Mehnaz Parveen
Mehnaz Parveen is a development practitioner and an advocate for human rights. Mehnaz hails from the breathtaking region of Gilgit-Baltistan. With a profound commitment to fostering positive change and empowering marginalized communities, she became the 1st female CEO of Karakoram Area Development Organization (KADO). Mehnaz has dedicated more than 10 years to addressing pressing social issues and promoting sustainable development in the region. She has also served as Director at Foundation for Arts Culture and Education (FACE) for six years. She recognizes the intrinsic link between culture and social justice, leveraging creative mediums to address pressing issues and catalyze meaningful dialogue.
SUNDAY Sunday 3rd March
The Whispering Mountains A Celebration In Women's Voices From Gilgit-Baltistan, With Love By Mehnaz Parveen
Location: Patio
1- Sinisai (10 mins) An old Wahki Folk Lament Sinisai is an old song performed by women in the Wakhi Culture. The song is usually performed during Wakhi weddings when the family bids farewell to the bride. The women of the family then gather inside a traditional house and sing the old melody, usually led by the mother of the bride. This performance at WOW will be done by a group of young women from GB residing in Lahore. History: Sinisai has a mythical story behind it that the locals narrate. Fazal Amin, a Wahi Language Expert says" Sinisai's explanations could be seen broadly in a metaphorical context to see what a brave mother’s role was and how did she perform incredibly. Although, the stories related to the bride, the enigmatic death encountering her, the bride’s mother’s bravery, making up of the bride’s younger sister in replacement, seeing off the wedding party, the emergence of Sinasay and the Sinisay taking its course as part of Wakhi tradition". 2- The Whispering Mountain Ensemble: (30 mins) The Whispering Mountain ensemble will feature a total of 10 musicians (04 male, 06 female including instrumentalists and female singers). The ensemble will perform songs in 04 indigenous languages of GB including, Burushaski, Shina, Khowar, and Waki. The performance will be an ode to the rich and diverse culture of the land GB.
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SATURDAY Saturday 2nd March
زرد پتّوں کا بنَ Activism & Community Building In Balochistan & Gilgit-Baltistan: A Conversation between Nazia Ahmed and Mehnaz Parveen
Location: Hall 2
In this fireside chat, Nazia Ahmed, Director of Initiative for Community Network (ICON) and former Head of Nisa Women Institution, and Mehnaz Parveen, Head of Programs, Partnerships and Innovation at Soni Jawari Centre for Public Policy, will share their respective journeys of uplifting the living standards of marginalized and deprived communities, with more emphasis on the women from the same, and especially those in remote areas with issues of exposure, access and opportunities, in Baluchistan and Gilgit-Baltistan, two regions of Pakistan, which, although geographically far apart, tend to be similar in many ways, especially as they suffer from heavy political, cultural and geographical limitations and challenges.
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