A Day is only as good as the 364 days before it, working towards it. The last year has been personally amazing for me, talking to, living with and getting to know some amazing women who have challenged me, encouraged me, supported me and brought me along on this terrible, inspiring, heart breaking, empowering journey of challenging the very institutions and structures that hold us women back.
Working on OBR the last couple of weeks has been all kinds of wonderful. So many great emails and messages from people who support the cause. Of course the best show of support was everyone who turned up on the 14th, but even verbal support shows that there is space here in Sri Lanka to use the momentum of OBR and make things happen over the next year. Below is my attempt to document all the
The cinematography and visuals are amazing (footage taken from here) and what struck me was the sheer, breathtaking beauty of this place we call home. The call to save it is really a call to save ourselves. The Earth will live on, evolve, adapt, thrive.. but look at everything we are destroying and what we are leaving behind. Is this our legacy?
See you there. And if you can't join us in Sri Lanka, find an event near you. If you know of any other events that are happening for OBR, email them in to obrsrilanka[at]gmail[dot]com
In this age of internet warriors, it's a tough job to ask people to come and join us on the streets. If you're lucky enough to get past their cynicism and apathy, the sheer volume of excuses will stop you in your tracks - oh I have work, there's traffic, I live far away etc etc. Of course there is only so much you can say to convince people; some are content to sit by their laptop,
We will be gathering at Lipton Circus, (which is the roundabout near ODEL) at 4.30pm for a demonstration against Violence against Women and Children, and then hold a candlelight vigil dedicated to everyone who has been abused, harassed, raped and killed because of GBV. What you need to do: <!--[if gte mso 9]>
Team Melo released this awesome video to show their support for One Billion Rising Sri Lanka. Join them for an evening of mellow acoustic music and show your support for the cause! 16th February, 6.30pm, Warehouse Project And a really great line up to entertain you! - Julius - Ravin - Trisha - Ganga - Dan - Gehan - Bo - Thushini - Kei - Kavya - Asela - CC - N.A.M.B Check
In the lead up to 14th February and One Billion Rising, OBR Sri Lanka is organising an online campaign titled "Reasons to Rise". I've written enough on this blog for my readers to know how bad the situation is in Sri Lanka and I firmly believe that any and all awareness and activism is helpful. Please contribute photographs, videos, art, and as most of you are bloggers, blog posts stating why we
via Writing about Lance Armstrong's doping scandal while the Australian Open radio stream is playing in my ear is particularly ironic. It was a warm winter day in sunny Palo Alto 5 years ago that I first began watching tennis. The match: Djokovic vs Federer; the tournement: why, the Australian Open. I watched that semifinal with a close friend who is a die hard Federer fan and, to be
from This is the feminist edition. * Why you're not a feminist put into words what I never could. "We, and by “we,” I mean the self-identified feminist community (and proponents of “I’m not, but,”) do not have a dream monochrome enough to be able to rally behind one leading principle, let alone one leading individual. We must breathe into our own plans space for the activism of others
Behold, the latest godsend bestowed upon Sri Lankan women. "an innovative new day spa focusing on luxuriously indulgent skin whitening rituals to pamper guests from head to toe." An alternate tagline, proposed by me: "the latest money making scheme by Spa Ceylon, feeding on the insecurities of South Asian women left behind by our gracious colonisers. Or perhaps: Too dark, too fugly?
a girl died today. executed. the word hangs over me like a sword. jailed for 7 years, only to see sunlight for the briefest of moments. darkness is eternal. what is it like to walk to your death? no friendly face, no comforting hand alone in a strange land.. what is it like to be surrounded by men who in moments will, methodically, dispassionately, end your life? do you think of your
All it took was one conversation over one bottle of wine; two hours with two people I hadn't realised how much I missed, to know that there is nothing left for me here. The balance has shifted; there is now here. I have one year to put in the work until I can start the next chapter, and for the first time in a long time, I am looking forward to the future. 2014. I await you.
Where to begin, where to end? It's been a hard year, and I'm glad it's over. Of course there's no guarantee that the next year will be better than the last, but well, hope springs eternal. Looking back on the year through my writing, there is so much that I've left unsaid; so many travels I couldn't write about, so many photographs I couldn't upload, ...
Today I cried. A woman lies cold in a hospital bed, her body torn apart by crazed men; a woman who just wanted to live. Today we cried because one of us has died. And we cry for the thousands who die everyday, alone, in fear, in agony, at the hands of men who place little value on life, love, the beauty of a smile, the sanctity of a woman's body. ...
The last one of the year folks! Details above, line up below: Kei Dave Shaafo Dilini Sankha Thushini Roshan Kavya Cynosure Team Melo Entrance by donation, as always, but also bring a book to donate to Needy Readers. RSVP here, see you there.
2012 was a shameful year, music-wise, in that I never actively sought out any new music. In fact, my ipod hasn't been updated in about a year and my only song reccomendations come from what you people tweet. So, sad. The songs below are significant simply because when I heard/re-heard them, I couldn't stop listening to them. And yes, I'm aware my taste in RnB is that of a 16 year old. Drake -
Apologies to my employers, but I have done no work today. Simply put, I've been enthralled, click upon click, with this argument raging in the feministosphere on rape. It all started with Alyssa Royse's Nice Guys Commit Rape Too which I read and partially agreed with.. until I read Why the 'nice guys commit rape too' conversation is not helpful and the less subtly titled What in the Holy Hell
* We've all heard about the horrific massacre that took place in Newtown, CT on the 14th of December, and the knife attack in China which wounded 22 children. While we are left to question who would do this to children? there have been quite a few interesting articles written on the event. This article, titled I am Adam Lanza's Mother, gives insight into the daily challenge of living with a