Photo from 2004 Archive: Aquarium.
MA student in Globalization Studies at McMaster University| Freelance Photographer | Communication Coordinator | Interest research area politics of Middle East
The 2011 Bologna, Italy Symposium On Conflict Prevention, Resolution and Reconciliation
I originally wanted to propose a five minutes silence but unfortunately the idea was vetoed. Therefore you’d have to bear with me for the next five minutes or so.
The question that has been put before us is , now that we have finished this symposium, how are we going to utilize this knowledge and change the world.
My answer is short and simple: I will not change the world. Now we can have 4 minutes of silence.
Must we be utterly preoccupied by this notion of changing the world around us?
If we pause for a moment and ponder and look at the history, and more specifically the contemporary history we realize that the modern human being has been changing the world on a constant basis. Non stop.
But have not we changed the world enough already? We wage wars in the name of change for a better future, we impose premature peace processes in the name of change, We’ve lost touch with the nature and the environment, We are constantly changing the face of our planet to the point that soon it will be completely exhausted of it’s resources. Genocides, mass atrocities, revolutions have been committed in order to change the world. And yet this constant appetite for change is never satisfied. We must ask ourselves, what have achieved ? Is changing the world the solution ?
Given all the technological advances we have made people have grown accustomed to thinking that the development is happening at maximum capacity. That the world is improving at the fastest rate possible. That people’s lives are getting better and we’re fighting against disease and famine and inequality as hard as we can. This simply isn’t true. We’re barely making any differences and we are far from working towards maximum capacity. We need to lift that veil of ignorance and see the truth, that things aren’t OK.
We are so fond of this idea of changing the world that I fear, we forget the fact that we are part of a historical narrative. And history does indeed repeat itself if we don’t learn its lessons Change is not a reset button that we can press and start from point zero all over again. Time is a crucial factor that usually is sidelined in favor of immediate changes. However, one must keep in mind that change is not a project but a very , and I emphasize on very, long process. And there are no shortcuts.
Change comes from within. What we need today is not to change the world but to accept it the way it is with all it’s shortcomings and try to focus on truly improving the essence and quality of human relationships and think about what kind of legacy we are passing to the next generation because after all if we truly care about making a difference we must look beyond our own lifetime. Change is not about us. It’s about them.
Mola Shahsavari
July 2011, Bologna
خوشا آنان که الله يارشان بي
که حمد و قل هو الله کارشان بي
خوشا آنان که دايم در نمازند
بهشت جاودان بازارشان بي
الهي
الهي
الهي
بيا جانا که جانانم تويي تو
بيا جانا که سلطانم تويي تو
تو خود دوني که غير از تو نخواهم
بيا جانا که ايمانم تويي تو
با صنوبری که روی قله
ایستاده بود
گونه روی گونه ی سپیده دم نهاده بود
موج گیسوان به دوش بادها گشاده بود
از نشیب یخ گرفت دره گفتم
این نه ساخت شکفتگی ست
در کجای فصل ایستاده ای
مگر ندیده ای
سبزه ها کبود و بیشه سوگوار
فصل فصل خامش نهفتگی ست
آن صنوبر بلند
با اشاره ای نه سوی دوردست
گفت
قد کوته تو راه را به دیده ی تو بست
گامی از درون سرد خود برآی
پای بر گریوه ای گذار
و درنگر
رود آفتاب و آب در شتاب
کاروان درد و سرد
در گزیر و ناگزیر
آنک آن هجوم سبز مرز ناپذیر
در کجای فصل ایستاده ام ؟
در کرانه ای
که پیش چشم من
بهار شعله های سبز و
سیره و سرود
در نگاه تو کبود و دود
“The emigration of Jews from the Soviet Union is not an objective of American foreign policy,” Mr. Kissinger said. “And if they put Jews into gas chambers in the Soviet Union, it is not an American concern. Maybe a humanitarian concern.”
“I know,” Nixon responded. “We can’t blow up the world because of it.”
Episode 9 - Interview with Fungisai Chitare Fungisai is an Intern at Women's Coalition of Zimbabwe. She studied sociology and minored in enviromental studies. She speaks about how she got involved with WCoZ. Being the youngest member of the WCoZ secreterait, she reflects on what the younger generetation thinks of the women's right movement as well as their concerns. Interview conducted by Amber Minnings and Mola Shahsavari
Episode 8 - Interview with Netsai Mushonga National Coordinator of WCoZ Netsai Mushonga is a women rights and peace activist and the National Coordinatio of the Women's Coalition of Zimbabwe.She has worked on a variety of projects to bring peace to Zimbabwe including a nonviolence and gender project which aimed to raise awareness of gender based violence.She has also worked to train election monitors in nonviolence and has participated in monitoring elections in Zimbabwe at the highest levels to foster a culture of democracy. Interview conducted by Amber Minnings and Mola Shahsavari
Episode 7 - Interview with Theresa Makware the Coordinator of Zimbabwe Parents of Children with Disabilities Association (ZPCDA) Theresa Makware is the Coordinator of Zimbabwe Parents of Children with Disabilities Association (ZPCDA). In this podcast she disccusses her role in ZPCDA and reflects on challenges that mothers of children with disability are facing in Zimbabwe. Theresa is hereself mother of a child living with disabilities. She joined the organization in 1988 as a member and later became a strong activist. She talks about the "dollar fatigue" that her organization is facing due to the fact that most donors are focused on other sectors. Interview conducted by: Mola Shahsavari
Episode 6 - Interview with Patience Zirima Policy and Advocacy Officer at WCoZ Patience Zirima is the Policy and Advocacy officer at WCoZ. She started working with the Women's Rights Movement in Zimbabwe in 2002 when she was involved with the Federation of African Media Zimbabwe. She specialized on Media advocacy, gender sensitivity in media and monitoring media representation of African in media. Ms. Zirima discusses how she got involved with the movement and reflects on her experiences as well as her role within Women's Coalition of Zimbabwe. Interview conducted by: Amber Minnings and Mola Shahsavari
Episode 1 - Interview with Rita NyampingaWCoZ Board Member & Labour ActivistFormer trade unionist, Rita Nyampinga, speaks about her experiences in the labour movement in the mid-2000s. Ms. Nyampinga worked for ---- for over 20 years & was fired in 2004 after taking part in a strike aiming to force her employer to pay 6 months of unpaid wages & improve working conditions. Following this labour dispute, Ms. Nyampinga joined the women's movement in Zimbabwe to address gender inequality in the workplace. She explains that Zimbabwean men are better able to engage in migrant labour as they have better access to official documents such as passports & dominate the natural resource sectors. In contrast, women dominate in the informal economy & still bear primary responsibility for childcare & maintaining the household.Interview by: Amber Minnings and Mola Shahsavari
Episode 4 - Interview with Audrey CharambaWCoZ Board Member & Director of the Zimbabwe Women Writers (ZWW)In this episode, Audrey Charamba, the Director of the Zimbabwe Women Writers organization, talks about the importance of the written word & other forms of expression for Zimbabwean women. She also discusses how print & other media create a space for women's advocacy & can promote positive images of women & challenge negative stereotypes.In addition, Ms. Charamba relates her personal experiences growing up in a patriarchal society & her struggle to understand limiting gender roles in Zimbabwean society. Interview Conducted by Mola Shahsavari and Amber Minnings
Episode 3 - Interview with Tafadzwa MuropaWCoZ Peacebuilding Officer & Gender ActivistGender activist & political economist, Tafadzwa Muropa, discusses the links between capitalism & gender inequality, domestic violence & peacebuilding, politics & women's socio-economic rights. “For any woman to enjoy her socio-economic rights, the environment must be peaceful,” she says. She argues that the current political context in Zimbabwe is divisive & describes the gender-based violence that occurred during Zimbabwe's 2008 elections.Ms. Muropa also discusses changing gender roles in society & the role Zimbabwean men can & do have in achieving gender equality. Interview conducted by: Amber Minnings and Mola Shahsavari
Episode 1 - Interview with Rita NyampingaWCoZ Board Member & Labour ActivistFormer trade unionist, Rita Nyampinga, speaks about her experiences in the labour movement in the mid-2000s. Ms. Nyampinga worked for Post and Telecommunication Corp. for over 20 years & was fired in 2004 after taking part in a strike aiming to force her employer to pay 6 months of unpaid wages & improve working conditions. Following this labour dispute, Ms. Nyampinga joined the women's movement in Zimbabwe to address gender inequality in the workplace. She explains that Zimbabwean men are better able to engage in migrant labour as they have better access to official documents such as passports & dominate the natural resource sectors. In contrast, women dominate in the informal economy & still bear primary responsibility for childcare & maintaining the household. Interview conducted by: Amber Minnings and Mola Shahsavari
Episode 2 - Interview with Grace ChirenjeWCoZ Board Member & Director of Youtpisode 2 - Interview with Grace ChirenjeGrace Chirenje speaks about the importance of youth education & empowerment, particularly for young women in Zimbabwe. Ms. Chirenje explains that her activism sprung out of teenage rebellion & her opposition to women's traditional roles & duties in society. Today, Ms. Chirenje has an MA in Leadership & heads the Zimbabwe Young Women's Network for Peace Buildingproject. This project focuses on issues of women's participation in politics, democracy, literacy & skills training, & works mainly in rural communities in Zimbabwe. Interview conducted by: Amber Minnings and Mola Shahsavari