DBSS S2E12: Dreams, Disney, and Beyond - Activism in The World with MNR (Maryam and Nivaal Rehman)

Maryam and Nivaal are twin activists, studying at the University of Toronto in International Relations & Peace, Conflict, and Justice (PCJ). Their activism began at the age of eight, when they visited their families country of Pakistan. It was over there that they visited a girl's school and learned that many of the girls were planning to drop out and support their families once they reached grade five. Since then, they have conduct numerous workshops to hear the children’s stories and inspire them to continue their education.

The twins are also co-founders of The World with MNR, a non-profit that they started to take action against social justice issues like girls’ education, climate justice, gender equality and inclusivity through advocacy, storytelling and development projects. Through this, the twins have shared their experiences as activists and journalists through their social media and their YouTube channel, also named the The World With MNR. They have also conducted interviews with world leaders and other activists like Malala Yousafzai, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Ambassador Melanne Verveer, Dr. David Suzuki and Madame Christine Lagarde.

The twins are also filmmakers, as they participated in the #DreamBigPrincess Project, a partnership between the Walt Disney Company and the UN Girl Up Campaign, back in 2018. The two sisters, alongside 19 young girls from 13 different countries were selected to be filmmakers in this project, and create digital short-films, to be shared on social media. The twins also created a feature-length documentary called "Destined To Soar" about their activism journey in Pakistan.

This is a conversation that you don't want to miss.

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Abhayjeet Singh Sachal (co-host)
Atharv Agrawal (co-host)
Mei Ling Phung (editor)
Anisha Huq, Amar Aziz, and Mehar Kamra (communications and outreach)

00:00 Intro
2:24 Guest Introduction
4:04 The Power of Storytelling
5:32 How MNR Got Into Activism
10:41 Reflecting on Families and Communities Around The World
16:29 Philosophy behind MNR's Advocacy
19:36 The World of MNR
24:07 Reflecting on Their Work
30:17 How They Work Together
36:00 How the Pandemic Has Affected Them
40:47 The Future of MNR
44:01 Closing Remarks