VAANI in Festival in the Park

V is delighted to join the Redbridge and Waltham Forest Learning Disability Partnership in their Festival in the Park. The Festival is designed to be a big success, what with Music, Art and Craft and of course loads of food.
The festival is in Ray Park, Woodford Green. IG8 7JQ.
25th June 2010 10:00 AM - 9.00PM
Free Entry!

V invites all to come join and celebrate the sunny Friday with some good music and fantastic food. For more details and visiting information please click here.

Calling all Asian Women Writers and Artists!!

V is getting ready for its 1st Annual Anthology. V invites submissions from all Asian Women Writers and Artists. The details of the submissions are as follows:
The theme is friction or conflict within Asian communities settled outside their home countries. The conflict could be either within one single community, i.e. Raising an issue or between two different communities. The nature of conflict is up to the writer’s choice. We just want to say that although we are very different, we love, hate, befriend, betray each other but still we are one. 
It would be really great if you could contribute either poetry, short fiction or an article or all three.

There's no restrictions on the flight of imagination. Take this opportunity to be as wild and as creative as possible as the anthology will be a mirror reflecting the talents of Asian Women across the world.

The words limits are as below:

Micro fiction – 150 to 300 words

Short Story – 1000 – 20, 000 words

Articles – 2000 to 5000 words

Poems – 300 – 2000 words

For illustrations please submit in jpeg or gif format.

The last date to submit any one or all three pieces of work is 31st July 2010.
Please submit your works via email at submissions@vaani.org with Anthology submission in the subject box.
The short listed works will be published in the form of an Anthology. Unfortunately at this time we are unable to reward the contributors with anything else apart from the satisfaction of publication. But in case our situation changes we will let the word out as soon as possible.
V has already received a number of submissions for short listing so please remember the closing date and get writing.
Best wishes.

Coming UP - Workshop with Sunita Bhogal

Most people think their weight problems are all to do with food, but the real truth is that there are 3 essential components that you have to consider...

Picture this – preferably as a cartoon scene:

Sam wakes up one morning to find that the sun is shining beautifully. She feels excited knowing that the new season is bringing in the much anticipated, brighter weather. Later that day she decides that she wants to plant some red flowers, red after all, is her favourite colour. So, she goes to the garden shop down the road and buys some flower seeds to plant. She comes home and gets to work, eagerly planting the seeds, knowing that in a few weeks, her garden again will be blooming with red flowers.

And so a few weeks pass...Sam awakens one morning to find that the flowers have started to blossom, but to her amazement, they are not red. They are yellow. Disappointed by her findings, she goes downstairs and plans to change things. She wants red flowers. So, over the next few weeks she tries really hard to get the flowers to turn red. She gives them special plant food, waters them more than usual, she even tries to ‘think’ them red, but even with all this effort, she has no luck. After three weeks, the flowers are still yellow, and Sam is very frustrated.

        Imagine if this were to happen in real life. How absurd would it be trying to change the colour of a flower, without planting the correct seed? But, and here’s the bombshell...if we wouldn’t consider doing that with a flower, then why do we do it where our weight is concerned? Here is the bottom line:

OUR WEIGHT IS NEVER THE PROBLEM! IT IS A SYMPTOM. IT IS TELLING US THAT SOMEWHERE INSIDE OF US, SOMETHING IS OUT OF BALANCE!

        Phew! I hope you got that loud and clear! When we go to change our weight alone (and it’s worth pointing out that many of us do succeed...for about two minutes....), there is a part of us that still remains empty, painful and unaddressed. How long is it going to take people to realise that diets are not our long-term solution? If they were, we wouldn’t have a nation of overweight people.

        Ok, so now that we’ve established that most important point that DIETS DON’T WORK! We need to know what does work, so let’s take a look...

Get ready to be surprised by the amazing insight into our psyches!

You are invited to the workshop conducted by upcoming non-fiction writer and VAANI member Sunita Bhogal.

She will share her passion for writing, chocolate cakes and the big idea behind her book 'My Secret Affair with Chocolate cake' There will be some interactive activities as well, so please bring along a notepad and a pen.

Both members and non-members are welcome. Early booking is advised as seats are limited. Entry fee paid on the door £2.00 for members and £3.00 for non-members. Please email info@vaani.org for bookings.

AGM- 2010

VAANI is completing one year of its existence and its time for the Annual General Meeting 2010. The AGM will be held on 6th July 2010 in the Computer's Room inside the Children's library at Ilford Central Library.

General election for the position of General Secretary and Secretary will be held on the same day. Those who are interested to put their name forward for the above positions are requested to file their nomination by 15th June 2010 5:30pm. The nominations are to be sent to info@vaani.org. Each nominee will get one chance to address other members and propose their plans for VAANI for the coming year before the election. A rough job specs for the above positions are available on request.

After the election, there will be Chairperson speech who will give report on the Annual Accounts, thanks to the last year's GS and S, welcome to the new year's GS and S, propose new policies and VAANI future plans.

Light refreshments will be served during the programme.

Hope to see you all there on the day.

Lots of love and best wishes

Smita