Speaking
Peggy offers three digital slide show presentations. The first, Spirit of Afghanistan, shows scenes from the places she visited around Afghanistan, including Taloqan in the north, Herat in the west, and Bamyian, the place where the Buddhist statues were blown up. Inside of Kabul, she has a section on the woman’s prison and another on schools in addition to images that give the viewer an idea of what the city is like. Maps and aerial shots give one a sense of place and geography.
One of Peggy’s aims for the presentation is to dispel several myths about the country and society such as the difference between Islamic Fundamentalism and Traditionalism, stereotypes about Afghan men, the issue of the burka and more. She also gives a brief history of the country as well as a discussion of issues related to its development. Interspersed throughout the program are the faces and stories of some of the amazing women she met. She would like her viewers to come away with an appreciation of the complexity of the country and the notion that whatever any of us have experienced or know about the area, it is only a small part of reality. This presentation is best given in an hour and a half, which leaves time for questions.
The second slide show, Women of Afghanistan, is focused on the women themselves. With just enough “scene setting” images to give a context to the faces, Peggy will talk about each woman’s story and some of the issues she faces. The women come from many walks of life: wealthy and poor, educated and illiterate, young and old as well as representing a variety of ethnic groups. Peggy asked them questions such as: “What have you learned from your difficulties?” “What part of Islam has helped you the most?” “What about Islam is best for women?” and “How can women in the West best help Afghanistan?” Included in this presentation is also the section on women in prison in Kabul. This presentation can be given in either an hour or an hour and a half format.
Peggy has also adapted her Spirit of Afghanistan presentation to audiences of photography students. She talks about what it takes to put together a project, tells stories about the photographs she took and gives tips on working in foreign countries. This can be given in an hour or an hour and a half format.
The photography exhibit, Afghan Women, Portraits and Stories consists of 24 portraits, each accompanied by the woman’s bio and an excerpt from her interview. You may see samples of the exhibit on this website.
New topics will be available for the fall of 2010.