Women hold up half the sky

I am taking a break from my UEA posts to write my take on Nicolas Kristof's presentation today at the University. I had tickets to see him speak about a month back but he had to reschedule because he was trapped reporting in Egypt. Thankfully, he fit us into his busy schedule and shared some amazing messages.

Nicholas D. Kristof, columnist for The Times since 2001, is a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner who writes op-ed columns that appear twice a week. He is the co-author of Half the Sky (his wife also authored it- cool, right?!)
http://www.nytimes.com/ref/opinion/KRISTOF-BIO.html




Kristof told some moving stories about strong women he met through his travels and left us with some great take away messages. I love it when you are listening to a speaker and you just can't soak up enough of what they are saying. I felt like he was speaking my philosophy on life but from a much wiser, experienced and organized place.


His approach to global poverty focuses on funding girls education because educated women are more likely to join the economy and therefore, earn money that will be reinvested in the well being of the family.


His book and his presentation discus sex trafficking of girls around the world, gender violence and maternal mortality. His passion for women's rights is truly inspiring and goes to show that you don't have to be from a marginalized population to fight for their rights. He might just be the greatest male feminist and women's rights activist I have ever met.


His lecture was too brilliant for me to rehash it in a short blog but the message I do think is worth repeating, and maybe butchering, is this question he asked the audience (in my own words) :


Do yo ever ask yourself why should I care? What really can I do anyway? Do you then comfort yourself by saying that you are just too busy and have too many own personal needs to care about whats going on in Cambodia or in Africa?


For those of you who have traveled abroad or have stepped outside of your comfort zone to see how the majority of the world lives- probably don't ask these questions. Once you have seen a malnourished baby, a child being sex traded, or a mother shunned due to her treatable fistula, you don't need to ask the question "why should I care"- you just jump to the "how can I help"?


What I believe Kristof was saying is that there are hundreds of causes and millions of people that need our help. You don't have create a cause or dedicate your life to a movement but make a contribution! Have a cause that's not just revolving around yourself!


So, my daily intention and my message for today is find a cause. Even if you are only half-heartedly interested in the cause at the start, the journey of giving will transform you and steal your heart. So, whether its a small donation to Japan, volunteering at your child's school, working with underprivileged youth or traveling to Cambodia to end sex trafficking- just choose one and then it will choose you.

http://www.halftheskymovement.org/