Positive Solace with Attika Choudhary

Finding Healing after Abuse with Sarah Jane Dias

As we continue Season 3 of Positive Solace, in Episode 2, the discussion examines how important it is to involve love in the healing process: Attika speaks candidly with her close friend, actress Sarah Jane Dias, a yoga instructor and podcaster. Sarah Jane opens up in an unprecedented conversation about how she was abused as a child, and the impact this has had on her life: depression, anxiety, and grieving the loss of a loved one all threatened to impede her journey towards healing.
 
Sarah explains what love means to her, and how over time, she feels the healing has exposed and then laid to rest her bad experiences.
 
Find out more about her feel good community Fegoco here: https://instagram.com/fegoco?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
 
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The Perils of Pregnancy with Armeena Khan

Welcome back to Positive Solace! 
After a hiatus, we're back with Season 3.
In the next 12 episodes, Attika Choudhary will be exploring the themes of love and healing in an endeavour to discover more of what it means to be human. By hearing her guests' contributions on these subjects, we hope to learn the importance of healing, the things we need to heal and how we can improve our lives with love, knowing the right way to act and be.
 
To begin our exploration of these words, Attika talks candidly with Pakistani-Canadian actress and activist Armeena Khan, about her pregnancy, becoming a mother and addressing the subject of toxic patriarchy. For the first time, Armeena opens up about the reality of her pregnancy including what it was like to have pre-eclampsia, and the complications she faced mentally and physically as she began her journey to motherhood.
 
Armeena is an avid supporter of the Graham Layton Trust who's mission it is to treat curable blindness and visual impairment by providing high quality free eye surgery and ophthalmic care for the poor and underprivileged of Pakistan.
 
You can read more here: https://www.glt.org.uk/
 
With thanks to the Positive Solace team. Be sure to subscribe and never miss an episode.
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A Woman of Many Parts with Mahira Khan

Positive Solace: Women of Vision concludes with an interview with Mahira Khan, a multiple award winning actress and film producer. Mahira has just finished an intense period of filming for her latest film Aik Hai Nigar based on the first female Lieutenant General in Pakistan. Mahira achieved global fame when she portrayed the role of Khirad Ashar Hussain in the TV series Humsafar. Other than her TV work Mahira is passionate about her film roles - she lives through them - and about the difficult themes tackled in her films. But at the same time she recognises the stress and strain these deep and heavy subjects and treatment of them can bring to her both physically and mentally. Attika asks about the film Verna that deals with the rape of a married woman and the social reaction to it that Mahira feels is no longer acceptable for the new generation. When portraying a roles that deal with difficult issues like the General's, she works hard to reflect her true character and how she has dealt with all the obstacles in her path. This film is being produced by Mahira's own film company Soul Fry Films. So she gets to be both sides of the camera.Despite her broad career in both large and little screens, Mahira has many other strings to her bow, not the least of which is her work with the United Nations. She is an ambassador for the UN refugee arm, UNHCR. She is particularly concerned about the refugees in Afghanistan and how these people may come under greater threat due to recent events. Mahira is a deep and thoughtful person and she opens up to Attika in this podcast. She talks about the challenges and the dark times she has experienced but also looks at the good and positive: she is driven and optimistic for negativity is just not part of her vision. Mahira is not just a celebrity and a business woman, she's also a mother to Azlan her 12 year old son and takes time out to care for her family, even her granny.With thanks to the Positive Solace team. Be sure to subscribe and never miss an episode.Be sure to check out our social media pages:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PositiveSolace/Twitter: https://twitter.com/PositiveSolaceInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/positivesolace/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@positivesolaceYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClhK6amRXNbMKZsEacDgyjw Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kashmir’s Fight for Justice with Mir Urfi

In the penultimate Positive Solace: Women of Vision, Attika speaks to Mir Urfi, a Kashmiri lawyer and human rights activist, who faces a constant struggle for justice and freedom of movement, not just for her clients. She is often stopped and made to identify herself by the Indian security forces in her own state: Jammu and Kashmir.When Urfi began her work as a lawyer she was a woman in a man's world, and even today there are very few female lawyers, especially those willing to take on cases of citizens wrongfully detained.Since 1949, Article 370 of India's Constitution gives Jammu and Kashmir special status, authorising the region to have its own constitution and state flag. However, this article was revoked by India in 2019, resulting in the voice of the people being silenced. With communication services suspended, a curfew imposed, creating an effective lockdown, and people encouraged to stay off the streets, the state is effectively under martial law.Oppressive legislation such as the Public Safety Act (PSA), is being used to make indefinite arrests and detentions thereby revoking a person's rights. In fact, the PSA violates many human rights according to international law.In her day-to-day life, Urfi fights for those unlawfully detained: sometimes, she explains, these people have been held in custody for months or even years. The PSA gives the security forces the right to revoke a person's right to habeas corpus which should force the authorities to bring the detainee to trial. And while India feigns ignorance of its actions, its security forces pursue further injustice.Urfi says she dreams of a Kashmir where people can live without fear, go out without hinderance, and not feel constantly the threat of physical violence or mental pressure from the security forces. Mental problems have increased due to high levels of anxiety. Upwards of a third of the adult population have been diagnosed with some form of mental condition and Urfi believes this is all related to the stress of living with the present tensions. Even the medical practitioners who treat the people are themselves suffering from heightened anxiety states.Urfi's mentor was the renowned lawyer and human rights activist Mir Shafqat Hussain who fought all his life for people abandoned by the judicial system. And he played a pivotal role in helping Amnesty International highlight the abuse of humans rights in Kashmir. Urfi has taken over his firm and is now walking in his footsteps.Urfi tells Attika that the Kashmiri people must be freed from the constant military pressure. “The people need to be given the right to live!” she says.With thanks to the Positive Solace Team. Don’t forget to subscribe to never miss an episode.Be sure to check out our social media pages:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PositiveSolace/Twitter: https://twitter.com/PositiveSolaceInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/positivesolace/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@positivesolaceYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClhK6amRXNbMKZsEacDgyjw Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Football Hijabis Tackle Prejudice with Les Hijabeuses

In the latest episode of Positive Solace: Women of Vision, Attika chats to Founé Diawara and Leïla Kellou, who are members of Les Hijabeuses, a collective of women who are campaigning against the French Football Federation (FFF)’s ban on the wearing of a hijab in official matches and international games.Despite FIFA, the world governing body of football lifting their ban on hijabs in 2014, the FFF have stood fast, citing that the sport must comply with Laïcité, (secularism), which is derived from a traditional policy of separation between church and state in France, but has since been taken to mean that the state should be neutral to all religions.France’s estimated 5.7 million Muslims face a torrid time of further stigmatisation and oppression from extremist groups - There is continuing controversy over the national ban on full-face veils in France which was first imposed in 2011, and more recently there has been an amendment to a controversial 'anti-separatism' bill which includes a ban on women under the age of 18 wearing the hijab in public places, sparking a backlash and a protest under the hashtag #HandsOffMyHijab that went viral. Founé was just 15 when she was first told by a referee that she could not participate in a football match due to her choosing to wear a hijab. Now 21 and the co-president of Les Hijabeuses, the pair play football together, connect with other teams across France and put on training sessions to encourage other young hijab-wearing women to get into football.Leïla originally comes from an Algerian family that has a passion for the game. She has also been denied the right to participate in games, and wants the next generation of young women to enjoy the sport without the fear of exclusion.Founé and Leïla converse with Attika about their experiences both on and off the field. They discuss how they are dealing with the recent political decisions by the French Senate, their campaign for a more inclusive French society, regardless of religion or race, their love for the beautiful game and their vision for a more inclusive sport in France is truly something to behold.You can find out more about the Les Hijabeuses by following the group on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leshijabeuses/With thanks to the Positive Solace Team. Don’t forget to subscribe to never miss an episode.Be sure to check out our social media pages:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PositiveSolace/Twitter: https://twitter.com/PositiveSolaceInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/positivesolace/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@positivesolaceYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClhK6amRXNbMKZsEacDgyjw Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kenya’s Eco-Warrior with Dr Paula Kahumbu

In the latest instalment of Positive Solace: Women of Vision, Attika chats with Dr Paula Kahumbu, a multiple award-winning wildlife conservationist, well-known presenter of Kenya's Wildlife Warriors and Chief Executive Officer of WildlifeDirect, a conservation programme launched by Richard Leakey.She is well known for spearheading the "Hands Off Our Elephants" campaign, which has been successful in reducing the poaching of elephants, but now the campaign is focusing on change in the behaviour and attitudes of the people towards wildlife and especially elephants where new villages or developments encroach on the elephants' feeding habits. As a result of her work, the campaign has succeeded in getting governments to bring in laws enabling the successful arrest and prosecution of known ivory smugglers.Kenya sees some of the highest migration of animals in the world every year, with more than two million wildebeest, zebra and many other species. Paula wants people to be better-educated about the wildlife and environment around them; she wants them to become conservationists. Her latest project is to build a centre as part of the First Protected Area in Africa specifically designed for children, in the Wildlife Warrior Kids programme.How did Paula develop such a passion for conservation and wildlife? Growing up just outside of Nairobi, Kenya, Paula has been raised with nature and wildlife around her. When she was younger she was greatly influenced by Richard Leakey and he became her mentor. Now, as one of the loudest voices in Wildlife Conservation in Africa, Paula wants to educate the people to own the wildlife and nature around them. But there are forces that oppose what Paula is doing and these are not just the poaching organisations.Paula was shocked by the recent killing of Joannah Stutchbury a conservationist who staunchly defended Kiambu Forest from developers. Dr Kahumbu says that prominent conservationists have been targets first because of the ivory trade and now for opposing development and encroachment by land-grabbing building companies. “We work in an environment of fear for our lives,” she said, “and Joannah's death proves this is no exaggeration.”She has written a book which has been translated in 27 languages and has sold a million copies. 'Owen and Mzee - The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship’, based on the unlikely friendship between an infant hippopotamus and an Aldabra giant tortoise.You can find out more about Wildlife Direct, including how to donate, here: www.wildlifedirect.orgA sneak peek of season 2 of Wildlife Warriors https://vimeo.com/507900821With Thanks to the Positive Solace Team. Subscribe to never miss an episode.Be sure to check out our social media pages:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PositiveSolace/Twitter: https://twitter.com/PositiveSolaceInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/positivesolace/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@positivesolaceYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClhK6amRXNbMKZsEacDgyjw Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Force for Change with Siobhan Baillie MP

In this week’s episode of Positive Solace: Women of Vision, Attika interviews Siobhan Baillie, the first ever woman MP for Stroud.Becoming an MP for the first time already has its challenges, but for Siobhan, the challenges were complicated by the fact that she was pregnant at the time of the election. Three months later, the Coronavirus pandemic forced people into lockdown and MPs had to do business from home. But Siobhan is no novice as far as the Internet is concerned.Leaving home at the age of 15 and underperforming at her GCSEs, she often sofa-surfed at the houses of her friends before getting work as a secretary in a law firm. Then, luckily, they sponsored her to study for her solicitor's exams. As a solicitor, Siobhan was moved by families who struggled to pay for the services of people like herself, and she saw a lot to be desired in the divorce laws so she entered politics. First she won a seat as a borough councilor, and then as an MP in Westminster.She is now working to change the laws regarding separating families and has been successful in creating a no-fault divorce. Alongside her work as an MP, Siobhan is one of those courageous enough to tackle online abuse and trolling, especially on behalf of susceptible young people. This includes working with the Stop The Hate Campaign and Clean up the Internet, two organisations challenging all forms of hate crime and discrimination.Attika and Siobhan speak about the need for more female representation in UK politics, and the challenges that women politicians face every day. They discuss what can be done to combat abuse of women on social media, and how to help younger adults who are considering going into politics.With thanks to the Positive Solace Team. Don’t forget to subscribe to never miss an episode.Be sure to check out our social media pages:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PositiveSolace/Twitter: https://twitter.com/PositiveSolaceInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/positivesolace/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@positivesolaceYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClhK6amRXNbMKZsEacDgyjw Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Motherhood Lost with Jessica Hepburn

In this episode of Positive Solace: Women of Vision, Attika meets Jessica Hepburn, one of the UK's leading voices on fertility and family.Jessica has one of the most remarkable and inspiring stories to tell - overcoming adversity and going on to swim the channel to climbing Mount Everest more recently.While trying to become a mother, she went through 11 rounds of IVF treatment, and an ectopic pregnancy that almost proved fatal, she was down and out and staring into the abyss. Her long cherished ambition to have a family was over.The mental and physical strain had been enormous – often IVF stories have an extremely happy ending, making all the hurt and pain seemworthwhile. This one doesn't – there was no baby and no new life that had come from the deep love, support and commitment of her partner.She had a successful career in the arts, as executive director of the Lyric in Hammersmith, London, one of the country’s best known theatres and spearheaded its £20 million capital redevelopment plan – all the while hiding her intense pain and hurt – of not having a family.Describing this time as the “darkest period” of her life, she tells Attika what helped to drag herself from the depths of despair to findhope, zest and a new hunger for life. She has found the strength and conviction to put her experiences into writing - with a bestselling novel on fertility.Slowly, and methodically, she found it in writing and then in founding the Fertility Fest, co-creating the world’s very first arts festivaldedicated to fertility and modern family making, and finally and more recently, in Adventure Activism, combining her love of challenges withraising money for charity. She is no athlete as she tells Attika but set herself demanding physical goals.Listen to Jessica and Attika talk about how from the lowest of lows, you can find your way back to the top and they of course discuss fertility,what it means to be a mother or not in today’s world - and how the future might look like for women who want a family… and a life that isfulfilling too in other ways...You can find more about Fertility Fest here: https://www.fertilityfest.com/Also, here are some links to Jessica’s literary work. ‘21 Miles’­ - https://www.amazon.co.uk/21-Miles-Jessica-Hepburn/dp/1783526092‘The Pursuit of Motherhood’ - https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Books/Pursuit-Motherhood-Jessica-Hepburn/1783061871 With thanks to the Positive Solace Team. Don’t forget to subscribe to never miss an episode. Be sure to check out our social media pages:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PositiveSolace/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/PositiveSolace Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/positivesolace/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@positivesolace YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClhK6amRXNbMKZsEacDgyjw Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Afghan Dreamers with Roya Mahboob

In this episode of Positive Solace: Women of Vision, Attika talks to Roya Mahboob, the CEO of the Digital Citizen Fund that helps students through digital education. In fact Roya is championing the cause of education for girls and women, and works with the Afghan government to create STEM schools where Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics are made available to all students.Roya started the group of robotics specialists known as The Afghan Dreamers, who also join Attika in this podcast. This six-girl robotics team made up of teenagers between 14 and 18 years old, has already won awards. When challenged by the Herat Governor to help with the Covid-19 crisis, they created a ventilator from old car pieces that should hit the market soon costing around $600. Some ventilators sell at upwards of $50,000.Roya is keen to break down cultural barriers and prejudices that question the value of women being educated. She encourages girls to pursue careers in engineering and robotics, a suggestion bucking the social trend and unheard of in Afghanistan until recently.Attika talks to Roya and the girls about the successes they’ve had with their work, their experiences growing up with the unrest in Afghanistan and all the challenges that brings. What lies ahead for these dreamers? Listen to the podcast now available on all platforms.With thanks to the Positive Solace Team. Don’t forget to subscribe to never miss an episode.Be sure to check out our social media pages:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PositiveSolace/Twitter: https://twitter.com/PositiveSolace Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/positivesolace/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@positivesolaceYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClhK6amRXNbMKZsEacDgyjw Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Women beyond War with Iman Humaydan

In this week’s episode of Positive Solace: Women of Vision – 'Women beyond War' - Attika speaks with Iman Humaydan, an award-winning Lebanese writer who says she uses words to alleviate her pain: her pain from the devastating civil war that ended in 1990: her pain for the disintegration of her beloved Lebanon; her pain for women trying to operate in a man's world where men write all the rules.She puts into her fiction, which is close to fact, all her own experiences and those of other Lebanese women. Her hard-hitting and eye-opening novels concern the struggles of womanhood, family, loss, as well as the bitter consequences of war. Iman's perspective is unique as revealed through her characters.Iman talks about how writing has been a cathartic, cleansing experience for her, and helped her cope with the post-war problems and social adversity: it seems even in our modern age many people in Lebanon oppose women taking power for themselves.Iman talks of motherhood and her job teaching in Paris and how she divides her life between a Lebanon struggling to rise from the ashes and the ancient, cultural city of Paris, which ironically, has recently known its own violence.You can find a selection of Iman’s works here:‘The Weight of Paradise’ - www.interlinkbooks.com/product/weight-of-paradise-the/‘Wild Mulberries’ - www.interlinkbooks.com/product/wild-mulberries/‘Other Lives’ - www.interlinkbooks.com/product/other-lives/Iman Humaydan is a co founder of Pen Lebanon and its current president. For Lebanese writers link here: https://penlebanon.org/index.php/about/This week Attika is also joined by guest presenter, James Ward, a young aspiring writer and Positive Solace’s assistant producer.With thanks to the Positive Solace Team. Don’t forget to subscribe to never miss an episodeBe sure to check out our social media pages:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PositiveSolace/Twitter: https://twitter.com/PositiveSolaceInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/positivesolace/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@positivesolaceYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClhK6amRXNbMKZsEacDgyjw Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.