An ode to the common man - Happy Independence Day from the Fight Back Team

Want to see the film? click here

This Independence day, salute the extraordinary common man. Jai Hind :)

A South Asian Counter Terrorism Group. Something to think about.

As the Pakistani government brokers deals with the Taliban, Bangladesh faces mutiny threats from the Army, the Malegaon Blast links lead to Nepal and India is attacked constantly whether in Mumbai or J&K - South Asia is imploding.

The time for us to put our differences aside and Fight Back is here. A South Asian anti-terrorism group suggested by Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in February sounds like the need of the hour.

But not everybody agrees.... and here's why:

http://banglapraxis.wordpress.com/2009/02/14/the-folly-of-a-south-asian-anti-terrorism-taskforce/
http://www.thesouthasian.org/archives/2009/a_south_asian_antiterror_force.html

What do you think?

Fight Back at Kala Ghoda - Postcards to Pakistan!

Thanks to Zubin who inspired the Fight-Back team to do a fab job at Kala Ghoda - the installations were a grand success. Madhu, our core team member is a designer and has a great eye for art. While I have assisted or worked together with art directors in the past as a copywriter, helping with an art installation was absolutely new to me! It pushed me out of my comfort zone and taught me some very valuable lessons!

We spent a few months trying to collaborate with artists who believed in our cause after many meetings and discussions with artists and art galleries in Mumbai, we decided to do it ourselves.



A late night brainstorming session just days before the exhibition resulted in our two concepts - 'The Woman's Labyrinth' (for our Gender Violence Forum) and 'Postcards to Pakistan' (for our burgeoning anti-terrorism movement). Over crumbs of burger buns and cups of coffee... Zubin said, "This is it, let's go ahead, let's do it!"

Madhu's long-forgotten architectural skills (she's a trained architect turned designer) and my (surprising!) organisational skills came in handy while setting up the installations. In one evening both the installations were up!


Other core members of Fight Back were a constant source of support and encouragement, making calls where needed, pitching in with ideas and volunteering throughout the 8 days - Divya, Jessy, Sonali, Harish, Rayomand.

Soon, king and encouraging words pouring in on our Facebook walls, emails and cellphones.
Lakhs of visitors at Kala ghoda appreciated the installations and Fight Back - the movement.

Our online members pitched in as well, by volunteering at Kala Ghoda - Parizaad, Rishita, Rita, Lalita, Sneha and others.

We'll soon update the site with the details about the media coverage. Madhu and Rayo who help out with the site are on a well-deserved holiday!

Would you like us to set up these installations somewhere in other city or another location in Mumbai... drop us a line.

Fight Back at Kala Ghoda!

This February, unsuspecting male visitors at the Kala Ghoda Festival will be in for a shocking experience. As they walk through ‘A Woman’s Labyrinth’, they will understand what it means to be a woman in a traditionally parochial society, hesitant to evolve with the changing times.

‘A Woman’s Labyrinth’, is one of the two art installations by Fight-Back - India’s fastest growing movement against Gender Violence and Terrorism - at the Kala Ghoda Festival this year. The second installation is democratic – like the movement itself – and it will take the shape people give it. ‘Post Cards to Pakistan’ is an interactive project that will kick-start at the Festival. It’s an interactive installation that urges people to fill in postcards with their message to anybody in Pakistan; the postcards will be displayed throughout the fest. In the following months, more ‘Postcards to Pakistan’ will be collected from people across the country and later sent to our neighbour.

Fight-Back has emerged as a national platform for passionate Indians across the country, unhappy with Status Quo. It was founded by a team of media professionals – led by Zubin Driver - who believe in making a difference and ‘being the change they want to see’. Since its inception last year, Fight-Back has grown by leaps and bounds. As a result of its consistent and powerful campaigning against Gender Violence, Fight-Back, Say No to Gender Violence was the only initiative chosen to represent India in the Alliance of Youth Movements Summit in New York last year.

More recently, Fight-Back’s new wing No More Terrorism pulled off a phenomenonal event, completely led by volunteers across the country who believed in the cause. On Republic Day, over 1.1 million children from schools across India read their Constitutional Duties – as a first step to reaffirm and rejuvenate the ‘spirit’ of India in the country’s next generation.

With the core team consisting of a bunch of creative media professionals, Fight-Back believes in the power of art to spread its message. Last year, thousands of Music CDs with 16 original rock compositions were given away to young students across 5 different Indian cities.

Fight Back’s art installations at the upcoming Kala Ghoda Festival too aims to change people’s mindsets, spread awareness about two very vital issues – Terrorism and Gender Violence – and kick-start long-term intervention.

368 Schools and 1.1 Million Indian Kids Fought Back on 26th Jan!

From 10 schools in Dubai to 5 balwadis in Mumbai. From schools for the mentally and physically challenged. From small village schools to city schools. From J&K to Kerala to Kolkatta to HP.

They read out the Fundamental Duties from the constitution
as part of the Fight-Back, No More Terrorism Republic Day initiative.

Fight-Back grows a new wing...

Fight-Back, No more Terrorism.

A country plagued by parochialism, regionalism, religion, poverty, inequality and political double-speak is an ideal breeding ground for terrorism. Not only do we incubate our own disenchanted youth who become easy pickings for radicals but we play tag with seriously dangerous ideas like regionalism, language parochialism and religion. From a country united in common belief on the 15th of August,1947,
we have sunk to a country divided by belief, caste, and language.

And yet, we have hugely positive forces working amongst us, forces of healing, peace and solidity.

Join us as we try and strengthen India, firm ourselves up, heal and remember 1947. Its time to say no to terrorism, by understanding why it occurs, by working at its roots and giving new ways living a chance.

Zubin