Converging Threads serves as a space where ideas, observations, and thoughts converge, giving rise to more inclusive and empathetic narratives and revealing new insights and perspectives of social, economic, political, and cultural dimensions.
In the fabric of our everyday lives, we encounter a myriad of people, engage in revealing conversations, and absorb thought-provoking pieces of literature and films. These experiences often spark observations, thoughts, and ideas. When given proper attention and interwoven with various other perspectives, they bring to light nuances within our global tapestry that often escape notice and remain unaddressed.
Years ago, during a work assignment in Dhaka, Bangladesh, I was struck by the numerous and vibrant rickshaw pullers shaping the city’s landscape. This sparked my curiosity, leading me to engage in conversations with these pullers and write about it. The writing process not only unveiled the disparities between the pullers’ lived experiences and the prevailing policy environment but also opened my eyes to urban workers in other cities and their shared experiences.
Writing about the experiences of the workers provided me with the opportunity to align their perspectives with broader themes, including informality, the right to the city, and justice, and humanize these themes. It revealed a pattern where injustices are often embedded in seemingly trivial occurrences and grounded in overlooked and unrecognized struggles.
Converging Threads is a platform to interlace diverse threads of experiences, observations, literature, and films, facilitating a more empathetic accumulation, interaction, and spillover of ideas and, in turn, unraveling and shedding light on overlooked issues. Accumulation can only be inclusive and comprehensive when open to all. Hence, everyone is encouraged to contribute pieces in the format or genre that best facilitates the expression of their observations and ideas.
Ghida Ismail