as social activists during this time of conflict. We’d like to invite all visual artists, writers, and song writers to sign up, participate, and contribute their voice and links.

“Cowardice asks the question, ‘Is it safe?’ Expediency asks the question, ‘Is it politic?’ Vanity asks the question, ‘Is it popular?’ But conscience asks the question, ‘Is it right?’ And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, not politic, nor popular but one must take it because one’s conscience tells one that it is right.”- Martin Luther King Jr.

We think it’s right to end war, so we can fix the planet and that this is a priority to embrace.

This is an invitation to be a part of the Peace March 20 concept to unite artists around the world against warfare and it’s also an opportunity to have your art and creativity become a Free Articulator Feature and help you and your art gain prominence.

You can see an example of Features we have already published with Lena Semenkova and Dr. John Hinchcliff. We have more coming, including one with science-fiction author and Internet cultural activist Cory Doctorow, so you’ll be in good company.

The Free Articulator will kick off Peace March 20 by publishing a special piece examining the inspirational activism of arguably one of the world’s greatest artist activists, John Lennon, and will continue throughout the month until 20 April when we will close this theme on art as a positive force for constructive social change.

All submissions need to be in by midnight April 20, 2008.

Then we will review all submissions and select the artists from each category to be Featured in the Free Articulator. The Featured artists will be announced on 20 May 2008 in the Free Articulator. We hope this initiative and your participation will help focus attention on ending war by this time next year (2009) so we can focus humanity’s resourcefulness on fixing our planet and becoming sustainable. If not, with your help we will continue to forward the notion that peace is possible and imperative if we are to make the maximum possible effort to make life on this planet sustainable.

Submission guidelines

We invite you to subscribe to the Free Articulator but a subscription is not required to participate. Participants are subject to the terms and conditions presented in the Free Articulator’s submission guidelines.

All works must be original.

Submitting the work implies ownership of the work, ownership of copyright or right to reprint, or the legal ramifications otherwise. This includes but is not limited to recordings, song lyrics, 2D and 3D artwork, poetry, prose, essays, and articles (and any and all imagery contained therein). Your intellectual property rights remain yours as per our guidelines.

All works must be themed on the concepts in the Peace March 20 banner.

Participants must have a website and display at least one of the Peace March 20 banners provided on their page. You do not have to submit your original work of art, literature, song to the Free Articulator but may host it with the Peace March 20 banner on your site with a few words if you’re so inclined, then send an email to the address below with the link and we’ll pay your site a visit if you prefer.

Artwork Guidelines:

• Images must be in jpeg format
• Size restrictions: Cannot exceed 500×500 pixels (dimensions can vary within).
• All mediums are accepted
• Must include title, dimensions and medium of original, and short paragraph describing piece

Song Guidelines:

• Must be demo quality or better
• Must submit English lyrics with the work
• Must be in mp3 format
• We will link to your stream if you have a site.
• Can include video files from YouTube and The Free Articulator will link to them

Writing Guidelines:

• PDF or Word formats accepted
• Include any formatting specifications necessary

Works that do not follow these guidelines will be deleted.

Submit works to: Peace.March20 AT freearticulator.com

Pass this message on to any artist you think could benefit from this opportunity to express themselves and their sentiments. All independent media publications and organizations promoting sustainability and peace are welcome to participate, promote and link. Thank you for your support and assistance to “End war. Fix planet.”

Written by: NDK Creative Artist and Eric Brown