The world is turned upside down due to ethnically related conflict. Children, the innocent victims of these conflicts are suffering globally. I thought of a way to celebrate and respect ethnicity, enrich a child’s life, and look good doing it. My name is Dr. Allan Bernstein, and I am the founder of Ethnicitee, and here is my story.
In 2003 as my family was preparing for our son Adam’s Bar Mitzvah, suicide bombings were taking place virtually everyday in Israel. I could not comprehend the dichotomy of perspectives regarding this, and how Israel was typically portrayed as the villain in this conflict. I went on an academic pursuit of knowledge to learn what I could regarding the history of the Arab-Israeli war. Frustrated by what I saw as a fundamental lack of knowledge regarding the situation, I began to teach the Modern History of the State of Israel to high school and college students. In teaching the history I came upon a website which taught the history of the holocaust through stamps which were commemorated throughout the world. My students were very energized and interested in these stamp images, and really took to the lesson plan. The fact that so many countries were moved by such an event so as to make sure that no one would forget, that really resonated with me and my students. Fast forward to 2006 and the much of the world is in the shadow of ethnic conflict.
Of the 39 major armed conflicts in the world, 37 could plausibly be described as ethnic conflicts. The negativity and intolerance that emanates from these conflicts and their direct affects on its innocent victims- children have global implications. Yet, there is so much that is beautiful about our ethnicity. But, how do you encapsulate this and then place it on the modern billboard, clothing/T-shirts, to catalyze a change in perspective. I then recalled the stamps I used as teaching aids. I did a little more research and found that the essence of what is positive and alluring regarding our ethnicity has been portrayed in mini masterpieces of artwork; stamps. I obtained the necessary agreements so that I could use the images and exercised my creativity.
Ethnicitee provides each individual with an opportunity to make a statement - Celebrate and Respect Ethnicity. Ethnicitee’s mission is to promote a deeper understanding, admiration and tolerance for one another. Inspired by the beauty in stamps from around the world, each showcasing snapshots of humanity, our uniquely designed t-shirts, thread cultural awareness into each wearable work of art. From selecting and utilizing telling and alluring images to processing apparel using the most innovative printing and embroidering techniques, Ethnicitee’s graphic interpretations convey a universal message of interconnectedness and global awareness that we all can relate to. Ethnicitee also seeks to facilitate a community of impassioned people who will gain a deeper respect and appreciation for the heritage of others. Thus, with every purchase of our t-shirts or thermal shirts, 10% of the proceeds will go to charities which create opportunities for and enrich the lives of children affected by ethnic conflict. Our first affiliation is Charity: Water, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping the 1.1 billion people who are without access to clean drinking water. In one week, 42,000 people will die from diseases related to poor quality drinking water and 90 percent of them will be children under the age of five. We can all do something and make a difference in these children’s lives, and look good doing it as well.
I invite you to visit us at www.ethnicitee.com . Any comments and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Ethnicitee is a clothing line “inspired by passion, fueled by compassion and socially conscious through fashion.”
The General Assembly of the United Nations designated 1965 as International Co-operation Year. Since 1959 the UN has designated International years in order to draw attention to major issues and to encourage international action to address concerns which have global importance and ramifications. This stamp image and ICY logo we used to inspire the T-shirt design, while recalling the genocide, portrays the farming roots and geographical beauty of this strife-torn nation. Fourteen years ago, the failure of the international community to respond in a meaningful way to end the genocide in Rwanda, vividly illustrated the need for the development of guidelines to govern how and when nations are to intervene to prevent a humanitarian crisis in another country. In the following years, the consensus of opinion supports the rights of civilians to be protected from both their own government and their fellow citizens. Effective mechanisms and the political will to prevent genocide are still lacking as is evidenced by the current tragedy in the Sudan today.
