| The Artist's Path Presents |
The Prescott Cast of SEVEN Left to Right Reynessa Sanchez as Hafsat Abiola Maria Forte as Mukhtar Mai Kate Hawkes as Marina Pisklakova-Parker Pat Anderson as Annabella de Leon Rexanne Bell as Inez Mc Cormack Nancy Bonini as Farida Azizi Peggy Martinez as Mu Sochua (For the October 20, 2011 Performance of SEVEN at Embry Riddle Gail Mangham will replace Peggy Martinez as Mu Sochua) Directed by Gail Mangham Assisted by Viggy Alexandersson The Seven Women of SEVEN The following provides information on the seven activist women leaders whose lives are showcased in the documentary play SEVEN which will be produced at Prescott College in April of 2011. Fortunately in the 21st century we can go to youtube and hear the voices and see the faces of these remarkable women. Farida Azizi Afghanistan http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLnxc7T8loc Farida Azizi "currently works for Zeba Magazine, the first US-based Afghan fashion magazine that promotes democracy. Previously, she was senior adviser for the Afghan Women's Program with the Vital Voices Global Partnership, where she works to shape the organization’s support for women’s programs in Afghanistan. Prior to her arrival in the United States in 2000 as a refugee, she served as a program officer for Norwegian Church Aid’s work in Afghanistan, supervising the women’ s programs implemented by NCA’s 20 partner organizations. Through her regular travel inside Afghanistan, Ms. Azizi maintained close contact with women in different parts of the country. With her culturally and religiously sensitive approach to grassroots activism, she gained permission from the Taliban to train Afghan women in healthcare work. Ms. Azizi is a member of the Afghan Women's Network, based in Peshawar, Pakistan, and has completed a certificate course in peace building at Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. (12.2006)" [1] Anabella de Leon Guatemala http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzm008kgfR4&feature=related Yesterday I had the opportunity to join an informal discussion with Guatemalan Congresswoman Anabella de León. Anabella is a strong and articulate woman that has dedicated herself to transforming Guatemalan society and has become a voice for the poor and marginalized in her country. Through determination and education she broke away from the poverty of her childhood and became an attorney. She has been a member of the Congress of the Republic since 1995 and is an outspoken critic of corruption which she asserts, “…is present on every level of Guatemalan society.” Despite threats to her life and the alienation that accompanies her activism, Anabella continues her efforts to make a reality, the Guatemala she has always envisioned. Anabella spoke to us at length regarding the worsening human rights situation and its link to the corruption consuming Guatemala and its people. The situation is especially critical for women. According to Amnesty International, since 2001, the number of women murdered in the country has risen every year. “It saddens me to tell you this but 26 women per day are killed in Guatemala and the situation is worsening,” expressed Anabella. Although there are laws and regulations in place to prevent this type of violence they are proving ineffective in a country with an ever-increasing murder rate. “These people continue to kill because Guatemala is a country of impunity,” exclaimed Anabella. She went on to say that a “culture of fear” prevents women from speaking out against the violence and injustice they encounter. Many women fear retaliation by those they denounce due to the lack of privacy, protection, and security guaranteed to them when they come forward. This situation is exacerbated by corruption which is prevalent within the government, law enforcement and civil society. The corruption found on these levels impedes not only political and cultural progress, but women’s advancement as well. “I knew that unless I got educated and prepared myself, I would not leave the poverty of my childhood. But many women and girls don’t have that chance. Corruption closes the door to education, justice, and security,” reflected Anabella. When this is the reality one faces, it can be challenging to continue working and struggling toward change. “My work is like swimming against the current. You have to swim, swim, swim so as not to drown,” said Anabella. Nevertheless, it is the support and protection which she receives from organizations such as Vital Voices that help Anabella move forward in her work. “These organizations inspire the fighting spirit in me,” said Anabella. She went on to describe how the work of NGOs and pressure from the international community are necessary elements in the transformation of Guatemala, as they encourage leadership and mobilization within the country. At the same time, she believes that assistance and support need to be channeled directly to populations in need in order to bypass elements of corruption. The obstacles to development and progress in Guatemala are being brought to the forefront by leaders such as Congresswoman Anabella de León. Her experiences and perspectives are important in understanding the situation in Guatemala and what is necessary to generate change within the country. Mukhtar Mai Pakistan http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlhKyPOuRvA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFc9NMYwMiM&feature=related Those familiar with Nicholas Kristof’s column in the NY Times will know his admiration and championship of the courageous rape survivor who refused to be silenced by shame. AFTER THE RAPE: THE MUKHTAR MAI STORY recalls a local event with global implications. In 2002, Mukhtar Mai, a rural Pakistani woman from a remote part of the Punjab, was gang-raped by order of her tribal council as punishment for her younger brother’s alleged relationship with a woman from another clan. Instead of committing suicide or living in shame, Mukhtar spoke out, fighting for justice in the Pakistani courts—making world headlines. Further defying custom, she started two schools for girls in her village and a crisis center for abused women. Mukhtar, who had never learned to read but knew the Koran by heart, realized that only a change in mentality could break brutal, archaic traditions and social codes. Her story, included in the bestseller “Half the Sky” by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, and the subject of Mukhtar’s own memoir, “In the Name of Honor”, has inspired women across the globe. Revealing the progress and fruits of Mukhtar’s labor, this powerful documentary tracks the school’s profound impact on the girls and families of Meerwala and shows how the crisis center empowers women seeking its help. An important look inside Pakistan, where the impact of Islamic fundamentalism is revealed and how women are fighting its oppressive and violent impact. Inez McCormack Northern Ireland http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPO7XTUXs_I http://www.atlanticphilanthropies.org/learning/video-grantee-highlight-inez-mccormack-talks-meryl-streep Inez McCormack, Northern Ireland, is an activist for women’s and human rights, labor, and social justice and a former President of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions. She now chairs a program, the Participation and Practice of Rights Project, that helps the disadvantaged access resources and services in Ireland, both North and South. Mu Sochua Cambodia http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4N6Q92I_Jl4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akkqkMUtIjw http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zi71egQP81M&feature=related Hafsat Abiola Nigeria http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osB6wSPqKXc&feature=related In 1993, Hafsat Abiola's father, Moshood Abiola, won Nigeria's first democratic presidential election in ten years. The election was subsequently annulled by a ruling military council and he was incarcerated. He died on the eve of his release in 1998. Hafsat Abiola's mother, Kudirat, who mobilized pro-democracy groups during her husband's imprisonment, was assassinated in the streets of Lagos in 1996. Born and raised in Lagos, Hafsat Abiola attended Philips Academy and Harvard University. She founded and runs the Kudirat Initiative for Nigerian Democracy (KIND), which is dedicated to promoting democracy and strengthening civil society in Africa. Marina Pisklakova-Parker Russia http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwvglUrS3oo&feature=PlayList&p=30FC940467B50606&playnext=1&index=11 Marina Pisklakova-Parker is internationally recognized as one of the leading women’s rights activists in Russia. In 1993 Marina started as a part of the Institute for Socio-Economic Studies of Population in Moscow the first hotline for battered women and worked alone for half a year. Now it is known as the National Center for the Prevention of Violence “ANNA” which is also a network of over 130 organizations across Russia and former Soviet Union. |
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| The 7 American Women Playwrights Who Created SEVEN |
| Mouseover Photo Courtesy of Matt Hinshaw of the Daily Courier |
| Cast Photo Courtesy of Pat Anderson |