How to Talk About Sexual Assault #letstalkaboutit

Screen Shot 2015-07-15 at 1.49.45 PMWinnie and I became friends as part of the Doha Writers’ Workshop. She moved away a few years ago to pursue her interest in creative writing and has not been idle.

One of the many things she’s been up to is establishing the Clear Lines Festival, four days of events to help us talk about the taboo subjects surrounding sexual assault.

Check out this video and join the conversation.

One of UsAre you One of Us? Even if you’re not, join our conversation about #SexualAssault. Watch this video & please share.

Posted by Clear Lines Festival on Monday, July 6, 2015

#gratitudeforgasstationattendents

Starting a blog can feel daunting. I have a friend who spreads her cheer the modern old school way: she sends emails. A week or so ago, I got a note from her about making care kits for the gas station attendants who pump gas for drivers across Qatar. These guys work long hours, day or night, hot or cold. In the spirit of the season of Ramadan, she urged, do something for those we see everyday.

Her premise was simple: let’s get some basic toiletries together, add in a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen for the weather, and pass them out. You can see some of the earliest results in the video and read more about the campaign here.

Guess some people still read their email.

What grassroots initiative would you like to start? Which ones have you participated in recently?

 

Wordless Wednesday: "How Rude! You're Wearing Jeans."

Modesty is the hot topic this summer (pun intended) in Doha. From the modesty campaign, where people, mostly women, give correctional cards in public to those who they feel are in violation, to the recent censure of a group of Qatari youth on a trip in the Amazon, everyone, expats and locals, are talking about women women should and should not wear.

This cartoon sums up the irony of critique perfectly.