Speaking Our Truth
5th Annual Indo-Caribbean Women's Empowerment Summit
June 17-18, 2011

Our 2011 Summit was themed "Speaking Our Truth," to open up dialogue around the culturally taboo subjects that impact women's lives. We believe that by taking this step forward, we allow ourselves the opportunity to heal and to help others heal through hearing that they are not alone, and that there are ways to grow out of trauma.

On opening night, we celebrated women’s lives by listening to stories of resilience from strong Indo-Caribbean women and enjoying singing, dancing, and poetry. Keynote Speaker Mother Maya, spiritual teacher, healer, and survivor of ovarian cancer, addressed the audience followed by a moderated panel of women sharing their personal stories of how they are transforming their community. On the panel were activist and writer Suzanne Persard, singer/song-writer/musician Chitra Singh, and artist/activist Nadia Bourne. Artists who donated their time and talent were Bharatanatyam dancer Shaily Dadalia, Filmi dancer Laura Persard, poets Taij Kumarie Moteelall and Simone Devi Jhingoor, and musicians Rick Ramdehal, Chitra Singh, and Radha Singh.

On Day Two, we held a full day of workshops on Reproductive Justice issues and created space for sisters to share their own personal stories, explore the struggles women face, and visualize a roadmap for the future.

Below are photos from the event, and the event flyer.