#beboldforchange
Last evening found me at State Library Queensland, invited by SLQ's producer Alison Burnley to perform the role of Master of Ceremonies for International Women's Day. The theme #beboldforchange focused the discussion on the importance of boldness in our community, with some very fine women telling their stories.
Create Global, in partnership with State Library Queensland, was our host, an organisation founded and managed by Faiza El Higzi and Marcela Marina Ramirez. We had a very satisfying evening and I'm still zinging with the intention of boldness.
There were several guest speakers including Janine Lee, founder of social enterprise organisation Feathersome, Faiza El Higzi, our host, and Peter Spearritt,curator of SLQ's exhibition Freedom The/Freedom Now. This was followed by a vibrant panel: Uppma Virdi, lawyer and founder of Chai Walli, Farzanah Ally, lawyer and CEO of "babyhood", Nicole Gibson, founder and CEO of The Rogue and Rogue Foundation, Assis. Prof. Jacinta O'Hagan, director of Graduate Centre in Governance in International Affairs, Stella Miria-Robinson, Multi-cultural Advisor for Unity Care Community.
Our conversation could have continued for hours: how have these women experienced their bold moments? What were their bold moments? Their stories were profound and awoke our stories of boldness. After our session we moved next door for delightful morsels of food and some beat poetry, performed by "Haleema and Shamma", who happen to be twins as well as lawyers, who believe in the power of words. They were thanked with cheers and appreciation. We finished the evening with D'Arne Sleeman singing a medley of songs, moving from opera to jazz. A terrific end of a fabulous evening.
Slowly we all left for home, a little bolder perhaps, certainly full of ideas of boldness. Boldness being a feeling, an action, a small or large step forward. We left with the intention of embracing the boldness within a little more firmly. We left with the intention of growing our 'boldness' muscle.
We left feeling a little more aware of our responsibility to help our world move closer to equity and to prepare it for our young people. The little girl in the picture above deserves an equal world, a safe world, a nurturing world.
#beboldforchange