Thursday, June 20, 2024
WEAVE (Women’s Education for Advancement and Empowerment) strives to create a world where empowered women and their children are free to exercise their rights and live peacefully in a just, humane and equitable society. This is a story of a weaver in the refugee camp and some international volunteers with the organization. There will be a short video taped interview of the weaver, Say Meh, followed by a presentation by Susu Hauser who will be speak about her experience filming in the camp and by Blake Holtsbaum who will speak about his work in the camp. The goal of our panel is to clearly portray the holistic model WEAVE takes towards the empowerment, education, and economic livelihood of Karen and Karenni refugees at the border.
Panelists:
Susu Hauser is a world traveler, cinematographer and photographer, specializing in documentary filmmaking. She is known for her ability to capture extraordinary imagery while connecting impactful narratives that bring awareness to issues and drive viewers to action. (Her latest venture, “The Art of Resilience”, is an immersive multimedia gallery celebrating the art, culture, and resilience of indigenous artisans around the world.)
Maw Say Meh is Karenni by ethnicity and she is currently residing in Northern Thailand. She devoted her life in the service of the Karenni people who are displaced in temporary shelters on the Thai-Myanmar border. She is actively involved in the protection and promotion of children’s and women’s rights and advancement in the context of refugee confinement through WEAVE Foundation.
Blake Holtsbaum is an advocate for refugee education, serving as an advisor to the Karenni Leadership College in the Ban Mae Surin camp in Thailand. Passionate about the environment and healthy masculinity, in Canada he works on climate policy for the provincial government of British Columbia, volunteers as a teacher’s assistant with newcomers to Canada, and as a community advocate for Next Gen Men. In his free time you can find him exploring mountains near his home in Vancouver or anywhere else in the world.