Mentoring my Soul

I see Web 2.0 is helping me to grow beautifully with lot of challenges to handle. I still remember there was a time when I had hardly any access to know about the world without just flipping the pages of newspaper in the morning and switch to some news channels to know something newsy. But things have changed. So have I.
I believe in exchanging solution – oriented discussions not just the law and order enforcers through hollow campaigns. So through the access to blogs, wikis, social-networking, twitter, Linkedln and likewise, I have been able to bring out my voice beyond my capabilities. Seriously, there were just handful of people and that too in my comrades through which some unknown well- wishers used to appreciate my work. But, I had always craved to look for some mentorship to bring a social change at large canvass and that too in a never-ending phase. Thanks to web 2.0 who made it possible to enlighten my mind and my known and unknown online friends to see issues at a wider angle.
Through various leadership and advocacy training programmes, I have been able to bring out some stories which I believe were unknown to my sisters and friends across the globe. I would like to mention one my stories which was published on Women News Network (WNN), under the mentorship of Lys Mam. The theme was on “Half- Widows”, a term given to thousands of women in Kashmir who have lost their husbands in the continuing perpetual strife of more than two decades. They have an uncertain future. They don’t know whether their lost ones are dead or alive. They are going through identity crisis. But amidst all, they continue to live on hope that somewhere in the world; their husband might be alive and return one fine day. So they choose not to remarry, some do by choice and some are forced to.
The story was thankfully highly appreciated by both known and unknown. Truly, it would have never been possible without the help of web 2.0 to search WNN, raise my voice and of my society at global level and to people at helm.
I found myself quite privileged to be a part of the big social change by honing my skills through various empowerment programmes and affiliate myself with the people like my through the innovative tools.
It is pertinent to mention that web 2.0 is more about awareness, as it helps to experiment lot of things to new people to showcase our potentials and work on weaknesses.
By using various discussion boards and forum on both social-networking sites and new media, I had started to think deeper and come up with the issues that matter to women at large. To build the trust of other grass root women by getting myself involved and also to involve them to apply the techniques of empowerment and get ready to experiment and take risks for a way of life that merits women empowerment.