Photo from 2004 Archive: Aquarium.
MA student in Globalization Studies at McMaster University| Freelance Photographer | Communication Coordinator | Interest research area politics of Middle East
MA in Globalization Studies McMaster University | Communication Specialist | Freelance Photographer | Interest research area Middle Eastern Politics |
Specialties: International Affairs, Middle Eastern Politics, Conflict Prevention and Management, Digital Communication and Social Media
Official Photographer of:
2010 CUSO-VSO 50th Anniversary
2010 TEDxVancouver
2010 TEDxUBC
2010 Media Democracy Day
2010 Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF)
2010 Vancouver International Soccer Festival
2010 Vancouver People's Summit
2010 Pecha Kucha Night Victoria
2010 WordCamp Victoria
2009 TEDxVancouver
Producing & Presenting a weekly show on current issues
Identifying stories, controlling news output, selecting and commissioning materials for programs and bulletins
Controlling the output of news and ensure that the content of the news follows the organizational policy and broadcast regulations
Checking and ensuring proper standards for on-air productions
Researching material for program content and writing interview questions
Selecting sound effects and managed apt mix of music and sound
Edit recorded material
McMaster Department of Communication Studies and Multimedia
Facilitating group discussions and activities; presenting materials and communicating complex concepts to non-specialists; providing guidance for assignments; resolving disputes and conflicts; evaluating performance and assessing comprehension.
* Completed AODA and the Accessibility Standards for Customer Service training
Cataloguing print, video, and online resources among member organizations
Facilitating workshops for staff in management of a resource centre for community groups
Training staff in video production and using social media tools
Printing and distributing Women and Peace building Project manuals and handouts to partners
Creating a forum for women from diverse backgrounds to collectively advocate for their rights
Training staff in resource acquisition and cataloguing resources
Maintaining AIDS Vancouver’s social media presence
Supporting staff and volunteers through workshops and and using social media tools
Promoting the work of AIDS Vancouver through social media tools
Creating help documents, tracking progress, and communicating with the team using wikis, shared
docs and other web tools.
Analyzing social media tools with usability testing, surveys and other measures
Moderating monthly team meetings
Creating, editing and publishing photo essays and videos
Creating campaigns and initiatives to encourage participation in workshops
Setting up the registration desk
Admitting candidates’ representatives
Receiving electors who wish to register to vote
Explaining the registration process
Requesting and verifying personal identification and residence information
Completing and signing the registration form for qualified electors
Assessing information, education and communication needs of specific projects and target audiences
Producing, editing, uploading podcasts and promoting them through social media
Developing appropriate education and training responses using a variety of media
Writing various communication materials, including correspondence to head office, promotional
materials, talking points, fact sheets and any other necessary communication materials
Writing Monitoring and Evaluation reports on CUSO-VSO’s podcast projects
Managing CUSO-VSO social media channels
Managing YIC Social Media channels
Overseeing marketing, outreach and support
Designing campaigns to raise awareness about HIV/Aids amongst the youth
Creating campaigns and initiatives to encourage participation in workshops
Setting up new interns and staff members with Google Groups and access to wikis
Creating, editing and publishing photo essays and videos
Overseeing publishing of YIC newsletters
Being in charge of International Broadcasting Center Inventory control
Assisting camera operators at venue during the transmission of the international signal
Performing set-ups, general maintenance and camera tear-down
Assisting with audio production during the events
Monitoring overall operation of onsite audio equipment
Pacing microphones and general audio troubleshooting
Monitoring the in-bound and out-bound transfers in a timely manner
Providing comprehensive training sessions to the new hirers
Arranging special customer deliveries
Continually monitoring the shipment to ensure customers satisfaction
Training stylists and stock associates and familiarizing them with company policies
Preparing bi-weekly payroll reports
Making weekly staff schedule
Conducting annual inventory
Achieving the best turn over within company in North America
Opening and closing the store and handling nightly deposits.
Monitoring sales on a daily basis and reporting to the head office accordingly
Merchandizing the sales floor in order to increase the sales
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