Stay in Love
First draft of personal statement in regards to Supernova
10/26/2023
I had promised an update. Here it is. This link is the evolution of the personal statement I started drafting below. No need to polish the draft now. I don’t feel the need to have some official statement on top of this since I am the author of both. (Of course the organizational statement had editor contributors -and thanks to those that contributed!).
Previous commentary from last week…
What you are about to read is a somewhat cleaned up first draft of a personal statement I was going to go forward with on the EMA platform. I slept on it. It’s on the editing table today. Yesterday I felt more fondly of it. However, there are points I am trying to make that I will probably take out to make my final personal statement more succinct. They are points I do not want to disappear completely though so I am posting the (almost raw) message here. It has a home to be seen.
After speaking with a few of my colleagues who are also part of EMA, we will be working on a message that will represent the organization. Yesterday morning I felt a slight sense of urgency, that something must be said sooner than later, and attempting a consensus message would take too long. That sense of urgency is seductive and although might have some truth in it, it also equally possesses the possibility that we have more time than we think. For matters that elicit the sense of urgent action, it is often best to take a least a little more time than one thinks. Our first responses are not often the best responses when the situation deserves the best. An extra 24-48 hours can be helpful. I’ve now waited 24 to post what you will read below. I will either update this post or make a Part 2 so the process is seen. Process can be as inspiring as outcome.
Personal statement commences:
With the continued violence in the State political language, " Middle East,"(lines drawn in sand from previous wars), it would be irresponsible for us not to have a statement. Currently, I, Janine Jordan, am still the acting Executive Director for EMA - Electronic Music Alliance, although our work has not been public forward-facing for the past many years (as we have worked with several organizations on a project for event safety). However, I wish to clarify that I see the need for us to comment, as this initiation of violence has directly affected our global community.
And, although I will make this statement on our platform, it is being made by me acting alone and without the consent of our board of directors or other founding members of the organization. Thus, any upset should be directed at me alone, the individual, not toward the organization. It is my hope that I speak for the majority of us. Otherwise, perhaps I was not clear while recruiting our founding membership that our foundation of values was based on PLUR (peace, love, unity, and respect).
The formation of our global electronic music culture, much in the same way as the genesis of a peopled Earth (if we go with a more evolutionary theory), is a story outside the boundaries of political systems. Autochthons - we seemed to have sprung up from the Earth itself, in a way, and perhaps in my naivete (from being a late 90's joiner), was one very much in opposition of the rigid systems we found ourselves encased in. Rapid beats, and consciousness-altering substances assisted in the demolition of standards we knew were false but had no alternative means to express until we were overwhelmed by the love and inclusivity that burgeoned naturally from the combination of elements that make our culture function. Regardless of people across the world using the acronym of PLUR, or not, we all knew -have known, still do -that on the deepest level, our scene is "good energy" and "good vibes", dare I say a cymatically beneficient frequency we felt changed us and thus could have the potential for shaping the world. If we only had one word to express it, is that word not Love? Love embodied naturally exudes the other three letters in our acronym of peace, unity, and respect. From this pure and idealistic viewpoint, truth in my heart, I continue to write.
I see the calls from certain artists on social media crying out for the entire industry to side one way or another. I see them. I see you. The social silence is of a hardened heart but one overwhelmingly full of compassion for both sides. As a deeply spiritual person, my viewpoint reflects an inner-state that I am unable to censor, nor will I apologize for it. As a person that has often been a little punky, instigator-ish, seeing what I felt was injustice at certain times and "calling for action", I have compassion for those, the rabble-rousers amongst us, calling for solidarity and involvement. Much like the tragedy of Ukraine, I will tell this community, and of course, this is my opinion; this should not be our collective fight.
If there is to be collective action, it should be unified and collective events where our energies are dedicated to the healing of both sides. This includes those affected by the violence and those initiating it. If you didn't know why we dance and why it feels good is because we were transforming our hearts that had been calcified by systems that established and perpetuated standards where this kind of action could happen. And I mean that for both sides whether that system was a religious one or a political one. These deep seeds of early indoctrinations that we are able to alight and burn with the heat generated, the fire, from our wild movements on the dance floor. It is tempting to side based on these old roots but I encourage you to side with your own transformed heart instead. We are not our political systems or families we were dancing away from. We can be bold and maintain our position as the black (or rainbow) sheeps so many of us have felt we were. This scene is not about siding for war. This happening should be no exception. We may encounter more violence, continuing to goad us into making a decision one or the other, but remember! Our options are not two alone. We have at least three and possibility infinitely more. Keep in your heart that we dance to transform the world with Love. It is not a lack of involvement but a demand that if we are going to make a thunderous call to action it is for that part of Love that we call Peace. Yes, this situation is emotionally complicated, so do not goad violence. May our outlet be finding peace organizations that we can support at this time. Let's spread the message we feel on the dance floor. These victims, some may want retribution, but any "real" raver should wish only for those who have the capacity to act out such callous, disrespectful, and life-negating behaviors to have the ability to feel, to know, the Love that is real and available but sometimes only accessible after an introduction to one of our dance floors. When our hearts are touched by and they embody the innate values of this scene, we know the likelihood that someone could commit such atrocities is low. Security guards love working our events because they are friendly and typically non-violent compared to other events they work.
There is an evident desperation to the sadness. The painful losses are beyond notice. It is all seen.
So, I wish to challenge this global community. Can our commitment be the courage to continue to bear witness and watch without a calling for war?
There are a myriad of even subtle ways a goading and perpetuation of violence can transpire even in what you think are innocuously informative social media posts. This is situation critical. If you are responding from an emotional place, it's probably too early. If you are going to execute anything, please have it be a knee-jerk and emotionally undigested response. Peace is not cowardly, but it is a more patient process. Unless you are currently in a hand-to-hand combat situation, please consider you are not in this fight. The goading for violent response will continue, and some of it is intentional for manufactured consent for further escalation in violent action.
In this knowing, let us recognize that now is the time, even if we are embodiments of the pure values of our scene, to be even kinder in ALL communications we share in our daily lives, especially those closest to us, which includes ourselves. Watch your inner self-talk as closely as you watch these outer events. As so many of us have heard, as above so below. This can translate into the idea of what is within we see played out. Peace and love start from within and the opportunity is always present to recognize that our responsibility could be the expression of peace and love in ALL of our actions, including speech and sharing.
May we take on the challenge of standing strong and united for the grand embrace required when true forgiveness from these atrocities will be asked for and needed.
Light a candle. Dance it out for them. May your sweat and thoughts of love and kindness and peace be libations for those affected (all of us) and for the potential we know exists for this world.
