Sukhan سخن - The Discourse

We are in conversation with Sana Munir, who is an author and we are going to talk about her latest book The Stained-Glass Window: Stories of the Pandemic from Pakistan. Sana Munir is the Lahore-based author of Unfettered Wings: Extraordinary Stories of Ordinary Women. A fiction writer with a feminist approach, she believes Feminism is not just an ideology or school of thought but a way of life rooted in the essential moral principles of equality, acceptance, and justice. Watch the episode here

Arafat Mazhar is the director of Engage Foundation for Research and Dialogue, Shehri Pakistan, Puffball Studios. He is the author of the research paper "Plurality, Dissent, and Hegemony: The Story Behind Pakistan's Blasphemy Law," and has written and directed Urdu animated movies titled "Shehr e Tabbassum" and "Swipe" which are available on their YouTube channel  In this conversation with Sukhan, Arafat Mazhar talks about his upbringing in a conservative right wing family and his journey of growth and evolution. He talks about co-existence, the issues of Pakistani society, and suggests some practical changes to the law to make it more relevant and acceptable. He talks about visual storytelling and the process behind the making of these movies along with latest updates about his upcoming projects. You can watch the episode here

Danish Jabbar Khan has always pushed the boundaries of his discipline whether it was corporate or development sector in his work life spanning 18 years. He is serving as CEO Kaarvan Crafts Foundation and which was awarded as a High Impact Organization by HRH the Prince of Wales’s The British Asian Trust. Khan believes that the representation and participation of women will pave the path for a culture of peace in Pakistan. Join us as he takes us through the effort to create a world of cooperation and collaboration where men and women stand side by side as equal participants. You can watch the episode on our YouTube channel. 

In conversation with Risham Waseem (Co Founder Documentary Association Pakistan) about Chalta Phirta Documentary Festival. Risham Waseem is a digital content creator and documentary film maker based in Lahore, Pakistan. She is the creative director of Maati TV, Pakistan’s first web based interactive video platform aimed at putting forward an alternative narrative of Pakistan in support of human rights, democracy and cultural diversity through various digital story telling techniques. In this episode, she talks about documentary scene in Pakistan, Chalta Phirta Doc Festival and upcoming projects by Documentary Association of Pakistan. Follow these links to stay updated about upcoming movies and their work. Facebook: https://bit.ly/3aIS4xf | YouTube: https://bit.ly/2DKQSgD

An engaging conversation with Musharraf Ali Farooqi on his latest book "The Merman and the Book of Power", storytelling and publishing and distributions challenges in Pakistan. You can order the book. Farooqi is an author, translator, and storyteller.  The Merman and the Book of Power brings into the English the classical qissa genre, a fabulist storytelling form. The book begins with the Mongol conquest of Baghdad in 1258. The city are convinced they are the manifestation of the creatures of Apocalypse, Gog and Magog, imprisoned by the legendary King Alexander.  Musharraf Ali Farooqi is the founder of the publishing house Kitab (2012), launched the online Urdu Thesaurus (2016), and designed the interactive storytelling and activity-based learning program Storykit (2016) as three segments of this project.

In the latest episode we have Ashhad Qureshi with us who is a mental health advocate with the goal of tackling the unique mental health issues that exist in the South Asian community. He is an alumnus of the University of Chicago, where he majored in South Asian Languages and Civilizations. He is author of illustrated book "Mera Jism Mera Hai" addressing the topic of child sexual abuse accessible for children in a Pakistani context. The book encourages ideas of owning your body and trusting yourself and your experience when getting help- as well as providing resources for where to get help.

Today we are in conversation with the very versatile and dynamic author Fatima Bhutto. Hailing from the famous Bhutto family, she was born in Kabul in 1982 and graduated from Columbia University in 2004, majoring in Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures and from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in 2005 with a Masters in South Asian Government and Politics. She is the author of multiple books including Whispers of the Desert, 8.50 a.m. 8 October 2005, Songs of Blood and Sword, The Shadow Of The Crescent Moon, The Runaways and New Kings of the World Dispatches from Bollywood, Dizi, and K-Pop A vast cultural movement. In this episode she talks about her writing and reading passions and about her upcoming projects. In groundbreaking research highlighting the global mass culture that’s rapidly displacing US exports, Fatima Bhutto offers a lively, inside look at Bollywood, Turkish soap operas, and the South Korean music sensation known as  K-Pop. You can watch the episode on YouTube

We have Haya Fatima Iqbal who is an Academy and two-time Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker. She directs, produces, and shoots films across Pakistan. Haya is an Acumen fellow and a Fulbright scholar. She holds a Masters in News & Documentary from New York University. She teaches journalism. She also trains people in storytelling, filmmaking and journalism in Pakistan and abroad. Haya is the Co-Founder of Documentary Association of Pakistan (DAP), an initiative to promote the culture of documentary watching in public spaces all over Pakistan. Watch the episode on YouTube

A very important and constructive discussion on the culture that enables harrassment, our individual and collective responsibility, psychological impact and way forward regarding this pressing issue. | Moderator: Sophia Mansoori works as a consultant in the development sector in advocacy campaigns. She has experience in information management and strategic communication. She is interested in social inequalities, academically and otherwise. | The Panelists: Tooba Fatima is a psychotherapist currently practicing in Lahore. She is a Fulbright scholar and received her Master's in Counselling Psychology from Boston College in the US. She works primarily with young adults and adults navigating complex trauma, mood disorders, anxiety, and relational issues. Alina Anjum is a philosophy and literature graduate working with survivors of rape, assault, harassment, and abuse. Her organisation چادر create safe spaces for survivors, and aims to equip them with the tools and language they need to continue talking about their experiences. Michelle Shahid is a human rights lawyer based in Islamabad and is one of the four individuals granted a Justice Fellowship with the Bertha Foundation, undertaking projects which promote Fundamental human rights in Pakistan. Her work includes criminal justice reform through advocacy and litigation. She also has substantive experience of working in cases involving the death penalty. Kashaf Rehman, working as a communications officer and a digital trainer at a research and advocacy organisation working towards digital rights. Previously taught at multiple public and private sector universities. Also an organizing member of aurat azadi march Islamabad and work with victims of digital harrasment in a private capacity as much as I can.

In conversation with Kanwal Ahmed (Founder Soul Sisters Pakistan & host Conversations with Kanwal) & Usama Khilji (Activist and Director Bolo Bhi) about data protection, cyber harrassment and cyber laws. You can watch the episode on YouTube.