South Asian Sisters

South Asian Sisters is a diverse collective of progressive South Asian women dedicated to empowering our community to resist all forms of oppression through art, dialogue, conscious alliances, and grassroots political action. We are dedicated to organizing “Yoni ki Baat,” an annual performance that encourages women to speak out against violence and end the stigma around our bodies and our sexualities.

Tuesday, February 22, 2005

Yoni Ki Baat Day of Dialogue- March 6, San Francisco

Hello sisters!

South Asian Sisters, Yoni Ki Baat Day of Dialogue event is rapidly approaching!

Reserve now, space is limited and sessions are filling quickly!!! Please reply by filling out and returning the following registration form to reserve space for this event. By registering in advance, you will received 2 raffle tickets to win a sampler of erotic supplies from good vibes on the day of the event!

We appreciate your support and look forward to spending this amazing day with all of you! Please reply soon.

In solidarity,
South Asian Sisters



~~South Asian Sisters Proudly Presents~~

~~~ Yoni ki Baat Day of Dialogue ~~~

Dear Sisters of all backgrounds,

South Asian Sisters, a collective of South Asian women in the Bay
area, is organizing an event called Day of Dialogue on March 6, 2005
at the California Institute for Integral Studies in San Francisco,
California.

Following our 2nd Annual performance of the monologue-play called
"Yoni Ki Baat" (translated informally as "Talks of the Vagina"), this
Day of Dialogue event offers sisters of all backgrounds a safe,
supportive, and inspiring space to discuss and grapple with the
numerous issues that came up, or that didn't come up, at our "Yoni Ki
Baat" performances.

So, does your Yoni have something to say? If so, please join us in an
all-day event of dialogue, support, and healing! Yoni Ki Baat Day of
Dialogue will consist of several discussion sessions, followed by an
open story telling and sharing session. The day will start with a
nice introduction and a short Monologue performance. This event is
FREE and open to women of all walks of life!

Please email ykb_dod@yahoo.com to register for this event and complete
the form that follows. Please also email us if you are interested in
facilitating a discussion session, and please specify which one(s).
Thank you in advance for your support and interest!

WHEN: Sunday, March 6, 2005, 10:30 AM until 6 PM (all day, come and
go as you wish!)

STARTS AT: The time of the session you want to attend.

WHERE: Room 607 of the California Institute of Integral Studies, San
Francisco, CA (directions to CIIS are at the bottom of this email)

WHO: Anyone with a yoni

EXTRA: Lunch & snacks will be provided (donations welcome at the event)

HOW: Copy and Paste the registration form at the end of this email,
fill it out, and email it back to ykb_dod@yahoo.com to confirm your
spot! Spots are limited!

SCHEDULE OF DISCUSSION TOPICS AND TIMES:

10:30 am - 12:30: Hoods and Roles
********
Hoods & Roles, Identity Politics: How do we negotiate our identity
from the roles we are expected to fulfill? What happens when we step
outside these roles? What is identity and how are we instrumental in
defining our identity? What do our roles in life mean for our
identity? How can we use these roles to give us strength? How can we
take the labels others place on us and create our own sense of self?
Come join the discussion! Share your struggles and triumphs of
societal and cultural expectations that affect how lives. Work with
others in learning about how to deconstruct pathological expectations
to create, maintain, or change your identity politics.
********

10:30am-12:30: Politics & the yoni
********
Politics & the Yoni: This workshop gives participants a chance to
discuss the ways international and domestic policies shape our
perception of gender and sexuality. Topics of discussion include, but
are not limited to policies and reactions that governments and courts
make that affect women's bodies and human rights (reproduction rights,
pornography, genital mutilation, rape, prostitution, gay marriage,
etc.). We will explore the representation of minority groups in
politics and exchange inspirational stories of resistance to learn
about strategies for community organizing and for defending our human
rights.
********

10:30am-12:30: Nurturing the yoni
********
Nurturing the Yoni: George Michael said it best: "Sex is natural, sex
is fun." This workshop will explore the many ways we can nurture our
yonis – through fantasy, sexual relationships with others and
ourselves, and sexual health. Take control of your body and let the
good times roll. Always a big hit, this session will have discussion
on sexual health and pleasure, focusing on masturbating, nutrition,
exercise, and hints for being completely happy about your yoni and
showing it!
********

1:45 pm - 3:45 pm: Violence and the yoni
********
Violence & the Yoni: Clearly linked to Politics and the Yoni, this
forum intends to provide a safe, confidential space to share
experiences, ask questions, find solidarity, and gather resources.
Learn more from each other about the disturbing epidemic of violence
that girls and women face too much in their relationships
(parent/child, same sex relationships, spousal) and how this violence
is justified and perpetuated by many of our institutions. Share
stories and build solidarity in a safe space, sharing ideas on what we
can do to bring this to an end. Topics of
trust, confidentiality, validated anger & rage, and healing can be addressed.
********

1:45 pm-3:45 pm: Sexual identity and orientation
********
Sexual Identity & Orientation: We each find ourselves on different
points of the spectrum of sexual orientation. How constructed is our
sexual identity? How do we break down the barriers and embrace our
diverse sexual identities? Does the South Asian community respect and
reflect this diversity? Come to this session to share insight and
questions, either personal or general, about sexual identity and
orientation. Share coming out stories and earn about resources,
support circles, and all facets of exploration.
********

1:45 pm-3:45 pm: Bolly-yoni
********
Bolly-Yoni: Bollywood serves multiple functions in the South Asian
community. It can transport us to a realm of fantasy and romance; it
can make us laugh; it can point out the problems with our society. How
does Bollywood portray women? What sort of role models are the women
of Bollywood? What is the role of the yoni in Bollywood? How has it
changed over time? What are the ways in which we internalize, rebel,
mock, adopt, and negotiate the images and roles of women/girls that
are plastered across the glittering scene of cinema? Prepare to be
entertained, challenged, and enlightened.
********

4:00 pm-6:00 pm: Talk back, Take back
********
Talk Back, Take Back: This discussion session is intended to discuss,
share, and organize healing and empowering strategies for ending
misogyny and dis-empowerment on many levels - whether it be in your
neighborhood, on your favorite blog, on the streets, or in your
family and community. Individually and collectively we experience so
many emotions such as rage, sorrow,happiness, and love - and with
those we can band together to make our lives better for ourselves and
all the women we love. We will share the ways in which we express
and process our emotions, and how we stand up for what we believe. A
discussion on how sisters have reclaimed language (words such as
bitch, pussy, cunt) will also ensue.
********

4:00 pm - 6:00 pm: Body image
********
Body Image: Family members, community members, and of course, the
mass media have, at one point or another, felt entitled to have an
opinion about the way we look. Moreover, generally speaking, South
Asian women are constantly bombarded with impossible standards of
beauty – both from "the East" and "the West." How does our body image
affect who we are as women? How do expectations of our appearance
affect us professionally and personally? This discussion will give
women the space to share experiences and viewpoints on our bodies and
our identities, as well as to gain positive images of our bodies and
ourselves to (re)kindle our self-love and self-confidence.
********

4:00 pm - 6:00 pm: Creative yoni juices
********
Creative Yoni Juices: Love, anger, rage, confusion, hope, passion,
apathy, fear, inspiration....express it all here! Work on a community
mural, write, make a collage, or find your own way of being creative,
because the arts is indeed a powerful way to express our emotions and
personalities. In short, this workshop will give participants the
opportunity to discuss and create different forms of art and personal
expression.
********

Open Sharing: A time to share stories, poetry, songs, acts, readings,
anything you desire with each other. This is not a session; it is an
open circle for all women to come and express themselves as they
please.

***************** REGISTRATION FORM *****************************************
Please register early ) by emailing the completed registration form
(below) to ykb_dod@yahoo.com. The deadline for registration is Feb.
25, 2005.

Name:

Email:

Phone:

Childcare needed? (If yes, specify number and ages of children):

Other special needs (wheelchair access, etc.):

Please specify the sessions you will be attending. This is for the
purpose of coordinating space and seats. You may alter your decision
at any time, so what you mark below is only a ballpark to help the
organizers plan accordingly. Also, you can come and go to/from the
event as you please; Day of Dialogue will be going on all day on
March. 6, and you are welcome to come and go at your convenience.

Place an X for the session(s) you intend to attend:

10:30 AM - 12:30 PM:
------------------
_____Hoods and Roles (Motherhood, Sisterhood, Daughter-hood)

_____Politics and the Yoni

_____Nurturing the Yoni

1:45 PM - 3:45 PM:
------------------
_____Violence and the Yoni

_____Sexual Identity and Orientation

_____Bolly-Yoni

4:00 PM - 6:00 PM
------------------
_____Talk Back, Take Back

_____Body Image and Self Worth

_____Creative Yoni Juices

6:00 PM - END
------------------

***************** END OF FORM *****************************************

Please email the registration form to ykb_dod@yahoo.com. Remember, the
deadline to register is Friday, February 25th, 2005!

Questions? Email ykb_dod@yahoo.com

****Directions to CIIS***
Detailed driving and public transport directions to CIIS can found at
http://www.ciis.edu/about/directions.html .

Please email ykb_dod@yahoo.com if you are interested in facilitating a
discussion session, and please specify which one(s). Thank you in
advance for your
support and interest!

******************
About South Asian Sisters:
South Asian Sisters is a diverse collective of progressive South Asian
women dedicated to empowering our community to resist all forms of
oppression through art, dialogue, conscious alliances, and grassroots
political action.

We are dedicated to organizing "Yoni ki Baat," an annual performance
that encourages women to speak out against violence and end the stigma
around our bodies and our sexualities.
******************

In loving solidarity,

South Asian Sisters
http://www.sasisters.org
sasisters@sasisters.org
ykb_dod@yahoo.com