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From the Co-Founders of Naturally Autistic ®<br />
Welcome to Naturally Autistic ® by Leonora Gregory–Collura<br />
In this third Spring Issue for the<br />
Naturally Autistic magazine and including<br />
the Fall Issues, our 10th issue<br />
of the magazine in total, readership<br />
and contributors continue to fulfill<br />
their dreams as well as appreciate<br />
opportunities to connect and partner<br />
with the global community. Content<br />
submitted is timeless and inspiring!<br />
Each magazine suggests another<br />
global path on this wonderful journey<br />
of emergence, establishing the autistic<br />
culture into the realms of societal<br />
cultures.<br />
The theme for this issue , “Cultural<br />
Harmonics”, was inspired by our guest<br />
lead contributing writer Vell Baria<br />
from the Philippines. Vell was a 2016<br />
Official Nominee for the INAP AWARD<br />
for the performing arts going back to<br />
the Philippines representing her country<br />
as AWARD recipient and <strong>ANCA</strong> ®<br />
World Ambassador. As she states in<br />
the opening paragraph of her article,<br />
“Cultural Harmonics”: “In my definition<br />
and perspective, Harmonics is living<br />
together in universal harmony.”<br />
And in this issue you can hear the<br />
voices of shared experiences exemplifying<br />
this message from the ‘Letters<br />
to the Editor”, using one’s gift to<br />
find opportunities to engage as artist/entrepreneur<br />
Elizabeth Pritchard<br />
writes about in her article, sharing<br />
“My Home: My Fairy Jam Jar” to “On<br />
the Move” from Texas to the Pacific<br />
Northwest - finding places to ‘nest’<br />
and what it means to those of us living<br />
the autistic spectrum. The insights<br />
provided by delegates at the <strong>ANCA</strong> ®<br />
World Autism Festival’s 7th annual international<br />
event shines a contrasting<br />
light on the <strong>ANCA</strong> ® experience where<br />
people convene and have distinct<br />
interconnecting ‘shared human’ experiences<br />
no matter what culture, religion,<br />
or geographic land mass they<br />
venture from. A Message from Manila<br />
invokes this sentiment as do the Workshop<br />
& Trade Show reviews.<br />
I hope you enjoy our timeless magazines,<br />
all of which are now available<br />
online compliments of <strong>ANCA</strong> ® . And<br />
to the delegates attending this year’s<br />
8th annual AWAF event, we look forward<br />
to providing yet another incredible<br />
event filled with opportunities,<br />
fun, and joyous celebrations! So that<br />
you too may continue to raise the<br />
bar in your communities and take the<br />
very special gifts of exchanges experienced<br />
at the festival back home<br />
with you, expanding your horizons as<br />
many before you have done. •<br />
Our Autistic Community by Charlie Collura<br />
In a world filled with noise, misunder-standing<br />
and constant distraction—which<br />
appears to be<br />
spreading at an ever-accelerating<br />
rate—the idea of people from different<br />
cultural backgrounds and life experience,<br />
sharing their understanding<br />
of the world, working together in<br />
peace and harmony appears more<br />
ideological concept than some materially<br />
achievable outcome.<br />
Yet, this cultural harmony involving<br />
elements of peace, conscientiousness,<br />
and a concordance of<br />
words and action is finding expression<br />
among a truly international<br />
community of people—autistic people.<br />
While a dwindling number continue<br />
to roam aimlessly in search of<br />
some solution to what they perceive<br />
as the ‘autism enigma’, the autistic<br />
community continues to bring forth<br />
beauty, creativity and harmony in all<br />
they do.<br />
In the spring of 2017, the autistic<br />
community gathered together in Turkey,<br />
USA, Taiwan and the Philippines<br />
for the <strong>ANCA</strong> ® World Autism Festival<br />
Kick-Off events.<br />
Each gathering and celebration<br />
had a special focus. Otisium in Alanya,<br />
Turkey brought together families,<br />
government officials and community<br />
partners to celebrate autism in sports<br />
and music. AutismHWY in California,<br />
USA, in partnership with the town of<br />
Covina, showcased autistic talents<br />
during the AutismHWY Chalk Festival.<br />
In Manila, Philippines, we witnessed<br />
autistic people opening art<br />
galleries, showcasing art and collaborative<br />
efforts in fashion design;<br />
while in Taipei, Taiwan, in partnership<br />
with 62icon demonstrations of<br />
how autistic artists are creating and<br />
running their own businesses using<br />
their abilities to design everything<br />
from fashion umbrellas to mugs, t-<br />
shirts, aprons, canvas art and much<br />
more. All the while the autistic community<br />
is busy creating ever more<br />
collaborations on present and<br />
future projects, leading the way<br />
to greater cross cultural harmony,<br />
peace, and understanding.<br />
We hope you find inspiration in the<br />
articles, features, and letters to the<br />
editor in this edition of Naturally Autistic<br />
magazine. •<br />
2016 AWAF<br />
www.naturallyautistic.com |<br />
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