14943: White: Request for Photo Donations - Vodou (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: Krista White <librisia@optonline.net>

Greetings Corbeteers!

My name is Krista White. I am a graduate student and adjunct faculty
member of religion at Montclair State University in New Jersey, U.S.A. I
am also working as a research assistant on a new project at the
educational software company, Thinking Strings. The company recently
developed an educational CD-ROM project called "Revealing Archaeology."
That project was designed as a learning aid for students in college
level anthropological archaeology.

Thinking Strings' latest product will be called, "Revealing Religions,"
a CD-ROM program designed to aid college and university student learning
in the area of world religions. Heading this project is Dr. Cynthia
Eller, Assistant Professor of Religion at Montclair State University and
author of books including The Myth of Matriarchal Prehistory (2000) and
Living in the Lap of the Goddess (1993). The religious traditions on
which the project will focus are Buddhism, Chinese Taoism, Hinduism,
Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Ancient Religions (Pre Christian European
and Middle Eastern religions), and Contemporary Oral Religions including
Traditional Religions of Africa as well as the diaspora religions of the
Caribbean and South America (Vodou, Candomblé, Santeria, Obeyah,
Shango). Dr. Eller's aim is to educate students about the beauty and
truth in all of these religions. Each will be handled with the utmost
respect.

I am writing to this list because we need images for many of these
religions (we have more than enough images for Christianity), especially
current pictures of African and Afro-Caribbean religions like Vodou. We
would be most interested in pictures of practitioners at rites and
ceremonies, but hounfo and sacred site images (Sodo, etc.) are also of
interest. Currently, we are seeking photos as donations without
remuneration. HOWEVER, copyright credit to the owner will be integrated
into the CD-ROM program, along with URLs for web sites, lists of
publications, biographical information or information about academic or
religious educational institutions to which the copyright owner belongs.
Each photo used in the program can be viewed on its own, and when
right-clicked, the desired information regarding the copyright holder
and her academic achievements/affiliations will be displayed along with
a caption about the photo itself.

Those who donate photos will be asked to approve the content of captions
and sign a release form allowing Thinking Strings to use their
photograph(s). Photos will be protected by encryption. It will be
impossible for users to copy your files from the CD. Copies of the
digital files made from photographs will be available to all donors. A
complimentary copy of "Revealing Religions" will also be offered to the
copyright holders of photographs used in the product.

To learn more about Thinking Strings' earlier project ("Revealing
Archaeology") on which "Revealing Religions" will be patterned, you can
visit:
http://www.thinkingstrings.com/Product/EAHighlights.html

You may also call Thinking Strings directly at (973) 378-9767 (voice) to
speak with either Dr. Heidi Katz or Dr. Larry Bartram, Thinking Strings'
owners and directors.

To contact Cynthia Eller, you may telephone (973) 655-7416 or write to
dr.eller@verizon.net or ellerc@mail.montclair.edu.

As Dr. Eller's assistant in charge of image research, you may contact me
at librisia@optonline.net, whitek@mail.montclair.edu, or call my office
telephone (the Montclair State University Philosophy and Religion
Adjunct Office) at (973) 655-7414.

Thank you for your consideration of this project.

Sincerely,
Krista White, M.A.