south asia
SOUTH ASIA risings took on
so many different shapes. While
rural Bangladesh stopped in awe
as hundreds of girls brought out a
cycle rally, girls in Maldives were
given the opportunity to play football
against boys. Batticole, Sri Lanka
was treated to a stupendous artist’s
exhibit against environmental injustice
and in both Dhaka, Bangladesh and
Kabul, Afghanistan graffiti was used to
attract people’s attention to the issue
of gender based violence. Besides art,
the OBR campaign also used dialogues
and discussions as a way to promote
understanding. For example in Dhaka, a
public hearing was organized on the plight
of migrant workers, and in rural Pakistan,
farmers, shopkeepers, homemakers
and others were engaged in a series of
discussions on women’s property rights.
All across South Asia, OBR events were a
mix of lectures and dialogues, huge public
artistic events, video and film screenings,
street theatre and rallies, sports activities
and workshops.
BANGLADESH had major risings,
beginning with a public hearing focusing on
migrant domestic workers. The main OBR
event consisted of artists form different
areas coming together performing and
creating pieces on justice. Music, dance,
entertainment put focus on the issues of
military force, sexual violence on indigenous
women, exploitation of child labor, women’s
access to open spaces without fear, and men
speaking out against the silence of men.