Sukhan - The Discourse

In the second episode, we are in conversation with Wardah Noor, who is a social activist, an avid researcher, and an aspiring lawyer fighting for the basic rights of common citizens. She is the founder of KhudKaar under which 0.5 Million PKR has been disbursed among 20 girls which is enabling them to continue their education. She has counseled 8,000+ students on personal development opportunities but also educated around 1,000 kids on protection against harassment. Her work is centered around poverty alleviation in her native city of Layyah.   We talk about her journey from Layyah to Lahore and how she ended up choosing law as a profession. She talks in detail about her project, its impact, and learning from it. We dive deeper into defining and understanding types of poverty and how she plans to uplift Layyah out of poverty by 2030 and transform Layyah as the Creative Capital of the South. Watch the episode here. 

In the first episode of the second season of our series Circle of Stories, we are in conversation with Asrar who is a musician, singer, writer, and composer based in Lahore. His work has been critically acclaimed with hits like Sub Aakho Ali Ali, Afghan Jalebi, Shakar Wandan, Bulleya, Cheekt, and Parizaad OST to his name.   We talk about his journey and work so far, and the creative thought process behind his songs, videos, and lyrics. We dive deeper into defining and understanding Sufi music and how he brings his own flavor to every project he has worked on. Watch this engaging conversation where he talks about various aspects of his life for the first time. 

We are in conversation with Saddam Hussain, captain of the Pakistan National Football Team, and plays for Sui Southern Gas Company in the Pakistan Premier League, and previously played for Kyrgyz club FC Dordoi Bishkek, Isa Town FC, Gençler Birliği S.K. & Khan Research Laboratories, as a central midfielder.  He has previously played for Pakistan International Airlines and led PIA to third place in the 2010/11 season. He then moved to Khan Research Laboratories during the 2012 season and won the Pakistan Premier League and the Challenge Cup in his first season at the club. Later he moved to Dordoi Bishkek during the 2014 mid-season and later won the league title, league cup, and Super cup. He has played for Isa Town FC, Gençler Birliği S.K. and currently plays for Sui Southern Gas.  He made his international debut for Pakistan in March 2011. Watch the full episode here.

In this episode, we talk about the challenges of new motherhood, and how they impact the psycho-social/emotional well-being of mothers. Fatmah and Anushka who are both trained and ethical therapists talk about the importance of having support/community through this time and introduce us to their Support Group for new mothers and how is this Support Group different from just getting together with friends or other forms of informal support. Tune in to listen to this very engaging and important conversation about a less talked topic! Watch the full episode here.

In this episode, we are in conversation with Zoon Ahmed Khan about China`s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) with a special focus on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). We talk about the reasons behind misunderstandings and myths about the project and the country and how things can be improved. Zoon takes us through the lives and experiences of the Chinese and there are some lessons to be learned for everyone. Zoon Ahmed Khan is a Pakistani researcher and journalist based in Beijing since 2015. She specializes in Chinese Foreign Policy including the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), and South-South Cooperation. She has conducted in-depth fieldwork on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, including Gwadar Port. Watch the full episode here. 

In this special World Radio Day episode of Sukhan Unplugged, we are in conversation with Javed Pasha about the history, evolution, present, and future of Radio. We talk about how radio is still among the most trusted sources of information and has played its part in literally liberating countries.   Javed Pasha is the son of famous songwriter Nazam Panipatti, the person responsible for introducing South Asian film industry legends like Johnny Walker, Helen, and Vyjayanthimala. Lata Mangeshkar's first-ever recorded song was written by him as well. Javed Pasha has made his name as a drama writer, penning down more than 126 plays for Radio Pakistan. He has written hundreds of TV dramas and columns in local newspapers. His work focuses on the social dilemmas our society faces today. Watch the episode here. 

Fatmah defines different types of losses and processes of grief for us.  She discusses how losses that are a natural part of life where some can be distressing (e.g. sudden, traumatic, or 'out-of-turn), or ambiguous. The various forms that loss can take (not just death), and grief as the way we process loss. We talk about the individual and cultural processes of navigating grief and how to support/approach a bereaving person. We explore at what point one needs professional therapy with grief and loss, and what working with grief in therapy looks like. Watch the full episode here. 

Seasoned psychotherapist Jasmyn Rana addresses the societal impact of violence and femicide, and how canceled culture can work against true accountability and justice. Jasmyn Rana is a Psychotherapist based in Lahore who has dedicated the last decade of her private practice to working with Adults and Couples. Her modality is relationally integrative, and her other areas of work involve being a clinical supervisor, corporate consultant, facilitating therapy groups, and having spent some time teaching at a university level. You can reach her at https://counseling.pk/jasmyn | Watch the episode here. 

In this episode, we explore Conflict (اختلاف) as a normal and healthy part of all relationships. We discuss how there are healthy and unhealthy ways of engaging in conflict. Tooba introduces us to Compass of Reactions, the importance of healthy conflict, and tools for having healthy conflict.  Tooba is a psychotherapist based in Lahore. She is a Fulbright scholar and received her Master's degree in Counselling Psychology from Boston College. She founded The Safe Space, which is a community and co-working space for psychotherapists. She has also facilitated the South Asia dialogue program for Seeds of Peace, which revolves around conflict resolution. Watch the episode here.

In this episode, we talk about the prevalent issues faced by us regarding #Covid19. We explore what it is like for us to adjust to virtual interactions and relationships. We talk about how our body and mind are handling virtual interactions without the physical presence of our loved ones. The conversation focuses on finding work-life balance and particularly explore the challenges faced by mental health professionals. Lastly and most importantly how do we navigate isolation and loneliness in the pandemic? Noor Durrani is a foreign qualified psychotherapist who holds a Masters's degree in Mental Health Counseling from Columbia University, New York, and a Bachelors's degree from Canada in Psychology. You can watch it here.