# @centre3_ on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/CxS7RE5u1sa
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/8644338-centre3-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/thumbnails/bca2c1503d.jpg
- **Posted:** 2023-09-17T14:08:00.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** Centre[3] (@centre3_) — https://gondola.cc/centre3_

## Caption

💧Here is Sonali Menezes’ design for the 2023 Steal This Poster Exchange! Thank you, sonaleeeeeee !💧

“When I was in high school, I was passionate about eliminating the sale of one time use plastic water bottles in the school board. Our goal was to replace coca cola vending machines with water fountains connected to public water. At the time I was concerned about the impact on the environment and our landfills filling up with plastic. As I read to help build the campaign, I came across the phrase ‘people before profits’ and the concept of water privatization thanks to activists like Maude Barlow. My sixteen year old eyes were opened to the reality of this terrible system we live under called capitalism that allowed corporations to steal our water and sell it back to us at a profit. Students rallied, held actions, made art, and pressured the adults making decisions around us and water bottle sales ended in the school board. When I returned to my high school a year after graduating, there were water fountains where dasani water bottle vending machines used to be. A real win! I've placed this statement in the peepal leaf - a leaf from the peepal tree in India. It is shaped like a heart and to me has always sounded like the word 'people.' I like to think about this heart shaped leaf representing people's power. And as I am filled with climate anxiety and I am concerned about our losses, I am hopeful in thinking about small wins like what we were able to achieve in high school. I am choosing to be hopeful about our future on this planet.” 
— Sonali Menezes

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Sonali Menezes is an interdisciplinary artist and writer based in Hamilton, ON.

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Steal This Poster Exchange is a collaboration between acirculaire centre3_ marthastreetstudio exploring print, protest, place and theft.

Poster design by Sonali Menezes
Technical support by Michael Schnittker mikeyspress
Screen printed by Dominique Desbiens dominique_desbiens at acirculaire

This project is generously supported by the Canada Council for the Arts canada.council.

#stealthisposter #screenprinting #bringingtheartstolife

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## Tags

stealthisposter, bringingtheartstolife, screenprinting

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