MKS Jewellery recently announced an initiative named ‘Here to Listen’ which is a joining of forces, a safe place to speak freely, a way to harness identity and an opportunity to use this time to identify tools that will help us stay connected and overcome the struggles of now, as well as providing learnings that will withstand the pandemic and create success when life returns to ‘normal’.
The inaugural ‘Here to Listen’ talk took place earlier this week. Led and moderated by former Woman This Month editor Georgie Bradley, journalist and crisis counsellor for Women Victims of Domestic Violence, the panel discussed the topic of ‘Finding Certainty in Uncertainty’ with an inspiring lineup joining the discussion, including Rebecca Anne-Proctor, journalist and former Editor-in-Chief of Harper’s Bazaar Art/Interiors, Dr Saliha Afridi, Clinical Psychologist and Managing Director of The LightHouse Arabia, and Alaa Balhky, a digital creator based between Saudi and NYC.
Bringing together women from different backgrounds, with different perspectives and each with their own unique experience during the pandemic, the talk focussed on the current uncertainty in detail, what people are facing, and how we can find peace and freedom in the unknown.
“If we’re not having these conversations now, when are we ever going to have them? I love nothing more than cultivating critical conversation – especially with people who will challenge and flip the status quo.” – Georgie Bradley.
At 9pm on Wednesday (May 6), the discussion will turn to ‘Connecting and Reaching Out’, a topic which discusses how people are connecting and engaging differently at the moment, what mental health frailties are of concern, and dealing with discomfort in more uncomfortable ways.
The panel line-up for the second talk is Laila Saif, co-owner, hypnotherapist and life coach at Illuminations, Sundus Hussein, founder of Abolish 153 in Kuwait, Hind Beljafla and Noor Tehini, co-founders of Goodness ME.
ABOUT ‘HERE TO LISTEN’
Carefully selected organisations are on board to help drive this conversation and bring their expertise to the relatable topics, and those participating are Shamsaha Bahrain – the first and only women’s crisis response programme in the Middle East; Illuminations – Dubai’s leading well-being platform for holistic healing, mental health and personal growth; Abolish153 – a Kuwaiti community working to abolish Article 153 of the Kuwaiti Penal Code and end all forms of violence against women in the Arab region; and The LightHouse Arabia – a community mental health and wellness clinic located in Dubai.
ABOUT MKS CARES
‘MKS Cares’ is an initiative that aims to connect the region and give back to the causes of the organisations involved, from funding the services and support provided to abused women and families as well as funding the COVID-19 Emergency Food Relief Programme that provides food packages to households that have been affected by the pandemic, to paying for wellness checks for healthcare workers or others severely impacted by COVID-19 emotionally and financially and subsidising their therapy, amongst other programs organised within the affiliated bodies.
In support of the ‘Here to Listen’ series, use the MKSCARES code at checkout to give 10% of purchases to the participating organisations to support their non-profit activities. Donations will apply throughout the month of May.
Join tonight’s talk without registration:
https://zoom.us/j/92665524287 Webinar ID: 926 6552 4287
May 11 1pm-2pm ? MKS Cares | Here to Listen #3 ? | a?? ??????? ??k? # MKS Cares
” ?? ?????? rs ? ?? k “? How are we Expressing Ourselves? (in Arabic)
Join without registration: https://zoom.us/j/93847098984 Webinar ID: 938 4709 8984
May 13 1pm-2pm ? MKS Cares | Here to Listen Series #4 “Standing up for Yourself and Each Other”
Join without registration: https://zoom.us/j/91658951553 Webinar ID: 916 5895 155
The Zoom panels will last around an hour, with the audience being invited to ask questions to the panellists at the end. Panels will also be recorded, subtitled and posted on mksjewellery.com/pages/mks-cares
