2008 Summary - Much Thanks

On behalf of Rise Up International, I would like to thank you for your generous donation of time, ideas, and financial support. Your contribution makes it possible for us to empower and connect local and global communities to RISE UP against apathy, poverty and social injustice through education, engaging the arts and grassroots activism.

This last year, Rise Up's mission was demonstrated in many places. In Nicaragua, we saw 350 kids living in La Chureca- the largest waste facility in the Western Hemisphere- receive free education, a meal, after-school tutoring, and scholarships to attend high school outside of the dump. In India, we saw nine orphan boys in the Bihar region find a place they could call home, over 300 kids from the untouchable caste receive free education in three area schools, and the construction of a second story on one of our schoolhouses bring hope to 14 local teachers and staff. In China, we have watched a groundswell of movement for orphaned children. Victims of the one-child law, these kids are beginning to learn vocation, life skills, and trade for life outside of the institutional orphanages they must leave at age sixteen. In the US, we have had the privilege to engage & promote emerging artists, musicians and activist by hosting social awareness events from Las Vegas, Phoenix, to Los Angeles and beyond. This is only possible because of thoughtful contributions from people like you.

In the coming year, we plan to put even more efforts into mobilizing our local communities. Perhaps the most exciting movement has been found at the grassroots volunteer level. In the last few months, we have had the privilege to work with hundreds of volunteers who have put in tens of thousands of hours of time. These are ordinary people rising up to use their talents and passions to meet the needs of the world. It is simply inspiring. This struggle against apathy and injustice will continue for us in 2009 as we set goals to go deeper, wider, and become more sustainable.

It is no secret that we are navigating difficult economic waters as a country. The crisis has hit the non-profit sector hard, and Rise Up is no exception. With that in mind, I want to personally invite you to consider making a contribution to Rise Up’s organizational budget as part of your holiday and year-end giving. You can also support the cause by purchasing rise up clothing at www.karmaloop.com/riseup We strongly believe in the mission and vision of Rise Up and invite you to partner with us.

All donations are tax-deductible under Rise Up’s 501c3 non-profit status. Tax Id# 20-3645281 You can donate by sending a check to our offices at 869 Tin Pan Alley Bend, Or 97701 or online by clicking the “donate” button at riseupinternational.com

I hope this letter finds you well, if you have any questions please do not hesitate to call me on my cell at 541.788.7711 or at jesse@riseupinternational.com. Once again thank you for your generous donation.



Much Peace and Many Blessings to You this Holiday Season,


Jesse D. Roberts,
Aspiring Artist and Activist.
Co-Founder
Rise Up International

Happy Holidays

During this season we hope you have an amazing time with those special people in your life.

Holiday Party

Thanks to you all who came out for our holiday party. We had over 400 people show up this year & had some amazing music & goodies







check out a few pics from the night

Top Albums of 2008

(Do a quick sign up at www.imeem.com & stream the albums for free)

In No Particular Order by Jesse Roberts

Amadou & Mariam: Welcome To Mali: The African couple met at a school for the blind & have crafted some of the most beautiful World-Afro Pop music that transcends culture & connects with us all.
http://www.imeem.com/people/ADE_5JD/playlist/W9EKRMOu/amadou_mariam_music_playlist/

Beach House: Devotion - Dreamy-Moody-Sentimental Harmonies. Overcast young beach lover conversation soundscapes.
http://www.imeem.com/people/8L1Jj8/playlist/73uYR45P/devotion_music_playlist/


Fleet Foxes: Fleet Foxes – One of the best debuts of the year. These Seattle boys created some truly original sounds with roots in English folk, and 60s west-coast music. Cant beat the four part harmonies and blissful instrumentation.
http://www.imeem.com/benlauren/playlist/grWoFsxd/fleet_foxes_lp_music_playlist/


Black Keys: The Attack & Release – This is what good rock music sounds like. Produced by the versatile Danger Mouse. Probably my most played of the year.
http://www.imeem.com/people/E1AIlQD/playlist/-TINRrri/the_black_keys_attack_release_music_playlist/


Vampire Weekend: Vampire Weekend – Another candidate for best new group. These preppy-dressed white boys from NYC play some dam good indie- west african inspired pop music. (Apologies to those who went with us to Vegas & Nicaragua early in the year & probably never want to hear the cd again.) Skip the 2nd song on the playlist– it's not them.
http://www.imeem.com/artists/vampire_weekend/playlist/TcAeRsU1/vampire_weekend_album/


Q-Tip: The Renaissance - Q-Tip returns to release his first solo album in nine years & serves up some fresh-jazzy-brighter day sounds that main stream hip-hop desperately needs.
http://www.imeem.com/sexypympz/playlist/ZodEET0r/q_tip_music_playlist/


El Guincho: Alegranza! - Barcelona's own Pablo Díaz-Reixa, plays a highly danceable fusion of Tribal, Tropicália, and early rock'n'roll. Jump into the rio carnival and get swept into the rapids of rhythm.
http://www.imeem.com/artists/el_guincho/playlist/eECE48mL/alegranza_album/


GZA: Pro Tools – Doesn't have the production of 808's and Heartbreak or Universal Mind Control. But unlike those other albums GZA stays true to his roots & delivers some stripped down beats with great lyrically-packed flows.
http://www.imeem.com/rah88/playlist/RlRdy82V/gzagenius_pro_tools_music_playlist/


Other Goodies:
Santogold and Diplo: Top Ranking (Way better than the real album)
The Roots – Rising Down (Rise Up featuring WALE)
Blitzen Trapper: Furr (Good Stuff)
Bob Dylan: Tell Tale Signs: The Bootleg Series Vol. 8 (Gold from the Vaults)
Jenny Lewis, Acid Tongue (Lyrics may be weak, but one of the best voices around)
Kills: The Midnight Boom (Very Unique)
Erykah Badu: New Amerykah Part I (Very Soulful)
Beck - Modern Guilt (Darker than some of his other stuff, but good.)
The Bug - London Zoo (Dub-olious)
(Guilty Pleasures) – I pretty much love any single featuring Rihanna (TI-Paper Trail)
WALE – Mixed Tape About Nothing (Maybe the best hip-hop album of the year. You'll be hearing a lot of him in the future)

Holiday Benefit Party this Saturday

If you are in or around the Bend, Oregon area this Saturday- come join us at the Poethouse Art (55 nw Minnesota Ave) at 7pm for an amazing evening of fun, music and hope!

With eats by the Sparrow Bakery, tea by Townshend's, and musical appearances by Mosley Wotta, Mud, Empty Space Orchestra, the Autonomics, Bend Senior High Dynamics, and Mirf the Bing...you won't want to miss it!

$5 Donation. Loads of discounted gear from Rise Up Clothing. Starts at 7pm.

Here is the poster!

Nicaragua Intern Journal: Entry #4

The following is part 4 in a 6 part series of journal entries from Rise Up intern extraordinaire Ashlee Skiver-Rosichan. Ashlee spent 5 weeks in Nicaragua as part of her six month long internship with Rise Up through UCSC




La Chureca



To begin, you really need a four-wheel drive vehicle. You reach the entrance of La Chureca after passing through a small district in Managua. At this time of year Nicaragua is very rainy and wet. When the rain is so consistent the road and surrounding properties flood a lot which makes it incredibly hard to get around in Chureca. Especially the entrance, many times the teachers can’t get to the school and the kids inside the dump have too much to handle with their flooding homes they can not get to school. This is why the four-wheel comes in handy. Driving up the road you can see huge puddles overtaking what was the road, turning it more into a river or lake than anything else. There are heaping piles, mountains, whatever you’d like to call them, of garbage and recyclables everywhere you look. There are several cows that roam around eating the rotting garbage, probably some of the most sickly looking cows I’ve ever seen. Throughout the trash there are young children, teenagers, adults, and elderly sifting through the garbage to look for recyclables which on a good day will get them about five dollars. It is the kind of job which doesn’t seem to be selective of age or gender. During the dry season respiratory problems spark up for all of the workers and other population of Chureca, making it really hard to breathe because of the dust. Though with the school down the road there are thankfully less of the younger kids out in the trash. Continue past the workers and you see up the road shift make houses out of sheet metal and other choice trash materials. All the houses are this way. A bit farther is a big gate, the entrance to Colegio La Esperanza. Past the gate there are six classrooms which are split by grade (K-6) and session (morning, afternoon). There is a playground in the center of it all with a swingset and basketball hoop, though most of the swings are broken. To the side of the playground there is a room where the tutoring program takes place and next to that, a kitchen where all the meals are prepared. All of the students who attend the school live inside La Chureca. Attending school, for a lot of the kids, means a really good meal for that day and no work. Though the longer the school is there, the more successful it becomes. More students attend and the staff sees a much larger interest in education from the kids.