The Spill of Blood….

I read about this young girl some time last year. It was not originally what I wanted to blog about. The title about of this blog is “The Spill of Blood” and was intended for the current turmoil of the East (which I will soon blog about). However I was looking for an article in the Sunday Times (February 20, 2011) that factually outlines the timeline of these dictator leaderships in the East, and as I flipped through newspaper I stumbled across a double-page spread about Jodi Bieber and Bibi Aisha.

Now you may not know very much about these two women, maybe you do. For me, as I mentioned before, this is two of my random passions; women in the East and Photography. Bibi Aisha, an 18 year old Afghanistan girl, left her new household and returned home to her parents after being abused by her husband. After which, as punishment for her actions, she was forcefully held down by her brother-in-law while her husband cut off her ears and nose. And no, this is not a movie or fiction, Aisha is indeed one of many women who are sadly oppressed in Afghanistan.

So who is Jodi Bieber then? Jodi is the photographer who remarkably captured the image of Aisha and as a result won World Press Photo of the Year 2010. Jodi travelled to Afghanistan and through conversation learned more about Aisha and her experience. Some are quite opposed to the publishing of this image, however whatever view you may have, the result of this Time Magazine cover (August 09, 2010) allowed for Aisha to undergo reconstructive surgery for her nose and ears.

What are my views? Well, in a way I feel a sense of sadness as I wish images like these would never NEED to be exposed and that the people displayed are not in these horrific situations. However on the other hand, I quite admire both of these women for their courage; the courage to travel and risk everything you have to expose the world and the courage to share your stories despite the circumstance…..

Watch this space…

If I were the boss?

Ok, so firstly I would need to know where I would be working and what I would be doing in order to be the boss.

I would own, or co-own, an Engineering consultancy; weird I know. The board of directors will include mechanical, electrical, industrial and civil engineers with high profiles and a distinct knowledge of engineering.

The work week will start on a Tuesday for the Engineers, as Monday’s will be used as an administration day for the Human Resources and Finance departments to liaise and discuss the week ahead with regard to various contracts obtained.

The team of Engineers will also use Mondays as a “Think Tank” whereby they discuss the work for the week in a relaxed brainstorming session. Each engineer will have their own team to carry out and deliver for their contracts.

My role in the consultancy would be that of Public Relations of course. Creating a brand, awareness and reputable image so that if I were the boss I can sit back enjoy life while my board of engineers do the work!

Now this may seem to be a completely fictional idea; however when I was in first year, my group of friends were almost entirely made up of engineering students and this was a concept we loved chatting about. Who knows one day maybe I will be the boss…

The dark and dingy corridors of the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court

So I got my first traffic fine, not that it was my fault mind you, and decided that I would have it reduced because I just don’t have R500 laying around. First, I had to go to the police station and sign an affidavit to state that I am a student then off I went to Wynberg Magistrate’s court.

I waited in a queue just to get into the building after which I was faced with four security guards behind one of those walk-through security gates, like the ones at the airport. A female security approached to “scan” me with that funny-looking bat. Next I had to go to the third floor to have my fine reduced at the “Traffic court”. The elevator was large and cold, filled with these mysterious characters. Up to the third floor I went and entered a foyer area. The entire building, no matter where you went, had this desolate eerie atmosphere. I suppose it’s meant to scare people off from becoming criminal offenders; well it worked I tell you.  I then proceeded to the “Traffic court”, I laughed inside every time I saw that sign, which was a small room filled with benches and what looked like a make-shift Judge’s bench. The room seemed empty even though there were at least ten other “offenders” siting there. We waited anxiously for the prosecutor to call us forward and explain our story. He was a robust old man with glasses that sat on the tip of his nose. Eventually I was called, I told him I’m a student and that I could not afford the fine, so he reduced it to R250 and sent me downstairs again. Coming out the elevator I had no clue where to go, and followed my noise through the dark and dingy corridors of the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court. I ended up at the cashier’s office. There I was told I was in the wrong place and had to be at G7. I found G7, otherwise known as Prisoner’s Friend, on the other side. G7 confused me, what kind of friend would a prisoner need, then it dawned on me. This small room with high ceilings and barricaded cashiers was where bail had to be paid, hence the Prisoner’s Friend. I waited for a while for the cashier to help and in doing so saw a bird fly passed me. At first I thought I was imagining, but then it flew passed again.

Finally I paid my fine and could not wait to get out this place. Never again to I want to roam those dark and dingy corridors of the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court.    

Two people come out of a building and into a story...

It’s pouring with rain and the streets are muddy. Cairo grabs Leila’s hand and ran across the street to the bus shelter. With a sigh of relief, Cairo lets her hand go. He had managed to pay all of his bills on time this month. The bank had surprisingly been lenient; perhaps it was because Leila was with. His niece had that affect on people, her soft and gentle eyes pulled on many heart strings. Leila was only three when her parents, Cairo’s sister and husband, were killed. Sierra Leone’s mines are amongst the most dangerous in the world when it comes to diamonds. Cairo couldn’t bear the thought of having to send her away to grand-aunts. He had this connection with Leila; she was just like her mother, his sister. However it was not easy for a twenty year old to work two jobs and look after a six year old girl. Cairo took the role of her provider and lead her through the cold and harsh reality in which they lived.  At last the bus pulled up, but before Cairo could take Leila’s hand she asked very innocently “can we play now?” he turned and smiled, “yes Lola now we can play”.

Mubarak has stepped down, Egypt is free!!

What happens now? What does this newfound freedom mean to Egyptians? Please do not get me wrong, I am in full support of the Egyptian Revolution. I am however concerned about what happens to the future of Egypt. Is it truly democratic freedom?

The country as it stands is free from a dictator but is under no democratic leadership to take forth this revolution. What will the next power-hungry Politian bring to the table? Will there be an overall improvement in the standard of living. Or will the new leadership follow in the tracks of many so-called “Democratic leaders” who are merely puppets of a secret reign. Naturally of course, the citizens of Egypt will need to adjust to the changes that await them, whatever that may be.

Stepping outside the borders of Egypt, what effect will this revolution have on the rest of the World? In December 2009, Cairo had promised the World entry into the Gaza Strip via the Rafa Border. The International Gaza Freedom March, supported by over 1360 peace activists from 43 different countries including our own Judge Sieraaj Desai, was surprisingly turned away from the border on December 29, 2009. First lady Suzanne Mubarak announced that only 100 activists were allowed into Gaza. Now looking forward, with the revolution in mind, will the borders into Gaza Palestine be opened? And what will the effect of this be?

We can only wait with baited breath as to what this revolution has planned for the world...

Designer PR

Designer PR

What is designer PR? Is it PR for celebrities or for those in the design industry? My understanding of designer PR refers to the specialised services within the Public Relations Sphere that include the “going the extra mile” and “to suit your needs” PR. Perhaps then designer PR is for celebrities or those with an Elite status, as designer PR would require an extravagant budget to accommodate the potentially outrageous desires of the client. Designer PR is possibly the “balloons and champagne PR” that many consultancies focus on. I suppose then in that case designer PR would not really be suited for the corporate world, unless of course that specific corporate is considered part of the Elite.

So should designer PR be what we as Public Relations practitioners strive towards? I think not. My personal reaction would be that designer PR is short-lived much like the client itself. Soon the craze diminishes and another concept takes precedence, almost like a new toy. As Public Relations practitioners our arrow should be targeted at the strategic roles of our career. As it is PR is struggling to obtain a seat in the boardroom of managers and directors of corporations. We should be uplifting the career of Public Relations and making it the career of choice above the usual Marketing, Human Resources and Law. We do in any case obtain all of these functions. However this is my perception of Designer PR…

Random Passions

Ok so I’m 21 now, feeling no different though, but would like to think that I am unpredictable. The nature of a human is to judge certain situations, and often enough I am judged by my quiet persona and modest dress. I do however possess random passions that would not suite an "image" like mine.

I have a keen interest in Superbikes; the ones that you would find on MotoGP that roar with speeds of 200km per hour and display the exhilarating power of a 600CC engine. My all-time favourite would have to be the 1300CC Hayabusa. However, I sadly would not be able to sit on one, as it is a machine of great power and is often known as the "Coffin on wheels". More realistically and much sleeker would be the Honda CBR range of beautiful monsters I dream of owning.

Another passion, not so outrageous, is my love for photography. Playing with a Canon 500D and Powershot, shooting extraordinary compositions gives me a sense of tranquillity and peace. The ability to capture precious moments (some not so precious, but worth a thousand words) is an art and world that I cannot bear to be without.

I also have an immense passion for women’s rights' worldwide. I believe in the power of a woman's voice. I have a particular strong feeling for women in the East and Africa. The oppression they are faced with is often far from their belief system, and unfortunately many of them are not willing to stand up and object to the ill-treatment. I would love to travel and explore the world one day and in doing so perhaps visit with the intention of "world peace" as they say. Every woman should be treated with dignity and respect as they are after all the mothers of all nations. My feeling for this specific passion can often lead to lengthy thoughts and discussion; and that would call for a separate blog entirely.

These random passions are primarily what make me who I am. I do possess a few more random passions, but I'll save those for a rainy day:)

I am...

I am affected by global conflict...

As a young adult, it would probably be assumed that social media, technology and freedom would consume my life; however these concepts play but a minimal role. The process of my deep thinking would primarily be pre-occupied by global conflict.

Conflict is not only a term used to describe physical fighting but can also be associated with belief disagreements and incompatibiltity. My attention however is mainly focused on the fighting or disagreement aspect of conflict.

So how am I affected by this global conflict? I use global because, frankly local or rather national conflict within the South African government does not interest me as much. Perhaps it is because it is the country in which I live. I am affected by global conflict because I feel that there is nothing I can do to change the situation at hand, whether it be the current Egyptian protests, Palestinian war or battle for Kashmir. Ironically there is perhaps something I could do to change the various conflicts in South Africa, but again I choose not too. I am, fortunately or unfortunately, affected by the conflict that originates in the Eastern World.

I am affected because as a young Muslim girl I was taught that conflict in the fighting sense is deeply prohobited and that it should only be used as a defense mechanism when either the individual or religion has been put in the line of fire. Therefore the actions taken to intentionally harm another without justifiable reason, no matter their belief system, is condemned according to Islam. This primarily is the reason I am affected by Global conflict, I cannot justify the reasoning behind this conflict, and am thus left questioning.   

I am affected by global conflict.