Travelling to Kingaroy on Saturday I stopped to take photographs of a hill of red soil. Australia is known for its red dirt but this was one of the first times I’d had the opportunity to put it into print.
Coexistence was one of the highlights of the U2 Vertigo concert I attended in Brisbane. Bono wore a headband with the word “Coexist”, and the word “Coexist” appeared in the light show, during songs such as “Sunday Bloody Sunday”.
The “Coexist” symbol incorporates the crescent of Islam as the C, the cross of Christianity as the T, and the Jewish Star of David as the X in the middle. Bono referred to this symbol as he sang, “Jesus, Jew, Muhammad, it’s true…All sons of Abraham. Father Abraham, speak to your sons. Tell them, No more!”
Bono first saw the “Coexist” symbol painted as grafitti on a wall in Chicago. The origins of the icon come from Poland in 2001 where graphic designer Piotr Mlodozeniec entered it in an international art competion run by the Museum on the Seam, Jerusalem. The symbol was registered as a trademark by an Indiana-based t-shirt company in 2005, unaware of its origins. See the lifestyle brand at coexistonline.com
Apparently U2 still have the challenge of working out an agreement that will acknowledge Mlodozeniec as the artist and Museum on the Seam as the copyright holder. I wonder if Coexist still believe they have a strong foothold on the financial gains associated with the symbol.
The Project Abraham forum on peacemaking on the Gold Coast back on the 12th of November. It became a powerful carrier of meaning for the Jews, Muslims and Christians searching together for a way to live out a life of positive engagement in life, together.
www.coexist.com points to another website, grassroots.org, a network dedicated to positive social change.
I’ve just moved into a new office at work, from the first floor of the Uniting Church Centre, to a room in a converted house I’m sharing with the Youth And Childrens Ministry Unit. In the process a few details have changed on my business card - a good excuse for a new design.
Here’s the drafts for two cards, one for work and one for blogging. What do you think? Should I include the Uniting Church logo? The daffodils are part of the symbolism I use for Vision for Mission - dispersing the seeds of hope in new ground.
Generations in Conversation Duncan's TV GodPost
