Shanzay Kazmi
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Shanzay Kazmi
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Shanzay Kazmi The song of this year's summer has definitely been Robin Thicke's Blurred lines...and its everywhere from the radio to VMAs.
The song has been the topic of much discussion and countless blog posts and articles, as well as parodies, have been created discussing how demeaning the video/song is of women. The articles often dicuss how the song promotes rape culture and demeans women worldwide. Since we've seen a lot of parodies and articles I thought I'd share some that really made me think so you guys can decide yourself what kind of message Thicke sends to men and women worlwide. Warning: The articles, parodies, and actual video are quite raunchy and are very sexual, as well as emotional when discussing personal rape stories. If you are under 14 or don't feel comfortable with any of these topics please do not watch them or read the articles. For those of you who have heard the song but don't listen to the lyrics you can find them here so the articles make a bit more sense. Articles
But of course, we're not going to force you to look at only one point of view and follow our opinions, here is an article criticizing the criticism of Robin Thicke so you can get another point of view. Here's the original video and you can find some parodies here and here (they're a bit raunchy so we'll link them for you to watch...but if you're OK with that its definitely worth watching! It calls out on the sexist lyrics and messages!) -- Shanzay Kazmi Yes, I've posted three spoken word videos in one night, but I swear these videos move me in a way few other things do. This woman has been a huge inspiration to me since about a year and a half ago. Half Palestinian and half African American, her multi-cultural background provides insight to the many sides of Feminism. Women's empowerment isn't an all-white movement. It's an inclusive battle for women of all ethnicities. Give this a listen, and check out her other work if you like what you hear. (I suggest We Spent the 4th of July in Bed, that's one of my favorites) --- Alexis Ajluni Spoken word poetry is so dear in my heart. I take breaks from it from time to time, but as I revisit it's world of deep and raw emotion I find myself drawn in again and again. In this piece, Katie Makkai explores the ideology of beauty that stems from youth and leaves us confused and unsatisfied. Definitely worth a minute (Or 3) to watch. Note, there is some uncensored language at the end. --- Alexis Ajluni No matter how many months I go without watching this, every time it shows up again it's like magic. Take a moment to listen to these words. --- Alexis Ajluni For the past couple weeks we've been sharing excited half whispers in the hallways, texts exchanging outfit plans, and late nights planning questions and modes of transportation. Anyone whose been near or around us has realized just how excited Alexis and I were to go to the Kiva Headquarters in San Francisco to meet and interview the lovely Jessica Hansen, the Education Development Manager of the well known NGO, Kiva. We'll spare you the details of our hectic commute to the famous Golden Gate city, (a train to San Mateo, lunch in the cute downtown, and a trip from there up to SF) but the journey made the trip all that more exciting. However, nothing could beat the excitement of the reason we were actually journeying in the first place-- The interview! The Kiva headquarter is in a sleek glass building on a busy San Francisco street, and the office is, as we both agreed, the literal definition of San Francisco. Loads of green plants (Actually, mostly everything was green) and earthy tones/decorations catch your eye as you walk in. A screen projects Kiva's site and informs you of exactly when the last loan was made. The office is unique in that is is all open and set up with a few makeshift walls in between. There is a map of the world with pins marked for each place an employee had been, as well as currency from that country. Dogs and babies are known to be hanging around, everyone was in super casual clothing, a masseuse was in a private room, and they had a library AND a hammock room. We walked by the CEO, who looked like any other employee, while he was in a meeting. Fun fact: His desk has has no chair- He just stands and works in the middle of the office space, with everyone else. As well, one of the founders of Kiva, Premel, had a similar set up. At Kiva, everyone was in a happy mood. As Jessica said, people are sad when they have to leave work. Even the unpaid intern we spoke to explained how she always gets excited to come into the office! The place was hustling and bustling with activity and discussion. You could tell that every single person in that office genuinly cared about the work they were doing, and thats one of the big reasons why Kiva is so successful today. Jessica was one of the most inspiring (I know, we say that about everyone) women Alexis and I have ever had the honor to meet. This outstanding, kind hearted, positive, and well educated woman has done far more in her lifetime than majority of people can even dream of. She has lived and traveled around the world and worked at every social justice job you could think of (Everyone from the UN to Doctors Without Borders). The stories and experiences she shared left Alexis and I with our mouths open in shock, Jessica has interviewed people in detail and heard stories of rape, soldiers cutting open pregnant women, and heads being used as soccer balls...but despite it all, she stressed how optimistic she is for the future. She described how positive you have to be in her field and how she truly believes third world countries will one day catch up with more developed ones in terms of poverty and education. Every part of her radiated joy as she recalled the changes she's seen in small villages in Kenya. Jessica is the walking example of optimism and true fulfillment, refusing to let the disheartening things she's seen in her line of work bring her down and reminding everyone of the work they can do to make the world a place where all can smile. If you're interested in the work Jessica is doing, watch our interview that will be posted later this week! For now, we'd like to leave you with one word of advice Jessica told us that keeps coming to mind, even 5 days later: When asked about her job and how she's gotten to this position, she spoke of how instead of worrying about how much each job pays or the benefits of said job, she simply asks herself if she would do the job even if she wasn't being paid. With h=this perspective, she's allowed herself to be passionate about every job she's had. Maybe it's something to apply to all the aspects in our lives. It's a good reminder to ourselves to choose the things that make us fulfilled, the things that we can look forward to and never lose our passionate for. -- Shanzay Kazmi Who is Mindy Budgor? Only the first ever female Maasai warrior. Yeah, that's right, Mindy has taken a gender exclusive cultural tradition and has broken it, setting the pathway for generations of Maasai women to come.
Read the story, as told by her here. Mindy is obviously noteworthy here, but I'd like to draw special attention to other people in her story as well. Any good leader knows that their success heavily relies on their followers. We see this with anything, without the follower's support, the leader is nothing. Well, so is the idea. On this occasion, Mindy's idea was simple: Why can't a woman be a warrior? But this was a difficult barrier to break. A hundreds of years old tradition is not easily budged. For example, when Mindy approached her friend, Winston, about following through with the process, he would not have it. However, she found people who supported her in the journey. Her teacher and his fellow warriors who volunteered to work with Mindy in the month to come were what allowed her to destroy this preconceived gender stereotype. If everyone had acted as Winston or the man who threatened her did, then Mindy would not have become a warrior. Mindy's determination equally paired with those willing to see her perspective and commit their time to her cause are what now allow the other tribal women to do the same as she. This teaches us a lesson; Any idea, even the ones that seem the hardest to convince, can become customary with enough people on your side. This has it's pros and cons, of course... We've seen leaders understand and abuse this power throughout humanity's history. However, in our case, I think it's time we use this knowledge of human behavior for good. Let's take this idea that Shanzay and I are fighting for (that women can be influential, intelligent & confident and not have to be maimed for it) and make this a social norm. Let's get so accustomed to the idea that we change the way the generations below us think. Let's empower women and create a better place for women, as Mindy has done for the women of the Maasai tribe. It's also good to note that although Mindy did open the door for these tribal women and many men were on board, many other men (and even some women) will not be and that this can cause for some new issues to arise, such as criticism and maybe even physical/social abuse to the women who are training to become warriors. It is important to remember, however, that there will always be someone who does not agree. As Mindy's mentor Lanet told her, "You're never going to have 100 percent approval. You have to learn to let that go." (Picture from http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2013/sep/06/kenya-first-female-maasai-warrior) --- Alexis Ajluni |