1 00:00:05,160 --> 00:00:07,440 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Annie and Samantha. I'm welcome to stuff 2 00:00:07,440 --> 00:00:09,600 Speaker 1: I'll Never tell, your production of iHeartRadio. 3 00:00:18,640 --> 00:00:21,639 Speaker 2: And welcome to today's activists around the world. My voice 4 00:00:21,720 --> 00:00:25,880 Speaker 2: is back kind of. I think it's not a little gruff. Yeah, yeah, 5 00:00:26,120 --> 00:00:28,880 Speaker 2: that's not the word, but it's much better than what 6 00:00:28,960 --> 00:00:32,640 Speaker 2: it was last week. And for today's activists around the world, 7 00:00:32,720 --> 00:00:34,839 Speaker 2: I am going to put a quick content warning. We're 8 00:00:34,880 --> 00:00:38,560 Speaker 2: not talking deep into actual situations, but there is mention 9 00:00:38,680 --> 00:00:43,159 Speaker 2: of rape and violeness against women, war, famine, all the 10 00:00:43,159 --> 00:00:45,440 Speaker 2: bad things that are happening around the world and even 11 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:49,000 Speaker 2: even in the US. So we are actually talking about 12 00:00:49,640 --> 00:00:54,000 Speaker 2: the works of Sudanese activists Fahima Hashim. And if you 13 00:00:54,520 --> 00:00:57,520 Speaker 2: are listening to all the horrible things that is happening, 14 00:00:57,800 --> 00:01:00,560 Speaker 2: you know that there's a lot going on in Sudan 15 00:01:01,240 --> 00:01:04,880 Speaker 2: with the atrocities happening there currently, that's been happening there 16 00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:08,120 Speaker 2: for a while now. Like I hate to be the 17 00:01:08,160 --> 00:01:11,280 Speaker 2: ignorant person here, but I am, because there's so much 18 00:01:11,360 --> 00:01:14,759 Speaker 2: that happens and it has happened in happening in Sudan 19 00:01:15,760 --> 00:01:21,920 Speaker 2: with the help of a lot of imperilist fascist regimes 20 00:01:21,959 --> 00:01:25,880 Speaker 2: that wouldn't consider them themselves regimes hello us that have 21 00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:30,600 Speaker 2: helped cause these atrocities that I honestly did not and 22 00:01:30,680 --> 00:01:33,440 Speaker 2: still do not completely understand what is happening. But what 23 00:01:33,560 --> 00:01:36,040 Speaker 2: I do know is that it is horrific and it 24 00:01:36,120 --> 00:01:38,400 Speaker 2: needs to be talked about, and we need to bring 25 00:01:38,520 --> 00:01:41,040 Speaker 2: more and more attention to it, and we need to 26 00:01:41,040 --> 00:01:43,319 Speaker 2: be talking about it. So that's what we're gonna do 27 00:01:43,480 --> 00:01:48,440 Speaker 2: with this specific episode, and talking and celebrating the works 28 00:01:48,440 --> 00:01:52,760 Speaker 2: of people like Hashim. So currently the situation is horrifying. 29 00:01:53,120 --> 00:01:55,480 Speaker 2: This is from a recent Guardian article as in like 30 00:01:55,800 --> 00:01:59,080 Speaker 2: published yesterday. I believe they say the city of Al 31 00:01:59,160 --> 00:02:02,480 Speaker 2: Fasher and the for region of Sudan besieged by their 32 00:02:02,560 --> 00:02:06,440 Speaker 2: Rapid Support Forces RSF fell to the militia group last 33 00:02:06,440 --> 00:02:09,840 Speaker 2: week and what was followed is a catastrophe. Mass killings 34 00:02:09,840 --> 00:02:14,120 Speaker 2: are underway. There are reports that in one maternity hospital alone, 35 00:02:14,280 --> 00:02:17,880 Speaker 2: almost five hundred people patients and their families were killed. 36 00:02:18,040 --> 00:02:21,000 Speaker 2: The few that managed to escape tell of summary executions 37 00:02:21,040 --> 00:02:24,480 Speaker 2: of civilians. The RSF has embarked on a killing spree 38 00:02:24,520 --> 00:02:27,920 Speaker 2: of civilians so severe that the images of blood saturating 39 00:02:27,960 --> 00:02:31,079 Speaker 2: the ground have been picked up by satellite. The speed 40 00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:33,680 Speaker 2: and intensity of the killings in the immediate aftermath of 41 00:02:33,720 --> 00:02:37,040 Speaker 2: the fall of Alfashaer has already been compared by war 42 00:02:37,120 --> 00:02:41,440 Speaker 2: monitors to the first twenty four hours of the Rwandan genocide. Again, 43 00:02:41,480 --> 00:02:44,960 Speaker 2: this was written the third of November of twenty twenty five, 44 00:02:45,840 --> 00:02:48,880 Speaker 2: and that article continues saying millions have been displaced and 45 00:02:49,080 --> 00:02:51,800 Speaker 2: estimated one hundred and fifty thousand have been killed and 46 00:02:51,840 --> 00:02:56,040 Speaker 2: more than thirty million people now need urgent humanitarian assistance. 47 00:02:56,600 --> 00:02:59,440 Speaker 2: These staggering statistics still not fully tell the story of 48 00:02:59,480 --> 00:03:04,720 Speaker 2: Sudan's tragedy, the country's rapid unraveling, the destruction of its infrastructure, 49 00:03:05,160 --> 00:03:09,320 Speaker 2: or the particularly merciless way the URSF has conducted its 50 00:03:09,320 --> 00:03:13,200 Speaker 2: campaign and DARF. A lot of bad things are happening, 51 00:03:13,360 --> 00:03:16,079 Speaker 2: and there's so many tragedies around the world that it's 52 00:03:16,080 --> 00:03:18,799 Speaker 2: hard to focus on one. But again we don't want 53 00:03:18,840 --> 00:03:21,359 Speaker 2: to use that as an excuse, and we will take 54 00:03:21,400 --> 00:03:24,440 Speaker 2: every opportunity that we can to talk about these situations. 55 00:03:25,639 --> 00:03:28,520 Speaker 2: And as per history, women have been facing some of 56 00:03:28,560 --> 00:03:32,160 Speaker 2: the most violent attacks during this chaos, and people like 57 00:03:32,240 --> 00:03:35,000 Speaker 2: Wahima Hashim has been trying to advocate to protect the 58 00:03:35,040 --> 00:03:39,080 Speaker 2: women and marginalized people in Sudan with the help of others, 59 00:03:39,080 --> 00:03:41,760 Speaker 2: of course. So from a You and Women's article they 60 00:03:41,800 --> 00:03:44,960 Speaker 2: write during the last twenty years, Sudanese women have been 61 00:03:45,000 --> 00:03:48,440 Speaker 2: trained in negotiations and mediations, not because this was a 62 00:03:48,480 --> 00:03:51,680 Speaker 2: favorable subject for them, but because we've had so many 63 00:03:51,800 --> 00:03:56,320 Speaker 2: crisis that's Saza Bala al Mahadi, the Sudan country director 64 00:03:56,320 --> 00:04:00,800 Speaker 2: for the Center for International Private Enterprise. So I'm trying 65 00:04:00,840 --> 00:04:03,000 Speaker 2: to pick up as many articles as we can to 66 00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:05,720 Speaker 2: do all these research to have this conversation. Some of 67 00:04:05,760 --> 00:04:09,320 Speaker 2: these may be dated because this conflict has been happening 68 00:04:09,320 --> 00:04:11,480 Speaker 2: for a while. The RSF has been there for a 69 00:04:11,600 --> 00:04:16,360 Speaker 2: long while and it's kind of hit another major crisis, 70 00:04:16,400 --> 00:04:20,040 Speaker 2: I guess. So I believe that article was more recent 71 00:04:20,120 --> 00:04:22,680 Speaker 2: because the UN do try to help and have this 72 00:04:22,760 --> 00:04:25,320 Speaker 2: conversation more often. But yes, so a lot of these 73 00:04:25,320 --> 00:04:27,960 Speaker 2: issues not only include the war crimes and atrocities, but 74 00:04:28,000 --> 00:04:31,840 Speaker 2: also the humanitarian needs that they've been facing from the jump. 75 00:04:32,040 --> 00:04:35,359 Speaker 2: So again from the UIT article, women can't find access 76 00:04:35,400 --> 00:04:38,000 Speaker 2: to a hospital to give birth, they can't have access 77 00:04:38,040 --> 00:04:40,640 Speaker 2: to a refrigerator to store fresh blood for them when 78 00:04:40,640 --> 00:04:43,360 Speaker 2: they are facing death. El Mahati said in the Time 79 00:04:43,400 --> 00:04:45,760 Speaker 2: of the war. Women are not necessarily killed because of 80 00:04:45,760 --> 00:04:48,560 Speaker 2: bullets or bombs. They're killed by having less access to 81 00:04:48,640 --> 00:04:52,400 Speaker 2: basic social needs. The two crises, women's lack of political 82 00:04:52,440 --> 00:04:55,760 Speaker 2: empowerment to resolve the conflict and the steep humanitarian challenges 83 00:04:55,880 --> 00:05:00,320 Speaker 2: they face, can compound one another. Almahati said, these are 84 00:05:00,320 --> 00:05:02,960 Speaker 2: practical issues. You cannot talk about women playing a role 85 00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:05,680 Speaker 2: in a peace building process or in a political resolution 86 00:05:05,920 --> 00:05:08,640 Speaker 2: if they are lacking basic life needs, if they are 87 00:05:08,680 --> 00:05:11,000 Speaker 2: at stake of living or dying. She said, there are 88 00:05:11,040 --> 00:05:14,240 Speaker 2: no hospitals, no food, no water, no electricity, and then 89 00:05:14,240 --> 00:05:16,840 Speaker 2: you ask them to be part of the political conversation 90 00:05:17,240 --> 00:05:20,440 Speaker 2: that sometimes not realistic. You need to fulfill the basic 91 00:05:20,520 --> 00:05:23,760 Speaker 2: human need. So again, there's so many things happening that 92 00:05:23,800 --> 00:05:27,800 Speaker 2: they can't even continue with just trying for peace and 93 00:05:27,839 --> 00:05:32,080 Speaker 2: trying for human dignity and not to be shot or 94 00:05:32,120 --> 00:05:34,520 Speaker 2: any of these things. They're trying to live by getting food, 95 00:05:34,600 --> 00:05:39,200 Speaker 2: by getting hospital care, by getting medical care. And Hashim 96 00:05:39,240 --> 00:05:41,279 Speaker 2: again has been a part of this conversation for a 97 00:05:41,320 --> 00:05:43,680 Speaker 2: long time. She was able to start the Selma Women's 98 00:05:43,680 --> 00:05:46,480 Speaker 2: Center in nineteen ninety seven, and her work has been 99 00:05:46,480 --> 00:05:49,240 Speaker 2: credited with helping to bring attention to the needs for 100 00:05:49,400 --> 00:05:53,040 Speaker 2: women's rights in Sudan. She's been working with a lot 101 00:05:53,080 --> 00:05:57,440 Speaker 2: of international organizations, specifically through that organization, to document and 102 00:05:57,480 --> 00:06:00,440 Speaker 2: bring in a lot of resources. So from an interview 103 00:06:00,440 --> 00:06:03,320 Speaker 2: with a Nobelwomen's Initiative dot org, she talked about her 104 00:06:03,360 --> 00:06:06,960 Speaker 2: work with the Salama Women's Resource Center. They write, at 105 00:06:06,960 --> 00:06:09,880 Speaker 2: the Salama Women's Resource Center, we had two main areas 106 00:06:09,880 --> 00:06:12,720 Speaker 2: of work. One was the prevention of violence against women 107 00:06:12,880 --> 00:06:15,640 Speaker 2: and the other one was peace building. We had to 108 00:06:15,720 --> 00:06:18,120 Speaker 2: navigate in context where it was very difficult to work 109 00:06:18,120 --> 00:06:20,400 Speaker 2: on these issues. We needed to figure out how we 110 00:06:20,400 --> 00:06:22,880 Speaker 2: could work on these issues and not jeopardize the women 111 00:06:22,960 --> 00:06:26,160 Speaker 2: we work with as well as our own organization. The 112 00:06:26,279 --> 00:06:30,039 Speaker 2: environment was very complicated, the political situation was not conducive 113 00:06:30,080 --> 00:06:33,240 Speaker 2: to do any kind of work on issues of violence 114 00:06:33,240 --> 00:06:35,800 Speaker 2: against women or issues of peace. The government was not 115 00:06:35,880 --> 00:06:38,720 Speaker 2: interested in changing its policies or even bringing these issues 116 00:06:38,720 --> 00:06:43,520 Speaker 2: to the surface. And again she talks about all the 117 00:06:43,560 --> 00:06:45,080 Speaker 2: things that they did and they I actually were able 118 00:06:45,160 --> 00:06:47,960 Speaker 2: to last us a lot longer, I think than people 119 00:06:48,080 --> 00:06:50,359 Speaker 2: thought they could. But again the way they ended was 120 00:06:50,440 --> 00:07:04,320 Speaker 2: kind of volatile. Mahima Hashim talks about her journey into 121 00:07:04,320 --> 00:07:07,680 Speaker 2: feminism and how she kind of realized this is what 122 00:07:07,760 --> 00:07:10,000 Speaker 2: she wanted and why this was important to her, so 123 00:07:10,040 --> 00:07:14,560 Speaker 2: she talks with voices, inexiles, dot ca. From my cultural context, 124 00:07:14,640 --> 00:07:17,480 Speaker 2: family is the most important thing, and it is typically 125 00:07:17,520 --> 00:07:21,800 Speaker 2: determined based on blood relations alone. Feminism has brought me 126 00:07:21,840 --> 00:07:25,760 Speaker 2: a larger, richer, and more diverse chosen family, an alternative 127 00:07:25,760 --> 00:07:29,280 Speaker 2: family based on shared values of love, acceptance, an inclusion 128 00:07:29,520 --> 00:07:34,040 Speaker 2: that do not depend on nationality, blood, gender identity, sexual identity, religious, 129 00:07:34,080 --> 00:07:38,320 Speaker 2: or political affiliation. I have personally experienced the individual transformative 130 00:07:38,360 --> 00:07:40,960 Speaker 2: power of this type of family and the collective power 131 00:07:40,960 --> 00:07:45,560 Speaker 2: that it generates for transformative change in our society. For her, 132 00:07:45,760 --> 00:07:49,840 Speaker 2: a feminist approach is ultimately always about transformative change, whether 133 00:07:49,880 --> 00:07:53,440 Speaker 2: at the political, cultural, familial, or individual level or all 134 00:07:53,520 --> 00:07:57,520 Speaker 2: four and learning is at the heart of any transformative journey. 135 00:07:57,960 --> 00:08:02,760 Speaker 2: Feminist change is inherently transformative. It is creative and life 136 00:08:02,760 --> 00:08:07,680 Speaker 2: giving because it depends on diversity, deep listening, deep caring, tolerance, creativity, 137 00:08:07,720 --> 00:08:10,680 Speaker 2: and the openness and excitement to be surprised by where 138 00:08:10,720 --> 00:08:12,880 Speaker 2: you land on how you land to get there. And 139 00:08:12,920 --> 00:08:17,840 Speaker 2: I loved her explanation of what feminism was for her, 140 00:08:18,160 --> 00:08:19,880 Speaker 2: and I think it's such a beautiful way to see it, 141 00:08:19,880 --> 00:08:21,880 Speaker 2: and we need to talk more about how it does 142 00:08:21,920 --> 00:08:26,040 Speaker 2: bring this allowance of chosen family and bring this diversity 143 00:08:26,120 --> 00:08:29,640 Speaker 2: and creativity and power if you truly get to tap 144 00:08:29,680 --> 00:08:33,280 Speaker 2: into what is supposed to be. So during this time, 145 00:08:33,360 --> 00:08:36,040 Speaker 2: she was able to use her master's degree for documentary 146 00:08:36,080 --> 00:08:39,160 Speaker 2: and Library Sciences which hello, we love to talk about 147 00:08:39,160 --> 00:08:42,040 Speaker 2: the issues within the government. She with the help of 148 00:08:42,320 --> 00:08:46,080 Speaker 2: different organizations and that organization used media to highlight the 149 00:08:46,160 --> 00:08:49,480 Speaker 2: issues happening in that country. She was able to train 150 00:08:49,600 --> 00:08:53,080 Speaker 2: and conduct workshops to help women advocate for themselves as well. 151 00:08:53,960 --> 00:08:56,040 Speaker 2: And this is from one Billion Rising dot Org, which 152 00:08:56,080 --> 00:08:58,000 Speaker 2: is one of the organizations that she has worked with 153 00:08:58,040 --> 00:09:02,000 Speaker 2: and she is a part of. Bahema's professional experience includes 154 00:09:02,000 --> 00:09:06,280 Speaker 2: over two decades of leading training, workshops, campaigns, and research 155 00:09:06,320 --> 00:09:10,640 Speaker 2: focused on the prevention of gender based violence, including violence 156 00:09:10,640 --> 00:09:13,800 Speaker 2: against women, and the broader promotion of women's rights. She 157 00:09:13,840 --> 00:09:18,559 Speaker 2: has coordinated and facilitated feminist transformative leadership courses, designed curricula, 158 00:09:18,640 --> 00:09:22,640 Speaker 2: and mentored more than one hundred young feminists from Sudan, Egypt, Palestine, 159 00:09:22,720 --> 00:09:27,160 Speaker 2: Kenya and Liberia, building capacity and fostering collective feminist action 160 00:09:27,679 --> 00:09:30,760 Speaker 2: which we love to see. We love it, and her 161 00:09:30,800 --> 00:09:34,840 Speaker 2: works brought her quite a bit of attention, including from 162 00:09:34,880 --> 00:09:38,880 Speaker 2: the Sudanese government Albashir, who was the leader at the time. 163 00:09:39,559 --> 00:09:41,560 Speaker 2: As she and the organization tried to work with the 164 00:09:41,559 --> 00:09:45,240 Speaker 2: government by increasing international pressure, the government actually shut down 165 00:09:45,280 --> 00:09:48,160 Speaker 2: the organization. So this is from that same article with 166 00:09:48,360 --> 00:09:54,000 Speaker 2: voices in exile dot Ca. Alsama's success were recognized internationally. 167 00:09:54,200 --> 00:09:56,720 Speaker 2: They worked with partners from across the globe. They were 168 00:09:56,760 --> 00:10:00,319 Speaker 2: the lead organizers for cartoon based International Women's Bay si Lebration, 169 00:10:00,640 --> 00:10:04,760 Speaker 2: one Billion Rising, gatherings and campaigns related to the sixteen 170 00:10:04,840 --> 00:10:08,040 Speaker 2: Days of Action against Gender Violence. The center also played 171 00:10:08,040 --> 00:10:11,880 Speaker 2: a leading role in researching, documenting, and disseminating knowledge on 172 00:10:11,920 --> 00:10:15,600 Speaker 2: women's rights and human rights in Sudan. However, on Tuesday, 173 00:10:15,720 --> 00:10:20,600 Speaker 2: June twenty fourth, twenty fourteen, without warning, due process or explanation, 174 00:10:21,080 --> 00:10:24,760 Speaker 2: the Studentinese government shut down SAMAS Center, closing its offices, 175 00:10:24,800 --> 00:10:28,960 Speaker 2: confiscating equipment and impounding its vehicles. So they took everything 176 00:10:29,720 --> 00:10:31,200 Speaker 2: and there was at that time. I believe that she 177 00:10:31,960 --> 00:10:36,600 Speaker 2: relocated and I believe she's currently in Canada, Ottawa area. 178 00:10:36,679 --> 00:10:40,920 Speaker 2: Now not for sure, I'm sure she is noted somewhere 179 00:10:41,040 --> 00:10:44,720 Speaker 2: and from there she's been working continuously to advocate for 180 00:10:44,800 --> 00:10:47,720 Speaker 2: the women and the people of Sudan. She's currently on 181 00:10:47,760 --> 00:10:50,600 Speaker 2: the board of the d Doria Feminist Fund DFF, which 182 00:10:50,600 --> 00:10:54,280 Speaker 2: is a feminist fund quote that strengthens activists, institutions and 183 00:10:54,320 --> 00:10:58,920 Speaker 2: movements through grant making, capacity sharing, convening spaces, mutual solidarity 184 00:10:58,960 --> 00:11:02,800 Speaker 2: and support. Ensures that feminist movements have been sufficient and 185 00:11:02,840 --> 00:11:07,800 Speaker 2: flexible resources to identify and determine priorities, independently, develop and 186 00:11:07,800 --> 00:11:11,640 Speaker 2: sustain their activism, produce knowledge by and for their constituencies, 187 00:11:11,880 --> 00:11:15,040 Speaker 2: and advocate for the rights for all women and LGBTQI 188 00:11:15,080 --> 00:11:19,440 Speaker 2: plus individuals and groups in their countries. So this was 189 00:11:19,480 --> 00:11:22,800 Speaker 2: actually from Dorafeminist Fund dot org, so you can go 190 00:11:22,880 --> 00:11:24,280 Speaker 2: check them out, and I believe she's a part of 191 00:11:24,320 --> 00:11:26,840 Speaker 2: other organizations as well similar to that. But she has 192 00:11:26,880 --> 00:11:32,120 Speaker 2: been going strong and continuing to have this conversation. Obviously, 193 00:11:32,160 --> 00:11:35,160 Speaker 2: that is a small glimpse of a giant amount of 194 00:11:35,200 --> 00:11:37,560 Speaker 2: work that she has done, and we will continue to 195 00:11:37,559 --> 00:11:40,640 Speaker 2: talk about Sudanese activists and what is happening there as well. 196 00:11:41,360 --> 00:11:45,240 Speaker 1: Yes, we will definitely keep checking in on this listeners 197 00:11:45,240 --> 00:11:46,520 Speaker 1: if you would like to write in. If you have 198 00:11:46,559 --> 00:11:49,800 Speaker 1: any resources, we always love getting those from you. You 199 00:11:49,840 --> 00:11:52,120 Speaker 1: can email us at Hello at stuff Whenever Told You 200 00:11:52,160 --> 00:11:54,360 Speaker 1: dot com. You can find us on Blue Skype, Moms 201 00:11:54,400 --> 00:11:56,839 Speaker 1: a podcast, or on Instagram and TikTok at stuff When 202 00:11:56,840 --> 00:11:59,679 Speaker 1: Never Told You. We're also on YouTube. We have new 203 00:11:59,679 --> 00:12:02,599 Speaker 1: merch at Cotton Bureau, and we have a book you 204 00:12:02,640 --> 00:12:04,880 Speaker 1: can get wherever you get your books. Thanks as always 205 00:12:04,920 --> 00:12:07,199 Speaker 1: to our super produced Christina executive Bruce Maya and a 206 00:12:07,280 --> 00:12:08,120 Speaker 1: contributor Joey. 207 00:12:08,320 --> 00:12:10,280 Speaker 2: Thank you and thanks to you for listening. 208 00:12:10,559 --> 00:12:12,959 Speaker 1: Steff Never Told youspecture my heart Radio for more podcasts 209 00:12:13,000 --> 00:12:14,480 Speaker 1: in my Heart Radio, you can check out the heart 210 00:12:14,520 --> 00:12:16,880 Speaker 1: Radio app Apple Podcasts wherever you listen to your favorite 211 00:12:16,920 --> 00:12:17,479 Speaker 1: shows