21 December 2010
Child marriage or something more sinister? How can we say 'No' to the terrible issues happening around us?
One of my recent roles at FORWARD has been to help promote a film screening of Moolaade, a film set in Burkina Faso where four girls fled to escape FGM. Ousmane Sembene’s powerful film challenges gender inequality, domestic violence, forced marriage and FGM. So how do we not become sensitised to these terrible ordeals
7 December 2010
What place do special events have in highlighting disease and trauma?
30 November 2010
How can international lobbying the UN have a place in tackling tough issues?
I recently had a meeting at FORWARD with UNIFEM, the UN's women's issues department. In the UK, they spend time leading school assemblies and education awareness days to help combat FGM in the UK. With a month of internatinal travel myself, I consdered how can lobbying internatinoally raise awareness of key issues?
23 November 2010
Beauty and poverty - How can art make these topics palatable?
When I was invited to view the Methodist Church's collection of modern Christian Art - billed as the 'greatest collection outside the Vatican' - I could hardly refuse! In the same month, I went to a packed evening of digital art and photography - 'Woman - Who's Canvas?' - in Brick Lane hosted by FORWARD. These got me thinking about how art and theatre can change minds on issues such as diversity, beauty and poverty.
19 October 2010
Have history and geography set the scene for the cutting culture?
5 October 2010