22.1.08

VOLUNTEER WITH BLANK NOISE



Volunteers most wanted!

Anybody can apply. Blank Noise could do more with inputs from individuals who are committed, believe in Blank Noise, want to address 'eve teasing' as street sexual violence. The ideal Blank Noise volunteer has time and most importantly is enthusiastic and willing!

All we need is a bit of your time every week over a rotating three month period. Every 3 months a new team will be delegated roles, based on the volunteer's skill and area of interest. Volunteers could also be campaign specific instead of time specific.

Blank Noise behind the scenes is a resource pool of many individuals from diverse backgrounds. The team has had its share of rotating members from across age groups and backgrounds. There have been college students, home makers, architects, software programmers, journalists, consultants, professors, grandmother, flower seller, street hawkers, bus conductors, security guards, police men, child birth instructor, poets, film makers, actors,unemployed, self employed, heavily employed, bloggers, language translators,... etc .
Each participant has influenced and formed Blank Noise. There have been degrees of participation- while most have been floating members- members who make it when they have the time- there have been others who have dedicated time to the project. Some participants are here

Blank Noise in Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Lucknow, and Bangalore.
While we have no active group in Vizag, Jaipur and Pune, many individuals have written in over the years and expressed desire to form one.

24.01.08

We have Teresa writing in from Guwahati: if you would like to form a Blank Noise Guwahati- do write in right away!

Volunteering with Blank Noise involves a range of back end work- from admin and organizing, creative, production, post production, fund raising, to simply having conversations with strangers on the street. (other- you suggest, we add).

On the 5th of February, new groups will be announced in each of the cities.

To be part of this all new Blank Noise Team do email us by feb 3rd with
  • a short note about yourself- skills, interests ( bio)
  • the amount of time you can dedicate per month and or week
email: blurtblanknoiseATgmail.com subject titled " I VOLUNTEER- CITY NAME"

Thankyou!

13 comments:

DeepBlue said...

I wish you success.

J said...

T-H-A-N-K-Y-O-U! :)

yes we have received several responses. will be out soon. until then...please do spread the word! volunteers wanted!!

coffee boy said...

Hello Blank Noise,

Since you asked for inputs, I would suggest that you try to contact Mrs. Renuka Chaudhary, the Indian Minister of Women and Child Development. Mrs. Chaudhary has a decent record of fighting for issues that women face (though sometimes she was involved in passing laws which can be potentially abused). In some quarters Mrs. Chaudhary is considered as a "feminazi". Whether or not this is true is a different matter, but the fact that she is called a "feminazi" should give one an idea that she is truly pro-women. I honestly think you should make a serious effort to get hold of her and if you are lucky you might get more effective laws against eve-teasing. Even if no new laws are actually passed, the Government can issue directives to the police to be more pro-active in dealing with the menace of eve-teasing. So I think contacting her is definitely worth a try. I believe she will be sympathetic to your cause. If you succeed, you will be making a huge impact. If you fail, well at least you would have made a sincere attempt.

PS 1: How do you get money for the work that you do? Do you pay from your own pockets? Or can people make contributions? How about online contributions? May be some of us who don't have time to actively volunteer might find this option to be more viable. Highlighting the scale and the depth of your present work and your future plans is a good way to catch the attention of potential contributors. (But of course, your work and principles should NOT be affected by the desire to attract funds).

PS 2: You should seriously think of ways to make yourself more prominent. If it wasn't for an accident I don't think I would have come across this website. Try for this as your target - If I type "eve teasing" on Google, Blank Noise should be the first link that I get. (Currently it is the 13th link).

Good Luck!
- C.L.

J said...

hello CL

good to hear from you again! thankyou for all your concern. you sound like our online anon consultant!

One of our members is setting up that much due paypal account for us to receive online contributions...and so that wont be long.

More later..thanks!

See Bee said...

hi jasmeen - pls do link this tu ur blog - its sumthing every woman must read

http://www.ibnlive.com/blogs/Jhoomur%20Bose/915/3468/reallife-horror-stories.html

Anonymous said...

jasmeen, please, please, please bring blank noise to trivandrum. i don't care how, just do it, please.

J said...

hey violet-ed

thanks for this...but we dont 'bring' blank noise anywhere..its the individuals such as you who propose to initiate Blank Noise in their city.

Ofcourse we can have a Blank Noise Trivandrum- provided we have a committed group of atleast 2-3 people to begin with..

If you can take out some time every week...and know others- friends/ peers/ family/ neighbours literally anyone any age group who would be willing to commit over the next few months - do get in touch right away

either way- stay in touch.

blurtblanknoise @ gmail dot com

thanks!

Manav said...

I read about you in &persand.

Am really happy to see that you have started something that fights against the omnipresent problem in Indian metros. Unluckly I have been in similar situations when my girlfriend was harassed but luckly (am talking about my x) she was a Parsi (better known as bawi) and knew how to give it back to the losers and that too she made sure they got more then they bargined for. I am ashamed that I am a part of a democracy that claims to worship women but at the same time has a social culture like so.

In my life many-a-times things like this have happened around me. Have not been involved in any brawls yet but as I dont use public transport often. I can suggest you to form groups/communities on social networking websites like facebook/myspace (Have already seen & joined the orkut community). I can never imagine hurting the modesty of a woman. And would love to help (if any needed) in Pune

J said...

hey manav. thanks for this. if you have the time for blank noise do email us with details about yourself like requested in this post.

btw.There already are Blank Noise communities/ community on facebok and orkut.

Anonymous said...

yeesh...i would have done it if i was there...been studying abroad for the past few years now, but still traumatised by past experiences.i'll try to rope in some friends from home though, and yes, will definitely stay in touch...

Syeda Semim Zahan said...

Nice to know that you are starting a Blank Noise chapter in Guwahati. I too have forwarded the link to my friends there.

Wish you all the luck!

Anonymous said...

It seems, we never protest, until it happens to us. Two days back, in a train (Purulia Express) to Howrah from Adra. An elderly man, presumably mad or drunk, was only dancing. Not hurting anyone. Dance, a form of expresing Joy, becomes abusive when done in close proximity of public gathering. Spectators just chose to keep themselves from getting into any kind of trouble by avoiding him or keeping distance from him, untill I went ahead, pulled him by arm, and pushed him further to get down of our compartment. Everyone just continued to watch, he tried to protest, but may be he was a little less powerful to handle my push. He got down, and probably, boarded another compartment and surely must have continued his vulgor act of abusive dancing. There was a limit to what I could do. I did my bit. Did you?

theatre hut said...

its our duty