Creating multilingual content to spread information
Think is a volunteer-led charity that makes engaging videos on history, science, and art. The charity is founded by Bonya Ahmed and Imtiaz Shams- human rights defenders who have been an integral part of annual HPP events over the past few years.
Think videos are made in several languages, including Bangla. The reason for creating multilingual content is to spread information and educate the audience in their native languages. The team members of Think include several Bangladeshi activists and professionals, residing both inside and outside the country, therefore creating a great example of the contribution made by diaspora writers and/or activists towards their countries of origin. Think Bangla is the first of its kind, with such content in Bengali being few and far between. It is a promising project that will motivate its audience to think critically, and aims at nurturing their curiosity and removing the linguistic barriers.
Until now, Think has made some engaging videos on diverse issues such as ‘the history of high heels’, and ‘how ancient DNA is rewriting India’s history’ etc. Think has also made an informative video on the ongoing Covid-19 crisis:
About the founders:
Rafida Bonya Ahmed is a published author and moderator at the Mukto-mona blog; the first online platform for Bengali speaking freethinkers. Survivor of a deadly terrorist attack herself in 2015, she is advocating for raising awareness on fundamentalism and the protection of secular writers and activists. She received the Freedom From Religion Foundation Forward Award in 2016, and is currently a visiting Fellow at the London School of Economics. Rafida worked in the IT industry for twenty years before she decided to be a full-time writer and activist. She was a Senior Director of New Product Innovation at Equifax, USA until 2015. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Information Science from Minnesota State University, Mankato, USA.
Imtiaz is a tech entrepreneur and human rights activist who has used his experience to help apostates who suffer when they leave conservative religions. In 2012, he began creating ‘underground railroad’ networks for former Muslims around the world. In 2015, he set-up Faith to Faithless, an organization working to reduce the stigma faced by ‘apostates’ of all religions. He has featured on the BBC, Vice, the Guardian, and the Times.
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