The Book of Joshua P!!

This amazing thing, this lifeform, that Antiviolence has become, how can everyone be properly thanked for all that they have done and are doing? If you feel forgotten, please, do not hold that… you may not be mentioned, but your efforts are appreciated in the hearts of all involved. A broad and general thanks wouldn’t be adequate though, so we attempt to go through in order of how we found you to thank you, starting from the very beginning.

First, and foremost, we directly thank Samuel Pfannkuche for his amazing heart, kindness, and strength to put this into action. Sam, you couldn’t possibly realize the amount of brilliance and beauty you have in you, but it’s self evident to everyone that knows you. Thank you for your amazing efforts and your ability to inspire others.

Cash donors on the site:

    People often here how much “just a little could help”, but we spend so much time doubting the cumulative efforts really matter. Without the initial cash donations to the Antiviolence site, we may never have had the financial solvency to secure the venues that we’ve used. Without the initial outpouring of support, the courage may not have been found to go knocking on doors, proposing that we have the finances to make the means happen for charity, but the wisdom to suggest the benefits of giving time, space, talent, materials, and love from the hearts of so many who have been involved.
    The wonderful people and groups that donated in this fashion were the notes that began and amplified what we envision as an opus of care for those who have had the courage in their hearts attacked. Even the smallest amount of change donated made a difference, and in the first few days you people showed us that we could make this happen on a greater scale than previously thought. Your kindness inspired others to follow suit, you led the charge.

Donating Contributors:

    “WOW! Did you see this?!” - those words have been heard so many times about the wonderful items we’ve received to use to promote these events. These things give us the finer “talking points” that really send home just how cool this thing is we’re doing. So many things! Rare, one-of-a-kind, signed things…. things we’d gladly pay for…. things we treasure…. things that help us remember how we got them, where we got them, and what we are a part of.
    Chances are, right now someone’s looking at something they won at an Antiviolence event, or listening to music they got there and/or heard live there… and chances are it’s a small reminders of the power of benevolence over aggression. These things have a hard time being reduced to just “swag” when place those kind of associations with them. By giving your goods and services to our events, you give people hope and strength they take home with them and a vehicle by which they can keep talking. You lend permanence to the cause.

Bands:

    So many ideals and themes of the world we wish to create are a part of the music we create… this is what makes us identify with the music we love, this is what drives us to be creationists, this is why people get excited and willing to pay to see bands at these events… these same fans in fact tend to be the best promotion events can muster, the words of their mouths often the more motivating sirens calling us to take action and be a part of a community event. The bands, the music, it’s our common bond, what unites and draws us together in the same place, what we recognize in the fray.
    Lessons we learn from music are so broad ranged… on the surface, we hear cognitively and rationally analyze this data into something we consciously recognize… but under the surface it’s so much more. In our subconscious the spoken lessons are embedded within us, hopefully a positive message, that we could carry with us for life. Music has that power, and you, the bands, hold the responsibility of this. In a world where so much is negative, banal, or just simply pointless, thank you for choosing to use your talents to make the world better for others.

Promoters:

    So often we don’t think of those that bring the events to us… we forget that someone had to more than just “think of it”, they dedicated their time, attention, and resources to the quintessential “making it happen”. Within every flier that is handed out, every e-mail sent, every thing posted online, every word spoken, they give that one thing we can never earn back: time. Every time they are out there hustling to make things happen instead of just sitting on their butts staring glossily at some screen, the give that one thing to us which makes them individuals: their conscious attention. Every time they stick their necks out, taking a risk on a new venture, they exercise that which is found so rarely in humans: bravery.

    Some people involved in promoting these events have been discouraged, doubted, ridiculed, and even given unfair ultimatums by those without the courage you possess to change the world. Stand tall in this and any adversity you may face in your life; I wish it weren’t true, but every hero has faced these things, and as long as you truly live, you, too, will have to overcome the fears of others as well as your own. Be proud that you are a part of Antiviolence and every positive step you take, every moment that you choose to partake in the progression of mankind. You truly make of yourselves an example to be followed by others.   

Attendees:

    No battle can be won without an “army” to carry forth the intent of the winds of change. To be sure some people just showed up to get free stuff, see a band, support their favorite DJ, or some combination thereof, which is great… it’s that enjoyment of life we look to further and also add something deeper. It does, however, still take motivation to do something beyond watching the O.C. and eating potato chips, and if our personal experiences have been any indicator of the motives of the attendees of these events, very nearly every person there has benevolence and kindness in their hearts; they are looking forward to the future that they possess and make theirs.

    The people that show up, they make the fun and the proof in numbers that we will not be silenced by apathy,that we have the formidable resolve to change our worlds around us for the better. All over the world we hear of atrocities… only by our actions do we have the ability to make a difference. Please, take that with you in your hearts daily, and look to improve the world around you, even if only in small ways, every day. By doing this we bring the strength of ourselves to the rest of the world.