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August 2004
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THE BRIDGES WE HAVE BUILT -
2003 EMERGING LEADERS - TODAY
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"It is time for a new generation of leadership
to cope with new problems and new opportunities. For there is
a new world to be won." John F. Kennedy (1917-1963).
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Emerging Leaders Washington D.C.
2003 by Lisa Candela
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At the two-year anniversary of the founding
of our Bridging Worlds Program, we wish to reflect upon the
bridges of support and understanding that this program has built
between women around the world. We marvel at how much has been
accomplished with so little, and we hope that these bridges
will endure for years to come.
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Bridging Worlds Emerging Leaders
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Our Bridging Worlds Emerging Leaders Program
builds bridges of support between Emerging Leaders from our
partner women's organizations in Asia and women's groups in
North America and Europe. By focusing on "rising stars" within
women's groups, this program aims to cultivate a new generation
of women leaders.
From September 8th to December 8th, our 2003 Bridging Worlds
Emerging Leaders participated in a unique leadership training
program that included public speaking, skill building and internships
with U.S. based women's organizations. These women, democratically-elected
by their peers, representing six different women's organizations
from Afghanistan, India, Nepal and Pakistan, spent the first
two weeks visiting women's organizations and speaking about
conditions facing women in their countries. During the two months
with their host organization, each Emerging Leader had a specific
set of skills and objectives to master. Their final ten days
together focused on a series of speaking events, meetings and
training sessions in New York and Washington D.C.
Despite some minor cultural frustrations, each participant was
positively transformed by her experience as a Jagriti Emerging
Leader. Although they arrived as strangers, representing different
classes, castes, religions and ethnicities, they returned home
as sisters and founding members of the South Asian Emerging
Leaders Network. Now back home, they are applying new skills
and ideas in the fields of fundraising, economic development,
capacity building, human rights documentation, lobbying and
advocacy to their work. They are also sharing their new understanding
of America with their families, friends and colleagues, building
stronger bridges of understanding between our countries and
cultures. The friendliness, honesty, philanthropy, and volunteer
spirit of Americans are images all have carried back home. They
realized that American policy, like the policies of their own
countries, does not necessarily represent the views of all the
people.
Here's what our Emerging Leaders had to say about how they are
currently spending their time and the impact that being an Emerging
Leader has had on the work they are doing today:
Ayesha Mahmood,
Emerging Leader from Struggle
for Change (SACH) in Pakistan, interned with
Center for Victims
of Torture in Minneapolis.
"I am spending my full time at SACH these days. I am working
on a project on forced marriages funded by the British High
Commission, as the Project Coordinator. I love working for human
rights, although it becomes difficult sometimes to go in the
field as a woman. It is easier to sit in an air-conditioned
office and print publications but it is very difficult to go
out in a rural city in Pakistan and say that forced marriages
are bad and they create a social unrest. But once you are used
to this work you start enjoying when people slowly gradually
start listening to you. As an Emerging Leader I feel connected
to a support group of my friend Emerging Leaders and when I
see them struggling I feel, 'I am not the only one staring at
the sun'."
Maryma Scotlin
of Centre
for Women's Development and Research in India, interned
with Girls,
Inc., in Carpinteria, California.
"I am currently working as Jagriti's country representative
in India. I am presently traveling all over my state, not only
to make site visits to Jagriti's partner NGOs, but also to assess
the need of the organization to host a volunteer. Those organizations
help me to understand their work and I am sitting with those
groups to explore the possibilities of how Jagriti and their
organization can collaboratively work together in the future.
In short my workspace has vastly improved and has been extended
after serving as Bridging worlds volunteers. It has brought
a new meaning to my life now."
Pushpa Prakash,
Emerging Leader from Guild
of Women Achievers (GOWA) in India, interned with Center
for Development and Population Activities (CEDPA) in Washington,
D.C.
"I am currently working for Guild Of Women Achievers (GOWA)
in Bangalore. I am taking care of the Administration part of
all the activities of GOWA. We are conducting workshops on topics
like Sexual harrasment at workplace for the Human Resource personnel
from different public sector and private sector companies. We
have adopted a Government school in a village and are planning
to start a preschool for the kids of the daily wage workers
beginning next week. A gift shop which is sponsored by NABARD
(National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development) has been
opened up in GOWA premises which has products made by rural
women. Being an Emerging leader has brought more commitment
and the opportunity to take up higher responsibilities. Jagriti
has already got great ideas to help the women from different
countries and a small setback will never let it down in its
mission. Jagriti has definitely got a bright future."
Indira Ghale
from Feminist Dalit Organization (FEDO) in Nepal, interned
with Women's
Economic Ventures in Santa Barbara, California.
Indira is now living in Kathmandu where she continues to volunteer
with FEDO. The on-going Maoist insurgency made it impossible
for her to return to her position as a school teacher in her
native village in Eastern Nepal. Like many Nepalis who have
been internally displace due to the conflict, Indira has had
difficulties finding suitable work. From May through July 2004
she served as a Jagriti Country Advisor, making site visits
to women's groups and organizing the 2004 Bridging Worlds Workshop
(which was cancelled due to security reasons).
Kabita Upadhyay
from TEWA
in Nepal, interned with Women's
Funding Network in San Francisco, California.
Kabita won a green card lottery and is now working and living
with her family (husband, brother and two children) in Freemont,
California.
"Living in America and working in non-profit I realized how
hard it is to raise the fund in causes we believe. Here in USA
I have found, majority of people are more concerned for need
of their community, which in one way is right. People tend to
respond to the cause that is bothering them or the problem that
is tangible. People hardly visualize the issues that is not
affecting them directly or that is not of their concern. And
this is human nature. There are very few people, who think of
others and tries to address the problem and those people create
"critical mass". And I believe Jagriti and its board are that
rare critical mass, which always tried to address the problem
of the world. And it not easy. There comes many hurdles, when
one tries to do some noble work.
Talking about my self I am little overwhelmed by two part-time
jobs (one with CAMEO, the California Association for Microenterprise
Opportunities and the other with Narika, a group working with
domestic violence in the Asian immigrant community) and finding
little difficulty in written English. But it is not unbearable.
I am working hard to do my best. I am also looking for some
English course to improve my written English. But the courses
seem a bit expensive for me right now since I am in transition
period and can't afford for my self.
Rest of the things are ok. Kids are doing great. My son is getting
4.0 GPA in his class and planning to go for Engineering in good
University. I am still working as a volunteer for TEWA and plan
a fundraising picnic for Nepalis living in the Bay Area."
Sadiqa Basiri
from Afghan
Women's Network, interned with Women's
Edge in Washington D.C. Sadiqa has moved with her family
to the outskirts of Kabul. Because so much housing and infrastructure
has been destroyed, her new home has no electricity or running
water. So Sadiqa is missing her favorite pastime of e-mailing.
We also miss hearing from her! She has recently left Afghan
Women's Network to further develop the school for girls that
she created. Thanks to contacts that she made during her stay
in the U.S. as a Jagriti Emerging Leader, she has received funding
and technical assistance for this endeavor.
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