Dear all

I hope you are keeping safe and well and coping with the impact of C-19 in your situation.  I know some of you, perhaps most, have been profoundly affected by the pandemic.  Our colleague in Brazil, Marina Henriques, is not only facing economic and employment insecurity but the stress of being a liberal minded educator and activist  living in a dangerous  climate of gun toting,  right wing extremism.  Similarly the news from Palestine is not good. Some of you who went to Palestine in 2016 may remember the lovely walk we took to the UNESCO Heritage Site of the village of Battir.  Trump and Netanyahu’s plans are quietly and surreptitiously being encouraged on the ground.  Armed settlers, under protection of the army,  have started camping on the land there, challenging occupants to produce legal proof of their ownership.  PPAN (Palestinian Performing Arts Network), chaired by Marina Barham, is engaged in an ongoing, exhausting struggle to protect the rights of Palestinian artists to freedom of expression in their work.  All this and Covid -19 as well!

Congratulations to Mary Lange,  ARROWSA team and South Roots who have been working with Lisa (Rochdale) and Caroline (Trafford Manchester)  in the UK and have been successful in their application for funds to develop their joint project exploring male violence and domestic abuse.

It has also been exciting to see the collaborative workshops that Matt Jennings at Ulster University and Jerry Adesewo in Abuja, Nigeria have been developing together.

In a recent Indra newsletter I described an emerging project involving Ndeamoh Mansaray in Sierra Leone and Urvashi Sahni in India, ‘Daughters of Sierra Leone’.  The vulnerability of girls and young women in that country is frightening.  Ndeamoh is determined to play her part and is in the process of registering her group as an NGO in the country and we are looking to link her with supporting organisations such as Save the Children and the British Council.

Urvashi has allocated 3 talented young members of her staff, Felipe, Zarine and Arunima who are working with Ndeamoh to structure a realistic and achievable programme and linking girls and young women from both contexts in dialogue and sharing.

If any of you have any information about your current situation and activities do please contact me.

Love and best wishes

David