The Role of Arts and Literature in a Future Pakistan
The recent explosion in the media industry of Pakistan has served as a very telling primer to its influence and reach. Within this burgeoning industry are niches of cultural reinvigoration and awareness and it is on these that this panel will look to focus. The content of Hum Tv’s dramas, the global reach of Shoaib Mansoor’s storytelling, to Ajoka theater’s local theater that manages to bridge the gaps not only in the South Asian region but the world over, Pakistani arts and culture seem to be on the upswing. This panel seeks to bring together a diverse group of experts in the arts and literature to enmesh their thoughts and help engender debate and discussion. How can art unite and what changes are possible through the arts? How can we make art and literature more accessible? How does one navigate the social and institutional challenges that are posed in an environment like that of Pakistan? This list of questions is not exhaustive but is indicative of the ethos of our conference, through which we seek to not only better understand the world around us, but be prepared to take the first steps required to change it.
Omar Shahid Hamid
Author of The Prisoner Omar Hamid is Head of Asia Pacific Country Risk at IHS Janes. Previously, he served as a senior Counter-terrorism police officer in Karachi, Pakistan, for 13 years, during which time he was wounded in the line of duty and had his office blown up by the Taliban. His recent research has focused on elections in India and the implications of a BJP government in India, growing divisions within Jihadist groups in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and the political dynamics of crime and terrorism in Karachi. He has traveled widely and regularly to the region, having visited Myanmar, India, Thailand, China, Nepal, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Omar has featured regularly on print and digital media, including CNBC, BBC, Bloomberg, Channel News Asia, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Radio France, and Reuters, AFP, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Metro, The Times, Times of India and USA Today among others. Omar received an MSc in Criminal Justice Policy from the London School of Economics and Political Science, an LLM from the University College London, and an LLB from the University of Kent. His first book, The Prisoner, was published by Pan Macmillan India in 2013 and by Sky Horse publishing in the US in February 2015. |
Arooj Aftab Musician and Film Score Composer Originally from Lahore, Pakistan, Arooj graduated with honors from the Berklee College of Music in 2009 with a degree in Music Production and Engineering. She is a full-time performing artist, music composer and sound editor living in New York. Her creative sensibilities have ensured the success of many projects at leading media institutions such as MTV, VICE Media and most recently Conde Nast Entertainment. Her recently released debut album 'Bird Under Water' is quickly catching the attention of indie bloggers, major music publications and countless fans across the globe. In 2011, NPR listed Arooj as one of the top young 100 composers of today, alongside names such as grammy award winning Esperanza Spalding and Fusion Jazz piano virtuoso Vijay Iyer. The New York Times included Arooj in their list of Best Concerts of 2012. TimeOut Magazine rated one of her collaborative projects 'The Julius Eastman Memorial Dinner' in the Top 10 Classical Albums of 2013. Arooj has shared stage with world renowned artists such as Meshell Ndegeocello, Esperanza Spalding, DJ /rupture, and Abida Parveen to name a few. She has performed her music at major venues such as the Lincoln Center Outdoors, Highline Ballroom, Le Poisson Rouge, and the Asia Society. Through exposure to diverse musical genres and incredibly talented artists in Boston and in New York City, Arooj is inspired to continuously develop her art and deepen her understanding of the possibilities of music. Layering intricate, dynamic vocals over acoustic instrumentation, Arooj skillfully re-imagines indigenous soul with signature ‘cool, with a voice that is hypnotic and confrontational. |
Zebunnisa (Zeb) Bangash
Singer, Songwriter, Music Director Zebunnisa (Zeb) Bangash won acclaim as the lead singer of Zeb and Haniya, a band she created with her cousin. The duo evolved from two kids at college in the US jamming in dorms to becoming an underground sensation back home and finally to the creation of ‘Chup,’ their bestselling debut album. Their original songs gained them much popularity and critical acclaim worldwide including a feature in TIME magazine. Zeb’s proficiency and comfort with singing in various languages, Dari, Pashto, Turkish, Balochi, Urdu, and Punjabi are indicative of her wide-reaching fan base. Zeb has also been involved in many collaborations with different artists and organizations in India (Dewarists and SANDARAA), and America on a US State Department sponsored tour Center Stage. Zeb will be performing on her first ever full length North America tour this August to September. Zeb has studied Economics and History of Art at Mount Holyoke College in the US. She has been a delegate at Poptech, a global conference on innovation. She is also a fellow at the US Pakistan Leadership Forum; she is also a recipient of the Map Fund Fellowship. The diversity and success of her music projects in a few short years bear witness to her exceptional talent and ability to engage listeners from across the globe. |
Nadia Manzoor
Writer, Actor and Producer Nadia Parvez Manzoor is an actor, writer and producer. She spent her earlier years in a Pakistani Muslim home in North London and has since moved from Singapore to Dubai, from Boston to her home base in Brooklyn. In the past year, she has created and acted in the web series Shugs and Fats. She has had sold-out runs of her one woman show, Burq Off!, in New York, LA, San Francisco and London. Manzoor graduated from Boston University with an M.A. in social work, where her passion was to merge the arts and social reform. Her one woman show, Burq Off!, is a manifestation of this intention. Her interests lie in asking provocative questions and in challenging the status quo. To further fuse her interests in performance and social justice, she founded Paprika Productions, an all-female production company that produces works by brave, curious women. |
Raza Rumi
Policy Analyst, Journalist and Author Raza Ahmad Rumi is a Pakistani policy analyst, journalist and an author. He has been a leading voice in Pakistan's public arena against extremism and human rights violations. With solid policy experience through his work for Government of Pakistan and the Asian Development Bank {as Governance Specialist}, Raza joined journalism in 2008. Since then, he has been an editor at The Friday Times, Pakistan's foremost liberal weekly paper. He also worked in broadcast media as a leading commentator and hosted talk shows at Capital TV and Express News. Rumi was Director at Jinnah Institute, a public policy think tank and Executive Director of Justice Network- a coalition of NGOs. As a freelance policy professional he has been advising international development organizations, governments and NGOs; and heads NAPSIPAG - a regional network on governance. Rumi’s writings are archived at www.razarumi.com. His recent book 'Delhi by Heart' was published by Harper Collins (2013). Raza has also authored several papers on governance, security, justice, arts and culture. In March 2014, he survived an assassination attempt in which his driver lost his life. Within weeks, he left Pakistan and has been affiliated with New America Foundation and the United States Institute of Peace. |
Nur Ibrahim
Journalist Panel Moderator Nur Nasreen Ibrahim is a journalist based in Washington DC. Her writing has appeared in Pakistani and international publications. She graduated from Harvard in 2013 with an honors degree in Literature. During her time in college, she wrote for the Harvard Political Review, The Harvard Crimson and worked at the Harvard College Women's Center. Upon graduating she received the Harvard Foundation Distinguished Senior Award for her work on intercultural and race relations at the college. She is a recipient of Harvard College's Jaromir Ledecky International Fellowship Program in Journalism through which she developed documentary shorts on microfinance initiatives in Ghana. Prior to Harvard, she was a Pakistan representative for the British Council's Global Changemakers program. |