Category Archives: Personal Empowerment

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/

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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.

See the original post here:

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.

Read the rest here:

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

Gina combines her teaching and personal experience with a BA in English to create a compelling and adventurous story about a fairy that achieves great things despite her disability

Los Angeles, CA Teacher and author Gina Vallance announces her book Amberly and the Secret of the Fairy Warriors. The book is for girls ages 8-12 years and tells an inspiring and adventurous story that teaches self-acceptance, personal empowerment, persistence, and overcoming adversity.

Amberly, a fairy, lives in Whimsical Land. Unlike her fellow fairies, Amberly cant fly because of undersized and paralyzed wings. Instead, she has to run and move around with the aid of a stick, thereby slowing her movement and reducing her chances of getting the training she needs to become the fairy she is meant to be.

Despite her disability, Amberly is determined. After reading a book, Secret of the Fairy Warriors, she gets a hint on her fathers whereabouts, and along with her friends, she sets out on a quest to find and rescue him before its too late.

My character, Amberly, was inspired by my experience with Menieres Disease, an inner ear disorder that causes dizziness, loss of balance, hearing loss, and anxiety. Unfortunately, I suffered from Menieres starting at a very young age. It wasnt until I was an adult when my doctor finally found a treatment that stopped the horrible dizzy spells, said Gina Vallance, Author of Amberly and the Secret of the Fairy Warriors. Even though I felt behind in life, I decided to stay focused on my dream of becoming a writer, which ultimately helped me gain confidence and a sense of self. This book reflects my struggle in life and helps to teach kids going through similar challenges that there is hope for them.

Many children and teenagers today are going through emotional challenges because of their physical disabilities. Such a thing can hinder them from discovering their potentials. This book will help inspire these kids in a fun and engaging way. They can easily relate with the character and follow her journey to success, which will boost their morale.

Children who dont have any disabilities will also find the book entertaining and rewarding. They will learn that accepting school or classmates with disabilities is the best way to live and encourage them to be better. The impressive literary work also makes it an excellent book for young readers to improve their reading, writing, spelling, and language skills.

Gina, the author, has an AA degree in child development and a BA in English, with experience as a preschool teacher and an art activity facilitator. She combines all these qualities with her experience dealing with a disability for decades to write a compelling story with powerful plot that young readers will like and enjoy.

For more information, please visit https://www.authorginavallance.com/books.

About Gina Vallance

Gina Vallance is an author, teacher, and social worker who survived disability as a child. She uses her creative abilities and talent to tell stories that inspire young readers to attain self-acceptance, personal empowerment, and persistence.

Media ContactCompany Name: Gina VallanceContact Person: Media RelationsEmail: Send EmailPhone: 562-382-4643Country: United StatesWebsite: https://www.authorginavallance.com/books

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Author Gina Vallance Announces New Book Amberly and the Secret of the Fairy Warriors Teaching Young Girls Self-Acceptance - Digital Journal

There are a lot of surprisingly heady sci-fi ideas thrown around in Shawn Levy's dumb action comedy Free Guy, but the movie never seems to know what to do with them. It starts with a fun sketch-comedy premise: Guy (Ryan Reynolds) is a nonplayable character (or NPC) in the open-world video game Free City, a Grand Theft Auto-style online multiplayer game full of destruction and mayhem.

As a background character, Guy does the same thing every day, waking up in his nondescript apartment, putting on his generic outfit and going to his job at the bank, where he endures multiple armed robberies daily. He and his best friend, security guard Buddy (Lil Rel Howery), know that the "sunglasses people" (the players) can do anything they want, while Guy and Buddy have to stay in the background.

But Guy wants more out of life, especially once he spots a woman he believes is the girl of his dreams. She's an avatar for game designer Millie (Killing Eve's Jodie Comer), who's exploring Free City trying to find evidence that douchebag gaming mogul Antwan (Taika Waititi) stole her code. During one of the many robberies at the bank, Guy makes a move, stealing the player's sunglasses and discovering that he can now see all the power-ups and onscreen instructions that make up the game.

So the NPC becomes self-aware, and he falls in love with the woman who designed him. It's a cute (if logistically dicey) idea that Levy and screenwriters Matt Lieberman and Zak Penn struggle to fully explore, especially as the movie gets bogged down in the minutiae of the legal battle between Millie and Antwan in its second half. There are some amusing (if dated) sendups of video games at first, and Reynolds is an amiable presence as the clueless but enthusiastic Guy, who sometimes comes off like a sunny, optimistic version of Reynolds' signature role as fourth-wall-breaking superhero Deadpool.

But as Guy becomes increasingly proactive in the game, messing with the players' nihilistic activities and growing closer to Millie during their virtual time together, his function in the plot gets confused, often overtaken by Millie's objective of proving that Antwan ripped her off. There's far too much backstory about Millie and her former partner Keys (Stranger Things' Joe Keery), who now works for Antwan's company but still sympathizes with Millie's cause. Comer, such a fierce presence on Killing Eve, is more subdued here, overshadowed both by Reynolds' wide-eyed goofiness and by Waititi's remarkably annoying flamboyant villainy.

The world of Free City looks gorgeous, even if it never quite looks like a genuine video game, but it feels limited, antithetical to the kind of expansive exploration that games like this provide for players. The filmmakers borrow from video game-themed movies like Tron and Ready Player One as well as philosophical sci-fi films like The Truman Show and Her, but the more that Guy's existence raises existential questions, the more the movie sidesteps them in favor of generic personal empowerment and a corny love story. Levy substitutes mildly amusing cameos (including from many real-life video game streamers) for character depth.

The humor also gets weaker as the plot mechanics take over, and the jokes at the expense of video-game obsessives living in their parents' basements are stale and obvious. Instead of finding innovative ways to employ video-game aesthetics (in the vein of Edgar Wright's Scott Pilgrim vs. the World), Levy sticks with a broad, basic template, which is recognizable to a wide audience but as empty as Guy's repetitive, preprogrammed catchphrases.

Rated PG-13Directed by Shawn Levy

Starring Ryan Reynolds, Jodie Comer, Joe Keery

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Free Guy brings dopey comedy and superficial musings to its video-game world - Pacific Northwest Inlander

In her second studio album, Billie Eilish showcases a diverse range of talent from smooth jazz vocals to headbanging electronic rock. With blunt honesty and heart wrenching vocals about her hardships as a celebrity, Happier Than Ever proves why Eilish is a household name in the pop genre.

Throughout the album, Eilish sings of her struggles in stardom. Not My Responsibility is the most explicit example of this a spoken word track in the middle of the album dedicated to calling out the controversies around her choice of clothes.

While Eilish rose to fame, she was known for her baggy clothes, which she wore to avoid harassment and over sexualization of her body. Yet she recently released a photoshoot in lingerie, sparking controversies on her reasoning: pressure or female empowerment? With her song Not My Responsibility, Eilish addresses the comments by stating, While I feel your stares, your disapproval or your sigh of relief / If I lived by then, Id never be able to move. By the end of the song, in a mic drop fashion, Eilish argues, Is my value based only on your perception? / Or is your opinion of me not my responsibility?

The album also has its share of heartbreak songs, one being the title track Happier Than Ever. The start of the song is light and acoustic, with soft jazzy vocals. But, about half way through, the song picks up speed and turns into an electric rock and punk groove with a heavily distorted drum line and simple guitar solo. Eilish belts painful lyrics of heartbreak with a hint of resolution and personal empowerment, such as I dont relate to you, no / Cause Id never treat me this shitty.

Instrumentally, the album takes a different direction than what Eilish is previously known for. Happier Than Ever does not stick to any single style, ranging from acoustic, jazzy pop to EDM beats. The third song on the album, Billie Bossa Nova, brings a mellow, bossa nova, samba, jazz style that features some unique snapping samples. Eilish uses a soft vocal vibrato and soprano, creating an overall calming mood for the song.

In addition to some jazzy pieces, the album contains several acoustic songs as well, such as Your Power an emotional song about the damage of an abusive relationship. This calm, stripped down track would fit perfectly in an acoustic playlist. It is not a song one would think to associate with Eilish before this album, who became famous for more electronic style dance music like Bad Guy, yet the track is fantastically executed with passionate vocals and a catchy melody.

Some of the slower songs on the album, like Everybody Dies, drag on a little. The excitement level in the song feels flat throughout. While Eilishs vocals demonstrate power and emotion, it is not quite enough to keep the listener from losing interest as it goes on.

As a whole, Eilish and Finneas, co-writer, producer and brother to Eilish, demonstrate exceptional songwriting and production throughout the album. Even if you are not a huge fan of Eilishs previous work, this album offers a whole new side of Eilish with styles outside the electronic realm.

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'Happier Than Ever' shows a new side of Billie Eilish - Oregon Daily Emerald

Exercising wasnt always important to Jeff Gallowaya bit of a surprise, perhaps, since he grew up to become an Olympic runner. And walking for exercise? That took even longer.

Growing up with a dad in the Navy, Galloway was the new kid in class thirteen different times before 8th grade. He was never interested in any regular sports or fitness and when he did get into running, it was actually because he was trying to avoid it.

Well, I was an overweight, lazy kid, Galloway tells Prevention. But the school that he eventually settled at in junior high required boys to go out for strenuous athletics. The boys on cross country told me there was a scam where you could tell the coach you were going to run on the trails, but all you did was hide in the woods. This workedfor about five days. But after an older boy caught him and forced him to join the runners, he quickly discovered that he didnt need to hide out anyway: He loved running, and it would change his life in every way imaginable.

I had all types of academic challenges at that school, and the running focused me, he says. He went from being near last in the class to the honor roll.

Even though running gave Galloway a drive, he is the first to admit he wasnt a natural talent. Instead, he studied the sport in the library, interviewed successful coaches and athletes, took what worked, and discarded the rest. He finally qualified for a state championship his senior year of high school but still didnt win a college scholarship. I just kept trying to get a little bit better each year and this unexpectedly allowed me to make the Olympic team in 1972, he says.

The clincher for walking came the year after the Olympics when I decided that I wanted to help others get into fitness, he says. But instead of trying to get people to take up his own sportdistance runninghe turned to walking. Were not actually designed for distance running, he explains. According to a lot of research, our ancestors did very little running. We were mostly designed in evolution to be long-distance walkers, he says.

Training walkers became an intrinsic element of Galloways passion for movement, and his own walks are essential to who he is. I walk because it makes me feel energized and more human. I walk to build endurance because that makes me feel empowered to take on lifes challenges, he says. The meticulous studying that he began in high school established the foundations of his program today as a coach: research, experimentation, looking at data, and then adjusting the routine. (Runners and walkers can access Galloways live coaching sessions through his collaboration with the Charge Running app.)

At 75, he suffered a heart attack. During those initial four weeks after, doctors didnt want me to overdo it, even when I got to the point that I could walk. Now, I understood that, but I missed it, Galloway says. Sitting still did not deliver what he terms the positive circuits walking provides: a better attitude, more vitality, and personal empowerment. So, as soon as the four weeks were up, he got out and started walking.

I walk because it makes me feel energized and more human.

He began with 5-to-10-minute walking sessions and built up from there. Within weeks, he was back to averaging over 12,000 steps per day and feeling as good as ever. Galloway found gratification during his running career as he incrementally beat old records and developed his endurance. That sense of satisfaction has since returned as he gradually increased his steps after the heart attack. Now, with his 10-mile walks, the exertion continues to make his brain and heart feel stronger long after hes finished. Its this positive feedback that keeps him motivated.

The last 40 years of walking has taught him a thing or two about getting the most out of walking, too. First, the best warm-up is to move your feet very gently for 3-5 minutes, he says. The body will respond well if you dont overdo it. Its also crucial to have a shorter stride. Ive seen more injuries from long walking strides than Ive seen from running, he says. He recommends a nice gentle stride.

Walkers can connect directly with Galloway through his website. He says he welcomes questions because in solving new problems, he expands his own knowledge.

Love walking? Join the Prevention Virtual Walk on October 2, 2021! Sign up for free and do your 5K wherever you please. We look forward to walking with you!

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Why This Olympic Runner Believes Walking Is One of the Most Powerful Exercises You Can Do - Prevention.com