PRESENTATION BY BEN ATHERTON ON GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE AT YALAMAYA KENDRA

V-chitra and Creative Statements in partnership with the US Embassy , hosted visiting American expert Ben Atherton-Zeman for a presentation on strategies to combat gender-based violence. He  presented on the themes of: emerging cultural trends, bystander intervention and the pyramid model for persons working on gender sensitization in Nepal. The program includes a short performance to highlight how theater is an effective medium of communication in encouraging people to combat violence.

Ben is a spokesperson for the National Organization for Men Against Sexism and is a public speaker on issues of violence prevention. He has given performances and keynotes in 45 states, Canada, England, Turkey, China, South Africa and the Czech Republic. Ben has spoken and performed at colleges, high schools, public theaters, conferences, houses of worship and juvenile detention facilities. For the past twenty years, Ben has worked as a prevention educator for rape crisis centers, domestic violence programs, and state coalitions. He is an advisory board member for the White Ribbon Campaign in the United Kingdom and a blogger for Ms. Magazine. Ben identifies as a “recovering sexist” and believes every man must challenge violence and sexism in the world and in themselves. Photos: Artudio