March 1, 2016 : Noted Daughter of Manipur, award winning scholar activist, Ms Binalakshmi Nepram embarks on a lecture tour of United States of America.
Starting 2 March 2016, Ms Nepram will start her first lecture at a college in Pennsylvania on America’s East Coast. There she is scheduled to speak at a packed lecture hall on the theme titled, “Women at the Borders of Protest: Women’s Non-Violent Movement in Manipur, Northeast India”. She is also scheduled to be interviewed by War News Radio. Later on 8th March 2016 on historic International Women’s Day she will be speaking at a reputed Women’s Liberal Arts college in Massachusetts, United States of America.
Northeast India, home to 45 million indigenous people belonging to 272 ethnic groups, has been facing the onslaught of multiple conflicts for the last 60 years. Ms Nepram’s talks will unravel the state of Manipur and also of larger Northeast Region of India, the rich history, culture and the violence that has scarred state & region for over 60 years. The talk will also touch on complexities of the on-going ethnic conflicts and issues of peace efforts and issues.
The lectures will also throw light most importantly on the historic and pioneering role played by women of Manipur which has had a hundred years women’s movement history. Ms Nepram’s lectures will also discuss the unique and courageous way in which the Meira Paibis or the non-violent “Torch Bearer’s” Movement, led by women, has shown the path for peace and reconciliation along with the courageous movements made by Naga, Kuki, Tripuri and other ethnic group & communities in the region.
In a statement issued from New York upon her arrival, Ms Nepram states, “We are living in times of violence not just in Manipur, Northeast India but in entire world. This has huge humanitarian consequences. Having grown up in Manipur, we have seen how violence destroy lives, communities, our future. This must end. All efforts must be made to ensure we have peace in our hearts, homes, communities and world. The lectures are a way to connect with the world in our search for women-led peace efforts by telling story of extraordinary effort of our mothers of Manipur. They are the path to finding our peace”
Ms Binalakshmi Nepram is a writer and a humanitarian whose work focuses on women-led peace, security & disarmament movements. She founded Manipur Women Gun Survivors Network and is the author of four books, a recipient of the Dalai Lama Foundation’s Scholar of Peace Award, 2008; the Sean MacBride Peace Prize, 2010; and the CNN IBN Real Heroes Award in 2011. London-based organization Action on Armed Violence named Nepram among the “100 most influential people in world working on armed violence reduction.” In 2015, Forbes (India) listed her as one of 25 top young minds in India to watch out for & in Femina, India’s largest women magazine honoured her with “Face of Cause” Award 2015
