Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy - Who Is NOBODY?

… who is using their interests to create awareness and help people.

Last night I was at our 5th Annual Oscar Party. With pen and a friend’s ballot in hand, I was hoping to hear a speech that went beyond an endless list of thank-yous to show some real character traits in action and include a bit of inspiration. Not an insurmountable expectation given there’s 84 years of acceptance speeches to draw on. And the fact you have the world, both within the industry and around the globe as your audience has got to give you some motivation.

The power of complimenting kids

As a teacher who sees first hand the incredible impact that one tiny, off-the-cuff compliment can have on a young person, one of my favourite statements from an Oscar acceptance speech is:

It didn’t matter if I was making my bed or making a movie. They never hesitated to say how proud they were of me. And that means so very much to a child. So thank you, Mom and Dad.

– Reece Witherspoon

A small bit of encouragement is immeasurable for a child. I imagine many parents who listened to her speech were inspired to say something positive to their children the next day, no matter how small the act.

Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy keeps making a difference

Last night, when Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy from the documentary Saving Face gave her acceptance speech, I was moved to watch her use her time on stage to continue to share her story so she could reach more people and create more awareness. Her goal? To positively impact women in Pakistan and around the world.

In short, Saving Face is about a Pakistani-British Doctor who goes to Pakistan to perform reconstructive surgery on survivors of acid-violence due to cultural and structural inequalities towards women.

Here’s more information about this film.

… And the 2012 Oscar for Best Oscar Speech goes to Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy!

We need to teach young people to take the opportunities they’re given to make a difference. Life is much richer when we focus beyond ourselves.

The meaning of life is the meaning you bring to your life by making the needs of others part of your own.

Change starts with kids.

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