"We can do bells!"
The late Dirk Koning [1957-2005], the Community Media Center’s visionary first executive director, was a consummate storyteller. Among his favorites was the story of the bell. At the request of the Nelson Mandela government in South Africa, Dirk traveled to Africa with a group of Western media makers to herald the community empowerment promised by the new media technology. They were brought up short by one village leader, however, who said all that they really needed was a bell.
“A bell?” the visitors asked incredulously. “Yes, you know, a bell,“ replied the village leader. “Ring it once, it’s time to gather; twice, the well has run dry.” At this point in the story, Dirk would slap his forehead with his palm in mock enlightenment. “We can do bells!”
In honor of Dirk, so too did individuals and organizations contributing to this project, represented on the memorial wall and in the garden entrance. They are a remindful tribute to a man so solidly planted in peace, community and communications.