In order to build a better future for everyone, change is needed on many levels, starting with the narratives and assumptions that inform the laws and actions present in the world today. Here to talk about standing up for the oppressed, the need for a more nuanced understanding of identity, and why feminine energy should never be underestimated, is the amazing Chama Mechtaly! Chama is the founder and creative director of Moors and Saints, a Dubai-based jewelry business that produces ethical, handmade goods inspired by sacred Moorish architecture. Through her work, Chama is dedicated to promoting pluralism and female empowerment and her main focus has been on bridging gaps in divided and traumatized groups through her creative endeavors. She hopes to spread the stories of marginalized and intersectional groups in order to build a more human picture of the world and the variety of people we find in it. Tune in to hear this amazing conversation with Chama today!
Key Points From This Episode:
Chama's creative beginnings and the influence of her multiple identities.
Years at school and the awakening of Chama's curiosity and questioning of the status quo.
Discovering the important role that minority women have played in the progress of culture.
The myths of migration; disturbing the current rhetoric about the dangers of multiculturalism.
Why fear is so powerful as a divisive force; altering the narrative around otherness.
Bringing the feminine energy back to the forefront of the conversation for what the world needs.
Confronting gender constructs and creating a more accepting atmosphere for individuals.
How an understanding of abuse and oppression enables women to support in special ways.
Chama's advice to young women about forming bonds and learning from strong examples.
Escaping the cycle of shame and miscommunication associated with female sexuality.
The advice that Chama would give to her younger self about trusting intuition.
Where to find and connect with Chama online!
Tweetables:
“I've never felt like I belong to just one space, I think in many ways my personal story is very cross-cultural.” — @MoorsSaints [0:02:30]
“I wanted people to have physical evidence of these spaces and stories of coexistence, almost a reminder that migration is not a new thing.” — @MoorsSaints [0:14:03]
“I think we are at this pivotal point in history where we have to change the narrative around the other. We have to change the narrative around what makes human beings who they are.” — @MoorsSaints [0:19:45]
“You need some aggressive energy to get things done, but we also need to be able to empathize in order to solve their problems.” — @MoorsSaints [0:29:07]