Story of a better world

Tucked in the northern part of the US, in the State of Maine, about three and a half hours north of Boston, is a small town called Camden. In the fall, it is a picturesque sight with its crisp winter air and breathtaking colours. The yellow, red and orange of the leaves light up the outside and soothe the inside of the observer. The fall colours are not the only thing that brighten up Camden in October. Every year, around this time, there is another light that shines bright. It is the light of powerful stories, inspiration and a commitment to a better world.

Camden is home to a festival of its own kind called PopTech. PopTech is celebration of innovation, ingenuity and the human spirit. This year, on the 20^th anniversary of the PopTech festival, I had the pleasure of being amidst the sharpest minds and the kindest souls. While I was honoured to be a speaker at the event, among those who are so much more gifted and talented than I can ever be, in reality I was a listener to the incredible stories of resilience, ingenuity and curiosity. From Nobel Laureate John Mather to Adam Steltzner, Chief Engineer of Mars Curiosity Lander, from Eric Ben-Artzi who stood up to corporate greed and wrongdoing at Deutsche Bank to those who are healing the wounds of racial tension in the country, from the loving actor of M*A*S*H, reporter and science communicator Alan Alda to Scott Goodstein who headed the 2008 Obama Campaign’s social media strategy, the list of those who inspired me, and often brought me to tears through the power of their human spirit, is too long to go through here, but they all had personal and powerful stories to tell. In an era of so much toxicity, racial bias and xenophobia, the songs of artists like Jill Sobule told us how absurd the notion of nativism is. These stories and songs were rich, powerful and left an indelible mark on the spirit.

Behind this celebration of values and ingenuity is the steady hand, commitment and exemplary vision of Leetha Filderman, and her extraordinary team who pay attention to every detail imaginable but do so with a big smile and a heart of gold. They made it possible for me, and hundreds of other people to have an experience of a lifetime.

As I drove back from Maine, through the winding misty roads and occasional downpour, brimming with inspiration and optimism for a better tomorrow, I realised how much I needed to hear these stories, not just formally through the presentations on the stage, but also informally during dinner, lunch and coffee breaks. And I wondered, who would tell our own Pakistani stories?

Our stories of failure, persistence and resilience are powerful. Our stories do not need to have an underlying agenda of casting Pakistan in a good light, or to impress the world, or for countering the negative press, they need to be told because they are inherently good, inspiring and celebrate the best of humanity. The stories told in our media are good, but not good enough. We also need to meet the storytellers and hear from those who are the story, raw and unfiltered. Sitting across the table with someone, who provides a second chance to incarcerated citizens through music, or those who commit their lives to bringing hope in a fractured city through art or technology is an experience like no other.

Our own true stories are organic, pure and rich. They tell us who we are, and who we ought not to be. They tackle taboos, challenge dogma and celebrate humanity. They connect us to our past, and create optimism for the future. And they are everywhere, in every town, in every mohalla and every village. Somewhere, someone is bringing a change, against the odds and despite the system.

They just need to be told, in the smallest of venues and the biggest of stages, not for any agenda, but for us to become better people.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 25^th, 2016.

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