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Participate: Film making contest on ‘women’s safety’

If you’re a champion of gender equality and dabble in filmmaking, this contest is tailor made for you. Opens today.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

Every initiative that promotes gender equality and addresses issues like gender-based violence must receive maximum participation. Coupled with a medium like film, such initiatives only serve to ensure maximum reach and interest.

The US Consulate, Mumbai recently announced its ’16 days of activism against Gender Violence’ global campaign, and to kickstart it in India, it opened a filmmaking contest from today, October 21, 2014. The contest theme is ‘Women’s safety and empowerment’ and seeks video submissions of three to five minutes duration on the theme.

Videos can be in the form of stories, testimonials, public service announcements, ads, or any other suitable format that stays true to the theme. Interested participants must send their complete videos and other relevant details to cgmumbaifilmfest@gmail.com.

Look up complete contest rules at http://mumbai.usconsulate.gov/gbv_film_contest.html. Entries can be submitted only up to November 25, 2014.

(Picture courtesy makingwavesfilms.com)

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Shoot against gender violence

This photography contest entreats you to stand up against gender violence with positive pictures of individuals, community or organisations effecting change.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

This is a photo contest aimed at gender violence awareness. And it asks you to not stand by, but stand up.

SPAN’s ‘Don’t Stand By! Combat Gender Violence’ photography contest is open to all Indians aged between 16 and 30 years. The contest invites positive images of people or institutions combating gender violence, through the efforts by an individual, community or an organisation to effect change and give dignity to women.

Up for grabs as prizes are iPad Air, iPad Mini, Nikon Coolpix L830, and SPAN hampers for entries with the most likes, the most creative quotient, the most faithful to the theme, and which scores the highest on originality. The contest closes on December 1, 2014.

For a list of rules, visit this page.

 

(Picture courtesy southasiainstitute.harvard.edu)

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Attend: ‘Stillness in Motion’, pottery and painting exhibition

A melange of canvas and clay, the showing will feature pottery work by Shalan Dere and paintings by Radhika Bawa. Don’t miss.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

With the onset of the festive season, the city is currently deluged with several high-quality events and exhibitions. A noteworthy example of these is ‘Stillness in Motion’, an exclusive display of art work through a culmination of paintings and pottery.

The week-long exhibition starts today, October 6 and continues till October 11 in Mumbai and includes a marvellous collection of horse paintings by Radhika Bawa and enticing colourful pottery by Shalan Dere. The motion of the wheel and horses produces the beautiful stillness that has been captured in the form of pottery and paintings with the artists’ mindfulness and enthusiasm for art.

Shalan Dere's work for Stillness in Motion - CopyShalan Dere, a business management professional-turned-potter is the proud owner of Potters Place, a pottery studio in Mahim. She also conducts regular pottery classes. Radhika Bawa is a painter and an art connoisseur who creates magic with her paintbrush and has participated in numerous shows. Shalan and Radhika have come together for the first time to express their unique interpretation of colours and forms.

Shalan will showcase simple wheel-thrown forms in unique shades of colours. With great likeness for aesthetic sensibility, she brings various forms of clay to life. Testing and trying new hues with different glaze techniques is her forte. Every pot is a piece woven with amazing colours especially blue, turquoise and brown. Fired with alternative firing techniques, like Raku resulting in a vibrant metallic sheen and Saggar firing which results in very soothing, marble like finish, each pot is unique in its form and color.

Radhika will showcase a series of paintings of horses in acrylic and water colors as a medium to express her understanding of the physical form. A horse lends itself as an apt medium due to its rugged yet graceful structure and symmetry in its creation. What makes these conversation pieces stand out is the artist’s attempt to visualise plains and contours through different colours and textures alone and eliminating the infusion of lines in the painting. Radhika has beautifully captured the various moods of a horse through her brushstrokes and brought to life its power, agony and beauty.

Largely self- taught, both artists believed there is a certain stillness in every motion.

Head to the Bajaj Art Gallery, Bajaj Bhavan, Jamnalal Bajaj Road, Nariman Point, between 11 am to 7 pm. Call 9773095005/9820329807 for details.

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Group of Mumbaikars takes up Modi’s cleanliness challenge

CST Station receives a much-needed clean up on October 2, on Gandhi Jayanti, to observe cleanliness, sanitation and community health.
by the Observer Research Foundation and Triratna Prerana Mandal, Mumbai

As part of Gandhi Jayanti celebrations on 2nd October, the Mahatma Gandhi Centre for Sanitation, Cleanliness and Community Health, a joint initiative of Observer Research Foundation (ORF) and Triratna Prerana Mandal organised ‘Shramdaan’— a clean-up drive at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST), Mumbai.

Mahatma Gandhi dedicated his entire life so that India could attain ‘Swaraj’ but cleanliness was a cause that was even closer to his heart and above all he encouraged and promoted cleanliness of the surroundings, as he strongly believed that “if we do not clean our backyards, our Swaraj will have a foul stench.” Therefore, cleaning public places, like the CST, is the highest form of tribute to pay our beloved Bapu, father of the nation.

Cleaning up CST stationAnswering the clarion call by the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, all the enthusiastic participants followed in his footsteps by devoting their time towards the 100 hours of ‘Shramdaan’ to promote the ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’. On this occasion, Central Railways had called for public participation in their efforts towards honouring their commitment under the Clean India Mission 2019.

The staff of ORF researchers and interns, as well as volunteers that mainly included school students, teachers and many other citizens worked hand-in-hand to clean Platform No.1 and the adjoining entrance lobby of CST. Everyone contributed to the event with the sweep of a broom, the scrub of a brush and ardent words of appeal to keep Mumbai and our public places clean.

CST station, a UNESCO world heritage site — littered with garbage, posters on the walls and the splotches of paan stains — is not as welcoming to travellers and commuters as it should be. In an honest effort from all those who participated and without any hope or expectation of pats on the back, five hours were spent diligently scrubbing the station and to ensure that it was left in a better condition than before. Students and teachers from the Al-Muminah Girls School at Masjid Bunder participated enthusiastically in the clean-up and awareness campaign to encourage commuters to do their part towards keeping India clean. As the day progressed, commuters and curious onlookers also joined in. And, that is not all! Those who took a break from cleaning duties switched to spreading awareness by engaging commuters at the station.

On Independence Day 2014, Observer Research Foundation Mumbai and Triratna Prerana Mandal (TPM), one of Mumbai’s best-run community-based organisations, launched a joint initiative − Mahatma Gandhi Centre for Sanitation, Cleanliness and Community Health. This Centre aims to take up research, policy advocacy, activism and leadership development in the areas of slum sanitation, waste management, waste recycling, water conservation and public health in Mumbai and the larger Metropolitan Region (MMR).

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Tiger Cyclo Walk returns

After last year, the Tadoba to Mumbai tiger awareness drive returns – this time, it kicks off in January 2015.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

It’s a distance of 1,200 km, sometimes over difficult terrain, many times over difficult circumstances. But it’s all for a great cause, and it involves tigers.

After a successful drive last year, the Tiger Cyco Walk returns for its second edition this year, too. The initiative involves the traversing of about 1,200 km on foot or on bicycles, to spread awareness about the dwindling numbers of tigers and the lack of an ecological cover to support them.

Sunil JoshiLed by noted trekker, mountaineer and walker Sunil Joshi (in pic on left), who conceptualised the drive and conducted it last year too, the Tiger Cyclo Walk will cover the huge distance from January 1 to February 7, 2015. The drive will kick off from Mohorli Gate, Tadoba on January 1, before travelling taking a circuitous tour from Chandrapur and culminating in Mumbai on February 7, 2015 (see entire route map here). Like last year, the group managing the tour and those who sign up for the walk will involve locals in the drive by asking them to accompany them for at least one kilometre, besides showing educational clips and giving talks.

“Come what may, we will cycle the whole distance and promote the ‘Save the Tigers’ cause to the masses,” Sunil says. “On each halt, there will be slide shows, screenings of films and lectures about tigers, environment and forests in educational institutions and social organisations. We will also undertake tree plantation ceremonies en route.”

Sunil has previously walked 2,560 km in Norway, from North Cape (Northern tip of Norway ) to Lindesnes (Southern tip of Norway) while he represented India for ‘Walk Norway Programme’. “We wish to spread awareness and help people in and around the State’s existing forests to protect the jungles. The plantation of more and more Indian origin trees will balance the ecology. Protecting our wilderness will, in turn, protect the tiger,” he explains.

Those wishing to join the awareness drive can contact Sunil Joshi on tiger.cyclowalk@gmail.com/+91-92233 19216.

(Featured image courtesy www.fanpop.com)

 

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Join the ‘Say No, Accept No’ campaign

Two NGOs team up to present a youth-centric campaign to end gender-based violence against women in Mumbai; entries currently accepted.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

With cases of crimes against women in Mumbai and other places on the rise, the time is ripe for a deeper look at the issues plaguing men-women interactions today. Naturally, a change in mindset is required, especially at the youth level, so that young adults may grow up into responsible citizens with healthy attitudes towards sex, gender and men-women relationships at home and outside.

Harish SadaniTo this end, the city-based NGOs MAVA (Men Against Violence and Abuse) and CARMA (Citizens Against Rape, Molestation and Atrocities), have teamed up to present the youth-focussed campaign ‘Say No, Accept No’. Says Harish Sadani (in pic on left) of MAVA, “In today’s times, a campaign like this is essential to end gender-based violence against women. The ‘Say No’ part of the campaign deals with saying ‘no’ to situation arising from gender bias at home or in other social settings, and the ‘Accept No’ part deals with situations where a man must step back if the woman is unwilling to do something.”

As the first part of the campaign, the campaign is rolling out two inter-collegiate competitions – one is a short film contest, and the other is a poster making contest.

The films and posters may centre on one or more of these themes:

Say NO to:

– Verbal abuse/bad words directed towards mothers and sisters.

– Forced marriages.

– Domestic violence.

– Dowry.

– Marital rape.

– Unwelcome ‘friendly’ hug or touch.

– Gender bias in the family or other social setting.

– Gender discrimination at work and public places.

– Sexual harassment.

– Sex-selective abortions.

 

Accept NO when:

– She says ‘no’.

– She is not comfortable hugging.

– She doesn’t give consent.

– She expresses rejection.

– She doesn’t want to go for coffee or movie.

“Entries can be in English, Hindi and Marathi, and the participant must be a student of a Mumbai-based degree college,” Harish says. “Those making short films should see that their entry is not more than 30 minutes long. Similarly, those making posters should ensure that they send A3 sheets.” Entries are currently being accepted and will close on November 4, 2014.

Want to participate in the campaign or know more about it? Send your entries to MAVA, Flat no 705, Parishram Bldg., 7th floor, behind S Keer Complex, Bhandar Lane, LJ Road, Mahim, Mumbai – 400106. For details, call Harish Sadani on 9870307748, or Ashvin on 9773727887 or Aspar on 9920916736.

(Picture courtesy www.medindia.net)

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