1 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
4 EDITOR’S NOTE
CONTENT
JASMINA SIDEROVSKI
6 GIFT of Giving
8 Appreciation
10 Health & Wellbeing
11 Mentor
12 Life Coach
2 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
14 Educate
OUR MISSION STATEMENT:
UNAA DR PATRICIA JENKINGS JOSHUA KARRAS KEVIN SPENCE
18 20 22
ENVIRONMENT
24
LAW SOCIETY
26
FEATURE
28
eYs CHILD AMBASSADOR
31
KRISTINA APOSTOLOSKA
32
CREATE
34
INSPIRE DEME MCDONALD COSETTE AWAD
38 40
eYs Magazine are a group of determined individuals, who are inspired and empowered to share kindness, through our positive vibes and support. We encourage, help and motivate others and support local communities and charities to prosper and grow. eYs Magazine is committed to our purpose and people-centred ethos, reinvesting back into our future generations and the opportunity of a global online platform connecting to experts from all walks of life. We support charity, community and organisations in their development as a publishing platform.
OUR COVER: Special thank you from the eYs Magazine team to all our readers for your continued support. Blessings for a wonderful start to 2021.
FIND US ON
THE ARTS CLAUDINE BURGESS MAYA NACE POPOV LISA B BOURGEOIS
BOOKWORM - MARSHA AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT - SALMA
www.eysmagazine.com.au View Magazine: https://issuu.com/eysmagazine
43 46 50 56
Chief Executive Officer : Jasmina Siderovski Email: info@eysmagazine.com.au
59
eYs Magazine Pty Ltd
62
WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT ZARYA AZADI DAWN WITTE DR. REMI DUYILE
LinkedIn:
www.linkedin.com/company/eysmagazine Facebook: eYs_Magazine Instagram: @ eYs_Magazine Twitter: @ eYs_Magazine
66 74 77
VOICES
80
eYs TEAM
82
PUBLISHER CREATIVE Minhazul Abedin
Email: mnhaz.abedin@gmail.com WhatsApp: +8801622131189
HEADQUARTERS eYs Magazine Pty Ltd Level 35 International Tower One 100 Barangaroo Ave Sydney NSW 2000
ALL MAIL PO Box 7781 Norwest NSW 2153 Australia
Copyright © eYs Magazine Pty Ltd 2020 All Rights Reserved.
DISCLAIMER
eYs Magazine has made constant care to make sure that the content is accurate on the date of publication. The views expressed in the articles reflect the author(s) opinions and are not necessarily the views of the publisher and editor. The published material, advertisements, editorials and all other content is published in good faith. eYs Magazine cannot guarantee and accepts no liability for any loss or damage of any kind caused by this website, publication and errors or for the accuracy of claims made by the advertisers. All content in eYs Magazine may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of eYs Magazine. It’s contributors cannot accept any liability for reader discontent arising from the editorial features. eYs Magazine reserves the right to accept or reject any article or material supplied for publication or to edit this material before publishing. eYs Magazine cannot be held responsible for loss or damage to provided materials. We accept no liability for misprints or mistakes and no responsibility can be taken for the contents of these pages. In this publication, you might find links to websites, third-party content and advertising. By using our website, you acknowledge that and agree that eYs Magazine cannot be held responsible and shall not be liable for the content of other websites, advertisements and other resources. By using this site, you agree to all terms and conditions listed above. If you have any questions about this policy, you may contact us.
3 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
EDITOR’S NOTE: JASMINA SIDEROVSKI The year that stopped the world!!
T
here isn’t one of us who will ever forget the year 2020 – The year that made history for all the wrong reasons. The year that stole our freedom, our normal, our self-confidence, and forced us all to take a break from our routine, business, and dreams. The year that divided us all. Each of us creates goals—an incentive for a sense of achievement. Amongst the chaos chasing our dreams, our purpose, our passion, and our identity, we find ourselves caught up in the madness for innovation, technology, business, fashion, entertainment, travel, adventure and a never-ending need for self – growth. We are accustomed to life-happens we forgot the real reason we are here on this earth. History has taught us about the milestones of each Century, events that have shaped our future, and lessons learned along the way. It has enforced change, opportunity and mastered science beyond our comprehension. We have taken a leaf from the giants of philosophy, our mentors and the heroes along the way. We have made things bigger and better, faster and more economical. We have selfdriving electric cars, social media, Bluetooth and fibre optics have brought the world closer than ever. We are presented with the social and economic challenges for low carbon energy, climate change, sustainability, plastic pollution, deforestation, economic growth, manufacturing, education, gender equality, air pollution, global health, to name a few.
even among generations have been widened, and risk for common mental illness among lower socioeconomic groups has skyrocketed.
Social changes in the 21st Century have made little change in attitudes and behaviours toward mental illness in low-income countries. ... Poverty levels have increased, cultural differences
COVID-19 has taught us how our life perspective changes in a second. A societal encounter with mortality has shaped the transformation of the life of society. And, now it has given
4 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
humanity a taste of our own medicine and the real power of nature. Just as we are destroying our natural world, causing the extinction of animal’s nature is fighting back through the pandemic reminding us that as humans, we are also part of this world and not indispensable. It has taught us who the real heroes are and the power of connection. Frontline workers, cleaners, couriers, cashiers, sales, volunteers, teachers and more, the pandemic has bonded us all. What we as a society do now is the foundation for the sustainability of life and our lifestyle, the way we operate and conform to a new order. This is an opportunity for reflection to re-evaluate our lives and make the changes for more significant impact in the years we have left. Life is precious, and we need to be grateful for what we have. There are goodness and humanity, even in the darkness, and humans are adaptive, and life is more flexible than we think. 2020 gave us the willpower to fight, to love, to pay it forward and notice what has been under our noses the entire time – THE GIFT TO BE ALIVE! We are proud to have ended the year on a positive note and celebrate the change-makers who never stopped and continued to change our world. The one’s who kept us humble and honest and our head above water. In this edition, we honour our Top 2020 Not-for-Profit Humanitarian organisations and congratulate them for being loyal to their cause and always placing humanity first. We are delighted to showcase the United Nations Association of Australia (NSW Division) and find out what is the motivation behind their endless hours of contribution and volunteerism for humanity. Our unique feature this season is our extraordinary guest Chrissy Sykes from My Body is My Body, and we celebrate the artists of our time. A special thank you to the eYs Team for another wonderful year and welcome our new additions, Dr John Harrison, Dr Nasrin Parsian, Marsha Casper Cook and Paula Dunn. I dedicated this edition to the eYs Team because they are the backbone, the heroes and the heart of eYs Magazine. From all of us, we would like to wish you a Merry Christmas and Seasons Greetings in the hope for a fresh start to 2021. May it be the year we make history for all the right reasons and bring some positiveness in our world. I would like to also on this note thank the World Youth Summit and Lead Like Mandela Forum Hosts, Amb. Hassan Mfouakie and Amb. Ndileka Mandela for honouring me with the opportunity to be a guest keynote speaker in North Cyprus.
5 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
On December 5th and 6th, the World Youth Summit NPC in collaboration with Leading Like Mandela and Dr Kalam Smriti International Foundation hosted the first edition of Lead Like Mandela Forum at Acapulco Resort Convention Spa Kyrenia North Cyprus. Leading Like Mandela is a leadership development program in partnership with the United Nations. It promotes active citizenry and strives to develop transformational leaders that are ethical and principle-centred to contribute to sustainable development. Thank you to the Honourable Guest Speakers; The President of the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus, H.E Ersin Tatar, the Resident Coordinator of the United Nations South Africa, H.E Nardos Bekele-Thomas, and the eldest grandchild and CEO of Thembekile Mandela Foundation - Ms Ndileka Mandela. It was a very successful summit and an honour to be part of something that impacts the youth of tomorrow. I would also like to thank the Amb. Dr Ameena Ali from the Federation of International Gender and Human Rights (FIGHR) – USA, for giving me the bestowed honour and a nominee at the Annual Human Rights Prize of Peace Award Ceremony in the category of 2020 Lifetime Achievement/ Living Legacy Award. A magical end to the year no one welcomed.
Jasmina Siderovski CEO and Editor-in-Chief eYs Magazine
GIFT OF GIVING
MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS FUNDRAISER VACCI ESTATE AGENTS
Fundraiser
GALA EVENING IN SUPPORT OF MS Hosted by Vacci Estate Agents & Rotary Passport Club of Sylvania Waters in association with Australian Rotary Health
FRIDAY FEBRUARY 12, 2021 Conca D’Oro 269 Belmore Road RIVERWOOD Time: 6:30pm - 12am Tickets via the following link: https://events.humanitix.com/fundraiser-gala-2021-for-ms
MS
is a disease that affects the central nervous system causing blindness, numbness, weakness in the muscles throughout the whole body, memory loss, balance, loss of focus, can cause paralysing in the whole or half of the body, problem with speech and many more difficulties. While some symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis are easy to see, most go unnoticed by everyone except the person living with them. It’s hard for people to understand a disease they can’t see, and that’s what makes MS awareness so important, such as our fundraisers including our speakers living with MS and sharing their personal experience. I am Val Zaharievska founder & Director of Vacci Estate Agents. By having my own business, I have the flexibility to give back to the community and the power of being a public person is an 6 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
advantage. Why I have chosen MS? A few years ago, a friend had shared with me that they have MS. There was no other way I could help except to organise fundraising event to be able to raise funds for research so a cause and cure can be found. Along this journey I have met wonderful people also affected by MS that have shared their personal experience with me & no story is ever the same. This has made me more eager, determined and passionate to help and hopefully in the near future a cure is found for all people suffering from Multiple Sclerosis. It only took one friend to inspire me to try and make a difference. I hope that I inspire you to help make a difference in someone’s life by helping support and put an end to “hell on earth” as my friend has explained.
FUNDRAISER GALA 2020 FOR MS Friday 12th February 2021
Let's help change someones life MC – Steve Siganakis Canapes & drinks ~ 3 course dining Performances ~ Entertainment Live Auctions ~ Silent Auction Raffles
WIN A CAR
Audi A1 Sports Back VALUED AT $45,900
TICKETS Car raffle - $50 each Event - $150 pp Purchase by calling Val on 0416 377 329 7 | eYs Magazine, tickets December 2020
Start 6:30pm Conca D’oro 269 Belmore Road Riverwood We thank you for your support
APPRECIATION
EYS MAGAZINE 2020 EXCELLENCE IN CUSTOMER SERVICE
T
his year has been difficult for all business across the world. While COVID-19 continues to cause uncertainty, havoc and financial hardship in the global economy, it is crucial to maintain some normality for business to survive and be successful against the odds. One of the pivotal factors of a business’s success model is the employees on the frontline who are the critical communicators between the operation of the company and the customers. They are the frontline who set the precedence for imparting knowledge and quality assurance in exchanging goodwill and holding on to their loyal customers. One such team who are the core and epitome of their industry are Leroy Bowmaker and Jake Carden. Leroy and Jake are the envy of all pool stores across Australia. Their customer service, product knowledge, understanding and patience to ensure quality service is exemplary. Possessing years of experience between them and a loyal customer base—Leroy and Jake continue to be the leaders in the industry. Working at Rouse Hill’s All Clear Pool & Spa Supplies for ten years have brought recognition and interest by many pool owners who take pride in their pools and want the best of the best to serve the health of their expensive luxury. A recent closure to the Rouse Hill store has now seen them both move to All Clear Pool & Spa Supplies, Windsor. At eYs Magazine, we are always on the lookout for individuals and organisations who have constituted an integral part in
8 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
supporting their community during these unprecedented times. Employees are the backbone of any successful organisation. They put a human face on the product or service, form personal connections with customers, and define the culture of the organisation. Yet despite the importance of a high performing workforce, research shows that 32% of organisations struggle to keep their best employees. Loyalty is an increasingly rare trait. Research has shown that when organisations integrate employee recognition as primary practice, employee behaviour improves. As a result, the organisation benefits through: Improved Engagement, Productivity & Profits Motivated Employees Encourages a Collaborative Work Environment Boosts Employee Happiness and Morale Increases Positive Workplace Culture Lower Employee Turnover Rates Develops a Willingness to Help Customers Improves Employee Health We are delighted to honour Leroy Bowmaker, and Jake Cardner, the eYs Magazine 2020 Excellence in Customer Service from All Clear Pool & Spa Supplies.
LEROY BOWMAKER
W
hen did you begin work in the pool industry?
What motivates you to be the best in the industry?
My dad used a local pool shop for all his pool supplies for his home pool. I went in there one day, and dad introduced me to the staff there as I needed a casual job after leaving school. I ended up enjoying working at All Clear Pool and Spa Supplies for so long I stayed for ten years! I never thought I’d get that far.
Simple. Similar to my last answer, I like to have happy customers who give you and the business a positive wrap, even when you are not around.
How do you stay motivated, and what are the challenges you face daily? Keeping people happy and receiving positive compliments for your work keeps me motivated. While winter is a breeze, summer can get challenging when people want something done at a moment’s notice.
What are your valuable lessons? Don’t cut corners. Follow up as best and as quickly as you can on each enquiry, complete processes as best as you can so you can minimise slip-ups and have a higher number of happy people. What are your favourite hobbies outside of work? I’m a total computer nerd. Love building them, setting them up and giving them a purpose. It’s kind of weird how I ended up in the pool industry considering how much I’m involved with them even before starting working at All Clear Pool and Spa Supplies.
JAKE CARDEN
T
ell us about your background.
I was originally a mechanic, as a kid, I was always hands-on; when I started in the pool industry. I wanted to repair pumps, cleaners and chlorinators for those who couldn’t upgrade or are unfortunate. When did you start work in the Pool Industry? A few years ago, Brendan introduced me to Leroy Bowmaker for a job interview; I instantly was more interested in Leroy’s car than the interview. We have made a great friendship with our cars and hobbies through work. How do you stay motivated, and what are the challenges you face daily? Customers being happy and cheerful, repairing stuff that they thought could not be fixed. What are valuable lessons and biggest disappointments in your career?
9 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
Valuable lessons are the customers are always right, biggest disappointments are when something is beyond repair, or a customer comes in unhappy. What motivates you to be the best in the industry–especially during these challenging times? Customers that show their appreciation with our hard work it’s not always easy for us, also the newest addition in my family, my daughter Victoria. Who is your inspiration, and why? Definitely, Leroy, because he trained me from the start. He is a great manager, trainer, and a good friend. What is your favourite pastime when you aren’t working? My cars. At the moment, I’m building an older Ford Falcon with my father. www.allclearpoolsupplies.com.au 2/52 Mileham St, Windsor 2756 Ph: (02) 4587-7300 Fax: (02) 45877333
HEALTH & WELLBEING
DR NASRIN (NAS) PARSIAN Holistic and Emotional Health Practitioner and Educator
D
o Humans Need a New Code for Healing?
We hear, see and feel these days so many unresolved problems in human’s health and wellness. What is happening in our world? Twenty percent of teenagers have depression. Dementia has been reported even in young adults. Chronic illnesses, autoimmune diseases, cancer, cardiovascular conditions, mental health issues are skyrocket. Where are we now? Where is our health going? Today’s biomedical and conventional models of health to fix the “human” is not working, because they are limited to correct just the biochemistry of our cells. Not to mention that these models are aiming to only save a human nation from dying rather than healing for quality living. Their goal is more about surviving rather than thriving. As a result, people’s quality of life is increasingly declining, the root causes remain unattended, and the healing solutions are not sustainable. This massive gap in our mainstream health care system is causing more health problems, both physically and emotionally/ mentally. Chronic illnesses are not well managed, and the numbers go up every day. Mental and emotional health issues do not respond to the quick-fix approaches, so they become more complicated. What is missing here? Human is a “Whole” that needs to be nurtured with an integrated approach for an aligned inner balance. This inner balance leads to the harmoniously integrated wholeness, not by telling people what to do, rather by self-empowerment and facilitate the softening process of wakefulness and heartfulness. Wholeness or Oneness is a concept of universal consciousness. The energy in each atom has a consciousness, comprising our perception, and connected to the energy emitted by other atoms in the universe. The universe is a unity of energy where everything is connected and cannot be divided into separate pieces. For example, black and white are not separate entities; they are parts of a single gradient comprising a billion different shades of grey. It is all about ONENESS. The new science of epigenetics is revolutionising a link between mind and matter. As soon as we deviate focus from a perception of a “whole” from the heart, soul to the matter, we experience separation. Our nervous system then functions based on the received signals, and our DNA is coded by the downloaded programs linked to the membrane perceptions. Every single cell has membranes that recognise and receive signals, can affect the cells’ behaviour and eventually affect people’s health. In this process, the heart has a significant leading role. By ignoring the connection between the heart, body, and the mind, with the heart leading the way, we are continuing to lack the
10 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
quality of care we need for our body to heal and recover. We know that all human beings yearn to feel a sense of connection and purpose, and when we do, our body’s healing process speeds up. By connecting to the heart-intelligence, we discover a deep awareness of what’s emotionally inside of the heart. Heartcentred integrated health focuses on the idea that our beliefs are affected by and tightly interrelated to our emotions. Most people say it’s the other way around that we need to “control our emotions with our head and mind”. In other words, when we do control, our head and mind bury the emotions in our heart into our body. Emotions are becoming stronger and being carried and perceived as the signals to the cells’ membrane and DNA, causing disease, physically, mentally or both. Being open and inviting to reuniting with the whole body, with heart intelligence in the centre, help people connect deeply rooted emotions and thoughts to achieve self-awareness, which is the key to healing. Health professionals and practitioners mostly do not have a deep awareness of what is emotionally inside of their patients’ heart. I believe this is why healthcare fails. From a genuinely holistic perspective and in our medical practice, the body, gut, head and heart must be aligned, and from there integrated plans can be put into place to help people onto the road of recovery, healing and enhanced wellbeing. Integrating the human’s intelligence leading with the heart intelligence in our healthcare system will bring a new perspective that can shift DNA, increase better health outcomes, and revolutionise our mainstream healthcare system as a whole!
MENTOR
DR JOHN HARRISON Education Influencer, Philosopher, Polymath, Writer, Humanitarian, and a Counselor
HARRISON speaks ………. “Invest in the Invisible” The invisible (inner being) is more powerful than the visible (outer being). The visible, is perceptible and thus measurable, restricted and temporary; but the invisible, which can only be felt is eternal. God is invisible. Our mind focuses on things that are temporary, but the heart connects us with the invisible which cannot be seen but felt, that which is unlimited and eternal; it adds value, meaning and higher purpose to our lives. The visible makes us self-centered but the invisible makes us people centered. It is the essence of our existence; it is the essence of life. It connects us to the Divine. God, which is the spirit or the soul, resides in our hearts and is immortal; mind is mortal. Mind is influenced by the world (earthly pleasures), heart connects us to the Divine (spiritual awakening and upliftment) making us resilient due to which we are able to embrace failure and as a result of this become equipped and empowered to ride the waves of sorrow. It unlocks our potential and gives us a higher purpose in life where the external self becomes weak and the inner being becomes powerful and strong. Hatred and jealousy come from the mind; heart makes us grow in love and empathy. We should feed the heart and not the mind. Listen more to the heart and not the mind as the heart makes us better and the mind makes us bitter. Suffering and sickness originate from the temporary that is rooted in deceit; it even makes us proud, shallow, and arrogant. Compassion, Forgiveness, Good Counsel, Wisdom and Understanding are gifts or fruits of the Spirit. The influence brought in by the outer being is provisional, but the transition brought in by the inner being is permanent. It gives us the life – life 11 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
balance. Outer being does not have the power to change but only influence. The visible focuses on goodness but the invisible focuses on greatness and that should be our lifetime goal. After all, we all only have one life; better make it count. The whole is greater than the parts. We all should earnestly strive to be and become our preference. Do we love ourselves and see ourselves as God as intended us to be or do, we have an existential crisis? Who am I? Does my life have any meaning and purpose? The answer lies in the invisible; the answer lies within you. Learn how to reflect, introspect, and follow it up with a positive action. Even if you fall flat on your face, you will be 6 feet ahead. Be willing to re-role yourself. Rediscover, re-align, and redefine yourself. Future belongs to the crowd and not the lonely genius. What matters is not what life can give you but what you can give to life. You are your own CEO. The most important person in your life is you. You are Divine, you belong to yourself. You are your biggest brand; your life is your biggest argument. Once you have found your inner self, you will find everything. The invisible is the hardware and the visible is the software. The hardware has all the components, which can make you work and succeed. Without the hardware, we cannot access the software. Having the software in itself is of no good, it is not worth anything.
The hardware enhances life and makes it more appealing. Practice educating the heart (hardware) and the mind (software) together and keep them in perfect sync for best results and outcome. The mind cannot influence the heart for long, but the heart has the ability to not only change the mind but even transform it. Treat yourself not as what you should be but treat yourself as what you could be by INVESTING IN THE INVISIBLE. Dr. John Harrison MA in Education, Doctorate in Divinity Feel free to write to him or connect with him on: Email: dr.johnharrison@yahoo.co.in LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ dr-john-harrison-8675b6120
LIFE COACH
DEBBIE KEMP Possibility
A
new year is almost upon us.
“Halelujah!” I hear some rejoice. 2020 has been a year of unique challenges and experiences, and this year has stretched many of us in ways previously unimaginable. For some, it felt like a year of treading water. Of no progress being made. It was certainly a strange blip on the timeline. It was what it was. Some things are not within our control, and we may well see more uncertainty next year… But we can always set an intention for what our year will look and feel like, and take action to influence our outcomes. Who is keen to get creative around influencing what the year ahead will look like? What if we were to ditch traditional goal setting, tune deep into our intuition, and allow our imagination to birth some wild and wonderful ideas that may or may not be sensible or predictable? What if we were to spend more time alone, in nature, pondering and wondering? What if we were to make meditation a consistent and regular practice? Oh I wonder what might emerge… I wonder how our lives might change… I wonder what amazing and incredible ideas might come to the surface! Is there something already there for you, bubbling away just below the surface, that you already find yourself daydreaming about? What if you were to be a bit radical in the year ahead?
Will you mindlessly take on more, work harder, and get busier? If you don’t choose to be intentional about what your year looks and feels like, you might as well prepare for it to be full of something else! You don’t HAVE to set goals and strategies. You can of course, but you don’t have to. You don’t HAVE to do anything! Choosing intention and influence can be as simple as feeling into what you want more of, setting some theme words that you tune into often, creating a new routine to start your days with, or prioritising something important that you haven’t been finding time for. If you don’t do it now, what age do you think you’ll be when you make changes towards the life you desire? The transition may well take a while, so don’t you want to start working towards it now?
What if you were to make decisions with your intuition, up level your mindset, set some intentions and some new routines and see what might be possible?
That stuff that gets in the way now, it always will. Or something else will. And the months and years will keep on flying by. Will you let it get to the point when it feels too late?
What if you were to tune into possibility… and ignore all of that other noise that sometimes gets in the way? You know, the noise of expectation?
It’s not your circumstances that are stopping you. It’s your choices. Your priorities. Your limiting beliefs. Your mindset.
Would you commit to more self-care?
What if you were to step into a mindset of possibility, connect to your intuition, open yourself up to the imagination that flows through you, and focus on those things that you want more of?
Would you spend more time being present in relationships? Would you do that amazing thing that you’ve been dreaming about? Would you have more fun? OR…
12 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
What might be possible then? If you find your mind wandering now, go with it. Sit with these questions, and explore what’s there. Oh how exciting. Here’s to an incredible year ahead.
13 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
EDUCATE Limited Edition Leadership Academy
WITH PAULA DUNN
W
elcome to my new column, my name is Paula Dunn and I’m a Teenage Resilience Expert and Cognitive Scientist. My column will focus on Cultivating a Leadership Mindset. My mission is to help young women and girl create confidence to conquer life, their way! I believe in a future where all girls have equal opportunities to develop leadership skills as part of their lives and not for those in leadership positions.
Speaking from personal experience, I would have loved to have learned about leadership when I was 15 and not after transitioning into a leadership role within corporate. Leadership gave me the tools to be proud to be me, have courage and to live life without limits. Having been born with a bilateral cleft lip and palate, limits were already bestowed on me. Doctors told my parents “These kids don’t last long” and teachers put me in special slow learners’ classes for Maths and English because they considered me “Dumb”. But I wasn’t dumb, I was being teased relentlessly both physically and verbally by the boys at school. I had no psychological safety to learn and thrive at school, I was merely surviving. Now I bring my experience and expertise into my business No Limits Consulting and here on eYs to help you all thrive. Bullying is something I stand up against and I don’t want another young girls or woman feel like they have no voice or power to change their circumstances. I’ve seen how bullying can impact on a personal and professional level and if we don’t take charge of our own destinies, we’ll forever be at the mercy of others. Through my research I’ve discovered 5 important areas to get you thinking about creating confidence to conquer life your way! They are Confidence, Conscious Inclusion, Cultivation Growth Mindset, Congruence and Collaboration. 2020 has indeed tested our very essence of who we are as humans and as this year is drawing to a close it’s a great time to reflect upon the year that was but also remain optimistic and hopeful that next year will be a new year filled with endless possibilities. So, what better way to reset the mind by creating confidence to conquer life in 2021. Here are 10 Tips to get you thinking: “Stop thinking you’re doing it all wrong. Your path doesn’t look like anybody else’s because it can’t, it shouldn’t, and it won’t.” – Eleanor Brown 14 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
1. BE YOURSELF Many of our fears and anxieties come from trying to be something other than who we truly are. We compare ourselves to others and feel bad if we haven’t reached our “milestones”, based on what other people think we should have achieved by a certain age. The sooner you realise that you’re a unique individual with unique gifts to offer the world, the sooner you’ll be at peace with yourself and others. 2. DON’T FEAR NOT BEING LIKED OR BEING JUDGED BY OTHERS One of the biggest concerns we have while growing up is about being part of a tribe or group. The problem with that is we compromise ourselves and move away from the life we truly desire. It’s okay if not everyone likes you. After all, why fit in when you were clearly born to stand out? Your true friends will not judge you but will come from a place of curiosity to respectfully understand your beliefs and perspectives.
3.DON’T FEAR FAILURE – EMBRACE IT Failure is one of the biggest roadblocks to success, but not for the reasons you may think. Too many people give up and admit defeat before they realise, they could potentially be only one more failure away from achieving success. It really knocks your self-esteem and your ego. However, 90% of people give up on their dreams because they are too uncomfortable to sit within the “failure zone”. If you do have a setback or failure, rise above it by looking at the lessons and setting a better course for next time. 4. TAKE DAILY AND CONSISTENT ACTION One of the most important tips of all is to just make a start! Many people wait for the right conditions before they take action. They think, “When I have this or become that…” The best time to take action is now, even if you don’t feel ready. Write down your goal and the date you want to achieve it by. Then work backwards and write down what actions you can take each day in order to get there. 5. SURROUND YOURSELF WITH PEOPLE WHO WILL HELP YOU ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS Be careful who you take advice from when you’re shooting for the moon. Many people may have given up on their dreams and will not want to see you succeed in yours. If you surround yourself with visionaries, innovators and disruptors, they will help you manifest your idea. Find a mentor, coach or role model who will help you get out of your own way to achieve the dreams you want to fulfill. As well as encouraging you, they can help you get there sooner. 6. NEVER CHANGE THE GOAL, JUST THE JOURNEY Confident people don’t compromise their end goal if the path becomes too hard. Instead, they ‘pivot’ and try new things. If the journey gets difficult, look for what’s missing. My motto is: “You can either find a way or find an excuse, the choice is yours.” 7. LEARN A NEW SKILL One of the best ways to overcome self-doubt is to learn something new. It’s easy to become 15 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
complacent in life and sit within our comfort zones. To shake things up, try something different, whether it’s a hobby, a language or something you can add to your CV to help you stand out. If it scares you and makes you feel a little uncomfortable, do it! 8. GRATITUDE & COMPASSION A habit of so many successful and happy people are to be thankful for the work they’ve achieved so far, and the lessons that were learned along the way. One tip is to write down just three things each day that you are grateful for. Having compassion for yourself will help you ride the waves of failures, negativity and setbacks in your life. Don’t be your own harshest critic to a point where you stop trying altogether. 9.CELEBRATE THE WINS, HOWEVER SMALL One thing I’ve learned in business is that we often spend so much time chasing the big goals that we lose sight of the smaller wins. When you do this, you lose motivation and start comparing yourself to others who are further ahead of where you are. Reward yourself as you chip away at your smaller goals, even if it is with something small like a manicure or new outfit. 10. STAY POSITIVE! Instead of saying, “Why me?” instead say, “Try me!” Maintaining a positive mindset throughout your life will help you overcome adversity more quickly and heal faster than those who see the glass as half empty. It takes daily and consistent action to reprogram yourself into creating confidence to conquer life, but your hard work will be rewarded in ways you cannot even imagine. “Knowing that you have the power within to make your life how you see fit regardless of what others say is true freedom and liberation!” – Paula Dunn.
16 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
BOOK PAULA DUNN AS YOUR NEXT KEYNOTE SPEAKER OR WORK WITH ME 1:1 ABOUT
Paula Dunn is a Teenage Resilience Expert and Cognitive Scientist who works with teenagers, parents and educators to position them for maximum impact in their studies, personal and professional lives. Paula believes that developing strong identities for life are the building blocks for living your authentic self. Paula has over 20 years experience delivering award-winning people leadership strategies for iconic and international brands such as Eli Lilly, Johnson & Johnson and Cochlear. WORK WITH ME
1:1 Coaching Group Coaching Key notes Topics: Career Advice, Confidence, Bullying, study/life balance, Stress/Anxiety, Procrastination, Overwhelm, study habits, Mindset, Motivation and Momentum. CONNECT PAULA@NOLIMITSCONSULTING.COM.AU WWW.NOLIMITSCONSULTING.COM.AU
LinkedIn: pauladunn Facebook: nolimitsconsulting1 Instagram:no_limits_consulting Twitter: dunn76paula 17 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
UNITED NATIONS
UNITED NATIONS ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA (UNAA) NSW DIVISION Dr PATRICIA JENKINGS BA (Hons) PhD (USYD)
President, UNAA – NSW Division Vice President, UNAA – National
INTERVIEWS by JASMINA SIDEROVSKI
D
r Patricia Jenkings grew up in Bondi amongst post War displaced persons who arrived with hope in their hearts and the dream of a new and peaceful life for themselves and their families after suffering the horrors of War. Hearing their tragic stories, often brutal, motivated my sensitivity to the rights of others and lifelong commitment to the pursuit of social justice for all. Growing up with neighbours from many different cultural backgrounds stirred her spirit of adventure. One memorable experience for Dr Jenkings was living in a poor coastal Mexican village called San Blas where she assisted families and taught the children English. Living among these village people, helped her appreciate their different way of life, which unfortunately, was marred by inequality and poverty. While travelling, Dr Jenkings also experienced ‘firsthand’ human tragedy, working at the Munich Olympics for Australian Associated Press where two weeks into the Games, the Munich Massacre occurred. The atmosphere was sombre and tense and the outcome tragic with innocent lives lost. Dr Jenkings: “It should never be forgotten that peace is precious and fragile. It gives us freedom of mind and spirit and must never be taken for granted.” After living and working overseas where the plight of the deprived screamed out for the elimination of discrimination as well as the need for greater appreciation of our culturally diverse world, she returned home and put herself through University. She has always had a deep respect for the potential of education and chose studies related to her earlier life experiences. Dr Patricia Jenkings was awarded her PhD and BA with Honours from the University of Sydney. Dr Jenkings: “My Honours thesis (20,000), was based on an Oral History Study of Inner-City Migrants.” “My PhD thesis (95,000 words), was a pioneering work
18 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
that helps explain the shift from the Anglo-Celtic, monocultural view of citizenship to one that officially recognises the culturally diverse nature of Australian society today and contributes towards explaining Australia’s transformation into a thriving multicultural society. As well, I have completed related international studies.” Dr Jenkings also supports gender equality, which she considers most important. Dr Jenkings: “After all, women make up 50% of the population and it is in everyone’s interest that they be treated equally.” She served as Vice Chair UN Women Sydney and on the National Breast Council Foundation Women’s Advisory Network. She is a member of the Academic Council on the UN System
and presented at a range of Conferences including in New York on UN principles, UN Women and in London on world affairs and the importance of multilateralism. In 2014, Dr Jenkings took part in the United Nations Association European Meeting held in Geneva. A member of Stanford’s Who’s Who, a global business social network of selected executives, professionals and entrepreneurs. She worked in a variety of fields and is an experienced Ministerial Policy and Research Analyst who has provided strategic advice at the highest levels of Government. Globally, Dr Jenkings has assisted disadvantaged communities. For women and struggling communities throughout Africa, she developed strategic programs, contributed towards educational and workplace reform, combatting child trafficking and improving outcomes for young people in Pakistan. She led a UN local governance project for Uzbekistan to increase local participation and served on the Board of a rural community in Nigeria. At home, Dr Jenkings is a proud member of the local Multicultural Advisory Committee, established to help promote cultural harmony and social cohesion and build a more resilient and inclusive community. Dr Jenkings: “With a love of our beautiful oceans and wanting everyone to be able to enjoy the surf, I pioneered a water safety program for new settlers to Australian shores at my local surf club, which was recognised internationally.” What is your role at United Nations Association of Australia? President - United Nations Association of Australia - NSW Vice President - United Nations Association of Australia National Former Lead, Human Rights Program NSW. When and why did you become an advocate for UNAA? My involvement with UNAA was largely influenced by youthful experiences when hearing the tragic stories of displaced persons, while overseas working particularly at Olympic Games where innocent athletes were slaughtered and living in primitive communities where I devoted time to help the disadvantaged. This was a pivotal time of my life and reinforced my own values and ideals including justice, human rights, equality, peace, sustainability and a fair go for all peoples, which are aligned with our Association values. A little voice in the back of my head, is continually reminding me of the plight of less fortunate and of the importance of working for the common good. I firmly believe that for the betterment of humanity, we have a shared responsibility and should make every effort possible to work together to help make the world a safer and fairer place, leaving no one behind. This is helped made possible through the work at our Association. What are valuable lessons you learned along the way in a high-profile organisation? Your contribution can be notably impacting and personally rewarding not just for yourself but also for others particularly through collaboration for the common good. Life is made rich through our genuine relationships, which motivate me to keep moving towards achieving shared goals, good teamwork and helping others.
19 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
Is there any advice you would like to offer anyone who may be interested to pursue the same path? Be patient and learn from your experiences as everyone one of them holds an important lesson. Discover what inspires you, pursue it with kindness, integrity, while practicing compassion and never give up. Do not let the little things distract or sidetrack you but rather, keep your eye on the big picture and always be authentic, loyal, remain true to your values and treat others as you would like to be treated. As well, earn the trust of your team, it is inspirational. What motivates you to be a change-maker – especially during these challenging times? It’s challenging times themselves that motivate me, because in these times the work of the United Nations is needed most! Additionally, 2020 marks the beginning of the SDGs Decade of Action – and we only have 10 years to accomplish the goals. So now is the time to initiate meaningful change. I am a proud mother of two children and have a responsibility to them and future generations to do all I can to ensure their safety and security. I am also driven by the current need to address the unprecedented challenges we face in our increasingly chaotic world environment where democracy and universal values are under threat and so there is a need to help create a better world for all in the wonderful spirit of humanitarian mateship. Who is your inspiration and why? I grew up in Bondi, with post War migrants who arrived here after experiencing tragedy... As a young girl I heard their stories that have remained with me for my life. Reflecting on their tragic life experiences and heartbreaking stories constantly inspires my work at UNAA. What are the main challenges in your journey with UNAA that stands out and how do you find the motivation to reach a solution that may also inspire others? The COVID-19 pandemic has presented a considerable challenge – especially affecting our capacity to run events for important International Days. My devoted and talented team at UNAA NSW who are highly motivated to find innovative solutions while working together constantly inspires me. What are your personal goals within the UNAA? To inform, inspire, and engage my fellow Australians about the important work of the UN. To increase participation in the SDGs Decade of Action. What is your favourite pastime when you aren’t working? Enlightening walks along beautiful Bondi Beach. https://www.unaa.org.au/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-patricia-jenkings-ba-honsphd-usyd-62aa2617/ https://www.unaa.org.au/about/state-teams/new-south
UNITED NATIONS
UNITED NATIONS ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA (UNAA) NSW DIVISION JOSHUA KARRAS
Executive Manager, UNAA – NSW Division
J
oshua Karras graduated from the University of New South Wales with an Undergraduate Degree in Vision Science, and quickly came to develop a passion in communication and International Public Health, including the future of Public Health and global health indicators as a whole. For this reason, he was fortunate enough to complete three Masters degrees (International Public Health, Health Management and Public Health Majoring in Infectious Disease Control), whilst conducting research at the School of Optometry and Vision Science and managing a Visual Education Centre for primary school children. As a man of diverse cultural origin, he also engages with organisations which aim to promote and embed multicultural values in our greater community.
Is there any advice you would like to offer anyone else who may be interested to pursue the same path?
What is your role at UNAA?
Who is your inspiration and why?
I currently hold the position of Executive Manager with the United Nations Association of Australia NSW Division. I’m responsible for creatively conceiving, developing, planning, promoting and executing a wide breadth of events which align with the objectives and targets of the United Nations. Most notably, I design initiatives under the guidance of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals, including Goal 13: Climate Action, Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities and Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being. My position requires me to educate, inform and inspire the New South Wales community about these various goals and objectives of the United Nations to make the world a safer and better world for all.
Dr Martin Luther King Jnr
When and why did you decide to become an advocate for UNAA? I began volunteering with UNAA NSW nearly 3 years ago and began in my current position nearly 2 years ago. My primary driving force was to drive cross sectoral partnership and collaboration to deliver real world results, which maintain relevance on a local, state, national and international scale. I fell in love with the UN mantra “We the Peoples”, which aims to empower the individual to utilise their unique voice and skill set in order to enact change within their community. What are valuable lessons you have learned along the way in a high-profile organisation? I’ve learned that when the day is done, it must be known that we the peoples ferociously strived to be better to ourselves, to each other and to our world. Having faith in people is key to seeing the best in them.
20 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
Absolutely. Get educated about topics that matter to you. Volunteer. Take opportunities that relate to your interests and passions. What motivates you to be a change-maker – especially during these challenging times? I feel that we as a nation are extremely lucky. The pandemic has catalysed me to work even harder on issues relating to social justice and environmental sustainability, only because so many people don’t have that luxury right now.
He maintained a persistent and unwavering voice of change. What are the main challenges in your journey with UNAA that stands out and how do you find the motivation to reach a solution that may also inspire others? Issues include: Overcoming misinformation about items relating to science As a Non for-Profit Organisation, maintaining consistent funding has been a real challenge I just lean into the fact that I am surrounded by incredible volunteers who will, at the end of the day, do what needs to be done to keep the mandate of the UNAA alive and healthy. What are your personal goals within the UNAA? Three goals: Grow and Expand the organisation Have people more aware of the works of the UN Foster a sense of Global Citizenship within the NSW community What is your favourite pastime when you aren’t working? I enjoy singing and producing musical videos! LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-karras-9ba9385a/
21 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
UNITED NATIONS
UNITED NATIONS ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA (UNAA) NSW DIVISION KEVIN SPENCE
Director of Membership, Sustainability Lead and Host of Monthly Meetup
O
riginally from the UK, Kevin Spence moved to Australia in 2014 and is now proud to call himself a Citizen. His career to date has been working in sales helping global clients to solve business problems through a mix of people, process and technology. Spencer is fortunate to have travelled for work in many different countries and whilst meeting rooms and while hotel rooms look pretty much the same the world over, he is always fascinated to learn about the differences in business culture in each place. And even when on a tight schedule, to make sure he is trying the local cuisine. What is your role at UNAA? Director of Membership, Sustainability lead and host of our monthly Meetup. 22 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
When and why did you decide to become an advocate for UNAA? I first became aware of the Sustainable Development Goals in 2017 and had the realisation that we can do something now to help the future of humanity. Around that time, I also started exploring Artificial Intelligence and recognising the social and economic impact that will bring over the next 20-30 years. This led me to question what it means to be human in this time. For me that means having compassion for others and so I developed a desire to make sure that I am helping people now as well as in the future. UNAA was the most relevant place for me to want to get involved so I just got in touch, rolled my sleeves up and asked how I could help.
What are valuable lessons you have learned along the way in a high-profile organisation? That there are so many amazing people in this country, trying to make a difference for the benefit of others. Whether being part of large organisations or making a personal impact, there is a lot of drive, passion, commitment and compassion in our communities that is having an impact and making others’ lives better. Is there any advice you would like to offer anyone else who may be interested to pursue the same path? Get started. Move with intention. Find a way to add value to a cause that you are passionate about, do it and see where it takes you. With momentum brings new opportunities. What motivates you to be a change-maker – especially during these challenging times? Imagining the world in 10-30 years’ time and wanting to play a small part in making sure that it’s the best world possible. There always have been and always will be challenging times. That’s no reason to take time off. No matter how bad things seem there are always many, many more who are suffering much worse. In choosing to help others I find purpose and enjoy my own experience more. Who is your inspiration and why? Everyone. All humans experience emotions, love, grief, joy, 23 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
sadness and that’s all the inspiration I need. Everyone deserves a chance to live their life without fear, judgement or prejudice. If there are systems and structures preventing that, then that’s where we need to work together to drive change. What are the main challenges in your journey with UNAA that stands out and how do you find the motivation to reach a solution that may also inspire others? Lack of awareness of the UN itself as well as the Sustainable Development Goals. Most people think of the UN as being something that happens in other countries and not being relevant to them. My motivation comes from helping others to understand what it means to them as individuals and how they can contribute to making the world a better place. What are your personal goals within the UNAA? To have a measurable impact in my role as Sustainability lead with a focus on the Sustainable Development Goals. And to help connect as many Members and Volunteers with projects that they are passionate about, to help them have a personal impact right now. What is your favourite pastime when you aren’t working? Spending time with friends. Sharing a meal and a few drinks is my simple pleasure.
ENVIRONMENT
GREENDEN MARCO PIEMONTE The March of Sustainability Written by Farhana Meghami Zulhash Head of the International Secretariat
B
attling the pandemic in recent times, it has come to the notice of all renowned organizations, professionals, humanitarians and so on that the only way to provide a better and safer future for the upcoming generations is by ensuring sustainable development in all forms immediately! Sustainable development is not a methodology but a way of living. The United Nations further strengthen this. They have laid out 17 goals that maximize the emphasis Sustainable Development has in ensuring the successful and long-lasting development of economies, livelihoods, cultures and prospects for generations to come. Accepting and obliging by this thought, professionals from around the globe have teamed up together as a force, a force named as Green Hearts Dignity, led by the Founder Marco Piemonte, in order ensure sustainable development conquers as much of the world as conceivable in the shortest time possible. Green Hearts Dignity focuses on an eco-friendly revolution brought about in all sectors of social, environmental and governance issues through education and innovation,
24 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
thus giving way to a so-called Shock economy. This economy revolutionizes the living-hood of people to guarantee that in the long run, pandemics and natural disasters are better countered with the least damage. Marco, an Italian born visionary, was awarded for the artistic inauguration of the European Community back in the 1990s. His aims and mission of being a leader in driving goals that bring together a wave of positivity and enhance the standard living of people have won him recognition from all over the globe. Now, Green Hearts Dignity has also grabbed the attention of renowned organizations and individuals immensely. “Team GHD Italy” promoted an event called “The March of Sustainability” which will be replicated around the world giving life to a new Educational and Marketing Format Sustainable, to bring entrepreneurs and citizens closer. “The treasure Hunt Sustainable” which is a game where players or participants search for the solutions using a trail of clues. The unique feature of Treasure Hunt Sustainable aims to solve all clues; one must reveal the 17 Sustainable
Development Goals needed to implement, practice, and adapt to ensure the best way of life for all around the globe. This Treasure Hunt is also userfriendly, understandable by any nationality, and profession irrespective of language or age. Furthermore, Greenden, a vital share of GHD, operates through three guidelines: the first refers to technology through integrating a sustainable economic system to scout healthy food products; the second combines the first, through re-designing the “work-life” of farmers in society as modern keepers of knowledge and acceptable, sustainable practices; and the third aims at extending the digital transformation processes to local and global agricultural platforms so that the root of sustainable development is implanted and enriched. Green Hearts Dignity is the need-of-the-hour to ensure a world that’s friendly and livable by all in the post-COVID-19 period; action must be taken now by adopting the most required steps urgently. Alcuni dei partecipanti della giornata “La Marcia della Sostenibilità” I Vincitori della Caccia al Tesoro Sostenibile assieme al fondatore dei GHD “Marco Piemonte”a e gli sponsor dell’evento “La Marcia della Sostenibilità” Il Team GHD che ha realizzato il Format della Caccia al Tesoro Sostenibile Il Medaglione Treasure Hunt Sustainable che i concorrenti dopo aver risposto agli enigmi devono ritrovare 25 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
LAW SOCIETY
BOJANA BOGOJEVIC Law and Corporate Governance Lawyer, Post-Grad Specialist for Corporate Governance, UN Climate Teacher, and Author
HUMAN TRAFFICKING
18.10.2020 was the 14th EU Anti-Trafficking Day. As a Lawyer, it’s my obligation to educate or remind you that trafficking in persons is a serious crime and a grave violation of human rights. The United Nations defines human trafficking as: “The recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or a position of vulnerability or the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation.” I can be free and say it is a global problem. It is almost impossible to find a country which isn’t affected by some trafficking because it can be affected as country of origin, a transit country and final destination for trafficking victims. Sometimes one country can be a combination of all those three stages. The United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, adopted by General Assembly resolution 55/25 of 15 November 2000, is the leading international instrument in the fight against transnational organized crime. It opened for signature by the Member States at a High-level 26 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
Political Conference convened for that purpose in Palermo, Italy, on 12-15 December 2000 and entered into force on 29 September 2003. The Convention is further supplemented by three Protocols, which target specific areas and manifestations of organized crime: The Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children. The Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air. The Protocol against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, their Parts and Components and Ammunition. Countries must become parties to the Convention itself before they can become parties to any of the Protocols. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Web Site (UNODC) assists States in their efforts to implement the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Person (Trafficking in Persons Protocol). The Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children, was adopted by
individual is forced to work to pay a debt. Sex trafficking disproportionately affects women and children and involves forced participation in commercial sex acts. Perceptions of human trafficking often involve women forced into prostitution—just one aspect of human trafficking. Survivors of trafficking also include men and children. Signs of human trafficking: A person who has been trafficked may: 1) Show signs that their movement is controlled; 2) Have false identity or travel documents; 3) Not know their home or work address; 4) Have no access to their earnings; 5) Be unable to negotiate working conditions; 6) Work excessively long hours over long periods; 7) Have limited or no social interaction;
General Assembly resolution 55/25. It entered into force on 25 December 2003. It is the first global legally binding instrument whether as a country of origin, transit or destination for victims.
8) Have limited contact with their families or with people outside of their immediate environment; 9) Think that they are bonded by debt.
According to the definition from Trafficking in Persons Protocol, trafficking in persons has three elements:
It is important to emphasize that each victim of human trafficking has specific needs that are unique to the situation.
1. THE ACT (What is done);
Due to COVID19 and its consequences, we can expect more victims of human trafficking, and we must end the impunity of traffickers by stepping up prevention efforts and bringing perpetrators to justice. Because in the majority of cases, victims are women and girls as the easiest targets.
2. THE MEANS (How it is done); 3. THE PURPOSE (Why it is done). The most asked question always was and still is, which countries are affected by human trafficking? There is no immunity. At the beginning of this article, we saw three stages of trafficking act. In the majority of cases, trafficking is national or regional, but there are also cases of long-distance trafficking. If we divide the world in this article on Europe, Asia and USA we can say Europe is the destination for victims from the most comprehensive range of destinations, victims from Asia are trafficked to the broadest range of destinations. The Americas are prominent both as the origin and destination of victims of human trafficking. Types of human trafficking? Trafficking can take various forms and may involve: 1) sexual exploitation, including prostitution; 2) forced labour or services; 3) slavery, servitude and related practices; 4) the removal of vital organs. Trafficking can also take the form of exploitation for the purpose of forced criminality, such as pickpocketing, shoplifting and drug trafficking. According to the US Department of State Forced labour, is the most significant sector of trafficking in the world. Debt bondage is a form of human trafficking in which an 27 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
At the end of this article, it is crucial to understand HUMAN TRAFFICKING IS NOT PEOPLE SMUGGLING! Even people can easily say how patterns of human trafficking are similar to those seen in people smuggling; they are different legally; a broad distinction can be made between the two.
FEATURE
CHRISSY SYKES
Creator of the My Body Is My Body Programme & Vice President of Child Welfare Global Goodwill Ambassadors
My Body is My Body–Changing Children’s Lives One Song at a Time
M
y Body is My Body is one of the most successful, positive and fun filled musical “body safety” programs around. The programme is free to everyone and has been translated into 19 languages. Chrissy Sykes the creator of the programme is on a mission create a safer world for all children. This award-winning South African singer and songwriter has made it her life’s work to use music to educate both adults and children about subject of child abuse prevention in a positive and empowering way. Abuse is a subject that many people find difficult to talk about. For many it is too close to home and for others finding the right words to discuss this subject is hard. Chrissy wants to show parents, teachers and communities that is does not have to be a difficult discussion with children - and that by using simple songs and rules, we can teach children to speak up and keep safe. Chrissy was sexually abused as a 4 and 5-year-old child by her babysitter and never told anyone until she was an adult. This was because she thought she had done something wrong and that her parents would not love her anymore if they found out. Many children never disclose their abuse because of these types of feelings. It is of utmost importance that we talk to children and tell them that it is not their fault if someone abuses them,
28 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
they are not to blame and that they can talk to safe adults to get help. One of the most important things we can teach children is they have the right to say NO if someone does something that makes them feel uncomfortable or if someone tries to touch their private parts. The other important message is to tell someone and if that person does not help them - to tell someone else and keep telling till someone helps them. There are many long term effects that can be caused by child maltreatment: Low self-esteem, emotional problems, depression and or anxiety, eating disorders, self-harm, PTSD (where children can re-experience the traumatic events of abuse), suicidal thoughts, problems with physical injuries, burns, or fractures, difficulty forming and maintaining relationships. All of these have negative lifelong effects on children. These are just some of the reasons we have to take the subject of prevention so seriously. Child abuse effects more than 1 billion children around the world every year, but Chrissy is positive that that by educating communities things can definitely change for the better. 100% of child abuse is preventable. Why use music to teach this subject? Songs are also a wonderful way for children to remember the important messages being taught as they are interactive. The more fun and memorable
you make the experience the more children will remember the message. I am sure you all remember little songs that you were taught as a child, the My body is My Body Songs have great life messages that will stay with them. A study which involved children, published in the Journal of Music Therapy, showed that music, and learning new songs, relate to a more positive self-concept and development of self-esteem, helping children feel better about themselves. Chrissy believes that to make a real difference in this world we need to get communities, parents and children talking about the subject of abuse in a positive non-threatening way - and what better way to do this than through fun educational songs. There are 6 songs each dealing with different aspects of educating children about body safety. Song 1. My Body Is My Body Song Objective To teach children that their body is their own and no-one has the right to hurt them or touch their private parts. Song 2. If It Don’t Feel Right - Don’t Do it Song Objective To teach children to listen to their own feelings. To talk about peer pressure and to help children with body empowerment Song 3. The What if Game Song Objective To teach children to say NO with authority in difficult situations Song 4. If You’ve Got A Problem Song Objective To reinforce the learning of telling someone if there is a problem and if that person doesn’t listen, keep telling till someone does listen Song 5. Love Is Gentle Song Objective To teach children that love is gentle and kind and is all about caring, sharing and trusting Song 6 Say “NO” To Secrets Song Objective To teach children NOT to keep SECRETS
29 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
How the programme started: On June 8th, 1986 in a section of London, England, the life of Kimberley Carlisle aged 4 ended. She weighed 24 pounds, her body was crushed in many places, there were cigarette burns on her back and a boot heel imprinted on her skull. Her stepfather was charged with the crime and sentenced to 18 years in prison. At the time Chrissy Sykes who was a popular South African Country Singer was on a stopover in London on her way to the United States of America, where she had been invited to Nashville by the legendary Producer Pete Drake. She kept reading the stories about Kimberley in the newspapers and having a little girl who was also 4 at the time this story touched her heart and made a lasting impression. Chrissy wrote the song “Kimberley” on the flight over to the USA. In early 1989, whilst in Texas Chrissy was at a dinner party where knowing she was a singer the hostess asked Chrissy to sing a song. She sat down at the piano and for the first time played the song “Kimberley” for the guests. Unaware that one of the guests at the dinner was the President of the Texas Child
Welfare Board who loved the song, Chrissy was asked if it could be used as a method of raising funds and awareness for Child Abuse Prevention Month in Texas. Chrissy consented and later that year during Child Abuse Prevention Month the Texas Child Welfare Board sold 14,000 records and tapes of the song and raised $70,000. As a promotional aspect Chrissy travelled Texas for 3 weeks and found herself being introduced to talk to children in schools and giving general public presentations, thus giving birth to the “Kimberley Project”. Not being a human services professional Chrissy felt uncomfortable and inadequate speaking the first time to 500 children and then over 2000 at the next location but spoke nonetheless with her natural warmth understanding and sincerity. She was a success and children and adults were disclosing their being abused for the first time ever, to anyone, at the rate of 15% per presentation Chrissy found audiences being receptive and open, not only to bring up the subject of child abuse but learning the problem and how to prevent it. Music being her main mode of communication these presentations stirred her creativity and from her own experiences and those shared with her, she began to write her thoughts through songs and here began the “My Body Is My Body” Programme. Working closely with professionals from the Departments of Education and Human Services Chrissy put together the program and it was approved by the Department of Human Services in Texas. A research study published in the Journal of Music Therapy which involved children, showed that music, and typically group singing activities like the “My Body Is My Body” program found an increase in trust and group cohesiveness and cooperation. In addition, singing and developing music skills (like learning new songs) relate to increasing a more positive self-concept and development of self-esteem - helping kids feel better about themselves. In a 5-year period Chrissy presented the program to over 350,000 children in Texas, Tennessee, Florida and Virginia, working with Schools, PTAs, Department of Human Services and Department of Education.” An important piece of information came to light when Chrissy was visiting the Tennessee State Prison where some of the inmates were asked - “What would you do if a child said No to you?”the answer was “We would look for another child that did not say No” So therefore the answer is to educate as many children as possible to say NO!!! The past 4 years Chrissy realised that she could only reach a small portion of children by presenting the live show, so she decided to animate the program so that it could be shared on the internet and distributed to schools, teachers and parents worldwide free of charge. It took Chrissy 4 years to learn how to animate and set up her studio and in 2017 she released the first animation in English. The videos were so well received that she had several requests to produce them in various languages. To date the program has been translated into 19 languages and animations have been viewed nearly 750,00 times on YouTube. This is not a true reflection as to how many children are watching the videos as Chrissy sends many schools, NGO’s 30 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
and Foundations all the videos to download due to many areas not having suitable internet. Chrissy is very happy to have the support of many wonderful organisations. ISPCAN (The International Society for The Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect) Compassion International has the programmeon their ForChildren.com Website. Chrissy is working with Cognizant Outreach who have 2000 volunteers in 29 Countries. She also has over 200 Volunteer Ambassadors around the world that are sharing the programme in their communities. Chrissy is looking forward to continuing to spread her message around the world and making the programme available in many more languages. She believes that young children need to be taught these songs in their native languages. This programme can be taught to children from the age of 3. If you would like to share this programme in your community, please visit the My Body is My Body website at www. mybodyismybody.com and find out all about the free resources which include Two Courses: - Introduction to child Maltreatment and Safeguarding Children and how to present the My Body is My Body programme, videos songs, lesson plans, children’s workbooks and a quiz. Chrissy Sykes Creator of the My Body Is My Body Programme Vice President of Child Welfare Global Goodwill Ambassadors
eYs CHILD AMBASSADOR
KWABIA AUNTIE HAYDEN
K
wabia Auntie Hayden was born in 2018. to proud parents, Philip Attuah Ansah and Gladys Biney. She has two older sisters, Blessings Owusua Auntie and Selta Owusua Auntie, and is the youngest grandchild of Kwabia’s Family and lives in Ghana. Kwabia is expected to start her primary education in the January, February intake as per Ghana’s Board of Education. She likes watching English cartoons, movies on her tablet, and speaks English as her first language and has control over it than the Ghanaian language (Twi). Occasionally Kwabia dislikes to go to bed early and instead prefers to play with her mother. Kwabia is a campaigner for support girl child education and equality for all gender initiatives introduced by her mother in 2018 now launched nationwide. She uses the following as her social media handle in supporting her mother’s national campaign project “Support girl child education and equality for all gender.” Instagram: @auntiekwabia Facebook: @Hayden Kwabia Auntie Photography by Biney’s Art
31 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
post A ina rist K 32 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
ska
tolo 33 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
CREATE
RACHELLE ROE STUDIO by Anita Roe
Extraordinary Women
S
pring has sprung in my beautiful hometown Toowoomba and whilst the regular activities of the annual Carnival of Flowers have been reduced due to the current COVID-19 climate our city still displays the most incredible gardens. In this edition, I have chosen to feature two extraordinary women who are, in fact, sisters. I have known Bianca for seventeen years, and at the time, her sister Kate was only a child. To see them blossom into incredible women makes me proud. Bianca is the mother of two beautiful, young children and is one of the most hardworking, patient and supporting women I know. Given unforeseen circumstances, these sisters are now each other’s rock. It is encouraging and heartfelt to see how their friendship and bond as sisters has grown over these years.
34 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
Over the years, Bianca has been an incredible support to me. I met her not long after my first marriage ended. Then throughout the turmoil of a rather toxic five-year relationship, she was my shoulder to cry on and the very one person who could always make me laugh and see the light in any situation. Moving forward, we were each other’s bridesmaids. A lot has happened in between all these years, but here we are still able to laugh, reminisce and accept what has been and hold hope for what the future may bring. I was excited when Bianca reached out to me to model for this project. What made it even more special was including her sister Kate. There is definitely some magic when siblings or family are involved in photoshoots. Initially, I was going to feature
various Toowoomba gardens, then changed my mind on the day. I wanted the girls to shine and be the feature, rather than the flowers. I didn’t want to lose them amongst the surrounding landscape, and I am so pleased that I made that choice.
Our make-up artists for the special day was Rachel, of Rachel’s Beauty in Toowoomba. An extremely versatile and talented make-up artist who presented two very unique styles for the girls.
I chose Picnic Point as our backdrop, which offers lush rainforest surroundings as well as dry grassy parkland.
What woman doesn’t like to be pampered with make-up and dress up on any given day?
The jewellery features some pieces from the studio archives as well as some new Spring designs to compliment the girl’s personality and flowing dresses.
To me, this was Bianca and Kate’s day, and I was blessed to be able to capture their beauty and personality.
35 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
CREATE
RACHELLE ROE STUDIO by Anita Roe
Peacehaven Paradise
M
uch has changed in the world since our last publication, including a new President and VicePresident in the USA. And here in Australia, our Queensland Premier remains on our side to keep our state healthy and free of COVID-19. After quite some time between photo shoots, I was so pleased to collaborate with local model Megan Buckley once again. I have to admit that my passion for Bohemian style jewellery designs is very close to my heart, so this was the chosen theme. After finding a beautiful oasis, being Peacehaven Botanic Park, I was truly looking forward to exploring and photographing amongst the native beauty of the gardens. Local Stan Kuhl had a desire to promote global peace and reflect on some of the great gardens he had visited in his world travels. Peacehaven
36 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
Park was officially opened in 2006. Toowoomba Council then purchased Stan Kuhl’s original home black and grey the park to 5.3 hectares. The beauty of the park was perfect for capturing my model and a bohemian theme. Megan arrived at my home, ready for her professional make-up session and brought with her the most beautiful pre-loved, vintage gown that her mother had found in a local second-hand store. To say that it was perfect, was an understatement. I love photographing with the model’s wearing solid coloured clothing and in particular, black or white, not to mention that my jewellery is showcased to its optimum potential in a visual sense against these colours.
It was such a pleasure to include my resident make-up artist Rachel once again, and she certainly met the brief with her flawless make-up techniques yet again. The backdrop of the native fauna was a natural and beautiful inclusion, and I was pleased to see some cloud cover to make the conditions perfect for capturing colour. I have spoken about rekindling my passion for photography and designing these past few months, and I can definitely say that my inspiration has returned in gusto. One of my favourite suppliers happens to be a short drive from my home. It is with excitement that I enter this particular store every time, and after all, what is there not to love about sparkling and pretty things? I have also sourced some incredible Swarovski crystal pearls, which are of astounding quality, so be sure to watch this space. My favourite custom design this month would have to be a pair of ballerina flower earrings that I designed for a beautiful bride to be. I have a passion for designing my floral earrings, and each flower is hand cut and crafted in my Toowoomba studio. My client was so thrilled to receive her special earrings, and I can’t wait for her to share a photo with me from her special day. Happiness, to me, is creating from my heart and soul and seeing my clients brimming with appreciation when they receive and wear my designs. This has been an enjoyable and positive end to 2020 amidst all the trials and tragedy the world has experienced.
I take the opportunity to pass on my love and blessings to all of our readers and your families. May you find peace, comfort and hope this Christmas season and I wish you all prosperity, health and happiness for the New Year to come. Thank you once again for following my journey. I couldn’t do this without your support. Kindest Blessings, Anita Rachelle Roe Model: Megan Buckley Make-up Artistry: - Rachel Dodt of Rachel’s Beauty Toowoomba Photography and Jewellery designs: - Rachelle Roe Studio
37 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
INSPIRE
DEME McDonald LIGHT in DARKNESS
Credit: Illustration by Austen McDonald
T
he year 2020, has been a tunnel of darkness with every inch consumed by a thick fog of fear and no apparent light in sight. Humanity worldwide has been ferociously assaulted by the Covid-19 pandemic, continued civil rights injustice, and opportunistic terrorism while the U.S., once considered a leader of leader’s flounders with an inept commander at the helm. On the 5th January of 2020, the World Health Organisation (WHO) reported on a cluster of pneumonia cases in Wuhan, China. Many of us were still in the festive mode ringing in the new year and finally settling on those annual resolutions while this silent threat crept across waters from country to country. On February 11th, 2020, the Novel Coronavirus received its new moniker of COVID-19 at which time countries commenced grand preparation efforts to protect and detect the disease. During this time on February 22nd, the WHO director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, cautioned, “We must take advantage of the window of opportunity we have to contain the outbreak. We don’t want to look back later & regret failing to act.” Two days following this grave warning, the Commander 38 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
in Chief stated, “The Coronavirus is very much under control in the USA… Stock Market starting to look very good to me!” Thus, initiating an avalanche of missed opportunities, profound despair and unpresented fear. This respiratory disease is not selective as all in the community can become a victim with the impact ricocheting through generations, uprooting family trees and devastating communities leaving many battling the virus on ventilators and loved ones suffocating from sudden loss all saying, “I can’t breathe”. The lethargic action of the US government resulting in over 12.3 Million infection cases and 257,000 fatalities by November 2020, which greatly exceed the cases and deaths of any other country. (source, World Health Organization -WHO COVID-19 Dashboard). While the coronavirus took a stranglehold on the world, on May 25, 2020, the global community watched in horror as George Floyd, an unarmed black man was murdered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, by those who promised to protect and serve. We held our breath for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, the time it took for a police office to kneel on Mr. Floyd’s neck squeezing out his last breath. This gross injustice and misuse of power ignited protest across the United States and flowed globally from Australia, New Zealand to London and more to fight against incidents of police brutality and all racially motivated violence against black people. Stifled by social injustice the resounding voice of the people proclaim, “I can’t Breathe”. Martin Luther King Jr., stated “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” (The Measure of a Man, 1959). This year has revealed the darkness and true motivation of government leaders good or evil. It has also, highlighted the stars of our global community. The heroes
of 2020 do not wear capes instead they don personal protective equipment (PPE), they are the front-line workers providing care to the victims of Covid-19, the hospital workers connecting isolated families via facetime. The stars of 2020 are the community members connecting with isolated neighbours and the millions of brothers and sisters of all hues across this world standing tall against injustice. “Only in the darkness can you see the stars.” Martin Luther King Jr: ‘Only when it’s dark enough can you see the stars’, (I’ve Been to the Mountaintop speech – 1968) The light is in the country leaders putting the people first, above economy and political party. World leaders joined together in a virtual G20 Summit on November 21-22, 2020 to demand global access to coronavirus vaccines, to and manage the pandemic and resulting global recession. Scott Morrison, the Prime Minister of Australia reiterates a global message “no one is safe until we are all safe”. We are all connected in this world and what affects one affects all. There is hope in our global leaders and promising vaccines are on the horizon. There is a bright light shining on global injustice through the wide-reaching Black Lives Matter movement and an awakening of voters to expel limited leaders and make history in the process with the recent Biden-Harris US election victory. The darkness is coming to an end. Those bright entities burning bright forging a path through this pandemic, and injustice, standing tall and fighting back. This holiday season as you place that star at the top of your holiday tree, think of all the stars shining bright to make our global community safe. Together. we are the light in the darkness breathing new life into humanity. Together we are stronger than you think. Deme McDonald
39 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
INSPIRE
A COSY CORNER BY COSETTE AWAD I am Living in a Torn Land “You’re a child of war”… that’s what my parents used to tell me. I lost all my beautiful childhood memories, except a gift, a convertible burgundy wedding car with a groom and bride that I used to play with, in the yard, next to the wrecks. All I can remember is bombing and destruction. And no one had told me that life is more than a playground and failing tests when I was a kid. I was young, too young to understand, but I had hope for a better tomorrow. I had a dream. A couple of years later, that dream of becoming an astronaut, has changed to dreaming of becoming a poet. So, I can change the world.
Photographer: Kareem Nakkash Instagram: @kareem_nakkash https://www.instagram.com/kareem_ nakkash Model: Walid Rajjab Instagram: @walidrajjab
I woke up a decade later, and nothing has changed. I remember walking in the ruins downtown, looking around at the few shops that were still open there; I used to imagine how life was before all this happen before my country became the torn land it is today. I travelled, tried to start from zero, twice, then came back home and said, “I’m not leaving anymore.” Regardless of all the tragedies, I refuse to lose faith; I refuse to let go of the last trace of hope I have. But everything that happened after the blast of August is not the same as before that day. And, the most challenging thing we have to endure now is the guilt of being alive, while our city is soaked with blood and our victims are buried under the ruins of what once was of the most beautiful cities in the world. The most common thing we often tend to do is find ourselves asking a hundred “Why?” between every breath and another. And every motivational word now seems like a cliché quote, saved on our phone gallery. I grieved Beirut; I mourned the people my beloved Beirut lost. I cried for three days, it’s a process, and I always trust the process.
40 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
https://www.instagram.com/walidrajjab I had my shares of losses, and I never really belonged to a place, and then I realized all the places are home because everyone I love is here. I’m pulling myself together; I’m going to be strong because it’s a damn responsibility to do that when someone you love tells you, “I need you.” Nothing makes sense, and nothing will work for a while. I’m confused now, just like you, but we will get through, we always do. It’s a long process, you know, you don’t have to be okay now. You can bury yourself under your blanket and cry; you can hide in your room not wanting to deal with the world right now or go out and help if you wish. This may be what makes you feel better, or you can pray, or write, or reach out for help, there are so many ways, and none of them is wrong, don’t let anyone tell you how to feel... Never! Heal in your own way; in situations like those, there is no right and wrong.
fall in the middle of the street or lost. The devastating explosion that happened in Beirut was a very traumatic experience for me, but at the same time, I saw the most significant acts of compassion and unity. If you ask me if I want to live in any other place or go back to my country, I will answer you, definitely no. Bassam Iunes
Mike Jammous As I entered my apartment on what I thought was a typical summer day, I felt the whole building shake. I knew it wasn’t an earthquake, it felt unnatural, and before I could register what had just happened, a massive blast tore into my apartment, breaking every window and shattering all my furniture. The next couple of minutes were blurry as I struggled to locate my father and my dog and made sure they were okay, all while drowning in confusion about what had just happened. After a few minutes had passed, I went to the closest window to take a look at my street, and it was at that exact moment that I realized a massive tragedy had just hit the county. Chills filled my body as I heard people crying and screaming in panic, but all I could see was grey smoke and destroyed properties. Having lived through the civil war and struggled through years of political uncertainty, I can safely say that nothing compares to the immensity of the Beirut explosion, nothing I have ever lived through at least. And just like that, just as we thought this year couldn’t possibly get any worse, the heart of our country blew up into a sea of rubble and blood. Lilly Oliveira All my life, I was a foreigner in someone’s country. I was eight years old when my parents decided to move from Brazil to Portugal. There I stayed until I met a Lebanese guy, and despite all the alarming advice about the country’s situation, I fled to Lebanon on New Year’s Eve of 2011. Little did I know that I would fall in love with this beautiful country and this beautiful city called Beirut? I didn’t need to speak the same language to feel welcome. And let me tell you a small detail. I’m a Christian, getting married to an atheist from a Muslim family. I never felt different, and I remember being astonished by how in a country with so many sects, people are one hand. Over and over, I testify how they help each other in times of need. And this was when I restored my faith in humanity. You can be different, but it doesn’t matter. They will be there if you 41 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
I have been dwelling in your streets since my tender years, and I’d never been tempted the least to catch a glimpse of your architectural chaos, not to mention the messy ornament of your entangled electrical cables and leaking pipes. To me, you were just a big concrete jungle where dreams are shot down, and I was never conscious of the energy that makes all these people get attached and indulged in singing for you. I admit it, I’d never really loved you, and I’d never considered myself your child. I’ve spent the last five years trying to leave you with no luck. During my fivemonth stay in South America, all that reminded me of you repeatedly popped up when I least expected it. It took 3,000 tons of explosives for me to realize that it was never about your walls, streets, and all your urban clutter; it is all about those I loved and considered my family. Yet, they
That Tuesday, August the 4th, people from all over Lebanon donated blood to their sisters and brothers and then food, medicine, clothes, furniture, and everything you can imagine, with a complete absence of any governmental support. We all rushed to reach our loved ones hoping they will pick up the phone for our hearts to cool down and our blood to run again in our veins...But even then, we didn’t feel okay, and we are still not. Many Lebanese decided to stay against all odds to help our wounded Beirut, but so many more lost the battle of hope and left broken-hearted looking for fundamental human rights abroad, leaving behind a land, a family, a lifetime... all fled you, and I am ready to do the same; however, I would be lying to myself if I said I would not miss you, Beirut, as the plane slices through the Mediterranean sky. Mirna Naddour “Be strong.” “Man-up, we are the children of war, (as Cozy mentioned in her introduction). This is how our parents tried to help us get over what happened in Beirut on that Tuesday, August the 4th! This is how they raised us, how they lived and adapt, and how we live now, witnessing a war, a national security accident every now and then... But how can we get over it? It was not one kilogram!
Cry Beirut, Cry! I won’t ask you to rise! Beirut is a mother whose children got murdered in front of her. Beirut is a charming eastern woman burned in the face, not once, not twice, and not even thrice! Beirut got destroyed seven times and risen seven! Beirut is tired… She needs time to grieve her children, her beautiful souls, herself, and her cursed fate… She is tired of always having to rise like a phoenix from the ashes; she needs to rest and recover like a beautiful, peaceful wounded pigeon, and then, only then, may she pick up her broken wings and dreams and learns to fly again…
Not one ton, tons! Not one building, streets! Not one neighbourhood, a whole city!
Model: Dan Haddad
They say you reap what you sow. What did we sow to reap a blast ranked third internationally after the atomic bomb of Hiroshima, killing hundreds of people, injuring thousands, and displacing hundreds of thousands and the majority already living in misery…?
https://www.instagram.com/dannhaddad/
What have we planted to reap? To live in a country where our security has a responsibility to know about the presence of 2750 tons of Ammonium Nitrate, equivalent to an atomic bomb when ignited, in a warehouse in the port, the heart of Beirut, without proper safety measures for years! Not even a sign on the door, that door of that cursed warehouse number 12, which the firefighters tried to open to extinguish the fire that caused the devastating explosion, unequipped, uninformed of what was waiting for them on the other side! They opened the door of their graves with their own bare hands.
https://www.instagram.com/magzzz84/
That Tuesday, August the 4th, we lost mothers, fathers, siblings, and children. We lost heroes, homes, schools, museums, businesses, jobs, memories, and a sense of security, our dreams, and sleep. We lost hope for a better future or even just a tomorrow in a corrupted country already economically, politically, environmentally collapsing with a pandemic on top of all that.
42 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
Instagram: @dannhaddad
Model: Maguy Nashef Instagram: @magzzz84
Maguy’s Beirut t-shirt design by @themadshad https://www.instagram.com/themadshad/ Model: Lana Daou Instagram: @lanadaouu https://www.instagram.com/lanadaouu/ Models: Sarah & Jad
THE ARTS
DEFINE AND SHINE by CLAUDINE BURGESS Credit: Photography by Claudine Burgess
TO HELP AND SUPPORT WILDLIFE FROM EXTINCTION, IT STARTS IN OUR BACKYARD!
A
call came for a request to take some photos for a client on Kangaroo Island, a photographer’s paradise which lies off the mainland of South Australia, southwest of Adelaide. With this opportunity, I decided very quickly to stay a bit longer on the Island and booked my accommodation at Penneshaw Beach Stay Motel at Penneshaw. The port where you arrive after a 45 min trip on the ferry from Cape Jervis on the mainland. I felt very welcomed by the owners, Michael and Yannis, who bought the Motel in 2019, near Hog Bay Beach within walking distance to shops, eateries, and the Penneshaw Hotel in this friendly town. With some time up my sleeve that Monday afternoon in October, I went on a safari boat trip. It was a rewarding trip, viewing the stunning coastline from the sea and seeing the brown fur sea lions sunbathing, playing in the water, and Dolphins swimming alongside the boat, and as the guide said, there is always one in the pod that will be cheeky. The picture below tells the story; it made sure being photographed.
43 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
A photographer’s luck came my way while looking through my tele lens and observing the hills covered with stunning blooming flowers that blended in among the orange-coloured rocks, occupied by Black-faced Cormorant birds resting and trees along the Cliffs. There it was a sitting on a branch on the lookout a White-bellied Sea Eagle! Today sadly, an endangered bird in today’s world. It’s essential when you are visiting the Island; you plan your days. There is so much to see! Seals are one of my favourite animals – and my number one on my list, staying a few days longer. I was very much and focused on Visiting Seal Bay, where the Australian sea lions, these beautiful creatures are frolicking bask on the white - Light grey sand near the rocks. It’s quite an encounter getting up close with a colony of Australian sea lions on their home ground they have occupied on this stretch of coastline for thousands and thousands of years. Kangaroo Island is the third Largest Colony of these animals; my guide told me they have around 800 while guiding me very carefully around the beach. It was a time of year that Bulls are very protective of a pregnant female called Cow. After giving birth to her pup, the bull will ensure she will get pregnant again straight away. They are very territorial, and sometimes a bull will protect several females, his harem. Their breeding season is abnormal, 44 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
which varies between a 5month breeding cycle and a 17-18 month a seasonal breeding cycle. Compared to the other seals on the Island, the Long-nosed seal / New Zealand Fur Seal, they have a 12-month reproductive cycle. It was a wonderful experience being so close, and some of these Bulls, who is a dark chocolate brown, and have a yellow mane, can weigh up to a staggering 400 kg, where the females are smaller and are silver or fawn with a cream underbelly. When you visit in the winter months, they are often seen more in the untouched dunes than on the beach as they don’t have a huge fur coat to keep them warm. The only time they will find them very close to the centre. My guide, she told the story they found one on a freezing day in the toilet areas.
It was a fabulous day, and it was so informative, and there is so much more to do to save these mammals from vanishing from the earth. Another place to see more sea lions is at Admiral Arch. It was a very emotional trip driving through the Flinders Chase National Park that still showcases the bushfire’s devastation last summer 2019 - 20 that burned 211,000 hectares on the Island and lost thousands of wildlife. Easily I could have spent a full day at this unique place, Admirals Arch, where the Fur Seals will entertain you for hours! I tremendously enjoyed my time on the Island; it’s a magical place where Nature showcases its beautiful creations over thousands of years, where the wildlife is free, and the people are so kind and welcoming. I took a massive message of realization home after spending a week on this Island with its treasures to visit, like the remarkable rocks, the lighthouses that are standing proud, the pristine beaches, and incredible history. It’s a place to go back too; there is so much more to explore; it isn’t a small Island, and it taught me a lesson; to help and support wildlife from extinction, it starts in our backyard! Watching them coming in and out of the sea using their flippers was adorable, especially the young ones and calling out to find their mum. They cannot always find their mum because she might be gone fishing, and mostly she is away for over three days. Upon return, she will be exhausted, and all she will do is plopping herself on the beach to have a rest till she gains again her energy to go back and hunt. They love, and a favourite outsider of their diet menu of fish, squid, octopus, is the Southern Lobster. Unfortunately, these beautiful Mammals are on the endangered list; and are only around Western Australia and Southern Australia coastlines and Islands. Their most giant Predator is the Great White shark, and on my day of the visit, there was one in the neighbourhood, my guide told me. Another treat is that Seals can interact with fishing boats that use trawl or gillnet gear and getting tangled in it that can lead to drowning. At least a law came into place in 1972 that stopped the further killing of Australian Sealions, who once got hunted for oil and food. 45 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
To visit Kangaroo Island - www.tourkangarooisland.com.au There are many accommodations around the Island, but my stay at the Penneshaw Beach Stay exceeded my expectations www.penneshawbeachstay. Photo Copyright: Define and Shine - Claudine Burgess Photography Facebook: @claudineburgessphotography Instagram: Claudineburgess www.defineandshine.com.au A happy Christmas enjoys your time with your beloved ones, treasure the moments, and take lots of photos! Claudine
THE ARTS
THE ART OF LIFE WITH MAYA MAYA APOSTOLOSKA When Reality Becomes a Rainbow
Interview with the Master of Painting Aleksandar Filev
A
leksandar Filev was born in 1982 in Strumica. He started his education in the high school for applied arts “Lazar Lichenoski” - Skopje, to continue at the Faculty of Fine Arts in Skopje, Department of Painting with Conservation and Restoration in the class of prof. Blagoja Manevski. Since 2001 he has been an assistant in the open studio for contemporary mosaic. Participates in the making of the monumental mosaics in the Memorial Center in the village Pelince, as well as in several art projects and group exhibitions. His works are in many private and state collections and institutions, including the International Strumica Art Colony, the Museum of Contemporary Mosaic Braciano - Italy, but also as mosaic solutions of several sacred buildings. “There must be emotions, feelings, experiences in the picture that’s why people who see my works feel it, that’s actually my goal - to reach them and arouse their emotions,” said Filev. Filev’s latest works is the cycle entitled “The Passion of Jesus”. Getting old, we are all losing our colours and pigments. Starting from losing the colours of our hair and eyebrows till losing the colours in our vision. Colours are feelings. Matures are getting less emotional without colours. We all are turning slowly into stone by the end of life. Luckily the artists have that ability to accomplish that emptiness of grey shades by using the colours of their souls through the whole life existence. Dear readers, I am introducing you Aleksandar Filev, worldfamous artist who has something colourful to say through his ability in creating stunning art.
46 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
Aleksandar, knowing you from the art school, I remember, you have been since always an example of a great and extremely talented student. How do you remember your school days? Thank you, Maja, yes, just like that, when I was in the art high school in Skopje, I was lucky enough to be in the class of, above all, great artists and pedagogues. I learned a lot from them, I listened to their experience, I worked a lot, I painted, I thought, and I was maximally committed to painting because I thought that was why I was born, and God gave me the gift, and I have to justify it. Wonderful four years passed, we were a great class, we all worked as a team, we were non-stop together, we painted, we hung out, we talked about art, we visited exhibitions, a great experience that I will never forget. When do you get to know that you are going to become an artist? Did something particular happen? When I found out that I was going to become a painter? Even when I was five years old, I had that memory that my father is a painter. He had a big studio, and he painted there. I took his paint from him and painted. I would fearfully hide what I would have painted. Where do you get your inspiration from? Or you are that kind of artist which things that an artist has to inspire others? I am inspired by the colour, the expression, the emotion in people, nature, animals.
What is sufficient for your art? I have an inner need to paint, and I do it every day, that energy from me must come to the surface, it is a kind of catharsis. There must be emotions, feelings, experiences in the painting, that’s why when people see my works, they fill it, that is my goal, to reach them, to arouse emotions, then I am the happiest. It is enough to put the first paintbrush on the canvas, and it takes me into my world, a world of creativity. Is it possible to earn enough money as a free artist to feed one family? I cannot complain, people, love my work, thanks today on the Internet, I sell a lot of paintings in other countries, but life is an eternal struggle. You work in themes. Most present subjects in your art are Jesus, Torres, Birds, Horses‌you are also an excellent portraitist. In your realistic presentation, the way how you use the colour is abstract and extremely expressional. How 47 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
does it feel when you on purpose use a colour not suiting the reality? Is it a huge challenge? At the beginning, I painted abstract shapes, then in that abstraction I started to insert figuration, horses, bulls, eagles, I was inspired by its energy, movement, strength, power of those animals. Since last year I started to paint the image of Jesus,
Yes, I do listen to music that does not bother me while I am painting. What inspires you to paint? What inspires me to paint, I do not know, the most that wonderful feeling that makes me the happiest in the world. How would you describe your studio? My studio is crazy, everything is sprayed with paint, the smell of paint, full of pictures and paintings, but sometimes I know how to fix it. How do you know when a painting complete? It comes from within itself. What does ‘vulnerability’ mean to you? in different variants, the cycle I christened the Passion of Jesus how to predict what is happening to the world today. While I am painting, I pray that this Golgotha w ill pass as soon as possible. Yes, my way of painting is expressive by applying the paint with wide brushes. I use a lot of colour, texture, to be recognizable by the rich colour because the colour is a feeling.
Vulnerability, I am very emotional; if someone hurts me, I need a lot of time to recover.
Do you have your favourite colour?
Is creating art for you a meditation or opposite it is a war?
I cannot imagine my paintings without blue, without yellow, which gives light, and red which gives passion.
For me, art is a struggle, and man will either be able to defend himself from the irregularities around him or destroyed.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
How often do you spend time in your studio?
I would recommend young people to be creative, and always listen to their heart.
I am in my studio every day, and if I do not paint, I sit and think.
What’s the best thing about being an artist?
Commissioned pictures I do not do; I paint what I love and what fills me. My paintings can be or not admired by the people, and that is very normal because art is individual.
The best thing for an artist is freedom. Do you listen to music when you’re painting? 48 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
What gives you the most joy? My family gives me joy, and my two children, they are the greatest support in the world.
Do you do custom paintings (commissions)?
How does living in Strumitza, Macedonia impact your art? It’s a little harder to live with; people still have a lack of art culture. Which medium do you use the most to paint? I paint oil on canvas. What is success? Success is my ability to paint. If I am successful, I do not know; time will tell if I have achieved something. What’s your workday like? My work today is dynamic. What is the hardest part of creating a painting? There is nothing wrong and heavy with creating a painting if you enjoy it.
What’s the favourite part of your job?
Which artists influence you the most?
My favourite part of my job is when I finish my work, and it fulfils me.
Van Gogh, from his energy, emotion, feelings.
What if you’re not inspired to paint?
What is ‘failing toward success’?
If I do not have inspiration, it is enough to open the window, to look at the clouds as they move and how they transform into various figures.
It’s God’s work, whether you were born for it or not, thank God. How much time does it take to complete a painting? Depends on how inspired I am. Do your children like art? Yes, my children draw, like all children, and what they will draw is the purest and most sincere. Did you always want to be an artist? If you wouldn’t have been an artist, what would you like to become? If I were not an artist, I would be a painter.
How important are titles to your paintings? Yes, titles are important; they are part of the pictures. Are you glad you became a full-time artist? I am thrilled to be an artist, the most beautiful thing in the world. https://www.instagram.com/aleksandar.filev_artist/ https://www.facebook.com/AleksandarFiljka/
49 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
THE ARTS
NACE POPOV
W
hen something is done with love and dedication, the results are always more than good. This is how the photographer Nace Popov begins his more than a 30-year love affair, a relationship full of emotions, with passion, the relationship with his second love, photography. The distant year 1988 begins when he first joins a mountaineering club in his hometown Skopje and begins to get to know the beauties of his beautiful country Macedonia, when for the first time he comes out of the grey of the city and with his own eyes, he personally meets nature, as we will see later in his photographs, pure, magical, untouched, colourful, simply beautiful. Seeing his passion for mountaineering and nature and wanting to help him capture all those beauties, his mother bought him his first Zenit camera as a gift. From that day on, the camera is his inseparable companion on every trip. Nace Popov is a photographer born in 1973 in Skopje, Republic of Macedonia. In his archive, there are over 100000 photos and slides of his beautiful country, of every part of it, of its mountains, fields, rivers, lakes, waterfalls, of its old and still beautiful villages, of cities and people, of churches and monasteries, of archaeological sites, from everywhere. His works that he is incredibly proud of are the capital, national projects for Macedonia of the Slovenian publishing house Mladinska Kniga. These are the monographs Wonderful Macedonia, 2012, Macedonian Celebrations 2014 and Macedonian Churches and Monasteries published in 2015, as well as the monograph in
50 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
English, The Soul of Macedonia in published in 2016 by the publishing house Tabernakul. He is the winner of numerous awards, the most important of which is the Blagoja Drnkov award for a collection of photos at the event Days of Macedonian Photography for 2016. His photographs adorn a large number of calendars, postcards, tourist brochures and magazines, books (the monograph on the port of Macedonia) and for many years he has been a collaborator of institutions and organizations such as the Agency for Promotion and Development of Tourism in the Republic of Macedonia, the Commission for Relations with religious communities, the municipality of Bitola, Mavrovo National Park, centre for Development of the Pelagonija, east and southeast planning region in the Republic of Macedonia, trade and industrial development zones, marketing agencies, etc. He is currently finishing his latest project, the monograph - Beautiful Macedonia, and in preparation for the new one, the monograph - Macedonia from the Air. His driving force is to leave a legacy of the state and above all to the Macedonian children, grandchildren and future generations, an indelible mark, a testimony to the beauties of this small but large piece of land, something with which they will be proud, remember and appreciate what they have, and proudly be displayed. “I started with photography to capture (capture) nature; in the end, nature and photography captured me “ - Nace Popov.
51 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
52 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
53 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
54 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
55 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
THE ARTS BEAUTIFUL, SOUL-STIRRING WORKS OF ART A PEEK INTO THE SOUL OF MICHAL MADISON by Lisa Bella Bourgeois Interview with Michal Madison
P
eople buy Art because it makes them feel something. Art is incomplete until others experience it. Until they feel. Emotional responses are often regarded as the keystone to experiencing Art, and the creation of an emotional experience has been argued as the purpose of artistic expression. In no other vocation is an individual required to be two different things, as an artist must be. You must be at once a poet and a mechanic. Your experiences will provide the poetry, and your hand must execute the shapes and colors which will express those feelings. Michal Madison’s Art definitely makes you feel. I don’t think it’s her technique or her style that draws people to her Art, although each is phenomenal. I believe it’s her story, her life, her journey, it’s her soul, that makes Michal’s Art so compelling. The most enchanting thing about her is not that she is an artist. She would tell you she is not the best artist on the planet, and she never will be. The most enchanting thing about her artwork is her. I spoke with Michal, and I couldn’t help but to ask... Who are you? Who am I? I guess that depends on who you ask, whose eyes are looking at me. 56 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
I’ve stood on the stage after a piano performance with hundreds of people applauding me. I’ve been told I’d never make it as a pianist. I’ve won first place and people’s choice awards for my portraits. I’ve been told I’m not good enough to be an artist. I felt like an outcast at one school and a celebrity at the next because I was a “teacher’s kid”. I moved a lot throughout my life. I love the thrill of a new adventure, of stepping into the unknown, of making it work in an unfamiliar place, but can’t think of a place I call “home”. I’ve survived childhood sexual assault. I’ve been a runner and felt the rush of crossing the finish line. I’ve experienced acute illness and had a near-death experience. I’ve lived with chronic migraine for most of my life. I’ve fallen in love and had my heart crushed. I changed my major six times in college and ended up with a degree in religion. I’ve been kicked out of seminary for asking too many questions. I’ve worked as a salesclerk, a secretary. I’ve modelled and been in commercials. I’ve worked in a shop helping build and install cabinets. I’ve been a young adult pastor, a designer and seamstress. I’ve experienced domestic violence. I’ve walked away with only the clothes on my back. I’ve started over more times than I want to count...
Who am I? You ask... I am an amazing dance of light and shadows, an old soul who has experienced a lot of beauty and a lot of pain. I am extremely unique and totally ordinary. I’m more resilient than I ever dreamed possible. Nothing can make me stop believing in love. Nothing can extinguish the light in my soul. The piano was my first love. I remember practicing, getting to the end of the song and my mom saying from the kitchen, “Again! Play it again. Put more emotion into it. Again!” Do it “Again!” Those words are engraved on my subconscious mind. When I fall down, I get back up. When I crash, I stretch my wings and try again. When anything from a painting to a relationship doesn’t work out. I hear the word, “Again!” So, I get up, dust myself off, start over and pour my whole heart into life... Again. The piano was the place where I could pour out my soul, express my emotions. If I was feeling sad and broken, you could hear it in my music. When I felt enormous love, passion flowed through the notes. I used to channel all of my experiences and energy into music, now I paint. I grew up watching my dad and his art friends paint. I learned a lot by watching, listening to his teachers, watching art critiques. My dad taught me that the most stunning watercolor is a combination of many elements. It has the lightest light and the darkest dark right next to each other, surrounded by a wide variety of middle tones. It has both the rough textures from a dry brush and soft, smooth blending of wet into wet. It has some well-defined lines and some that fade out and disappear. The best Art contains a mixture of all those elements. Maybe the best lives do. My life has been a beautifully challenging journey that has tested my resilience and desire to live authentically in almost every area. I’ve been blessed with a plethora of amazing and daunting experiences. I’ve experienced magnificent light and the terrifying shadows existing within the same person. Sometimes the very people who nearly destroy us also give us our greatest gifts and most valuable life wisdom. I’ve spent years learning to integrate my own shadow. I’m continually 57 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
learning to use all the elements of my life to create a beautiful, magnificent work of Art. I am both a work in progress and a magnificent masterpiece! I am not only an Artist. I am Art! I know there is a divine energy that flows through me, through my Art, out into the world, helping me turn what I’ve experienced into something that can bless others. If the light is lost, no amount of white paint can restore it to its original purity. I see water is like the fluidity of emotional vulnerability and the colors like people. Some relationships create incredible magic, blending, flowing with beautiful grace. “Watercolor is like a metaphor of life. It’s full of spontaneous serendipity. It’s transparent, bold, subtle, unpredictable, unforgiving.” What is your intention as an artist? Art speaks a universal language. Art permeates and reveals the deepest parts of us where no words exist. This is the language of my soul. I want to turn all I’ve lived through; all I’ve experienced in life into something beautiful that inspires others. I want my Art and my life to inspire you to believe in yourself,
magic, the pain, the Beauty, the Joy and the Sorrow of every lifetime shines through the eyes. Eyes are a portal. If we’re really willing to look, we’ll discover Eternity within each other. We’ll see that at the core, behind all the walls we’ve built to protect ourselves, we are love! Love is our very essence. Only Love. Thank you so much, Michal, for taking the time to speak with me. Now that we know who Michal Madison is, a personality of inherent beauty, serenity, and depth. Let’s look at what she creates. I am including work from each of her collections, allowing the Art to speak for itself. Be prepared to be moved...
to take a risk, to realize you are a beautiful mosaic of all you’ve experienced and to express your authentic truth, whatever that may be. I want to inspire you to be the best version of you by being the best version of me. What subjects or ideas interest you? I remember painting my first portrait. When I saw those eyes looking back at me, looking into me, I found my passion... Eyes! I love eyes! I love painting eyes. They truly are the windows to the soul. All the Light. All the Darkness. All the 58 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
Thank You, eYs, for building this extraordinary platform so we can report on remarkable individuals that touch our hearts and make us feel. Michal Madison’s Art is such. In closing, I am reminded of a quote I wrote in 2012. Little did I know eight years forward, I would be writing this article, and have it been so fitting to coincide with the works of Michal Madison. “Art is not Art Until You Put Your Soul Into it.” Lisa Bella Bourgeois www.Michalmadisonart.com
BOOKWORM
INTERVIEW BY MARSHA CASPER COOK A Good Story is a Good Story
KATHRYN LANE
T
hank you so much for the opportunity to join this wonderful Magazine as a contributor. I am honored to join this amazing group of International Contributors to help spread the message of love, peace and understanding. I have been doing Podcasts for over twelve years with Michigan Avenue Media Inc. as both a host and producer. I have had the pleasure of interviewing hundreds of guests worldwide. For me this has been the highlight of my life and I hope to bring a select group of guests to this wonderful arena. My first interview is with Kathryn Lane – Author of the Nicki Garcia Mystery Series. After her interview I was so touched by her early childhood story I felt she was the one that should be my first Interview for eYs. For everyone out there afraid of new beginnings Kathryn Lane’s story is compelling. If she can accomplish so much so can you. Marsha Casper Cook Kathryn Lane, originally from Mexico, took the long road to becoming an author. She started work life as an artist in oil painting, but soon discovered that lead to a starving artist lifestyle. To earn a living, she became a certified public accountant and enjoyed a career in international finance with a major multinational corporation. As an author, Kathryn draws deeply from her experiences growing up in a small town in Mexico as well as her work and travel in over ninety countries around the globe. In her youth, she lived in a story59 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
centric culture where reality blended with the surreal in perfect harmony – a dichotomy that developed her ability to form mental images of characters and stories that spring to life. Kathryn loves the Arts and is a board member of the Montgomery County Literary Arts Council. Kathryn and her husband, Bob Hurt, split their time between Texas and the mountains of northern New Mexico where she finds it inspiring to write. How has writing books changed you as a person? If yes, please feel free to elaborate. I started life as a shy little girl in a tiny village in northern Mexico. At nineteen, I married and moved to St. Vidgeon’s cattle station in the Australian Outback. After returning to Mexico, I left an exceedingly difficult marriage and moved to the US with my three-year-old son. To put myself through college, I worked as a Spanish-English interpreter. I became a CPA (chartered accountant in Australia). Then I joined the corporate world for two decades and decided to leave so I could write mystery thrillers. I walked away from a regional vice-president position in finance with a major
multinational. A crazy idea, according to my friends, to abandon my lucrative career to become a writer. After working the international business world, I was better suited to be a consultant than an author. Yet, the love of adventure I’d found in reading novels nudged me into my new career. Adventure while working in front of a computer? YES – with capital letters! My Nikki Garcia Mystery Series is set in various locations around the world. I can research cultures, cities, and the intricacies of crime on the internet. Then my imagination takes that research and weaves it into the characters, settings, and storyline. And I also use adventures I’ve actually lived ─ my blog carries a monthly segment about my life in the Outback. Mostly, I travel vicariously online with my protagonist, Nikki Garcia. To make sure I have it right, my husband and I visit those locations to fact check my online study. And my actual trips to places like Barcelona, Spain, feel more like a wellplanned vacation than on-site research. It’s like I’m on a movie set, living my dream. Writing has set my imagination free! What do you think the Publishing Industry could improve on? Many people believe a complete overhaul in the publishing industry is needed. Yet two differing points of view exist in the sector. Traditional publishers seek to maintain the status quo ─ an orderly market that publishes books they decide the public will read. In 2007, Amazon revolutionized the marketplace with the Kindle and Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), opening space for independent and small publishers. 60 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
So, the question becomes who will drive that reform? Like other industries, this one works on the economic principles of supply and demand. Meaningful reform may be happening before our eyes, depending on whose vision you believe. New and/or independent authors are learning from the big players and using innovative tactics of their own to have their voices heard. Both new and independent authors are bringing a diversity of stories and voices never before published. If these authors invest time to understand market trends and how the readers of their genre can be reached, they can create marketing plans that appeal directly to potential fans by using the right tools, principally through the internet. Yet important improvements would be for books to be edited to (near) perfection and to provide such a good product that prices are set to sell fiction and non-fiction while earning a reasonable return for authors. The COVID pandemic forced both traditionally published and independent authors to rethink their marketing. Some writers may even discover strategies we cannot yet envision by inventing ways to distinguish themselves in a crowded market. Successful authors now and in the future will create their own destinies. It’s the readers who will ultimately decide where the market goes in the future. How important are Independently Published books in today’s marketplace? The trend toward self-publishing is likely to increase over time. On a weekly basis, one third of the top-selling 100 eBooks on Kindle are self-published. This revolution has increased
in value every year. As long as readers purchase independently published books, Indy authors are here to stay. What advice would you give to authors on how they address their business decisions and marketing plans? My advice to authors is to examine their objectives first. Decide if their main goal is to earn money or if they want to write for the love of writing. Successful authors are the ones who write for the love of it. Writing takes about 10% of an author’s time. Activities involved in selling and marketing, record-keeping, personal appearances, and video conferences, take the other 90% of a work week. Once a person decides these two separate activities ─ writing and sales ─ will satisfy them, the next step is to build a solid business plan with supporting strategic planning. Using their creativity to figure out how to distinguish themselves in a crowded market – that’s the secret. It can take up to ten years and several books on the market to become successful. Never give up! What is the most difficult part of your artistic process? For me personally, creative ideas flood my brain constantly. It’s finding the quality time to write because so much of my time and effort go into promoting and selling books. What keeps you up at night as you near the end of finishing one of your books? Once I’ve devoted a year of my time to writing a new novel and I’ve given it my best, I fret if my readers will like it! What does Literary Success look like to you? Certainly, earning money is a measure of success. Yet more than financial remuneration, two the following two facets are important to me. When I encounter a reader I’ve never met before and she tells me how much she loves my novels, that is pure gold to me. Winning awards (even being a finalist) from excellent organizations, such as The Killer Nashville International Mystery Writers’ Conference or The Eric Hoffer Literary Awards are wonderful validations. The best validation comes from readers who purchase my books. Kathryn Lane can be reached at https://www.kathryn-lane.com Author of the Nikki Garcia Mystery Series Latest release: Revenge in Barcelona - Finalist in Eric Hoffer
61 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
2020 Book Awards, Finalist in the 2020 Int’l Latino Book Awards, and Finalist in Best Suspense at Killer Nashville International Mystery Writers’ Conference 2020 Waking Up in Medellin - «Best Fiction Book of the Year 2017» by Killer Nashville - 2nd edition now available on Amazon Danger in the Coyote Zone - Winner Action/Adventure of “Latino Books to Movies” - 2nd edition now available on Amazon Backyard Volcano - «Best Short Story Collection-2018» by Killer Nashville available on Amazon www.kathryn-lane.com www.marshacaspercook.com www.michiganavenuemedia.com www.marcusmaxwellinc.com
AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT
SALMA ZAMAN
S
alma Zaman HND; CertEd is a multinominated award-winning author of children’s books and she founded Salma’s Bollywood Academy (SBA), which is Yorkshires first professional dance academy in the North of England. Salma teaches many dance styles as part of her dance academy, ranging from contemporary, creative physical movement, including cultural south Asian dances such as: Bollywood and Bhangra dance. Salma states “Bollywood dance is the core basis of most Indian films and incorporates other dance genres such as khatak, modern dance, jazz, bharatnatyam, salsa and western street dance.” She continues “during my dance classes participants will experience the true colours of south Asian dance and have a real taste of the hustle and bustle of the dance genre they are taking part in.” When teaching Bhangra dance (Pakistani and Indian Folk Dance) Salma mentions “Bhangra dance is a traditional folk dance from both Pakistan and India. Historically Bhangra was performed as part of the harvest season as a celebratory dance to enjoy the good harvest. Farmers celebrated this by singing songs and dancing along to their words. Bhangra is a true celebration of Asian cultures, inclusivity and diversity and great to bring all communities together in harmony.” When Salma is not teaching and leading her popular dance classes, she is busy writing. Salma wanted to write whilst in secondary school and she used to read and explore many books and her writing dreams came true in 2012 with her first publication ‘Bollywood Princess’ which was inspired by her first daughter Maleehah Zaman who sadly passed away when she was 18 months. Salma says “Writing Bollywood Princess helped her channel her grief as she made sense with one of her greatest loss in life.” Bollywood Princess is a firm favourite amongst the children where Salma delivers her interactive story telling sessions. Her second book ‘HELP! I Can’t Dance Without My Bhangra Pants’ was inspired by her son Amaan who has a learning disability and autism. Salma mentions “I wanted to write a book about a little boy with autism and help raise awareness in particular amongst south Asian families that its ok that you have a child with a disability, let’s celebrate and give respect and credit to children that have the disabilities.” Greedy Gertie was also inspired by Amaan who in the future will be using a wheelchair to enhance his mobility and independence. Greedy Gertie is about a cow called Gertie who uses a wheelchair and loves to eat waffles. Her fourth publication Sally and her Super Snot is Salma’s recent publication and she is currently working on further children’s book titles. She is also
62 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
writing her first novel based on inclusive and diverse characters and which is inspired by true events. Her dancing and writing have taken Salma to many places from working with celebrities, appearing on Television, to being a judge on the national poetry initiative which is part of the Blackburn Children’s Literature Festival, to work alongside international artists Sahar Ajami, and localised illustrator Ursula Hurst to editors such as Rebecca Thomas and working with the world’s first Museum in India, dedicated to the 1947 history of India and Pakistan. Salma has brought together the worlds of education, dance, drama, special educational needs and story-telling through south Asian arts, culture and heritage. Salma embeds the dance choreography within her children’s books and she won the Yorkshire Women of Achievement Awards, Arts Category. She was awarded the best dancing school and the best inclusive dancing school. Salma can make authoress visits all over the United Kingdom and abroad.
SALMA’S BOOKS Sally and Her Super Snot (Focuses on History & Historical Characters) With a great gush, out it came… Sally’s, super-stretchy snot! Class Six are enjoying a trip to the local history museum with their teachers Mr. Fox and Mrs. Buccanan. Suddenly, Sally feels her nose start to tickle. Everyone knows what this means… super snot! As the snot stretches all over the museum causing complete havoc, a whole host of historical characters, including Medieval kings, Egyptian mummies and Victorian children, try to stop it, but it just keeps getting away. Will the children get out safely or will the super snot cover them head to toe in slime?
Bollywood Princess (Focuses on South Asian dance, Heritage, Culture & inspired by South Asian characters & names) Meet Milli, a dancer with big dreams of one day becoming a Bollywood Princess. Determined to achieve her goal, when disaster strikes, will Milli ever wear the Bollywood crown?
HELP!!! I Can’t Dance Without My Bhangra Pants! (Focuses on Autism, South Asian dance, Heritage, Culture & inspired by South Asian characters & names) Amaan is a little boy with autism who loves to Bhangra dance. Can his Dad’s advice and a little magic help him overcome his frustration at constantly slipping and tripping over, or will he be left crying, “HELP!!! I can’t dance without my Bhangra pants!”
Greedy Gertie (Focuses on being different, Disability, Inclusivity, acceptance & believing in your own magic) Greedy Gertie the waffle-eating cow comes across jumping frogs, slithering snakes, snappy crocodiles and a wise old owl enjoying a dance. When, the animals encourage Gertie to show off her dance talents she feels sad because she cannot stand up - to dance. Feeling sorry for herself, she begins to stack her waffles in a sky-high pile. The waffles come crashing down from every direction. Will Gertie spring into action, twist, turn or flip to save her waffles or will she continue to feel sad and remain in her wheelchair? For international booking please contact Salma on the details below:
LinkedIn: Salma Zaman
My Contact number: 0797-400-8239
Instagram: salmasbacademy
www.salmasbollywoodacademy.com
Like me on FB: Salmas Bollywood Academy – SBA
Email me: info@salmasbollywoodacademy.com
63 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
Tweet me: SalmasBAcademy
eYs Magazine 2020
TOP Not-for-Profit
HUMANITARIAN ORGANISATIONS
GIFT Global Initiative (GGI) USA
Sveti Spas (St. Spas) Humanitarian Organisation R. Macedonia
NEST4US USA
Global Goodwill Ambassadors Foundation (GGA) USa
TalkLove Africa Foundation
Bambino Life Foundation (BLF)
Nigeria
Uganda
64 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
eYs Magazine 2020
TOP Not-for-Profit
HUMANITARIAN ORGANISATIONS
Global Youth Mental Health Awareness (GYMHA)
Yayasan Lumbung Kreativitas Masyarakat Inovatif (YLKMI)
Australia
INdonesia
Federation of International Gender and Human Rights (FIGHR)
Tokens of Love Uganda Uganda
USA
Wheels of Hope Rising Foundation (WHRF) Nigeria
United Nations Association of Australia (UNAA) Australia
65 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT
ZARYA AZADI Supports Women’s Equality with her new campaign “Evolve Your Heritage”
Interview by Jules Lavallee You are a Global Influencer. Tell us about your initiatives. My initiative is not just a regional matter or regional project but rather a global issue. My campaign ‘Evolve Your Heritage’ focuses on the oppression of women based on their freedom to decide over their own body, who they love, their sexuality, forced marriage, and child marriage, honor killings, and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) on women worldwide as all of it is still practiced in many different countries. The main issue is why women are being oppressed in many countries is based on the ancient and traditional-cultural rules of virginity until marriage. All of these horrific practices that I’ve mentioned above have developed because of it and have been part of many cultures for centuries. It’s a form of control that is justified with the purity of a woman and therefore the honor of a family. I’ve started with an editorial photo shoot called ‘Red Ribbon’ to highlight this issue so many women are suffering around the world. The ‘Red Ribbon’ is wrapped around the bride’s waist at the wedding and symbolizes her virginity in many cultures around the world. This form of oppression is very old fashioned and should be abolished. It’s a difficult fight because it is a taboo subject and most people in the communities don’t talk about it publicly. Many people in the West would ask; why these women don’t just leave to live their own lives. It’s not that simple. When you, as a woman, reflect the honor of an entire family, it’s not about you anymore and girls are being raised to believe and to tolerate these forms of cultural expectations. Another horrific practice of course is FGM. There are still several countries where this is practiced Flyer editing © 2020 Courtesy of graphic designer Ricardo massively, especially in developing countries in Acosta E. @itchirae and creative director Zarya Azadi e.g. Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. FGM is a human rights issue that affects girls and women Some of the countries where FGM is being practiced are e.g. worldwide. I’ve joined the Spanish NGO Mundo Cooperante as a cooperating partner and ambassador to fight Kenya, Tanzania, Somalia, and Egypt. against this horrific practice. According to the UNICEF data Even Iraq is on the list with approx. 4 million affected girls and work on FGM the exact number of girls and women worldwide women. It’s also been practiced in the Kurdish regions of Iraq. who have undergone FGM remains unknown. But at least 200 This was a great shock to me as these are Kurdish areas and I million girls and women in 30 countries have been subjected to have never heard about this being practiced in our community this horrific and barbaric practice to control women’s sexuality. before, ever! 66 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
‘Evolve Your Heritage’ highlights all of these inhuman practices which are also being practiced in Europe by communities originating from the affected countries. It is such an ancient tradition to demand women to stay virgins until marriage and no girl should be married off to an old man. Women should also be free to choose their partners themselves, regardless of race or religion. I personally stopped tolerating this nonsense and stopped accepting less of what I deserve. I learned to know my worth. As a super creative and visionary. Paint us a picture of what 2020 looked like and your vision for the future. Let me tell you how it started first as it was the greatest highlight so far (laughs). 2020 started very well for me by being all creative and visionary and finally launching my campaign ‘Evolve Your Heritage’ during the London Fashion Week at the House of iKons Fashion Show to raise awareness worldwide against female oppression and female circumcision in collaboration with the Spanish NGO Mundo Cooperante. However, a short time later in March of this year, the consequences of the corona virus brought the whole world to a standstill and of course had a significant impact on the whole world, so that there was no room for other topics. This year is a very difficult time for most people around the world and having an impact on it as a single person is relatively difficult. Picture © 2020 Courtesy of graphic designer Ricardo Acosta E. @itchirae Therefore, I have taken this as a job to be vocal about this as much as I can, especially in my community. We need to know about this and fight against it. When I spoke to the representatives of the Kurdish civil organization I was told that they are aware of the problem and take it seriously and that is has been taken care of. They have also agreed that this practice has never been part of our culture before and that this needs to stop. My initiative is to support women worldwide to raise awareness and make a change by drawing attention to the issue globally. This is not just a problem that affects one country. FGM is widespread as it is also being practiced in Europe by communities originating from the affected countries. FGM is against the law in Europe and therefore should be punished. According to the European Commission, the practice of FGM is a crime in the EU. In some EU countries, it is possible to prosecute the practice even when the procedure is performed outside the country. I am never tired nor scared anymore to speak about these horrific practices as it is a global issue and affects so many but it is very frustrating to have conversations with people, especially with men to clarify that we women have feelings and our needs too as we were created from God since religion is also being used as a reason for practice. All of this is rooted in gender inequality.
67 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
However, you can see a lot of movements in different countries this year, which caused a lot of disturbances and riots fighting and demanding for a positive change, e.g. the protests for freedom of expression in Hong Kong and in Belarus, the Black Lives Movement (BLM) where people protested against racism worldwide which I also supported and participated in Cologne, the Beirut explosion in Lebanon and of course the Corona Virus curfews and protests worldwide. I personally used the time to take care of myself and reflect on my life and the current political events worldwide and how to make a change and impact, especially with my campaign. Unfortunately, 2020 turned into a global crisis with all the events happening, since everyone was having high hopes in 2020 as a great positive change worldwide. It seems very traumatic as the consequences of the virus and the lockdowns have been affecting all cultural areas worldwide and very hard with many experiencing a stroke of fate, which is why it is even more important for me that my campaign has now started this year to draw more attention to women’s oppression and female circumcision worldwide. Especially since UN Women also reported that women suffered the most during the pandemic and lockdown, with a rapid rise in domestic violence. Women are also statically the majority working in the medical field at the front and as first responders. I also have sisters and female cousins who had to continue working as nurses during the crisis thus endangered themselves and their families with the deadly virus.
(Picture Š 2020 Courtesy of Zarya Azadi) 68 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
(Picture Š 2020 Courtesy of photographer J. Rosales Photography) 69 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
How did your upbringing influence you to be a voice for social issues? Why is this so important to you? Raising my voice for social issues has clearly to do with my cultural background. Let me start by saying that the history of my KurdishYazidi (Ezidi) heritage was and still is the biggest reason why social issues are being so important to me. The Kurdish nation is still the largest nation in the world without an independent country and who have been fighting against terrorism, genocide, inequality, and racism with their neighboring countries and especially Turkey. And the history of my religious background as a Yazidi (Ezidi) woman is as current as we speak due to the genocide caused by ISIS since 2014 in Shingal in Iraq which we are still fighting for justice to be served. My family and I were blessed to seek shelter in Germany and immigrated in 1991. However, the traumas caused by the war back then have affected our whole nation and my community and family members to this day. And growing up as a migrant child in Germany in the early 90’s I have experienced inequality and racism especially growing up in the countryside in a small town myself. So it is inevitable for a child with a horrific background like our nation’s to not be influenced by it and wanting to raise voices for social issues. Based on my origins, I developed a need for justice and I couldn’t close my eyes to the injustice in the world. I have always been interested in different cultures and therefore learned about social issues in different countries based on where my friends are from. These friendships have definitely taught me a lot and also allowed us to understand our similarities as well as our differences but most importantly the history and current governmental situations of our countries. All of this has a great effect on a nation and its people, so does it on mine. However, I have chosen to focus on women’s rights as I have experienced inequality within my own community and if it wasn’t for that I wouldn’t have experienced such hardship in order to be heard. Since 2014, I have seen the news and media about Kurds and Yazidis (Ezidis) in different ways due to the attacks by ISIS. However, our Kurdish women were and still are fighting on the frontline, risking their lives for an independent country. It was these female Kurdish soldiers, these badass women, who were saying that without equality within our own community there will be no independent Kurdistan. This is why it is so important to me and wanting to make an 70 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
impact for a better change so that my unborn children and especially daughters have better opportunities in life. You are an International Model. How have you joined forces with fashion and impact? As an international model, I have used fashion to join forces with NGO’s like Mundo Cooperante and Plan International UK to use images that reflect and support their causes against FGM, child marriage, and forced marriages. I have also worked with several fashion shows like the House of iKons Fashion Show in London and Art Heart Fashion Show in Los Angeles and collaborated with different designers worldwide like Carat23, Tigerbite Jewels, Sigrun Design, Ana De Sa, and Dair Design to use and create images like the editorial photo shoot for ‘Red Ribbon’ to raise awareness on women’s oppression and fight for women’s rights. I’ve worked with photographers like J. Rosales Photography who understood the cause perfectly and therefore we were able to create such an interesting and powerful but soft editorial images for the ‘Red Ribbon’.
also collaborated with students from the University of the Arts London/ LCF like the photographers Jinjin Huang Photography and Qing Liu Photography and the fashion buyer and merchandiser Teresa Chen who will support me again for the February show 2021. I’ve created another editorial photo shoot with the photographer Bont from Xubangte Photography also from the University of the Arts London/ LCF, the Pilipino Make-up artist Makeup by Cindy and a Turkish designer Gül Atelier to symbolize forced marriage, child marriage and honor killing based on the virginity and sexuality of women. I am in communication with Plan International UK to collaborate with my campaign using these images. These images are still being edited and will be published at a later stage. However, you get a sneak peek with one image which is my absolute favorite. ‘Evolve Your Heritage’ Photo Shoot by Zarya Azadi Creative Director: Zarya Azadi Designer: Gül Atelier MUA: Makeup by Cindy I will also start a partnership with the Healthcare Marketing Agency Design Identity as they were looking for a good cause that they could support and immediately loved my campaign ‘Evolve Your Heritage’ and the cause behind it and willing to support me as much as they can to raise awareness. I am thankful for the support of both CEO’s Kornelius Thelen and Andrej Piatkowski who chose my campaign for their company’s charity support. ‘Red Ribbon’ Photo Shoot by Zarya Azadi House of iKons – Lady K Production: CEO Mrs Savita Kaye Designer: Ana De Sa MUA: Makeup by Cindy Jewellery: Tigerbite Jewels by Mrs Mary Katrisiosi Baldwin Handbag: Carat23 by Carolina Riffi Ollite I have also joined forces with the beautiful online network called ‘Intercultural Network For The Highly Gifted’ by CEO Ms. Çiğdem Gül by using fashion related topics to raise awareness on current political events but also women’s rights. I really enjoy and love the work with this network and feel very supported and inspired to continue with my work and causes and have built a great friendship with Ms. Çiğdem Gül over the year. For the launch of my campaign ‘Evolve Your Heritage’ I have 71 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
I have also recently received the club leader handbook for the Girl Up campaign from the Girl Up Arab world group to create another subgroup for Girl Up Kurdistan. The Girl Up campaign is an UN foundation initiative to unite girls worldwide to change the world. They use the beautiful quote ‘When girls rise, we all rise’ which I think is beautiful and very uplifting. They had the Global Leadership Summit 2020 from 13-15 July which was a great success, having worldwide leaders, activists, athletes, and artists online for the summit e.g. Michelle Obama, Hillary Clinton, Meghan Markle, Nadia Murad, Sheryl Sandberg, Stephen Curry, and Jameela Jamil just to name a few. I have already discussed this with the representatives of the Kurdish civil organization and received a very positive feedback and will be supported in creating the Girl Up Kurdistan group soon in order to spread the word also within our community. It’s very important for me to collaborate with international charity organizations as well as the Kurdish civil organization in order to create change.
Because of my engagements, I was offered by the representatives of the Kurdish civil organization to become an ambassador for the Kurdish Diaspora Centre (KDC) for Women in Germany. They like and support my campaign ‘Evolve Your Heritage’ and are aware of the taboo subject ‘Red Ribbon’ and are giving me the chance to cooperate with the Kurdish Diaspora Women Centre to highlight the issues and create positive change. Tell us about your work with the iKonic, House of iKons. The work with the House of iKons goes way back since the launch of the fashion show in 2014 in London. I am very grateful for the support and understanding of me as an individual person, my background, and my social projects from the CEO Ms Savita Kaye. Collaborating with Savita for projects has been very inspirational and motivating which I am very pleased about. I believe that our different but similar cultural backgrounds make us understand our causes much easier. Savita is an Indian-Hindu growing up in the UK and me being a Kurdish-Yazidi (Ezidi) growing up in Germany makes us have a lot in common. I have used the Lady K Production by Savita to create my first editorial photo shoot for ‘Red Ribbon’ which I also presented at the House of iKons Fashion Show exhibition room and on the catwalk walking for the fashion designer Ana De Sa. I was also the sponsor for that fashion show and launched my campaign ‘Evolve Your Heritage’. I’m also sponsoring the February Show in 2021 again. House of iKons has been created as a platform to launch emerging designers to the next level and we have come up with the newest project by giving Kurdish designers the platform to showcase their collection in a Kurdish Solo Segment at the House of iKons Fashion Show from the 20-21 February 2021 with the beautiful title ‘The Hidden Beauty of Kurdistan’. The five Kurdish designers which have already been chosen and signed were also able to participate at the House of iKons Digital Fashion Show in September of this year. This was a bonus for my Kurdish designers and out of a good gesture from Savita which we are all very appreciative of. How are you helping minorities to be seen and heard? In order to help and support minorities to be seen and heard it is recommended to use an established and legitimate platform which I am doing with the House of iKons Fashion Show London. The Kurdish Solo Segment at the House of iKons Fashion Show from the 20-21 February 2021 with the beautiful title ‘The Hidden Beauty of Kurdistan’ is a great and unique opportunity to do so. This has never been done before and will be the first time in the history for Kurdish designers to be showcasing their collections during the London Fashion Week. It will allow us the amazing and beautiful opportunity to represent our nation as a colorful, creative, artistic, and visionary community. The beauty of Kurdish designs is enriched by deep colors and traditional and unique patterns. However, our fashion has become very modern and we will showcase from traditional clothing to streetwear, high fashion, bridal & evening gowns, and haute couture. I will be including Kurdish media, newspapers, and Kurdish celebrities to take part in the show to spread the word. I’ve already been in communications with most of them and received some confirmations already. I’m even planning a documentary on a German TV channel which is at the negotiation phase right now.
72 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
I am very excited to work on this new project as it will open new doors and highlight the beauty and treasures of my culture. We want to be seen and recognized as people and as one nation and this is my way of giving them the opportunity to be seen in the world. I have been saying this so many times and will continue saying this; we are more than a war zone. It is important for us to support each other regardless of our differences in order to be recognized as a nation in the world. The five Kurdish designers that I have chosen and been in contact with have all been very grateful for the opportunity and told me that this is a dream come true. I have deeply connected with all of them as we have exchanged each other’s hardships and dreams. It is important to connect on a human level before continuing to work together as we are all a representation of one nation. We really want it to be good and professional and to give the wow-factor to the audience. All five designers are originally from different regions of Kurdistan and now live in different countries in Europe. Each of them shares their own unique stories. It is my great pleasure to introduce them to you live on stage from the 20-21 February 2021. The five Kurdish designers so far are as follow: Atelier by Khoshkar Horre by Khoshkar Horre originally from Afrin, Kurdistan now based in London, UK -Yadê Couture Atelier by Sadiye Demir originally from Mardin, Kurdistan now based in Bern, Switzerland-Inci Hakbilen by Inci Hakbilen originally from Haymana, Kurdistan now based in Hamburg, Germany -a la Mode by Ala Hadji originally from Zaxo, Kurdistan now based Berlin, Germany -JoJo Braut & Abendmode by Nesrin Hasan originally from Rojava now based in Bochum, Germany All five designers and creations are unique in every way. However, I am still choosing more Kurdish designers and also looking for Kurdish traditional clothing. This is the first step in helping minorities to be seen and heard and I will continue creating more opportunities and projects in the future. What progress has been made with women’s rights? How can we help? The progress with women’s rights differs from each country, so it is not an answer I can give that would comply with all countries. Each country is facing its own issues with women’s rights. The progress in African, Asian, and Middle Eastern countries for example is long established in Western countries. Let’s take Saudi Arabia as an example where women have only been allowed to drive a car less than two years ago while women in Western countries are demanding equal pay. Let’s be very frank here, women’s rights is a global issue and not just country-based. President Barack Obama once said: If women ran every country in the world there would be a general improvement in living standards and outcomes.’’ I think that this is a very powerful statement that could make a positive change but we women have to work on this together. Women’s rights are basic human rights. I am not demanding to be treated better, just simply being treated as a human being. We women also have dreams, ideas, visions, passion, feelings, needs, and desires just as men. Not recognizing it
and even punishing this is an act of inhumanity. I like to see that at least these horrific practices like FGM, forced marriage, child marriages, and honor killings to be stopped globally as it is barbaric behavior for the very modernized and technologydominated world we are all living in. If technology can be enhanced and developed every single year how is it not possible to evolve one’s heritage and make women equal to men to be treated as human beings? I believe very strongly that the biggest organizations in the world like the United Nations, Amnesty International, and the European Commission could establish laws to protect women from these inhumane and barbaric acts worldwide. The EU Commission is promoting gender equality and women’s rights beyond the EU and financially supports gender equality and women’s empowerment across the globe and cooperates e.g. with the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the G20 and the G7, NATO, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). These and other important organizations can make positive changes regarding basic human rights for women. We just have to keep the conversation alive. I am certain that if we continue talking about these uncomfortable topics that can help to make a positive change. That is why I am using the fashion industry to continue the dialogue about these important topics in a digestible way. Vogue magazine had two covers this year with the titles ‘’Brave New World’’ and ‘’A New Decade for Change’’ which is also my appeal. You help by being brave enough to support these causes and keep the dialogue no matter if it’s an uncomfortable topic. Peace is only achieved when those who live in peace are disturbed and awakened. Nobody ever made any significant changes by being like everybody else. I am different compared to many people in my community and have learned to embrace it. Also, well-behaved women never made any history either (laughs). It is important to speak one’s truth and acknowledge that great things never come from comfort zones.
about the cause and the handmade Maasai Bracelets. For more information please visit https://www.mundocooperante.org/ pulseras/eng/ As the field representative and spokeswoman for my local Yazidi (Ezidi) association – Verein der Eziden am unteren Niederrhein e.V. - Mala Ezdai Kalkar we are helping those in need during the easing of the pandemic and informing about the current events to the local community. I am constantly leading dialogues about equality for women within my own community. I am also supporting the emergency feeding program Tujilishe Emergency Fund created by the South Sudanese humanitarian Mario Joseph Konyen to help the most vulnerable in the villages of Nairobi, Kenya. Tujilishe means ‘’let’s feed ourselves’’ in Swahili. For more information and donation please visit GoFundMe.com https://www.gofundme.com/f/tujilishe As a member of the CDU Women’s Union, I am mainly focusing on the integration of women with migrant backgrounds to help with the integration within the local communities to help integrate with local communities while maintaining their identity and culture. I have recently joined the online network Women Heart to Heart as a member and an ambassador and I am excited about upcoming projects. It is a global invitation-only community and interesting network created by women for women to master together how to thrive on change, lead with grace, and create workplaces to long for. And as I mentioned earlier I will create and lead the Girl Up Kurdistan group and also act as an ambassador for the Kurdish Diaspora Women Centre in Germany. There is still a lot of work that needs to be done, which I won’t be able to do all by myself. However, I am motivated in creating projects combining entertainment with good causes to create a positive change and collaborating with brilliant and understanding like-minded people for a better future. https://www.zaryaazadi.com/
Share your upcoming projects. The biggest upcoming project and the main focus will be the Kurdish Solo Segment ‘The Hidden Beauty of Kurdistan’ at the House of iKons Fashion Show London from the 20-21 February 2021. This will give me the chance to use my contacts I have gained over the years to create an authentic but modern fashion segment to represent the Kurdish community. I will also launch my own fashion collection as a mix of modern and traditional clothing representing women’s equality and also honoring the badass Kurdish female fighters for the September’s House of iKons Fashion Show in London in 2021. Some of my other upcoming projects had to be postponed or being done virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, I will still continue to raise awareness on social issues like women’s rights with the help of my campaign ‘Evolve Your Heritage’. Starting to publish more images in various magazines and being more vocal using my social media accounts, radio, and TV. As a cooperating partner and an ambassador for the NGO Mundo Cooperante I will be able to continue with the work as soon as I can travel to Spain. I am still very excited to meet the Maasai Tribe and the women from Kenya to raise awareness
Hollywood Celebrity Journalist Jules Lavallee
73 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT
DAWN WITTE Founder of the Desire to Inspire Foundation
Interview by Jules Lavallee
Y
ou are a woman on a mission. You are an Entrepreneur, Author, International Speaker, and Philanthropist. Share your background.
My favorite role and title is Mom. Raising my daughters was my greatest purpose and when they were grown, I needed to find that purpose again. I went on a journey of self-discovery that led me to Africa and I once again, found that passion for something bigger than myself again. I love being able to help people everywhere find that same sense of meaning and purpose in their own lives. Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “To know that even one life has breathed easier because you have existed,” is what drives me in all I do. Tell us about the Desire to Inspire Foundation. I started the Desire to Inspire Foundation to share inspiring stories of people with the world. The news shows us stories of death and destruction constantly. While I know those things exist, I also know so many people who are doing so many wonderful things in the world. People who are helping pregnant 74 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
mothers, providing beauty treatments for people going through illnesses, rescuing homeless animals, and people who take in orphaned children when they don’t even know how they are going to feed themselves. I want to share these people with the world in an effort to inspire others to be a little kinder and little more loving. What are your current initiatives? We are currently running our “Path to Purpose” Brick campaign to help Mama Josephine in Busia, Uganda. She has dedicated her life to raising orphaned children after losing her own family during war. With more than 60 mouths to feed, resources are limited, requiring them to live in an area that challenges their safety daily. Only a few feet from where these children pile into limited beds, is a nightclub that disrupts the community and puts the lives of the young children at risk. We are building a safe home for her and her children which will also include a sustainable center which will provide classes and enrichment activities for the entire community. We are partnering with Father Henry Murillo who will be making the bricks for our
path which will serve as a reminder to all those who see it that love and kindness are why we are here. We are also putting together a volunteer trip in October 2021 to Uganda and Ghana so that we can share the magic of Africa, and the extraordinary love of our children with others. Since my first trip, my life has been forever changed in the most beautiful and profound way. I would love others to have that experience too. You just launched Be Line Products filled with cool products to inspire and empower others. Tell us about it. The vision behind The Be Line Products was to create a “Giver’s Marketplace” to raise money to fund the work of the Desire to Inspire Foundation while also creating a place to showcase the talent of people from around the world. $7 of every item purchased will be donated to the foundation and all of the products feature my seven words that we can all choose to be; love, kind, happy, strong, genuine, inspired, and grateful. These words are reminders to help us live our highest and greatest purpose while living our most rewarding and happy lives. What are your favorites? I love all of the products, but my absolute favorite ones are the framed inspirational African prints and calendar. They are amazing photos taken by the extremely talented photographer, 75 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
Davis Hidinks Ogosi. I met Davis three years ago and we are a soul family. We have traveled from Entebbe, Uganda to Nairobi, Kenya and he is an irreplaceable part of our team. Being able to help him share his extraordinary talent with the world is a tremendous honor. The only thing better than his photography is his love of helping others. I am so proud to be able to share his work while allowing him to earn a living using his gifts and doing what he loves. Why is it so important for us to support Be Line Products during the holidays? In addition to helping us raise them money for the Path to Purpose Sustainability center in Uganda, the money raised will help us continue to meet ongoing food and medical needs for the children we work with in Ghana, Uganda, and Sierra Leone. Was your desire to help others rooted in your childhood? I am the oldest child, so I think that nurturing and helping others comes along with my birth order. I have always believed that it was my responsibility to do what I could if I ever saw anyone suffering. My dear friend and one of my co-authors, Dr. Serggio Garcia Guillen, taught me that it was my adventure and privilege to do so.
Tell us about your new book, Recipes of Being: The Power of Seven. I love this book so much because my co-authors are some of the greatest thought leaders I know. We have come together from the United States, Portugal, Mexico, Croatia, and Namibia to write about the importance of my seven words and how we can create lives we love by who we choose to BE. The stories and insights from each author have inspired me and I am thrilled to be able to share their vision and wisdom with the world.
Social Media for Desire to Inspire Foundation https://www.facebook.com/desiretoinspirefoundation https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-desire-to-inspirefoundation https://www.instagram.com/desiretoinspirefoundation/ Dawn’s social media https://www.facebook.com/dawn.witte1
Share your goals for 2021. We have so many exciting things coming in 2021. Our goal is to have Mama Josephine’s Sustainability center built by October of next year so that our volunteers will be able to see and feel the impact that we are making in Uganda. We will also be adding beautiful new jewelry and a natural skincare line using the magical ingredients from Africa to The Be Line Products, as well as items from our featured spotlight artists. Being able to share the talents and skills of people from around the world will help us help others live into their purpose and will help us live into ours. Deborah Louise Brown, we have released “Recipes for Being; The Power of Kind.” https://desiretoinspirefoundation.org/ belineproducts.com http://recipesforbeing.com/
76 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dawn-airhart-witte-19910920
WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT
DR. REMI DUYILE Founder of Legacy Premier Foundation: A Serial Entrepreneur with an Intentional Impact
Interview by Jules Lavallee
Y
ou transitioned from Corporate America at the pinnacle of your career to lead by example. Tell us about your success as a serial entrepreneur with an intentional impact. After my years in Corporate America, I started my own company, Premier Mortgage Solutions, where I helped develop and implement marketing and sales strategies for clients and provided loan brokerage services. Our job also involved creating a budget and identifying funding projects to support the company’s vision. A few years later I started Image Consulting Group, a global consulting firm which specializes in facilitating trade between Africa and the United States by providing a variety of services to foreign manufacturers interested in penetrating emerging markets, as well as African manufacturers and producers seeking to expand their market beyond the shores of this great continent. We also assist partners by facilitating the employment of foreign-trained Africans to fill strategic employee gaps within their organizations. Our training outfit provides culturally competent training and programs to corporations and government agencies. We also provide lobbying services to align businesses locally and
77 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
internationally, help small and medium scale enterprises become efficient in its operations, finances, and growth strategies, assist clients through the basic steps of running an SME inclusive of an established business plan, host several events and annual conferences to bring present and prospective business entrepreneurs together for cooperative collaborations through leadership and management training and provide an opportunity for communication development in public speaking. Did your desire to help others stem from your childhood? Yes. Absolutely. In the words of Michele Obama, “When you’ve worked hard, and done well, and walked through that doorway of opportunity, you do not slam it shut behind you.” It’s always been my desire to help in any way I can, anyone and everyone, particularly those who look like me, to reach the peak of their dreams. Tell us about the Legacy Premier Foundation. Legacy Premier Foundation is a developmental non-profit organization committed to human capital development and
socio-economic empowerment. Our vision is to build a better world by changing communities, one life at a time through intergenerational business bridge building. We help Initiate and direct the development of the organization’s strategy, develop empowerment programs aimed at mentoring and assisting our youth and women in low-income communities. Organize events to enhance the skill set of program participants in the areas of leadership, career, professional development, Promote the empowerment of women in the areas of leadership and entrepreneurship amongst others. Our focus areas are Advocacy, Access to Capital, Education, Tech, Business Development, Capacity training and development, Intergenerational Bridge building, Women empowerment, and community development. What moves you the most about your non-profit? I’d say, the vision - To build a better world. We both know how huge this is! Even Steve Jobs settled for creating a dent in the Universe, on a lighter note. But sincerely, it’s the vision. To see as many people possible - empowered with the resources they need to live out their God-given dreams. It’s a peoplecentric vision, and to bring it to reality, we have developed the following initiatives. These initiatives are also built around the UN SDGs in alignment towards global sustainable, social, and economic development. Some of them are: The HERISE Global Internship programto train and equip young adults with resources to thrive in life and career. Passionomics Maryland - A finishing program
78 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
specially designed for young women to prepare them for top leadership positions and board roles in the corporate world. We also have the Legacy Farm to Wealth Program, to help young and female farmers monetize their farm produce on a larger scale. The Legacy Tech Minority Initiative: A special program designed to teach, mentor, and fund young tech enthusiasts and entrepreneurs who have little or no access to Tech resources in their communities. Other programs include the Legacy Colossus Coaching for Women, the Legacy FINsteam program, among others. I also won’t go without mentioning our global flagship event, the just recently concluded Legacy Global Summit an Intergenerational Business Bridge Building ecosystem, for business individuals, and the public and private sectors interested in trade, investments, funding, and access to capital. You have invested in yourself in areas of human capital and personal development. Share your successes. My investment in personal development is one of my blueprints towards my life journey. Having served in corporate America for 17 years, I uncovered the hidden treasures in human capital development which accelerated me to Vice President in a Fortune 10 financial institution when it was not a norm. I started investing in myself by being a platinum speaker with my great mentor, Les Brown. I am also a John Maxwell certified coach. And finally, one dear to my heart, the kind inspirational words of my late mentor, Berny Dohrmann. I experienced first-hand the benefits of such investments and that is why RemiSpeaks the human capital division of our company was created to provide platforms for such.
Tell us about your book titled “Perseverance is the Winning Key to your destiny.” In this book, perseverance is used in a way that illustrates growth and development to achieve greater aspirations. Moving from an entry-level teller with an MBA to Vice President Position clearly demonstrates my will to succeed along with the need to never give up on dreams considered attainable. Similar to the rising Phoenix, I explained in the book the need to face life with humility and determination while keeping faith alive as a grounding principle in pursuit to greatness. For countless generations, perseverance has been too often derailed due to stereotypical factors included with gender, race, religion and or ethnicity. However, I also stressed that a myriad of other factors necessary in achieving success include courage, thankfulness or showing gratitude, combined with employing the positive traits of integrity which tremendously elevates one in the broad to success. Imagine the many difficulties and roadblocks placed before such a historical figure as Harriett Tubman who exhibited strength, determination, and faith with the courage to act at a dark time in history. Yet, Tubman, also known as Moses, endured harsh conditions imposed by slavery, unimaginably treacherous conditions as she consistently traveled between north to south in the mid-1800s under the cloak of darkness while accepting her divine will to save others from the depths of slavery. Whether inspired by others or the will of God, perseverance allowed her to prevail during countless exploits dedicated to helping so many people follow the North Star to freedom. As a much sought after Speaker and Coach. What are the key areas clients are seeking today? Executive/ 1:1 Coaching
Lastly, we optimize success by giving our all. Passion is at the very heart of what drives us. We put our best foot forward, leveraging every tool and resource we have at our disposal to ensure our clients become the best they desire to be.
Strategy (Personal and Business)
Share the goals for the Legacy Premier Foundation in 2021.
What are your strengths as a Coach?
2021 is a really packed year! There’ll be more business than we’ve ever done. For our partners, all I can say is something big is coming. And for those who are still on the sidelines, I’ll advise that you jump on the ride as soon as you can. In all, we see a great year ahead of us, and lots to celebrate also! It’s a year of intentionality and collaborations with Trade and Investment and economic empowerment as the core of our movement.
At RemiSpeaks, our strengths are: Creating a niche-market for our products and services Expanding our network of influence Deepening relationships internally, and - externally - with our esteemed clients Community Engagement Placing value on Process rather than Product Being Accountable to ourselves and our clients 79 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
www.legacypremierfoundation.org http://www.legacyglobalsummit.org/ https://remispeaks.com/
VOICES
PAMARTY VENKATARAMANA Constitutionalist Spiritualist Ambassador of Peace Co-Writer Peeti Ahluwalia Written by Khushboo Agrahari
H
umanism is at the root of all spirituality. None else can express this in words better than Jurist, Author, Poet, SriRamana - PAMARTY VENKATARAMANA. An Award-winning Poet who is by profession a busy world citizen, and a successful International Attorney and acclaimed Business Columnist, Philanthropist, Writer, Mentor and Good Samaritan. A living example of learned men capable of espousing the cause of women. Also, a recipient of Global Awards for Yoeman Service rendered in mentoring research in fields of Law and Medicine. Notable is the prestigious ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ conferred by the Edward Kennedy Memorial Foundation, USA, recently, at Kaula Lumpur. Venkataramana explains that the golden maxim of - ‘Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity’ is derived from the eternal field of spirituality as propounded by distilled Philosophy of Ancient India. What is interesting is that SriRamana practices what he prescribes through his writings: Spirituality is more than a phrase and translated into actions when he is busy conducting Free Medical Camps, Free Legal Aid Camps, and sponsoring the education of helpless children hailing from an economically, and socially backward of a plural society. Venkataramana has the distinction of donating proceeds of all his published works for the education of poor Girl Children, in Asian and African countries. Empowerment of women behind from compulsory formal education in childhood says this Humanist. He was honoured, ‘Ambassador of Peace’. As he observes, the aim and purpose of all ‘Spiritual Poetry’ are to consciously spread awareness of the existence of soul within every being: to cleanse Minds, purify Hearts as well as rejuvenate Souls - for a blissful and harmonious World. Unless and until one recognizes the need and necessity of humankind overcoming the ubiquitous trait, to succumb to Vanity, it cannot grow to become humanity. Each right-thinking world-citizen should make a conscious effort of embracing
80 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
Divinity. It can be undertaken by everyone in the form of various happy pursuits. Such as; painting, singing, writing or through the conservation of nature; planting of saplings and nurturing them. Life is a Blessing. So, it must be the endeavour of everybody to spread Light, Joy and Happiness to all society. As one surpasses the test of self-centeredness and envy, the being evolves into a mighty form which bows to dictates of the voice of the soul, viz, good conscience. In the net result, we all would be able to knit together a ‘Good Life’, which shows the present as well as all future generations, the intrinsic value of Lifeendiwed by Nature, as a human being and in the inculcation of higher moral values. The Prolific Thinker further points out that this, apparently is the aim and purpose of all Schools of Religion and Governance, throughout the history of civilization. ‘Good Governance Systems’ in the post- COVID-19 afflicted era, would greatly benefit from reading the PVR brand of Spiritual POETRY, popular as being the flag-bearer of the ‘ New Age Poetry ‘. His notable published works are Books of Poetry:’ In A Blink ‘, ‘Chasing A Shadow’, and ‘A Master’s Piece ‘. His Book of Short Stories - ‘ The Whispering Star ‘ is being published in the U.K. and falls under the Mystic and Spiritual realm. The Book of Essays - ‘ X-raying the Mahatma ‘, prescribes the way forward for Good Governance, and a New World Order out from Canada in mid-2021. 18-volumes classical book of poetry on the philosophy of love -’ One Life, Many Lives ‘, is due to be released in August 2021. He is a modern writer who epitomizes being an old Soul, and his racy writing style helps even the unoriented reader reflect over ancient truisms. The connection between contemporary society and the needs of diverse groups crying out for the betterment of their plight through governing laws or policies are highlighted
in the classic poet. His writings remind us, both upliftment and enlightenment are not to be searched for in the world beyond your existence. This discovery and self-realization must come from inward contemplation. Such an introspection enables one to identify both aspects of one’s psyche - the Enemy as well as the Friend resident within. The soul must be the lighthouse of one’s journey in life. How do we utilize the gifts of a civilized existence? Be it the power of ruling over others in society or the gift of good looks or intellect or material possessions? To delve deep into the dimensions of suffering, pangs of hunger, thirst, poverty must form the first rung in the ladder. Then, comes the viewing of travesties and unjust actions noticed around the being. Thoughts come flooding as to who we are, what indeed is the purpose of our existence and where has one succeeded or failed in this mission of life begin to prod the thinking mind. Who are the guardians of societal consciousness, and how does the Solar System work in perfect cosmic alignment? Whither all this technology of humanity if the good conscience of all leaderships and nations cannot acknowledge the frailty of human’s and learn to partake of food and goodwill, in equal measure? What is the origin of discord as well as Universalism in the world we live in? The answer ultimately arrived at is simple - ‘The Force Major governs all’. Mistakes cannot be attributed to being an ‘Act of God’. Love, Compassion and understanding are the basis of all wisdom. Equanimity of thought and humility comprise the measure of an evolved human being. Human Rights emanate from a Divine Order, and unless Divinity is imbibed, it cannot get transformed into humanity. He has been a strong Votary of the Constitution of India. And, is an icon for a campaign seeking to restore the values and pristine glory of spirituality as the beacon for a New World Order: aimed at ushering in an orderly, peaceful society where all citizens lead a life of plenty assured of absolute human security, contentment and universal brotherhood, all living in harmony- with a feeling of Togetherness and Oneness. Such is the essence of the Philosophy of Life, as gleaned from the Brilliant Works of PAMARTY VENKATARAMANA. 81 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
A new Project for uplifting the spirits and lifestyle of underprivileged in Australia is carved out with SriRamana as a driving force to help spread the Light down under. This Guru of New Age Poetry has much more to offer to dispel darkness from multitudes of suffering Souls across the Globe An interesting unknown fact of this unsung hero is that he has been mentoring scientific research and development in greenfield areas, especially green energy. A rarest of rare combination indeed of traditional values with the needs of the modern times we live in.
eYs Team
MINHAZUL ABEDIN
MAYA APOSTOLOSKA
COSETTE AWAD
BANGLADESH
THE NETHERLANDS
LEBANON
CREATIVE – eYs Magazine UI/UX Designer, Amar iSchool
Graphic Artist - Conservation and Restoration, and Business Owner
Author
MARSHA CASPER COOK
PAMELA DALSENO
PAULA DUNN
USA
AUSTRALIA
AUSTRALIA
CEO Michigan Avenue Media, Author, Screenwriter & Entrepreneur
Lou Lou Living Founder and Creator
No Limits Consulting Pty Ltd Cognitive Scientist & Resilience Expert
DEME McDONALD
JULIE MICHELS
AUSTRALIA
AUSTRALIA
MaxAus Beauty Scientist, Businesswoman and Motivational Speaker
Solution Hub Bookkeeper, Reiki Practitioner, and Business Owner
MARCO PIEMONTE
ANITA RACHELLE ROE
ITALY
AUSTRALIA
CEO at Greenden
RACHELLE ROE STUDIO Jewellery Designer, Businesswoman, and Photographer
82 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
eYs Team
BOJANA BOGOJEVIC
BELLA BOURGEOIS
CLAUDINE BURGESS
SERBIA
USA
AUSTRALIA
Law and Corporate Governance Lawyer, Post-Grad Specialist for Corporate Governance, UN Climate Teacher, and Author
Photographer and Global Artist for Planetary Peace
Define and Shine Life Coach and Photographer
DR JOHN HARRISON
DEBBIE KEMP
JULES LAVALLEE
INDIA
AUSTRALIA
USA
Educational Influencer & Philosopher
Intuitive Life Coach, Speaker and Businesswoman
Celebrity Writer & Women’s Empowerment
NATALIE O’CONNOR
DR NASRIN PARSIAN
AUSTRALIA
AUSTRALIA
Photographer, Businesswoman, Author and Traveller
Emotional Health Consultant and Educator Senior Lecturer/ Course Convenor, Holistic health Professional/Researcher
JASMINA SIDEROVSKI AUSTRALIA CEO & Editor-in-Chief at eYs Magazine Publisher, Award-Winning Author, UNAA, UN Women and UN Volunteer, Honouree World Greatness Award– Civility Humanitarian, and Philanthropist 83 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
84 | eYs Magazine, December 2020
