Director of Dishonour Defied, Eco Friendly Soiree, and War Child

Thursday February 19th 2009
Guests on the Show:

1. Guest: Azra Rashid – Film Director
Azra, the director and co-writer of the documentary Dishonour Defied came by CIUT to discuss her film. The work revolves around the story of Mukhtar Mai, a woman who was gang raped in a remote village in Pakistan five years ago. Mukhtar Mai defied the conventional thinking and fought against a discriminatory system in which tribal leaders decide a woman's fate. Instead she decided to take her battle to the highest courts in Pakistan and fight for justice. Mukhtar Mai became an international figure in the struggle for women's rights. Dishonour Defied is the story of how Mukhtar Mai made a life with courage after the tragedy that befell her. It's also the story of other women and girls struggling for their rights in Pakistan in the wake of the Mai case.

Azra traveled to Pakistan to interview Mukhtar and shared with us her experiences during this emotional journey. The film will be featured at the 8th Annual U of T Film Festival in March.
For more information please visit: http://www.harthouse.ca/

2. Guest: Tommy – ecoSuave 2009
Tommy spoke about the upcoming event ecoSuave taking place on February 21st. The evening is a green affair for young professionals interested in minimizing their environmental footprint. Together in one setting, guests will have the opportunity to sample delicious wines, beers, and finger foods that have been produced right in our backyard.
For more information please visit: http://www.enlightenedevents.ca/ecosuave

3. Guest: Emmanuel Jal - Former child solider, author and hip hop artist
We aired an excerpt from an interview with Emmanuel Jal who had a remarkable story to tell. In the mid 1980s during Sudan’s civil war, Emmanuel was separated from his mother and after learning of her death he was conscripted into the Christian Sudanese Liberation army as one of 10,000 child soldiers. He was seven years old. Today he shares his story in his memoir War Child with the hope of bringing peace to his homeland. He is also pursuing a successful music career performing with the likes of Moby, Bono and Peter Gabriel.
For more information please visit: http://www.harthouse.ca/