Valarie Kaur, Dynamic Leader Using the Power of Media for Social Change

We had the honor of co-hosting Valarie Kaur with the Multicultural Center, OSU Hillel, Mundo, OSU First Year Experience, the Office of Student Life, Asian American Association, Better Together, Indian Student Association, and the South Asian Student Association.

Twelve years ago,  in the wake of September 11, 2001, Kaur set off across the country to discover the stories of those affected by this post-9/11 anger and hatred toward what Mahmoud has called "Muslim-looking others".  Since September 11th Sikhs, who often wear turbans as a part of religious observance, have been targets of related hate crimes.  The months on the road with her cousin, recording and filming these stories, shone light on the effects of hate and ignorance in a time where unity in the United States was being preached from the rooftops. As this post is coming from a center focused on the Middle East, it is important to note that Sikhs originate in South Asia, not the Middle East. However, in teaching about the Middle East, and its diversity, we also teach about the groups outside of the Middle East to help make distinctions.

Kaur´s dedication and passion for social change have affected the course of her own life, and the lives of everyone she meets.  She is a powerful activist for multifaith movements, promoting social change through legal avenues, and advocate for the Sikh community. One legal victory she highlighted is that the Justice Department now includes Sikh's as a demographic group, allowing tracking of crimes against members of the community.

On November 14, 2013 Kaur ran a storytelling for social change workshop, and held conversations with students about her films: Divided We Fall, and a short documentary on the shooting at a Sikh Gurdwara in Oak Creek Wisconsin (View: here). We screened "Divided We Fall" at the Ohio Union.  Her storytelling for change workshop was an meaningful time for the 20 participants to reflect on social injustices in the United States.  Through dialogue about personal experiences they developed ideas for how their stories could make an impact for social change.

Kaur´s time at Ohio State was highly influential.  Close to 200 students were at the screening and many used Twitter to thank her for her work and help heighten awareness.  For example: "Tonight I had the honor of meeting @valariekaur and watching her documentary "Divided We Fall." What an incredible, life changing experience" and "Just finished watching "Divided We Fall" that @valariekaur produced, heartbroken at how little things have changed since it was filmed." The Middle East Studies Center gained from this experience in ways which will bolster our outreach methods with media and story, and raise awareness of the importance of reducing discrimination against the "Muslim-looking-other" and indeed to work against othering in general for a U.S. society that embraces diversity within unity.  

Dateline Kabul: The Quest to Give Afghan Women a Voice

On Tuesday, April 16, 2013 - from 1:00pm - 2:00pm we had the pleasure of listening to Amie Ferris-Rotman, reporter for Reuters, share her experiences living and working in Afghanistan.  Since December 2011, as senior correspondent for Reuters in Afghanistan, she has focused on the struggles women face eleven years into the NATO-led war. She scooped the story of a woman’s public execution near Kabul, which sparked global outcry.  We gained insights on the true plight many women there are currently facing.  Further the subject of violence against women is a critical global issue, which takes shape in numerous ugly forms in every country.  

Presenting the perspective that the country has undergone 34 years of incessant war, she emphasized the courage of the women she knew there and the women whose stories she covered, rather than their victimhood.  In particular she shared the story of Muzhgan Masoomi who was brutally attacked by her cousin.  He claimed that she shouldn't be working, and continually harassed her until finally attacking her and leaving her for dead.  Fortunately now, according to her parents, he is in jail for this crime.  However, her debilitating injuries now prevent her from continuing in her former government job.  Her father wept as he told Amie the story.  It was he who insisted she get an education and he made many sacrifices to support her in her work toward her degree in accounting.  

The underlying issue of security, or the utter lack of security, was a theme in the discussion we had after Ms. Ferris Rotman's talk about four different Afghan women she's known or covered, from very different walks of life.  The Director of the Middle East Studies Center, Dr. Alam Payind, commented that none of his sisters donned the veil until the Soviets invaded, as there was a sense that women were no longer safe on the streets.  It seems that 34 years later what began with reasonable fears has escalated into a circumstance in which no remembers the time when women were not only safe on the streets, but free to come and go as they pleased.  Amie noted that men and women of Dr. Payind's generation have a certain grief due to their memory of how it used to be. One of the women she mentioned is a former police officer who is of the same generation.  She is an outgoing, confident women who sometimes boasts about the numerous men she put in jail for committing violence against women.  

This event was co-sponsored by The Mershon Center for International Security Studies, the School of Communication, The Department of Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, The Women's Place and the Middle East Studies Center