Monthly Archives: August 2021

Mon, Aug 16, 2021

MENASourcebyGhadah W. Alharthi

A large banner shows Saudi Vision for 2030 as a soldier stands guard before the arrival of Saudi King Salman at the inauguration of several energy projects in Ras Al Khair, Saudi Arabia, November 29, 2016. REUTERS/Zuhair Al-Traifi

With its Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia encouraged businesses to participate in its development and to address national challengesespecially in critical sectors, such as health care, education, housing, and cultural and social programsrather than focusing solely on generating profits. Vision 2030 calls for a more effective third sector for non-profits, among other things.

Social entrepreneurship in Saudi Arabia is an evolving phenomenon. In June, the Council of Ministers approved the establishment of the National Center for the Development of the Non-Profit Sector (NCNP), which will regulate the sector. The center is one of the National Transformation Program initiatives in Vision 2030, and its purpose is to empower the non-profit sector to achieve a deeper social and economic impact.

According to academics Sophie Bacq and Frank Janssen, social entrepreneurship is the process of identifying, evaluating, and exploiting opportunities for social value creation through commercial, market-based activities or other resources. Social entrepreneurship has existed in Saudi Arabia for many decades. An early example was a school in Mecca that would cost the equivalent of less than a dollar today. Saudi Arabia currently shows low levels of social entrepreneurial activity compared to other countries, but this may be due to the lack of data on social enterprises in the country. Currently, there is an estimated one not-for-profit social organization per ten thousand people in Saudi Arabia compared to around fifty per ten thousand in Canada and the United States.

According to experts Ive spoken to, the number of social enterprises in the country has increased in the past decade. This increase is partly due to the work of international foundations (e.g. Ashoka and Acumen), local foundations (e.g. King Khalid Foundation), corporations (e.g. Abdul Latif Jameel Group), some higher education institutions (e.g. Effat University and Dar Al-Hekma), charity foundations, such as for housing and womens empowerment, and personal initiatives of Saudi entrepreneurs. The community shares a commitment to achieving positive social impact using innovative and financially sustainable methods.

One of the most prominent examples of social entrepreneurship in Saudi Arabia is Glowork, a social enterprise that encourages womens participation and integration into the Saudi workforce. It was founded by Khalid Alkhudair, who started the online Glowork platform in 2011. By 2017, it had placed 27,000 women in Saudi Arabias workplaces and found work-from-home employment for over five hundred women living in rural areas.

Social entrepreneurs engage problem-solving skills and local knowledge in search of innovative solutions. Innovation is the building block of entrepreneurship, opening new avenues to create wealth. Social innovation focuses on the addition of social value as part of the mission. For Saudi Arabia to create an enabling environment for social entrepreneurship and unlock social innovation and impact investing, it may wish to address three main issues: government regulation and policy, societal perceptions, and the education system.

Government regulations and financing

The formal institutional environment is essential when it comes to innovation. A challenge Saudi social enterprises face is which type of registration and profit model to adopt. Founders have had to choose between for-profit and non-profit optionsthere is no middle ground. As a result, some social entrepreneurs incorporate without fully understanding the consequences of the regulatory environment associated with their companys registration type. Sometimes social entrepreneurs incorporate with a certain model only to find out about new business models that could better serve their interests. However, this issue should be resolved over time with Junes establishment of the NCNP.

Financing is another difficulty social entrepreneurs face. It is vital for social entrepreneurs to find access to capital market funding, given their social mission. This is not an issue specific to Saudi Arabia; it is a global one for most social entrepreneurs. It is difficult to measure social impact or key performance indicators that apply to all types of social enterprises, especially when the legal structure and regulations have not yet been developed for that countrys sector. In addition, the social impact achieved by a social enterprise may not be directly observable and, as a result, could be hard to measure and prove to potential investors and sponsors.

Therefore, the Saudi government may wish to concentrate on devising specific regulations for social enterprises while also offering fees and tariff exemptions and opportunities to bid on government contracts. The government can also support the establishment of social entrepreneurship incubators and accelerators. Existing incubators and accelerators have contributed much to the entrepreneurship ecosystem in Saudi Arabia, but not many exist for social entrepreneurship currently.

Saudi societys perception of social entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurial activity can be facilitated or hindered by certain socio-cultural practices, values, and norms. Indeed, a social entrepreneurs motivation is partly influenced by societal perception about the desirability of pursuing entrepreneurial ventures.

A society must value creativity and the implementation of new ideas to flourish economically and culturally. Therefore, increasing societysawareness of social entrepreneurship should be one of the most urgent priorities for the newly established NCNP. Currently, Saudi society may not clearly understand the differences between standard work, charity work, social entrepreneurship, and social responsibility. However, improving the perception of social entrepreneurship is more difficult than simply creating an appropriate regulatory environment. Involving the media to feature profiles of domestic heroes as well as giving formal recognition to social entrepreneurs will go a long way to improving societal perceptions about social entrepreneurship.

The twelve Saudi social entrepreneurs I interviewed for my research over the course of four years had expectations built from their education, including examples of successful foreign social entrepreneurship case studies. At the beginning of their endeavor, they also believed that Saudi Arabias normative environment provided favorable conditions for social entrepreneurship. In my research, I found that they later realized the gaps in the environment, yet still managed to adapt to some of the issues they faced in the field.

Despite operating in a non-institutionalized context, the social entrepreneurs I studied were optimistic, confident, resilient, and hopefulall of which are important traits for leaders and visionaries trying to make a change and solve social issues. If these strengths are combined with the right regulations and societal support from the beginning, social entrepreneurs could thrive even more and increase their chances of success. Moreover, if social entrepreneurs start their endeavor with more awareness of the institutional environment, they may be better equipped to deal with the challenges they face.

Social entrepreneurship in the Saudi education system

Education can prepare social entrepreneurs to identify barriers and devise strategies to overcome them. Currently, social entrepreneurship is being integrated into the curriculum of some Saudi universities, with major events and workshops taking place to promote the concept, such as in Dar Al-Hekma University and Effat University. However, Saudi social entrepreneurs still often have turn to educational resources from abroad to learn more about the concept of social entrepreneurship. This reliance on foreign material can be problematic because it does not consider the differences in the local context, like cultural norms and the different ministries evolving regulations.

It is important to foster formal and informal learning about social entrepreneurship by offering modules in Saudi universities and schools, as well as courses and webinars and Arabic material on social entrepreneurship. Educational institutions can host workshops and competitions, provide technical support to social entrepreneurs, and connect social entrepreneurs to a larger audience, including public, private, and international organizations. Educating citizens about social change and social entrepreneurship will help them generate ideas to tackle urgent social issues and provide them with positive role models.

Conclusion

Social entrepreneurship is an evolving phenomenon and by far the most crucial type of entrepreneurship in allowing citizens to play an active role alongside the government in solving environmental and social issues in Saudi Arabia. The government has taken an initial positive step to create a supportive regulatory environment by establishing the NCNP. The next step would be to increase positive societal perceptions about social entrepreneurship, provide educational opportunities to students and would-be entrepreneurs, and highlight case studies and role models operating in the Saudi context. The goals of Saudis Vision 2030 will require innovation on all fronts, and social entrepreneurship can be a leading driver of the countrys advancement once nurtured properly.

Dr. Ghadah W. Alharthi is an associate director and lecturer at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London. She is also a Middle east specialist and cultural consultant at Barker Langham. Follow her on Twitter: @GhadahWA.

Mon, Aug 2, 2021

Both Riyadh and Abu Dhabi have wisely made the economy the focal point of their strategies for the future, as evidenced by national policy changes and a reduction in foreign adventures. Ending the Qatar blockade, and opening a dialogue with adversarial neighbors like Iran and Turkey is linked to long-term economic ambitions.

MENASourcebyAmjad Ahmad

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Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 aims to empower the non-profit sector. Here are three areas to focus on. - Atlantic Council

19-year-old singer-songwriter Billie Eilish sends powerful messages of female empowerment and perseverance in her new album Happier Than Ever.

The album consists of 16 honest and personal tracks that Eilish wrote and produced with her older brother, Finneas. Eilish explores themes of female empowerment and finding personal strength a departure from her previous album, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? which features a dark, less hopeful tone touching on heavier themes like mental health and drugs.

I cant even process it. This was the most fulfilling, most satisfying and profound experience Ive ever had with my music, Eilish wrote in an Instagram post marking the release of her sophomore album.

Eilish begins the album with vulnerability, singing in a soft, calm voice about the struggles she has faced in her career and personal life, in the song Getting Older. Starting with a note of gratitude despite her struggles, she slowly opens her heart to her listeners, saying that she crave[s] pity and would lie for attention, only to get rejected in return. In the chorus, her smooth voice gets higher as she reflects on her life as a singer. The song progresses, and she shares that she has grown as a person while cleverly nodding to the title of her album: Im gettin better at admitting when I was wrong / Im happier than ever, at least, thats my endeavor / To keep myself together and prioritize my pleasure.

Getting Older ends with a note of reassurance: Eilish concludes that she will find happiness despite the hardships that accompany spending most of her teenage years in the public eye. I love the honesty, hope and beauty in this song. Although she doesnt sing loudly against a dynamic, electronic beat like in other parts of her discography, Getting Older holds even more power with its soft, stripped-down instrumentals.

The albums ensuing tracks explore the end of a relationship and the start of a new one. Then comes track four, My Future, which was originally released as a single exactly one year before the albums release; this song chronicles Eilish leaving a relationship and finding herself. She sings of her newfound independence and hope: Im in love / With my future / Cant wait to meet her Im in love / But not with anybody else / Just wanna get to know myself.

I adore the inspiring and refreshing nature of the lyrics in My Future. Eilish sings in what almost sounds like a lullaby, her voice layered soothingly in the background. Then, the beat changes to a faster rhythm, and drums join the accompaniment, signifying a sense of empowerment in a song sure to resonate with fans.

Eilish continues to explore the theme of female empowerment in the ninth track of her album, Not My Responsibility. But the songs style sharply diverges from the albums other tracks. Rather than singing over an electronic sound or soft beat in the background, she speaks over a static synth tone. Speaking rather than singing helps her emphasize her message and distinguish Not My Responsibility from the rest of her tracks. Denouncing how she is often judged by her physical appearance, she stresses that women should not be reduced to their bodies and clothing.

In the music video for the track, Eilish also departs from her omnipresent baggy clothing (which she wears to avoid sexualization of her body), and takes off her outer garments in a powerful statement. In reference to body-shaming she has faced for wearing oversized clothing, she sings, Some people hate what I wear / Some people praise it / Some people use it to shame others / Some people use it to shame me / But I feel you watching / Always / And nothing I do goes unseen.

Later, she speaks softly yet captivatingly as she poses rhetorical questions about her body to the audience: Do my shoulders provoke you? Does my chest? / Am I my stomach? My hips? / The body I was born with / Is it not what you wanted? As a young woman, I feel intimately impacted by Eilishs message in Not My Responsibility. She leverages her musical talent to speak truth: women should never be judged by their physical appearance.

Eilish sends another powerful message in Your Power, which was released as a single in April. In the song, she reflects on an abusive relationship, singing, I thought that I was special / You made me feel / Like it was my fault, you were the devil. She sings hauntingly and beautifully with the sound of soft strumming in the background. Throughout this track, she tells her ex-boyfriend, Try not to abuse your power. On Spotify, under the Storyline, Eilish wrote, I hope that all young women who have been taken advantage of feel heard. I am awed by her ability to share her story so intimately she once again sends a powerful message in reflecting on her personal experiences.

Happier than Ever is my favorite Billie Eilish album yet. Though each song is unique, she incorporates themes of female empowerment throughout. I would strongly recommend this album not only because of Eilishs beautiful vocals and heartfelt songwriting, but, perhaps most importantly, because of her sheer vulnerability.

Read the rest here:

Billie Eilish's 'Happier Than Ever' is both powerful and vulnerable - The Stanford Daily

Bakhtiyor Isoev released two new episodes of his Education & Empowerment Podcast - Powered by Mission Matters

Bakhtiyor Isoev released two new episodes of his Education & Empowerment Podcast - Powered by Mission Matters

Beverly Hills, California, Aug. 20, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Higher education expert Bakhtiyor Isoev released two new episodes of the Education & Empowerment Podcast. The episodes feature interviews with Andrea Kemp-Ford, Chief Operating Officer for The University of the Potomac in Washington, D.C., and Anna Esaki Smith, a Global education expert who advises higher education institutions, private companies and education organizations on international strategies and thought leadership. In the just-released episodes, Kemp-Ford and Smith discuss the post-pandemic future of higher education and how universities can adapt their academic and operational strategies to support students' long-term success in and out of the classroom.

Customer Service is Key to Student Success During Challenging Times

"We are obligated to help one another", says Andrea Kemp-Ford, the Chief Operating Officer for The University of the Potomac based in Washington, D.C. Ford believes that customer service is one of the factors that contributes to the university's 96% retention rate, along with dedicated faculty and relevant degree programs. When the Global pandemic hit in 2020, the University of the Potomac was well-suited to support students throughout an unprecedented time because of its already-robust online and hybrid course offerings.

But it was still a challenging year for faculty and students alike. The university worked to meet that challenge by paying attention to individual students. "If a student reaches out and says, I don't have food, we're going to give them food," Ford says. This kind of personal touch extends to all aspects of the university's operations--from course design to technology use to degree offerings to student housing. For example, the university continues to offer online and hybrid course options to accommodate students who still don't feel comfortable attending in person. And perhaps most important, Ford says, the company is actively working to keep online instruction engaging and innovative.

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"The industry has changed," Ford says. The higher education industry must adapt in order to support students. Ford recommends preparing faculty to deliver courses online in order to ensure that students get the same experience they would get in person, supporting students and staff who may be struggling with mental health, and partnering with third-party companies when possible to help grow the institution. She emphasizes choosing relevant degree programs to address gaps in our country's infrastructure made plain by the pandemic, such as early childhood education and medical assistance.

The bottom line, though, is human connection. "I have two sons," Ford says. "If they ran into difficulty while they were at school, I would want someone at that university to help them if they could."

Listen to the full interview of Andrea Kemp-Ford with Bakhtiyor Isoev on 4stay.

Weathering a Pandemic: The Future of Higher Education

"With challenges come opportunities," says Anna Esaki Smith, a Global education expert. Because of her vast experience advising higher education institutions and organizations, Smith understands the challenges both students and institutions face during what she calls "enormous disruption."

However, Smith believes that both domestic and international students can capitalize on an opportunity to ensure their own success by articulating what they want out of an education. On the institutional side, colleges and universities have a chance to hone their messaging and outreach strategies, develop online programming, and manage funds more efficiently.

Smith calls the question of how to define students success a "deeply profound one"--indeed, it's a question that individual students may answer differently. The first step is supporting students as they "articulate" what it is they want in a college experience. Smith then helps institutions tailor their messages more specifically to students based on what students want. For example, in an increasingly competitive market, universities must think about recruitment of international students more strategically.

Though students are more empowered than ever, Smith acknowledges the toll the pandemic has taken on young people's mental health. The stressful life of a university student becomes even more stressful when students are worried about the physical and/or financial health of their communities. One way institutions can help combat anxiety and depression is by bolstering online course offerings. Along with regaining sources of revenue and finding ways to manage funds more effectively, investing in online learning is the most important thing to consider when planning for an uncertain future, Smith says. "Universities who do will thrive."

Listen to the full interview of Anna Esaki Smith with Bakhtiyor Isoev on 4stay.

About: The Education & Empowerment Podcast explores success and advancement through education by interviewing today's top leaders in the fields of education, business and technology. This show is brought to you by 4stay, a SaaS-enabled Online Booking marketplace for student and intern housing. Learn more at: https://4stay.com/

Want to partner with 4stay? Explore our Turnkey All-in-One Solutions at offcampus.4stay.com or landlords.4stay.com.

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More episodes may be found here:https://podcast.4stay.com/

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Moving Forward After a Pandemic Year: Student Success Experts Discuss the Future of Higher Education - Yahoo Finance

Shaheena Akhtar, 34, an award-winning Kani shawl entrepreneur based in Srinagars Old City, not only weaves trends into tradition but also helps weavers in distress, most of them women.

Of the six siblings born in a modest family, Shaheena is the only one with a college degree in arts, but she had to drop out due to the familys economic condition in 2004.

I started learning shawl weaving from my elder brother, while our father, Ghulam Ahmad Rather, used to tin-coat (kalai) copper utensils, she recalls. Four of her siblings, including two brothers, became shawl weavers but her penchant for innovation began getting her business and recognition.

In 2014, she received the Jammu and Kashmirs exemplary entrepreneur award for her Kani shawls. In 2017, she was felicitated by Hindustan Times at its sixth edition of 30 young achievers from the region.

Opportunity in adversity

All was well until her marriage in 2017 to an abusive husband, who forced her to quit weaving. After 15 difficult months, she got divorced but was not welcomed back by her brothers. She started from a scratch again, this time with some personal savings. I wouldnt have been here in the first place had my brothers not supported me. But then things change. After the divorce, I became a stranger in my own house, she says.

I decided not to give up. I had started from zero and was back to zero. I took it as a challenge and with the help of neighbours have succeeded again, she says.

Shaheena started living with her mother in a part of their ancestral house and travelled to Amritsar in 2019 to participate in a handicraft exhibition. She took a loan to put her business back on track and today its flourishing despite the Covid-19 restrictions.

Know your customer

Weaving the Kani shawl is a traditional and intricate art, but artisans rarely get the returns for middlemen pocket the gains.

After registering with the J&K handicrafts department in 2008, she went for an exhibition the next year that was the turning point. Few educated women join the shawl sector. That exposure gave me the confidence and insight into the demand, she says. People abroad prefer tone to tone shawls instead of colourful ones. Once I even saw my shawl displayed in a showroom in Italy! she says.

Shaheena recalls how one of her uncles was on the brink of bankruptcy. He had woven shawls on traditional patterns but there were no takers. He didnt know the trend. Weavers hardly do, but with a little help, he started getting good returns, she says.

She credits her knowledge about customer preferences to her travels to handicraft exhibitions in different cities, including Delhi, Jaipur and Amritsar. Now, there are several export offers, too, she says.

Help others to help yourself

Shaheena is invited by the handicrafts department to give motivational speeches to women artisans. Ive given over 100 motivational speeches at awareness camps. More women are joining the handicrafts business. They realise that a woman is not insecure when she leaves home to do something in life, she says.

Girls can take on any challenge. I work more than my brothers, she says.

At present, she provides employment to about 1,000 people, including Pashmina spinners, weavers, dye givers and washermen and women.

Every year, she produces about 100 shawls, including plain Pashmina, Kani and Sozni. I keep innovating. Ive started a readymade garment business of pherans and stoles in addition to the shawls, she adds.

Continued here:

Emblems of empowerment: Innovation with tradition, weaving a success story - Hindustan Times

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July 23-July 27, 2021.Streaming on YouTube.

One might think that artists having a voice is just something that naturally happens. Art involves a good deal of personal expression, right? Yet, COVID has led me to think about how artists do or dont have a voice and choice and therein how theyre empowered or not empowered.

While movies, television, books, music and TikTok dance videos got us through the pandemic, artists saw much of their livelihoods and what they love doing slip from their grasp. Thats just one example of how a context of expression doesnt necessarily offer voice, choice and empowerment.

Yet, the 3rd Annual Empower One Another, a virtual program of dance films co-directed by Boston-based artists Gracie Barruzzi and Jennifer Kuhnberg, offers a model for how to offer artists those things. This annual programs goal is to offer opportunities, access and collaborative spaces to female choreographers in the Boston area.

Evincing an atmosphere of creative exploration and openness to various approaches and products, each work has a unique character and vibe the product of an empowered artistic voice. Video introductions from the artists deepen understanding of particular works also a literal opportunity to have a voice.

Yet, some works dont have a video introduction presumably the result of choice to take that space for ones voice or not. All of the works are poignant, commendably crafted and enjoyable what can happen when artists are truly empowered withvoice and choice. The following works are those in the program that especially resonated with me.

The Effort it Takes, by Kuhnberg and Abigail Ripin, wittily portrays the physical effort in everyday movement a theme that Kuhnberg also explains in a video introduction from the two choreographers. The work begins with various shots of stairs, escalators, elevators and inlets in a brick wall.

Dancers enter the frame and begin to move in pathways toward a specific physical goal, with clear, angular direction in facings and locomotion. They remain mainly expressionless, which adds to a feeling of them as manifestations of physical effort rather than specific human characters or archetypes.

These qualities quickly resonate with me; when were climbing stairs or riding an escalator or walking down a long hallway to an elevator, our direction and goal are clear. There can almost be a meditative quality in that, the mind focusing on the bodys work. Supporting that tone is the upbeat score with a sense of repetition (Outcast by Bonobo). We can enjoy how we call upon our bodies to move through the world and support us each day.

What also intrigues me is this piece in the context of COVID, which led to less of that moving through the world. This movement meditation could refocus us on a perspective of gratitude for the mundane ways our bodies work as we move through the world those which they couldnt over the course of a global pandemic.

Huntress from Alchemy Movement Company, choreographed by Mariah Rasmussen, illustrates the raw power in a womans mind, body and spirit. Five women move with strength and precision, on a sparse stage under dimmed stage lights. As a compelling structure, visually and energetically, the action and direction of a soloist juxtaposes that of the four other dancers. The collective is in tension with the individual. Yet, at times, they do come together in unison; life and behavior within groups tends toward cycles.

Another intriguing juxtaposition is that between strength-based and angular movement, primal in quality, and that which is more fluid and curvilinear. Even at once, they lunge deep powerful through their legs and their placement exact, for an earthy feel while their arms move in a wave-like fashion, initiating from the shoulders. I think about a larger juxtaposition at play, in the sense of hunting (also reflecting on the title) of killing to live.

Alone Together comes next, a collaboration between Monkeyhouse and Collective Moments Dance. Kaylee Mahin and Sarah Feinberg, in collaboration with the dancers, contributed choreography. The work brings a unique approach to a common structure within COVID film dance; the movement of several dancers, dancing alone in their own space, is cut together in refined and satisfying approaches: fading from one dancer to another, box shapes intersecting and moving past each other in various ways.

Within the movement itself, dancers execute a common movement phrase yet take it on their timing. Its compelling how the same phrase is therefore in conversation with itself through alternate timings. In shape and quality, the movement conveys hitting an obstruction, moving another way, reaching and exploring through the body or the desire to do so more.

As the dancers move little from one spot, they fall to rise again with finesse and power. Such adaptation and perseverance in the face of challenge is certainly something we can relate to through COVID. Short of concrete meaning, the work is energetically and visually pleasing.

81 Cents, from Nozama Dance Collective and choreographed by Artistic Director Dana Alsamsam, is a solo of one woman facing a turning point moment and moving through all of the feelings that it brings. Highly theatrical, it also offers intricate movement and technical chops. The woman (danced by Olivia Moriarty) steps out of heels in her kitchen, as if getting home from a long day at a very formal job. Small items that evoke an active home pens, paper, trinkets build the sort of specificity that can create something universal.

She stops short, accented but with dynamic, attuned stillness, and then fluidly moves in another direction. Theres a continuity from accent to accent as she moves. Her movement is not quite expansive physically, being more internally focused yet her energy and presence fills the space.

Suddenly, she rips the paper as if rejecting a message from a loved one. In that theres anger, to be sure, but also about her is a thoughtfulness and reflective quality. All of that accompanied by a somber and reflective tone in the score (Billie Eilishs when the party over) amplifies those qualities and emotional depths.

I think about those times when we face hard moments and yes, were upset, but were more so just feeling totally unsure as to which of the bad available options to take. Design elements, movement vocabulary, and a remarkable performance from Moriarty come together to translate all of that meaning and emotional weight to me without a word spoken.

Uplift from Baruzzi and Natalie Schiera illustrates the joy and positivity between two friends, and therein is indeed quite an uplift. I know the two artists to be longtime close friends and collaborators, so I smile to see them working together here. The instrumental score (Lisa by factor eight) is quite uplifting, aptly enough accompanying Baruzzi and Schieras strong, joyful movement and presence.

They wear costumes of simple colors and cuts; they come as they are, and thats more than enough. The simplicity of this works concept and design demonstrates that even and sometimes especially within simplicity there is profound beauty. Yes, that can very much uplift us.

They feel elevated in movement quality, from the strong foundation of a grounded base. Dancing independently much of the time, the two performers are nevertheless in harmonious sync. When they do come together, they support each other through lifts. To me, that characterizes the most sustainable and fulfilling friendships each person dancing to whatever drum they may, but there to support each other always.

Baruzzi and Schiera also wear masks, bringing COVID and its effect on how we can stay connected with those in our lives. Friendships and other close relationships have certainly been strained through this time, yet its also presented opportunities for us to investigate what friendships really are to us and who we know can lift us up and gently rest us down.

At Play comes next, danced and choreographed by Natalia Maldari, Amy Foley and Teresa Fardella. Its a lovely painting in movement of carefree, child-like joy through the bodys possibilities. The trio dances over grass, concrete and other structures in a park moving with lifted and light movement vocabulary. Theres unison as well as effective opposition in their dancing.

Particularly pleasing are the moments when two dancers are in unison and the third dancer is doing something else synchronously visually and energetically satisfying, but also true to the behavior of children in groups. Apart from the technical dancing, the film is imbued with all kinds of movement: other people moving in the background, wind moving through the trees, and even kites towards the end.

Accompanying the dancers throughout the film, the instrumental score (Perpetuum Mobile from Penguin Cafe Orchestra) is the kind which can make me smile no matter whats happening in my day. The dancers themselves have an easy smile as well, and offer an overall jovial, youthful sense.

Adding to that feeling, and making me smile even bigger, they wear floral rompers just like children might wear before age and fashion norms might stop us from wearing something so bright and cheerful. Dance can challenge us, make us think, and call attention to things in the world or about ourselves that itd behoove us to change but it can also simply make us smile. Lets not forget that.

Polyphony, featuring the dancers of Nozama Dance Collective and choreographed by Nora Le Guen, is a memorable illustration of a concept effectively realized in movement. Dancers find their own timing and qualities within unison movement, and at other times theres a polyphony in movement separate dancers executing different movement vocabulary synchronously. Through dynamism and intricacy, one could see polyphony within the movement vocabulary itself.

In various bright colors, with each color unique to each dancers costume, the costumes convey that sort of variegation as well. In harmonious alignment, the score itself (Pulchra es Amica Mea / Northern Lights by Nate Tucker) is certainly polyphonous with various musical influences, from jazz to electronica, and with varied harmony lines layered together. Even the setting conveys a multiplicity, with the open expanse of the outdoors offering a sense of boundless possibilities.

In something less layered but equally impactful towards the end, the dancers walk in a circle pattern with their elbows bent, gazing at their forearms. With this focus and intentionality comes a clarity of effect a shift from many influences and ingredients simultaneously at play to a singular element dominating. All in all, the film is an intriguing and unparalleled embodiment of a musical concept all coming together to something poignant and resonant.

Just like in all works in the program, these artists shared something that could hit the eyes, heart, and mind in a memorable way the sort of transcendent, indefinable magic that can happen when artists are empowered enough to speak authentically and to have choices over how they speak. Brava and thank you to all artists involved with the 3rd Annual Empower One Another for bringing those important truths front and center!

By Kathryn Boland of Dance Informa.

See the article here:

The third annual 'Empower One Another' - danceinforma.com

In a democracy, citizens must use their liberties to constantly question those in power and not be complacent about any encroachment of their rights, Supreme Court judge Justice S Ravindra Bhat said at an online event on Sunday.

Speaking on the topic, Role of Judiciary in Governance, Justice Bhat said at a time when the world is passing through a pandemic and its painful and traumatic consequences, it is all the more important for people to cherish their liberties and question the moves and policies that displace the liberties that the Constitution guarantees.

We gained our freedom at a great cost. Every Indian, therefore, has to use his liberties to constantly question the actions of those in power because democracy gives no tickets to free meals. It is for us to assert and guard liberty and not be complacent about any encroachment, he said.

The judge was addressing the first anniversary celebrations of an organisation called Connecting Governed, Governing and Governance that comprises lawyers, judges and academics and which also has former Chief Justice of India (CJI) KG Balakrishnan as one of its patrons.

Justice Bhat touched upon the horrors of the Covid-19 pandemic and said personal freedoms become even more important during such a crisis. Today the world is reeling under the painful and traumatic consequences of the Covid pandemic disrupting lives and livelihoods, leaving behind destruction, despair and impoverishment. It is more important for people to cherish liberties and constantly question, through every legitimate channel, the moves and policies which undermine the democratic government and displace creepingly, the liberties that the Constitution guarantees.

The judge also shared his personal view on reservations. Reservation, at least in regard to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled tribes and most backward classes is essential and we cannot put a time limit on it...I would say it is not possible that we should do away with it (reservation) as long as society is unequal and people are socially and educationally backward. So long as the society is unwilling to cast off the shackles of caste, these quotas are needed because they underline empowerment.

Justice Bhat emphasised that in a democratic way of governance, citizens should be prepared for imperfections. Thats where the role of courts comes in. The rule of law through democracy is a continuing work-in-progress where peoples scrutiny is paramount and courts are part of the dialogue, the Supreme Court judge said, emphasising that a person may have a fundamental right to get a ration card or change the date of birth, but if people dont get justice internally, there is no other way than to go to court.

Even on the limits of freedom that the legislature or executive places on its citizens, Justice Bhat highlighted the need for laws to clearly define limits and not sound vague. Giving instances of what constitutes an obscene publication, an incitement that is likely to affect communal harmony, or the extent of regulation permissible at any given point of time, the judge said, These are very important in governance, because unless you know what you can speak and what you cannot speak, it is very easy for the state to criminalise any content.

Justice Bhat also said that the broad role played by the judiciary in governance operates in two ways. Firstly, by protecting peoples fundamental rights and constitutional ethos by ensuring transparency and accountability to the rule of law. And secondly, interpreting new-age laws and filling policy gaps in existing norms, he added.

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Constantly question the actions of those in power, says SC judge - Hindustan Times

The SEC is facing tremendous pressure for its decision-making when it comes to enforcement of the digital asset space.

Empower Oversight, a nonprofit, nonpartisan educational organization dedicated to enhancing independent oversight of government and corporate wrongdoing, has submitted a FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) request to the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The FOIA request is seeking communications between SEC officials and their current and former employers amid the turbulent lawsuit against Ripple and its individual defendants.

From May 2017 to December 2020, senior SEC official William Hinman reportedly participated in the SECs regulation of cryptocurrencies while receiving millions of dollars from his former employer, the law firm Simpson Thacher. Simpson Thacher is a part of the Enterprise Ethereum Alliance, an industry organization whose objective is to drive the use of Enterprise Ethereum. Hinman, while in his capacity at the SEC, declared that the Ethereum cryptocurrency, Ether, was not a security, causing its value to rise significantly, said the official statement.

Later, the SEC sued one of Ethereums competitors, Ripple, declaring its cryptocurrency, XRP, was a security. Shortly thereafter, XRPs value plummeted 25%. After Hinman left the SEC in December of 2020, he returned to Simpson Thacher as a partner. The leader of the SEC division that brought the XRP lawsuit, Marc Berger, similarly left the SEC for Simpson Thacher.

Additionally, there are potential concerns regarding former SEC Chairman Jay Claytons handling of cryptocurrency issues at SEC. As with Mr. Hinman and Ether, while at the SEC, Mr. Clayton declared that Bitcoin wasnt a security, and its value rose. The SECs lawsuit against Ripple was filed at the end of Mr. Claytons tenure at the commission. Once he left the SEC, Mr. Clayton joined One River Asset Management, a cryptocurrency hedge fund exclusively focused on Bitcoin and Ether, the nonprofit organization stated.

SEC v. Ripple was filed by Jay Clayton, Now he joins Fireblocks while under investigation for potential conflict of interest

Empower Oversight is also asking whoever has first-hand information on the matter to disclose it and assist the organization with these inquiries.

The organization is led by Founder and President Jason Foster, who helped Senator Grassley with the creation of the bipartisan Whistleblower Protection Caucus and the FBI Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act of 2016 as well as the Inspector General Empowerment Act of 2016.

Other key figures within Empower Oversight are Dean Zerbe who has successfully represented whistleblowers who have received to date awards totaling approximately $600 million dollars and Gary Aguirre who overcame retaliation for resisting his SEC supervisors demands to give a Wall Street banker preferential treatment due to the bankers political clout. The bank and CEO Pequot and CEO eventually settled with the SEC for $28 million in May 2010.

The SEC is facing tremendous pressure for its decision-making when it comes to enforcement of the digital asset space. The SEC v. Ripple case seems to have been the last straw as the industry has united in tackling the regulation by enforcement method.

Even two of its own Commissioners have come forward against the practice. SECs Hester Peirce and Elad Roisman have agreed to the lack of clarity and called for less enforcement actions and, instead, a clear regulatory framework for digital assets. The SEC dismissed the statement as being their personal views only.

A new regulatory framework may be around the corner as it was recently proposed in Congress and a law expert has already come stated XRP wouldnt be subject to the SEC under the pending bill.

This week, it became known to the public that Ripple found the SEC tried to delete subtopics relevant to the lawsuit from the transcript. The erased part was William Hinmans following statement:

You call ten different law firms, they give you ten different answers, each of them has their own particular spin. Its like the white light of your speech went through a prism and came out in ten different colors of legal advice.

John Deaton, attorney for the XRP Holders who have filed a motion to intervene in the SEC v. Ripple, has been publicly stating that conflict of interest from SEC officials is likely since the beginning. In early January 2021, he shared his personal gain theory.

Prior to the William Hinman deposition, Mr. Deaton offered a line of inquiry that would put pressure on the ex-SEC official in regard to accusations of conflict of interest.

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SEC suspicious handling of Ripple and XRP triggers investigation - FinanceFeeds

Against White Feminism: Notes on Disruption, Rafia Zakaria W. W. Norton & Company hide caption

Against White Feminism: Notes on Disruption, Rafia Zakaria

Author Rafia Zakaria states her agenda for Against White Feminism in a book trailer released by Al Jazeera's AJPlus brand: "putting the fangs back in feminism is a very urgent project."

She then reminds us that mainstream Western feminism is, and always has been, for white women and girls and that this how it's been embedded in popular and news media, our consumerist economy, wars, political discourses, and more.

The first few lines of her book clarify exactly who she's calling out as a white feminist: ". . . someone who refuses to consider the role that whiteness and the racial privilege attached to it have played and continue to play in universalizing white feminist concerns, agendas, and beliefs as being those of all feminism and all feminists." This is about a set of entrenched assumptions and behaviors rather than racial identity. Although, of course, this kind of feminism is advanced mostly by white women.

As Zakaria, the civil rights attorney, sets up her case in Against White Feminism: Notes On Disruption, we see that she is not on some earnest mission to educate the misinformed or enlighten the uninformed. This, as Tressie McMillan Cottom would say, ain't her row to hoe. Instead, Zakaria presents, calmly and methodically, plenty of well-researched evidence for why white feminism is messed up and why it must be dismantled. Like the feminists of color she cites Audre Lorde, Kimberl Crenshaw, Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, Lila Abu-Lughod, and more Zakaria's thesis is that we are dealing with systemic racism built over centuries into our cultures, institutions, socio-political movements, and everyday interactions and behaviors. And, like Cathy Park Hong in Minor Feelings, Zakaria is not making any allowances for the myth of white innocence.

Through historical and contemporary examples from across the world, the book's eight essays examine how imperialism, settler-colonialism, capitalism, neo-colonialism, and late capitalism have allowed for a white-centric feminism to evolve such that it speaks for all women everywhere. Regardless of their relative disadvantages, cultural differences, and lived experiences, women of color especially in non-western countries are only included in this feminist movement when they conform to its particular values. Zakaria illustrates how these values are in service of white supremacy and capitalism, leaving no room for any Black, Brown, or Asian feminisms.

There's the extensive damage done by white women who traveled to colonized countries to civilize and save native women from their terrible conditions and, particularly, from native men. And the centering of whiteness by women who traveled to war-ravaged countries to bring attention to the difficulties of the local women. Instead, those local women were often othered, objectified, or exoticized and coerced to follow the Western feminism model, Zakaria writes. When Western neoliberalism and capitalism became the engines driving large-scale foreign aid and development projects, women's "empowerment" (a term originally introduced by Indian feminists in a more holistic context) became a "fuzzword that could be pinned to numerous motives," Zakaria says. All of this is not news to those who've been keeping score. But Zakaria goes further to quantify how many such white savior initiatives failed precisely because of their harmful, oppressive approaches.

This fuzzy kind of empowerment is also part of the securofeminism that emerged during the war on terror. Discussing the hypocrisies and ironies that not only caused initiatives and programs in those countries to run aground, Zakaria reveals the appalling cruelties they inflicted on local women in the name of freedom.

Similarly, Zakaria says, sex-positive feminism has become a stand-in for total liberation and empowerment and led to the commodification of sexual identities. She relates a particularly moving incident from her law school days. As a Brown Muslim immigrant, a divorced, single mother, and a survivor of domestic abuse, she felt forced to perform her sexuality or be reduced to the usual stereotypes associated with her cultural identity. The ending of this chapter speaks to so many women like her (and me):

"I had broken every gender norm I had been raised with, had chosen education and independence and all the struggles that came with it with little support. The seminar's preoccupation with sexual pleasure instead of sexual politics seemed so disconnected from the feminism I was trying so hard to model for my daughter. If only I could have known I was not alone, had been able to hear the voices of Muslim and other feminists of color like myself waging frontline struggles against terror, against religious obscurantism, and against patriarchal domination, but yet excluded from white feminist discourse."

Although such personal anecdotes are included throughout, Zakaria's aim is not to explore her own pain but to retrace the history of how white feminism has caused unending trauma through the centuries to many like her. What she wants is nothing less than transformational change that blows past tokenistic affirmative actions. The last chapter outlines four ways that white feminists need to change their mindset for this transformation to occur. These are not new suggestions but, given the state of things, they bear repeating.

More critically, let us all internalize these three ideas that Zakaria threads throughout the book. First, she reminds us of Kimberl Crenshaw's "war for narrative", which asks feminists of color to reshape the story and course of the movement, make the role of whiteness visible, and recalibrate our experiences and politics into feminism. We must develop and honor our own genealogies by including the resilient women in our lives and histories who have not been considered feminist per the traditional Western model. Second, she cites Nancy Fraser's philosophy of gender justice, which involves redistribution in the economic sphere beyond class hierarchies, recognition in the socio-cultural sphere beyond tokenism, and representation in the political sphere beyond identity politics. Third, she invokes Audre Lorde's call for solidarity, where community does not mean compromise or competition but a space that accommodates and values different kinds of knowledge and expertise, particularly that which comes from lived experience.

White feminism isn't confined to the Western world; it has been exported and embedded all over the world. If the ongoing effects and implications of that haven't made you want to bare your fangs yet, this steely, incisive critique deserves your attention.

Jenny Bhatt is a writer, literary translator, book critic, and host of the Desi Books podcast. https://jennybhattwriter.com.

Link:

'Against White Feminism' Is An Urgent Call To Action For Solidarity And Justice - NPR