Cultural traditions as instruments of opposition
On TED, yet another interesting talk on one of the main themes of this blog: how to embrace religious and cultural traditions while at the same time remaking them as instruments for opposition and empowerment.
Kavita Ramdas tells three stories of quite remarkable women who do just that.
Are you a change agent?
I am sure you are, as we all are most of the time. Change is a constant part of our lives, along with the messy conflicts and confusions that it often creates. For many of us, change is even more than that: we try to change structures of injustice or create innovations that touch upon the lives of others.
If you want to deal constructively with change then give this advice a thorough read:
The image is a slide of a fascinating slideshow by Victoria Pynchon based on a talk by Kenneth Cloke. I recommend you to click through the whole thing!
(Via MediationChannel)
What’s relevant: CNN vs Al Jazeera
A while back, I ran a post here on Al Jazeera as a positive addition to the international media landscape. I now came across a photoshopped image that compares the frontpage of the CNN and Al Jazeera websites two days ago. It shows in true absurdity how welcome this fresh addition really is…
CNN / Al Jazeera
Via BildBlog
Some ideas never get old…
I know I am way late with a post on Avatar but this is just too good not to share it…
Idol TV Series in Afghanistan: Pop culture, social transformation & reappropriation
Below, a short talk by Cynthia Schneider on the Afghan version of the “Idols” series. She demonstrates how the show has become a means of social change, especially for women, and how the content is culturally re-appropriated.
Also check out here a lengthier talk by Schneider on Western pop culture re-appropriation in the Middle East more generally. She discusses examples such as hip hop or the effects of the show 24 (select the video by Schneider and scroll to minute 30).
Martin Luther King’s words
Jay Smooth put together some memorable Martin Luther King quotations:
(from IllDoctrine)
Update: On the same subject, I just came across an impressive illustration putting in today’s context what Dr. King and many others have fought for (talking about post-racial USA…):
By RJ Matson (via NoCaptionNeeded)
Cornel West: channeling the rage
A short talk by the great Cornel West, Princeton professor and author of “Race Matters”, on his childhood and how he learned to channel his feelings of rage into a productive direction.
(via Situationist)
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