‘The Hunger Site’ is a unique “click-to-donate” staple food towards the United Nations World Food Programme ( WFP ); for distribution ( currently at approximately 800,000 pounds per month ) to the world’s chronic hunger-spots. Your “click-to-donate” forwards a serving of food to a starving person; at no cost to you. Your donation is borne by Corporate sponsors in exchange for free advertisements and links on ‘The Hunger Site’. The number of people ( mostly children ) dying of hunger in the developing world is estimated at a staggering 24,000 per day ( ‘Orlando Sentinel’ USA, 17 June, 1999 ). Become a benefactor by including ‘The Hunger Site’ in your bookmark, and clicking it once daily to support the United Nations World Food Program in providing food for hungry people around the globe.

The ‘Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research’ (PEAR) programme was established at Princeton University for the scientific study of consciousness-related physical phenomena. An interdisciplinary perspective is employed in experiments to develop theory within empirical science. Abstracts of recent projects, now on line, include ‘Global Resonance of Consciousness: Princess Diana and Mother Teresa’, and ‘FieldREG measurements in Egypt: Resonant consciousness in Sacred Sites’.

The ‘Society of General and Theoretical Psychology’ (SGTP) is under the direction of Alexei Pestov; Akademika Koroliova Moskva. The SGTP is accessible to all in cyberspace. Some of its extracts include: ‘Problems of scientific cognition in psychology’, and ‘Introduction of subjective time value as a scientific category’.

The ‘In Motion Magazine’ is a United States based multicultural project on democracy; established in August, 1995. It includes reports, interviews, articles and essays on: democracy, health care, education rights, affirmative action; and art. It includes a link to the international community on line based in the United Kingdom’s ‘One World News Index’ featuring daily news reports on: human rights and the environment.

‘The Journal of Parapsychology’ was established in 1937 as a scientific forum for original research in parapsychology. During its 63-year history it evolved into the most respected source in the field with particular appeal to the academic community.

All material undergoes rigorous assessment prior to publication. Supplemental material and research assessments are included with each report.

Recent abstracts include: ‘Testing Clairvoyance and Precognition by Manipulating Probabilities: A Conceptual Assessment of the Experimental Literature’, ‘Synchronicity, Causality, and Acausality’, ‘The PRL Autoganzfeld Revisited: Refuting the Sound Leakage Hypothesis’, and ‘PK Tests with Repeated Efforts on Prerecorded Targets’.

The ‘Melbourne University Magazine’, formerly ‘The Gazette’, is authorized by the Alumni Relations Programme; and is maintained by Leonie Boxtel. A very engaging and interesting publication, particularly for those interested in the life of the University and the city of Melbourne.

The ‘Christian Science Monitor’ is published in Boston Massachusetts for subscribers in 147 countries. It has an excellent reputation in news gathering and reporting, particularly in foreign affairs.

Sir Edward “Weary” Dunlop (1907 – 1993). graduated in medicine at The University of Melbourne. Sir Edward volunteered, as army surgeon, immediately after the outbreak of World War II. He served in Egypt, Greece, Java, and Palestine. He pioneered surgical techniques for treatment of carcinoma, and for his contribution to medicine, was knighted in 1969.

In the post war years he worked tirelessly towards developing positive Australia-Asia relations.

He is a genuine heroic figure whom I have admired, for the past 28 years, for his exceptional capacity for loyalty, compassion, and forgiveness.

Katherine Dunham died last Sunday (21 May 2006) at the Manhattan assisted living facility. She has left an indelible impression on me, since our encounters backstage of the Melbourne Tivoli and Princess Theatres (May 1956), as a person of extensive intellectual stamina, a great artist, humanitarian, ethnologist, anthropologist, authoress, academic, and a very attractive, compassionate human being. She will be sadly missed throughout the artistic community. Her own words sum up the total of her lifetime achievements: “I did it”.

Katherine Dunham received her B.A (in social anthropology)., M.A., and Ph.D., in anthropology at the University of Chicago, and was artist in residence at the University of Southern Illinois. Additionally, she received fourteen honorary doctorates, and numerous other honours, awards, medals, and distinguished service awards. She received the Chevalier, Haitian Legion of Honour and Merit (1952), and in 1965 was appointed, by the United States Government, cultural advisor to the President of Senegal. The United States Postal Service issued a Black Heritage Commemorative Stamp, in her honour in 1978. In 1979 she was awarded the annual ‘Albert Schweitzer Music Award’, for her works in music and humanity.

In 1986 Katherine Dunham received the Southern Cross Award of Honour and Merit from the Government of Brazil, and was recipient of the Kennedy Centre Honours Award in 1983. She received The Medal of Artistic Merit, in Dance, from UNESCO in 1986, and in the same year received the Distinguished Service Award from the American Anthropological Association.

Katherine Dunham was made Grand Officer, Haitian Legion of Honour and Merit, and received an Honoree from the United States President’s Council on Youth Opportunity; in 1968. She received the Grand Cross Legion d’Honneur et Merite, from the Embassy of Haiti; in 1983, and five years later (1988) made Officer, of the Legion d’Honneur, Order of Arts and Letters, from the Government of France. In 1988, she was made Officier de L’ordre des Arts et des Lettres, Le Ministre de la Culture et la Communication, Haiti. Two years later (1990), was recipient of the Caribbean Award, Trinidad and Tobago. And received the United States President’s National Medal of the Arts; in 1992.

Katherine Dunham, has also received numerous Honorary Doctorates which include: Honorary Doctorates of Humane Letters from: MacMurray College, Jacksonville Ill., (1972), of Fine Arts, Tufts University, Medford, Mass., (1987), Chicago State University, Ill., (1993), Spelman College, Atlanta, Ga., (1990). Doctor of Fine Arts from: Westfield State College, Westfield, Mass., (1979), Brown University, Providence, R.I., (1979), Dartmouth College, Hanover, N.H., (1979), Washington University, St. Louis, Mo., (1981), Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, (1983). Doctorates of Fine Arts include: Howard University, Washington, D.C., (1984), Buffalo State College, Buffalo, N.Y., (1987), University of Southern California, Los Angeles, (1995). Doctor of Literature: Atlanta University, Atlanta, Ga., (1977). And Doctor of Laws from the Lincoln University, Lincoln, Pa., (1984).

Katherine Dunham is, I believe, one of the greatest performing artists to have ever appeared on the Australian stage. Her company, earned critical acclaim here in Australia, as well as in over sixty other countries around the world. Her choreographical works included: ‘L’ag’ya’ (1938), “Bal Negre,” (1946) in which she featured “Shango,” (1945) an African-West Indies Yoruba tribal voodoo sacrificial ritual to Shango; the thunder deity. ‘Bal Negre’ (Revue), and ‘Rites de Passage’ (1943-1944), which portrays, the individuals exigent path – common to all mankind – through birth, pubery, mating, malting and death.

Between 1941 and 1959, Katherine Dunham appeared in several European films as well as nine American films including: ‘Carnival of Rhythm’, Warner Brothers (1940), ‘Star Spangled Rhythm’, Paramount Pictures(1942), ‘Pardon My Sarong’ (choreography) Universal Pictures (1942), ‘Stormy Weather’, Twentieth Century Fox, and ‘Cabin in the Sky’ (1943). ‘Casbah’, Universal Pictures, (1948). ‘Botta e Risposta’, Teatri della Farnesina, Italy, (1949). ‘Mambo’, Paramount Pictures, Italy, and ‘Liebes Sender’, Germany, (1954). ‘Musica en la Noche’, Alianza Cinematografica, Mexico (1955). ‘Green Mansions’, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (1959). ‘The Bible’, Dino de Laurentiis, Twentieth Century Fox and Seven Arts (1964). ‘Free To Dance’, Documentary, Pan African Film Arts Festival (2000).

Katherine Dunham has lectured, written articles, and six books which include: Kasamance: A Fantasy (Okpaku Communications Corporation, 1974). Dances of Haiti (Center for Afro-American Studies, 1983). Black Dance: From 1619 to Today with Lynne Fauley Emery (Princeton Book Co. Publishing, 1991) A Touch of Innocence (University of Chicago Press, 1994), Island Possessed (University of Chicago Press, 1994), and Katherine Dunham’s Journey to Accompong (Reprint Services Corporation, 1995).

Katherine Dunham married John Pratt (theatrical designer) in 1940. He was her artistic collaborator during their forty-seven year marriage until his death in 1986.

For the past fifty years I have admired Katherine Dunham as a champion in improving race relations in the United States, and for her role as protagonist for introducing classical elements to primitive and ceremonial Afro-Caribbean rhythms, music; and dance movement.

A synopsis of Katherine Dunham and her remarkable achievements can be seen on line at: KATHERINE DUNHAM CENTER FOR ARTS, AND HUMANITIES.