ORF Conference on Women and Safe Cities

On Wednesday I'll be attending the ORF (Observer Research Foundation) conference on women in cities Half a Billion Locked In: Perspectives on Safe Cities and Women Empowerment. ORF strives to provide a forum for reasoned debate and policy formulation on the key issues confronting India today.  The ability of women in India - those half a billion! - to move freely without unreasonable fear is fundamental not only for human and civil rights but also for economic development, educational advances, health care, and political participation.

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“SPOILED?” – Theatre

Work continues on the development of Spoiled? (working title), a play exploring violence against women (VAW) and images of masculinity in India and the USA.  In collaboration with actor and playwright Elizabeth Hess, we hope to bring this to the stage, somewhere in the US, by next November. The seeds of this project were sown a few years ago, but we finally got together last December and a plan emerged.  See more under my Current Projects tab and stay tuned for updates.

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Nature Deficit Disorder

Richard Louv is a man after my own heart.  I first heard him speak on NPR years ago and was prompted to buy an early edition of his book, Last Child in the Woods.   I owe him a huge debt.  In this book he ties together trends I had been observing but never quite connected  - at last not nearly as well as he does. Impeccably researched and fantastically readable, this book shows us the connections between modern children's disconnection with nature and such trends as: the rise in obesity and attention deficit disorder;  our emotional well being; notions…

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Montessori: Thank You

As a long-time fan of Maria Montessori, a certified Montessori teacher, and a Montessori parent, I am still surprised how few people know about the approach.  It must be education's best-kept secret. If the SXSW EDU conference is starting to cover it, though, perhaps a new wave of Montessori learners is in the works.  Listen and read about efforts to expand Montessori in public schools, especially in Texas, here. To learn more about Building the Pink Tower and their approach to creating a documentary about Montessori schools and helping spread Montessori, check here. Stay tuned for more about the Montessori…

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Calling all photos!

Have you traveled in Asia?  Taken photos?  Want to help a great local NGO? Of course you have and of course you do! 2014 Glimpses of Asia Needs You Here's what to do: choose two photos; give each a title email them to 2014glimpsesphotos@gmail.com pay a mere 1000 INR for each photo accepted see your photos matted and framed and impressively presented at an evening fest possibly win recognition and prizes in one of four photo categories see your photo auctioned off to lots of excited buyers feel good knowing that all proceeds help a local women's NGO And, of…

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Petition to End Child Marriage

Equality Now Girls under 18 are forced into marriage throughout the world. Equality Now has been on the forefront of advocacy to end this practice.  "It is a human rights violation that legitimizes abuse of girls under the guise of culture, honor, tradition and religion. When a young girl is married and gives birth, a vicious cycle of poverty, poor health, curtailed education, violence, instability and legal and other discrimination begins." You can help: sign the petition.  This will be presented in June to governments attending the Human Rights Council session. Read more about how you can help Equality Now here.

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Yuwa

As a big fan of women in sport, it's always been discouraging to see the absence of sport in the lives of most Indian girls.  Not at all surprising, mind you, but discouraging - I felt the absence. It's a thrill to see Yuwa-India develop.  Yuwa gets how important sports for girls can be. The confidence, courage, and connectedness that sports can bring are felt throughout all aspects of life. Do read more about Yuwa-India here

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Popping Tags, Popping Bulbs

Thanks, Macklemore, but here in Delhi we’re popping bulbs, not tags.  Due to reasons both entertaining and unfathomable, we pop lightbulbs on the daily.  Every night when I come home empty corrugated paper tubes, the packaging for lightbulbs worldwide, litter the trash.  These are the Indian version: pale blue or orange,  standard-issue flimsy.  Are the light bulbs so weak that a few days worth of work exhausts them?  Or is the wiring in our 40-year-old house so antiquated that a mismatch occurs, with no update in sight?  Or maybe the inevitable surges and spikes of the erratic supply from the…

  • Post category:IndiaMusingsWriting
  • Reading time:2 mins read
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Shalom Hospital

I first visited Shalom Hospital almost two years ago when they were preparing to move to a new location.  The new facility is on the northern outskirts of Delhi -  a very long trip for staff and doctors, but close to where most target group patients are. Shalom provides compassionate, home based, palliative, and critical care to people living with HIV/AIDS.  The Indian transgender and homosexual community is particularly affected and Shalom caters to them. Read more about Shalom Hospital here   

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