07/09/2024
Coconut Chats
- Home
- Coconut Chats
A South - Asian podcast dedicated to breaking the barriers for stigmatized/taboo social issues. Love and strength,
Chris B, Harita G-K, and Soumita K-C 💜
(3)
"Coconut chats" is a series of podcasts brought together by 3 women in their early 30's, of Indian descent who live in Wellington, New Zealand and Melbourne, Australia. We as a group are constantly trying to break the barrier in a typical South-Asian societal structure. We want to be able to be a voice and create a platform for any voice that needs to be heard about a topic, which generally will
not be talked about very often. Ironically, these are the exact topics that SHOULD be discussed out and about. We are empathetic on a gender-neutral level and are willing to hear you and share your difficult (and inspiring) journey with our listeners and the world out there.
02/09/2024
Stay tuned for a great interview with film critic Tanul Thakur. He may look familiar to you - he was featured on the Netflix documentary The Romantics, last year!
26/08/2024
Breaking boundaries and defying expectations is never easy, especially when you're navigating two worlds—one that raised you and one that you chose. Today, we’re thrilled to introduce our guest Ajay Chhibber, who’s done exactly that. Born and raised in India, Ajay took the leap into the world of technology, earning a degree in Software engineering. But his journey didn’t stop there.
In 2015, he moved to New Zealand, where he now leads as a product owner at Kiwi Bank. But Ajay’s story has another extraordinary twist. He’s not just breaking barriers in the corporate world; he’s also making waves as New Zealand’s first kiwi Indian male pole dancer & instructor. Yes, you heard that right! Ajay is a professional trainer, challenging stereotypes and inspiring many as he teaches at Viva Pole studio in Auckland. In this interview, we explore how Ajay balances these two very different worlds, the challenges he’s faced, and what it means to break the mold in more ways than one.
You can follow him on instagram here - https://www.instagram.com/sagittarius.ajay/
Breaking boundaries and defying expectations is never easy, especially when you're navigating two worlds—one that raised you and one that you chose. Today, w...
20/08/2024
A lovely evening talking with Indian High Commissioner to NZ, H.E Mrs Neeta Bhushan, about how we hold onto Indian traditions while living in New Zealand.
Thank you for organising this event Pushpa Bhardwaj Wood
India in New Zealand (High Commission of India, Wellington)
11/08/2024
A lovely write up about Harita and the awards she has won this year 💜
Working towards a gender equal New Zealand
06/08/2024
We hope he is found soon.
If you have any helpful information, please see the details below
04/08/2024
Armaan Khera is a global citizen. Born in New Delhi, raised in New York and a graduate from university in Wellington, New Zealand, he has been travelling between LA and Mumbai carrying a career and passion for music, movies, modelling and voice overs. He is best known for his roles as Fateh in Masaba Masaba on Netflix, and Jassi in Taish on Zee5. He writes and produces hip hop for his catalogue, played the English voice of Buddha on MX Player and models for international brands such as Uniqlo.
Armaan Khera is a global citizen. Born in New Delhi, raised in New York and a graduate from university in Wellington, New Zealand, he has been travelling be...
10/07/2024
In this episode we are celebrating the life of Dr Maria Ishrat Siddiqui. Her fight with Thalassemia, her likes, dislikes, challenges and how we can make the world a better place for people with Thalassemia.
In this episode we are celebrating the life of Dr Maria Ishrat Siddiqui. Her fight with Thalassemia, her likes, dislikes, challenges and how we can make the ...
07/07/2024
Harita also co-hosts Wellington based Wellington Access Radio 106.1FM show Conversations With Wāhine and they recently had the one and only Jess Hong who plays the lead role in 3 Body Problem- Netflix in for an interview! Watch this space for the interview very soon!!
02/07/2024
We are back after an (unplanned) break with Season 6 🎧🎤
Harita interviews award-winning filmmaker and journalist Subina Shrestha. 🎬
Subina has had her stories in the likes of the New York Times and Al Jazeera. Her Al Jazeera documentaries have been used by various educational institutions including Columbia Journalism School and by human rights organisations in the Hague to discuss modern day slavery. Her coverage on Nepal’s earthquake earned her an Emmy nomination. She was also a 2017 Nieman fellow at Harvard.
Her latest documentary film, Devi which will be screened at the New Zealand Doc Edge Film Festival between 23 June and 31st July, traces one Nepalese activist’s path from survivor of sexual violence to seeker of justice. In 1997, a 17-year-old Devi, was arrested, accused of being a rebel, tortured, and r***d in custody. A civil war had just begun. Rebel leaders revealed her as a r**e ‘victim’. Tagged with this shameful taboo, Devi battled depression, social ostracism, joined the rebel frontlines, and rose through the ranks, even serving as a member of the parliament when the war ended. Shot as an immersive verité, the film travels with Devi, as she consolidates the voices of survivors. As Devi confronts her former lawyer and her counsellor, the film dives into deeply intimate and vulnerable moments. Through her diary, supported by archives and sweeping images, Devi reconstructs history erased to rewrite her new destiny.
And last but not least, Subina and Devi won "The Edge of Impact" award at the Doc Edge film festival awards night on 27th June in Christchurch!
The film is screening in Wellington, Auckland and Christchurch, and also virtually. You can buy tickets and watch the trailer here: https://docedge.nz/films/devi/
If you feel moved to support Devi’s work you can do so here: https://www.share-doc.org/d/63001
Directed by Subina Shrestha
Produced by Rosie Garthwaite - Seesaw Pictures FILM CREW NEPAL Mediadante
Exec producers -Dennis Paul Sigrid Dyekjær- Think-Film Impact Production
Sales -First Hand Films
Festivals- Asian Film Festivals
Devi Documentary
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAmufTb10cs
Harita interviews award-winning filmmaker and journalist Subina Shrestha.Subina has had her stories in the likes of the New York Times and Al Jazeera. Her Al...
22/06/2024
Congrats Harita Gandhi-Kashyap for being a runner up for the Volunteer Wellington 2024 awards 🥳🥂
This was extra special after a very emotionally difficult last few months with this podcast, being mentally and verbally abused by our ex co-host and her family over the last year. This award means so much to us.
Award presented by Louise Upston MP and Mitre 10 New Zealand on Thursday 20th June. Onwards and upwards from here 💜
12/06/2024
Thank you The Indian Achievers Club 💜
Here’s welcoming to the Indian Achievers Club Family.
Proud to have you part of this Prestigious list of 40 Achievers from different industries together representing the Glorious future of Bharat.
25/05/2024
A fun evening at Nazeem Hussain 's Wellington show
Thanks for the free tickets!!
23/05/2024
Have you or anyone you know been through Narcissistic and Emotional Abuse? Or are you a counsellor/psychologist/expert who has clients who have been through this?
It's more common than you may think and most people have narcissistic family members or "friends".
We are interested in hearing your story and how you dealt with it. Let's shed light on this topic that so many are forced to suffer through in silence.
Please PM us if you're interested in being interviewed on our podcast 💜
With Harita Gandhi-Kashyap and Soumita Kar Chakraborty
16/05/2024
Congrats to all who were nominated for the 2024 New Zealand Volunteer Wellington Mahi Aroha (Maori translation for "work love") awards, including Harita Gandhi-Kashyap !!
Nominations for the Mahi Aroha Awards are closed – we are so impressed with the number and quality of nominations! Thank you to everyone who took the time to make a nomination.
Congratulations to all the nominees – your time, energy and efforts are recognised by your community and that is what the Mahi Aroha Awards celebrate!
12/05/2024
Happy mothers day to all who celebrate 💜🩷❤️
11/05/2024
We are announcing with a heavy heart that our founding member Chris Mallika Bhadra has left Coconut Chats. We respect her decision and wish her all the best in life.
Unfortunately, she has taken down all the episodes coordinated by herself, from our YouTube channel. Each episode was very close to the whole Coconut chats team, a lot of effort went into making them, especially from Chris herself.
We are not certain at this point if those episodes were just removed from the channel or deleted altogether. If you were one of the guests who had your episode removed and want it back, please contact her directly.
We really hope those episodes get their due respect. Until then, we apologise to all our guest speakers who have had their interview removed, and supported and made time for us.
We still have about 50 interviews available on our YouTube channel and will continue interviewing more inspirational people from around the world once we find our way forward after these unexpected circumstances, but for now, we are taking a short mental health break.
Looking forward to your continued support, and like always, please private message us if you or anyone you know is interested in being interviewed in the future 🙏🏽
Thanks 💜
Soumita and Harita
Team Coconut Chats
02/05/2024
Harita and her friend Reesha, were lucky to get to chat to Nazeem Hussain about how he rose to fame in the comedy scene, how he navigated growing up in Melbourne as a minority ethnicity Sri Lankan in the 90's with strict parents, and how different life experiences and TV opportunities such as "I'm a Celebrity, Get me out of here", "Legally Brown" and "Orange is the new Brown" have shaped him into the person he is today.
Being the comedian he is, we had to joke about him being 45 minutes late for the interview due to putting the wrong time in his calendar, (here's a wee insider info- he was sitting in a cafe at the time our interview was scheduled to start, he joined our zoom call and said "I'm so sorry team, I got the time wrong in my calendar, I'm sitting in a cafe right now. Can you please give me some time so I can run home and join the call when I get home, I'm so sorry, you can yell at me as much as you want about this") and we kindly reminded him that even though we are all different shades of brown, we are not on Indian Standard Time in New Zealand and Australia :P
We hope this interview gives you a good laugh! He will be coming to New Zealand for the NZ International Comedy Festival performing his new show "Totally Normal".
He will be performing in the Comedy Gala on 3rd May in Auckland and 4th May in Wellington. You can buy tickets here- https://www.ticketmaster.co.nz/artist/1939842?utm_source=TM-google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=co:NZ+%7C+cpn:Genre+%7C+chl:Gn+%7C+cat:CONCERTS+%7C+bud:TM+%7C+tp:TMNZ+%7C+catID:8194&utm_content=an:Best+Foods+Comedy+Gala+%7C+ed:04-05-2024+%7C+vn:The+Opera+House+Wellington+%7C+a:1939842+%7C+v:295634&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw0MexBhD3ARIsAEI3WHITZMVwrsmfrjv840KQma1tyAppi9heZcPPG-b0G8Rev6aeS08PmnkaAtdZEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
You can buy tickets for his solo Auckland show (11th May) here-
https://www.ticketmaster.co.nz/artist/2067671?utm_source=TM-google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=co:NZ+%7C+cpn:Genre+%7C+chl:Gn+%7C+cat:CONCERTS+%7C+bud:TM+%7C+tp:TMNZ+%7C+catID:8194&utm_content=an:Nazeem+Hussain+%7C+ed:11-05-2024+%7C+vn:SKYCITY+Theatre+%7C+a:2067671+%7C+v:295478&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw0MexBhD3ARIsAEI3WHKVSJFkBhTywDYcosIPxr5z9-cm1M98-73W4qsJiBTdwORSYnr3uMQaAlfREALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
And Wellington solo show (23-25th May) here-
https://www.livenation.co.nz/show/1449004/nazeem-hussain-totally-normal/wellington/2024-05-23/en
Harita and her friend Reesha, were lucky to get to chat to Nazeem Hussain about how he rose to fame in the comedy scene, how he navigated growing up in Mel...
29/04/2024
Wellington listeners, here's a discount for you! If you're interested in seeing Advait at the NZ International Comedy Festival next week, you can get 20% off the ticket price by typing in "VICDEALS" at checkout.
Love seeing all the Indian comedians taking part in the comedy festival!!
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/H4ewc4yowLdhiyQi/?mibextid=oFDknk
2024 NZ International Comedy Festival with Best Foods Mayo ADVAIT KIRTIKAR New Show, Who Dis? As an amateur comedian, Every year I write a new show, For
17/04/2024
A woman's day discussion is incomplete without delving deep into the issue that affects women and their safety on a daily basis.
It was an absolute honour speaking with Ms Anu Krishnan and Ms Hannah Stephen on the issue of woman safety.
Anu Krishnan has a rich background in Social Anthropology, Social Work, Applied
Psychology and Social Research and the professional experience of working in 5 very different countries within human and community services. Over the past 29 years, Anu has worked in government, community, and education sectors in the areas of family violence, mental health, and community development. An experienced curriculum developer and trainer - with a deep interest in improving equity for multicultural communities and addressing the specific needs of women and children from diverse backgrounds, Anu has developed and delivered both capacity building leadership training in prevention of family violence and culturally specific intervention programs for men who use violence.
Anu works with a diverse range of clients including Department of Families, Fairness and Housing, Judicial College of Victoria, Victoria Police, AMES Australia, Salvation Army, LOTE Agency, Commission for Children and Young People, Monash University and several local governments to bring better outcomes for families impacted by violence and supporting change within our communities. Additionally, Anu is senior practitioner facilitating Men’s Behaviour Change Programs in 3 languages.
In 2019 Anu Krishnan was a recipient of the Community Innovation Award at the Victorian Multicultural Commission’s Multicultural Awards Program for the development of the flagship Prevention of Violence against Women leadership program.
Hannah Stephen completed her Master’s in social work in Chennai around 20 years back and worked in India on Child Rights, prevention of child labour and child marriages; gender equality and on disaster response and recovery with UNICEF, ActionAid and other organisations. She moved to Australia in 2012 and worked with Settlement Services (Asylum Seeker Programs) before moving to working with NGOs/Government Departments on Family and Domestic Violence Prevention and Response programs for the past 8 years. Since completing a Masters in Public Health at Deakin University, have been very keen on community based interventions and systemic responses to promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment; and to prevent gender based violence.
Hannah currently works with a Specialist FV Service as the State Manager for FV Programs in the Norther Territory and Queensland. Very passionate about contributing to creating a world where safety, living free from gender based violence and equality are not considered a luxury but is a way of life.
She volunteers with Tamilar, a Community Organisation and support their work in creating a safe community. Engaged with Deakin University in a study on ‘ Addressing Gender Equality in Indian Communities to Prevent Family Violence’ with Dr Lata Satyen as the Principal Researcher.
16/04/2024
Congrats to one of our co-hosts, Harita Gandhi-Kashyap, for being the recipient of this award last week in New Zealand!!
And thank you Raglan Food Co for recognizing her volunteer work achievements 💜
Some of you may not realise that the 3 of us hosts pay for all the costs associated with Coconut Chats out of our own pockets, this is a passion project and we are not paid to produce this podcast. We record and edit this podcast in our spare time outside of our full time jobs and other life commitments. The funds received with this award will help us pay for some of our ongoing costs 🙏🏽
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/NC9HUkkmLfwtjLcC/?mibextid=oFDknk
VIBE LIFTER ANNOUNCEMENT // Introducing our first Vibe Lifter Award recipient for 2024; Harita Gandhi-Kashyap! 🎉 Harita is a woman of many hats, 👒 and as her lovely husband said, "dedicates all her free time (outside of her full-time job) to multiple volunteer roles" like the Chip Packet Project New Zealand, and fundraising for women related organisations (Women's Refuge, Wellington Women's House, Māori Women's Welfare League and Pan Pacific South East Asian Women's Association to name a few!). 🥰
Not only that, but she's also the treasurer of the National Council of Women New Zealand and started their radio show called Coversations with Wahine, focusing on interviewing inspirational New Zealand wahine, playing songs by up-and-coming kiwi gals and talking about all things that affect NZ women. Harita has said part of the grant money "will go into advertising the show and sending their co-hosts to seminars and training to help us all upskill and become better interviewers and radio hosts".💯
Last but not least, Harita and a few of her friends started the Coconut Chats podcast back in 2020 (we love the name, of course). 🥥 They interview inspirational Indian people from all over the world about their lives, what makes them inspirational, and things that the Indian community often push under the rug - they've interviewed over 250 people to date. 😲 The rest of the funds will help them "buy better recording equipment, pay for social media advertising, and their zoom subscription" as currently these things are being paid out of their own pockets! 👏
Get your Vibe Lifter Award nominations in, the winning nominee receives $2,500 to support their mahi, as well as a year's product of RFC product for them AND their nominator! 🎉 Nominations will be considered for the remainder of the year. Click below to apply! ❤️
https://loom.ly/xj8BmIQ
16/04/2024
Our thoughts and prayers go to the individuals affected by the recent happenings in Sydney.
10/04/2024
It was a pleasure speaking with Dr Pushpa Bharadwaj Wood and Ranjna Patel on what it means to be a woman of substance.
Please have a listen to our first panel discussion on IWD. Many more to follow.
10/04/2024
Wishing everyone a safe and gentle Eid for those who are celebrating.
Please take a moment to pray for world peace and solidarity among humans across all race,religion, caste and creed.
03/04/2024
No mother shall have to see her child like this.
What world are we living in.
The heart breaks into a million pieces every-time such gruelling photos stare at us from our screens.
What world are we leaving behind for our children?
Address
Alerts
Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Coconut Chats posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Contact The Business
Send a message to Coconut Chats:
Videos
A woman's day discussion is incomplete without delving deep into the issue that affects women and their safety on a daily basis. It was an absolute honour speaking with Ms Anu Krishnan and Ms Hannah Stephen on the issue of woman safety. Anu Krishnan has a rich background in Social Anthropology, Social Work, Applied Psychology and Social Research and the professional experience of working in 5 very different countries within human and community services. Over the past 29 years, Anu has worked in government, community, and education sectors in the areas of family violence, mental health, and community development. An experienced curriculum developer and trainer - with a deep interest in improving equity for multicultural communities and addressing the specific needs of women and children from diverse backgrounds, Anu has developed and delivered both capacity building leadership training in prevention of family violence and culturally specific intervention programs for men who use violence. Anu works with a diverse range of clients including Department of Families, Fairness and Housing, Judicial College of Victoria, Victoria Police, AMES Australia, Salvation Army, LOTE Agency, Commission for Children and Young People, Monash University and several local governments to bring better outcomes for families impacted by violence and supporting change within our communities. Additionally, Anu is senior practitioner facilitating Men’s Behaviour Change Programs in 3 languages. In 2019 Anu Krishnan was a recipient of the Community Innovation Award at the Victorian Multicultural Commission’s Multicultural Awards Program for the development of the flagship Prevention of Violence against Women leadership program. Hannah Stephen completed her Master’s in social work in Chennai around 20 years back and worked in India on Child Rights, prevention of child labour and child marriages; gender equality and on disaster response and recovery with UNICEF, ActionAid and other organ
It was a pleasure speaking with Dr Pushpa Bharadwaj Wood and Ranjna Patel on what it means to be a woman of substance. Please have a listen to our first panel discussion on IWD. Many more to follow.
International Women's Day - unpacking the baggage
Please join us as we speak live with two stalwarts in their fields - Ms Sreemoyee Kundu (Founder of Status Single) and Sanjay Rajoura (Indian Standup Satirist) on what does women's day mean to them in the truest sense. Photo by Ehimetalor Akhere Unuabona on Unsplash
Happy Diwali from Coconut Chats!!
South-Asian representation in the rungs of the Australian Government is something we speak and advocate highly of. On that note, it was a moment of absolute honor speaking with Charishma Kaliyanda - MP, Member for Liverpool, NSW. Charishma was raised, educated and has worked in south west Sydney. She is currently a local councillor and registered occupational therapist working in the youth mental health sector. She understands the challenges our public services and infrastructure are facing. May we all seek inspiration from her work and ensure we do our own bit for the communities around us.
Indian people started migrating to New Zealand in the 1800's, but so little is known about their migration stories and struggles of adapting to this country and learning the ways of New Zealand. Harita interviews Mandrika Rupa, Mandy Rupa-Reid and Tiffany Singh who are 3 of the artists from Kshetra Collective, and speaks to them about their involvement in the Invisible Narratives exhibition currently on at The NZ Portrait Gallery, and about their own family migration stories. The exhibition is on until 12 November and is free entry, be sure to check it out if you can!
You can only reach your goals with grit, determination and resilience. We had the same exact feeling while speaking with Sameer Pandey - Lord Mayor City of Parramatta in our latest video conversation. Councillor Pandey, who represents the Parramatta Ward in Sydney (Australia) , is the City’s first Lord Mayor of Indian origin. Labor Councillor Sameer Pandey was first elected to Council in 2017 and represents the Parramatta Ward. In 2022, he became the City’s first Deputy Lord Mayor from the Indian subcontinent. A small business owner with a background in IT, Cr Pandey is passionate about ensuring Council delivers what community and local businesses need and positioning the City of Parramatta as a smart city. Please have a listen to the Lord Mayor's journey and help us spread that determination across.
Our latest video conversation needs no special introduction as we spoke with two pillars of Aisi Taisi Democracy - Sanjay Rajoura and Rahul Ram. This was one of those rare conversations where we discussed a myriad of issues circumscribing us and our societies at large. Needless to say, we had a total fangirl moment fulfilling our intellectual hunger with our guests' knowledge and expertise. We are very thankful to Sanjay and Rahul for giving us this conversation.
Our latest video chat is ALL about lending an extra hand of love, support and compassion to the international S.E Asian students who set foot in Australia for the very first time! Our guest - MManorani Guy born in Malaysia with a Chinese/Indian background, is a seasoned professional with over 28 years of experience in supporting international students. She is the founder and director of "Asian Student Accommodation" (ASA) and “Asian Student Education" (ASE) in Melbourne. A passionate advocate for social justice, Manorani has dedicated her career to working towards a more equitable society. She is the Founder and President of the Victorian Working Group on International Student Employability (VVicWISE, an NGO dedicated to improving the employability pathways and well-being of international students and graduates. She is supported by team of 8 professionals and 85 student volunteers in this NGO. With a proven track record of success in collaborative initiatives, Manorani believes that every voice matters and that teamwork and partnership are key to success. She is a master of collaboration within the international sector and is highly skilled at bringing together people from diverse backgrounds. Manorani currently sits on several committees and is committed to harnessing the power of diversity to achieve great things. She is a leader who celebrates diversity and is known for her ability to bring out the best in those she works with. Please have a listen to Mano's journey and expertise and help us spread the word.
We had the extreme privilege to speak with Samantha Ratnam - Leader of the Victorian Greens on various issues such as women's rights, domestic abuse, housing issues and many more. Prior to entering the Victorian Parliament, Samantha was a social worker for over 15 years in the fields of drug and alcohol rehabilitation, international development, family services and in settlement services for newly arrived migrants from refugee backgrounds. Alongside her social work career, Samantha also spent five years as a Councillor at the City of Moreland, where she was elected the first Greens Mayor of Moreland in 2015. On council, Samantha worked with her fellow Councillors to secure the largest funding commitment to environmental action in order to reduce Moreland’s community carbon emissions to zero. She was also integral in increasing the council’s cycling infrastructure budget by 75% in the first year, fought to protect residents’ appeal rights in planning matters and voted against more poker machines in the city. Samantha holds a Bachelor of Arts, a Bachelor of Social Work with Honours and a PhD in Youth Sociology. *Apologies for the technical glitches.
This was a very special video chat for me as we spoke with Sreemoyee Piu Kundu - Founder of StatusSingle.official , a group that caters to single women in India. Sreemoyee Piu Kundu is an acclaimed lifestyle journalist who has worked in leading publications like Times of India, India Today, Midday and The Asian Age and created editorial blueprints with breakthrough publications, like, Metronow (joint venture between Hindustan Times and Times of India). After more than a decade in print media, she migrated to PR where she helmed the Media Strategy Division of Genesis Hanmer Marstellar and headed the Entertainment and Lifestyle vertical of Hanmer MSL. Sreemoyee debuted with Faraway Music, her critically lauded, first novel, in 2013, followed by her bestselling feminist erotica, Sita’s Curse, which explored female desire through the eyes of a Gujarati housewife. The sweeping success of the novel also saw Sreemoyee burst on the scene as one of India's strongest female voices on gender and sexuality. You’ve Got the Wrong Girl, her third work of fiction, a light-hearted rom-com, broke new ground in Indian ‘lad-lit’. In 2017, she wrote her first non-fiction work, the widely-appreciated and critically acclaimed, Status Single, a narrative drawing from the lives of 3000 urban Indian single women, about the daily struggle of being single in a country where the highest validation for women remains marriage and motherhood that was featured on Los Angeles Times and the Guardian London as a seminal work of female identity (https://www.rediff.com/getahead/report/sreemoyee-keeper-of-stories/20180207.html) The audio visual rights of Status Single have just been signed on by Viacom. Sreemoyee is the recipient of the NDTV L'Oréal Women of Worth award (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSEMnwp2esQ) for Excellence in Literature and the United Nations Woman, Young Achiever for Literature. Sreemoyee has just completed her memoir, Everything Changes and Unhealed, by Bloomsb
Our video conversation for May sees us speaking us with Ms Pushpa Vaghela - CEO and Founder of Women's Mentoring Foundation. The Women’s Mentoring Foundation’s (WMF) purpose is to improve service delivery for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) women and young people to help them heal from hurt, distress, grief and trauma experienced in their life. We support women primarily in rebuilding their self-leadership abilities through increasing confidence and focus – thus resulting in better mental, emotional and social health. Pushpa is an internationally recognised expert in developing leaders, an author and executive peak performance coach priming her focus in transformational leadership, business success, trainer for leaders in fortune 500 companies and Holistic Cultural Change. Please have a listen to this special video conversation and help us in spreading awareness in the communities.
Music is food for the soul. On that note, we had the honour of speaking with the members of Melbourne Hindustani Classical Music Society on their upcoming music festival - 2023 Melbourne International Festival of Hindustani Classical Music (10 - 12 March 2023). Saurabh Mishra is a student of classical vocal as well as an amateur performer. Beyond music, he is an entrepreneur with several successful business ventures in healthcare. Suarabh also volunteers for many organisations including Eastern Palliative Care and TiE Melbourne. Manisha Sethi is passionate about preserving and promoting the traditional art form of classical music and to help spread its awareness and knowledge. She enjoys Hindustani classical music as well as semi-classical forms from the north of the sub-continent. Please visit their website at https://www.mhcms.org/ to book your tickets.
Our Womxn's Day Special video conversation saw us speaking with two powerhouses behind ICSA - Indian Sub-Cont Crisis & Support Agency. The Indian (Sub-Cont) Crisis & Support Agency (ICSA) is the first NGO in Australia for South Asian Communities and was established as a response to the gaps and inadequate support systems. ICSA offers a range of support tailored to South Asian communities and like cultures through professional services. A bit about our guests of honour. Kittu Randhawa is the founder of the Indian (Sub-Continent) Crisis and Support Agency the first NGO for this community in Australia. ICSA is the first fully CALD organisation running professional support services for the target community with a focus on client-centric support services and advocacy. Kittu is a cultural consultant; an accredited trainer, interpreter an mediator. Kittu’s main are of work is as a senior case worker in domestic and family violence. She is an expert in complex and culturally driven forms of domestic and family abuse, particularly dowry abuse. Menaka Iyengar Cooke, M.Com., M.App.Psych., FAHRI (Fellow of the Australian HR Institute) now semi-retired works as a coach- consultant (mainly to Indigenous organisations) and as a psychotherapist (for CALD women). She received the Prof. Shirley Randell and Women Chiefs of Enterprises Award 2021 for social contribution last year and The International Alliance of Women (Washington DC) Award for Social service in Oct.2023. In her retirement years, she started 2 businesses before she found her passion in serving the needs of social justice and equity for women. These were in the areas of Domestic Violence, CALD mental health, Diversity and Inclusion and Women’s Empowerment. She has spoken before large audiences including Generation Women (2021 and 2022), Domestic Violence Vigil NSW (Nov.22) and at the Senate enquiry NSW Parliament into domestic violence (2020). We spoke of gender based violence, dowry abuse, gender e
Our special guests for February's video conversation were the co-founders of Veera Brave Girl. Veera Brave Girl is a registered charity empowering migrant women to fight against gendered violence through education. They host regular workshops covering topics such as healthy relationships, consent, period health, legal rights, IVOs etc. In addition, they offer wrap-around support to a small cohort of migrant women each year. Please have a listen to our recent video conversation and share your feedback at [email protected] #domesticabuseawareness #domesticviolenceawareness #womensupportingwomen #womenempowement #migrantwomen #migrantcrisis
Our first video chat of this year was delving deep into the love of theater. Stories by Avijit Sarkar is a confluence of 5 plays directed by 5 distinguished directors. This theater festival takes place on 17-18 Feb at Bankstown Arts Center. Please reach out to Taufeeq or myself in case you are after tickets for this once-in-a-lifetime experience.
A short video wherein we wanted to acknowledge the aftereffects of what happened on the Air India flight from NY - DEL. Our heart goes out to the woman who had to endure such a disturbing experience. We hope relevant and stern action is taken against the individual. More details about the incident can be found here: https://indianexpress.com/article/india/air-india-urination-incident-air-india-ceo-crew-pilot-alcohol-policy-8366930/lite/
We are living in a time when women's rights are being questioned like never before. Women are being hurt for choosing to live they want to. We ask - which era are we living in? On that note, we had a moment to reflect on the recent incident in Iran with Nafisa Tanjeem Nipun and Trishia Nashtaran and hear their thoughts on women's rights and policies that govern these rights. Please have a listen and let us know your feedback.
Pakistan has seen some of it's worst times as torrential floods have hit major parts of the country, displacing millions of residents. On that note, we had the honour of speaking with Jamal Shah, who joined us all the way from Pakistan to give an update on the floods and the relief work he has been involved in. An artist, writer, filmmaker, educationist and social worker, Syed Jamal Shah was born in Quetta. He completed his masters in English literature from Balochistan University and joined NCA for a degree in Fine Arts with a major in Sculpture. Completing his 4 years’ professional studies, he returned to Quetta where he set up the Department of Fine Arts in Balochistan University, chaired the department for 3 years and went on a British Council scholarship to do a masters in print making from The Slade School of Arts London. Jamal is trained in various disciplines of visual arts, his forte remains sculpture. He also has the distinction of being the first Graduate in sculpture from NCA. He has been a prolific artist throughout his carrier and has exhibited vastly in Pakistan and internationally. He is the recipient of many awards including Gold medal in the 5th Asian Art Biennale in Dhaka. His work is part of a permanent collection in Victoria and Albert Museum, London and Fukouka Museum Japan. He has also done many important commissioned projects in Pakistan and abroad. Jamal Shah joined TV in 1976 as a singer and composer and has been part of the most noted Pashto Musical programming for 15 years and became one of the most revered singers. People in the Pashtoon belt of Pakistan and Afghanistan still expect music from Jamal Shah. As an actor, Jamal has achieved the image of a serious, committed and extremely choosy actor. He has done many serials, telefilms and a show on PTV and other Pakistani channels. Jamal Shah has also acted in International projects such as TRAFFIK a channel 4 production and is the recipient of 11 international awards and a Hollywood
Shortcuts
- Address
- Alerts
- Contact The Business
- Videos
- Claim ownership or report listing
-
Want your business to be the top-listed Media Company?
Share
