KaleidHERscope

Multidimensional artist-activist, Adelina Tershani speaks to Magda Zenon on kaleidHERscope from Pristina about building bridges between art and activism, grassroots struggles and global conversations and insists that language is not only a tool of critique but also of healing and of giving visibility, courage, and solidarity to those whose voices are too often silenced. The post KaleidHERscope – Episode 66: Multidimensional artist-activist, Adelina Tershani on language being a tool of critique but also of healing (12/3/2026) first appeared on Island Talks.

Human rights lawyer, peacebuilder, and founder of the Women & Peace Studies Organization (WPSO), Wazhma Frogh speaks to magda Zenon on kaleidHERscope about the women in Afghanistan and in the diaspora and how she is helping lead grassroots movements, has advised on national legislation, and has built a network of over 200 women peacebuilders in […] The post KaleidHERscope – Episode 65: Human rights lawyer Wazhma Frogh on the women in Afghanistan & initiatives to empower them (4/2/2026) first appeared on Island Talks.

Chris Mavrou and Orestis Matsas both committed activists and members of the coordination group of “Far Right Watch Cyprus” speak to Magda Zenon on kaleidHERscope about what we mean by ‘far right’’ and to remind that the far right often shows up softly; in legislation, in bureaucracy and in the way the media shapes what […] The post KaleidHERscope – Episode 64: “Far Right Watch Cyprus”, Chris Mavrou & Orestis Matsas (22/1/2026) first appeared on Island Talks.

Syrian peace-builder, mediator and member of WASL Abir Haj Ibrahim speaks to Magda Zenon on kaleidHERscope about her personal journey to Islam and how this gave her the freedom to achieve all her goals. The post KaleidHERscope – Episode 63: Syrian peace-builder Abir Haj Ibrahim speaks about achieving her goals and the links to her religious beliefs (7/1/2026) first appeared on Island Talks.

Catherine Ferrin, a domestic abuse educator/activist from Northern Ireland spoke to Magda Zenon on kaleidHERscope during the 16 days against gender-based violence (GBV) about using drama and group interaction to raise awareness about many complex issues including GBV. The post KaleidHERscope – Episode 62: Catherine Ferrin, a domestic abuse educator & using drama to raise awareness about gender-based violence (23/12/2025) first appeared on Island Talks.

Magda Zenon of kaleidHERscope caught up with Ambassador Androulla Kaminara to speak about gender and diplomacy, about the U.S. Gaza plan that the UNSC recently endorsed, about UNSR on the OPT Francesca Albanese and about the cross roads at which the EU presently finds itself. The post KaleidHERscope – Episode 61: Ambassador Androulla Kaminara on the U.S. Gaza plan & the crossroads at which the EU presently finds itself (8/12/2025) first appeared on Island Talks.

Jane Houng, founder of the Becky’s Button Initiative speaks to Magda Zenon on kaleidHERscope about how she tries to bring light to the darkness following the tragic murder of her daughter in 2017.Jane will be hosted at an event on 1 December 2025 at Ledra Palace as part of the #16Days of Activism Against Gender-Based […] The post KaleidHERscope – Episode 60: Jane Houng, founder of Becky’s Button Initiative for women’s safety against harrasment (18/11/2025) first appeared on Island Talks.

Sigríður Björk Guðjónsdóttir, the National Commissioner of the Police in Iceland, speaks to Magda Zenon on kaleidHERscope about how dealing with victims of GBV holistically has increased the number of convictions, about gender equality in the police force and about the safety of law enforcement officers in a changing world of crime. The post KaleidHERscope – Episode 59: Sigríður Björk Guðjónsdóttir, the National Commissioner of the Police in Iceland on dealing holistically with victims of GBV (9/10/2025) first appeared on Island Talks.

Cristal Downing, Project Director, Gender & Conflict at the International Crisis Group, speaks to Magda Zenon on kaleidHERscope about how her focus on gender and conflict as a career developed quite organically, how the current political climate has affected gender work in peace and security and what keeps her motivated. The post KaleidHERscope – Episode 58: Cristal Downing of the International Crisis Group: current gender work in peace & security (2/10/2025) first appeared on Island Talks.

Barbara Helfferich, the first Secretary General of the European Women’s Lobby and an expert on EU social and environmental policies, speaks to Magda Zenon on kaleidHERscope about animal rights and climate change and the connection to gender equality and about one of the most successful campaigns she lead as EWL SG. And a big big […] The post KaleidHERscope – Episode 57: Barbara Helfferich, the first SG of the EWL, speaks about animal rights, climate change & gender equality (8/9/2025) first appeared on Island Talks.

Sarah Arnd-Linder, founder of Political is Personal (PiP), speaks to Magda Zenon on kaleidHERscope about PiP which is a collection of in-depth interviews conducted with Palestinian and Israeli Jewish women, who share how the conflict has affected their lives and contribute to the ongoing debate on women’s narratives of security and insecurity in conflict zones. […] The post KaleidHERscope – Episode 56: Sarah Arnd-Linder of Political is Personal (PiP): in-depth interviews conducted with Palestinian and Israeli Jewish women (28/8/2025) first appeared on Island Talks.

Originally from Afghanistan, Khatima Emami, a client services coordinator at the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in Utah, tells her story to Magda Zenon on kaleidHERscope about life in Afghanistan before and after the fall of Kabul in 2021, about challenges faced by refugees in the USA including her and her family and about the woman […] The post KaleidHERscope – Episode 55: Khatima Emami: Challenges she & her family have faced as refugees in the USA since leaving Kabul (19/8/2025) first appeared on Island Talks.

Hamutal Gouri, a cultural critic, consultant, and transformative storyteller, speaks to Magda Zenon on kaleidHERscope about why stories matter and how we need to listen, and about political parenting. Big big thank you to both Costa Constanti and Kemal Baykalli for the all-round support always. The post KaleidHERscope – Episode 54: Hamutal Gouri, a cultural critic, consultant & transformative storyteller: why stories matter (11/8/2025) first appeared on Island Talks.

Renowned women’s rights activist and head of Afghan Women’s Network International Mary Akrami speaks with despair, vulnerability and realism to Magda Zenon on kaleidHERscope about Afghanistan, about losing everything within 24 hours on the day Kabul fell on August 15, 2021, about being flown out of Kabul with nothing except the clothes on her back […] The post KaleidHERscope – Episode 53: Renowned women’s rights activist Mary Akrami on protecting the most vulnerable Afghan women (22/7/2025) first appeared on Island Talks.

Qazi (Judge)Marzia Babakarkhail, a former Afghan family court judge and lifelong advocate for women’s rights, speaks to Magda Zenon on kaleidHERscope about her journey defending the rights of women and children, about surviving two Taliban assassination attempts and about being a voice for Afghan women, especially female judges and prosecutors who face persecution under the […] The post KaleidHERscope – Episode 52: Marzia Babakarkhail, a former Afghan judge, & her journey defending the rights of women/children (4/7/2025) first appeared on Island Talks.

Entrepreneur and author Despo Pavlou, speaks to Magda Zenon on kaleidHERscope about growing up in South African, about the definition of normal and about finding your voice. The post KaleidHERscope – Episode 51: Entrepreneur & author Despo Pavlou speaks about finding your voice (23/6/2025) first appeared on Island Talks.

Thania Pappenholz, dialogue, inclusion and peace processes expert and founder of Inclusive Peace, speaks to Magda Zenon on kaleidHERscope about the state or better, ‘unstate’ of peace processes, the role of women and most of all about how to reactivate a process in Cyprus that does not necessarily build on past processes and entails inter-generational […] The post KaleidHERscope – Episode 50: Dialogue, inclusion & peace processes expert Thania Pappenholz on creating new narratives to counteract the normalcy of a not normal situation (14/6/2025) first appeared on Island Talks.

Ellpetha Tsivicos, a Cypriot-American artist, director, curator and producer speaks to Magda Zenon on kaleidHERscope about her creative arts healing program ‘I Wish I Knew How’ through which she mentors a community of formerly incarcerated people, about using public spaces and making theatre accessible to everyone and about her book A Life Into Lands, and […] The post KaleidHERscope – Episode 49: Artist, director, curator and producer Ellpetha Tsivicos speaks about making theatre accessible to everyone (3/6/2025) first appeared on Island Talks.

Award-winning Palestinian theatre maker, Iman Aoun speaks on kaleidHERscope about her inspiring professional career that focuses on grassroots, indigenous, youth, and women empowerment, gender disparity and resistance to the occupation, including The Gaza Monologues, ASHTAR International Youth Theatre Festival, The Syrian Monologues and Letters to Gaza in 2024, a solidarity response to the genocide in […] The post KaleidHERscope – Episode 48: Award-winning Palestinian theatre maker, Iman Aoun speaks about her inspiring professional career (22/5/2025) first appeared on Island Talks.

South African poet and performance artist Dr. Phillippa Yaa de Villiers discusses her identity journey with Magda Zenon on kaleidHERscope, reflecting on her experience as a mixed-race African and adoptee raised by a white family in apartheid South Africa; a journey that placed her in the paradoxical position of being both oppressed and completely free. The post KaleidHERscope – Episode 47: Both oppressed and completely free: S.African poet Phillippa Yaa de Villiers talks about her identity journey (6/5/2025) first appeared on Island Talks.

Producer and director Nefin Dinç speaks to Magda Zenon on kaleidHERscope about her documentaries including Wine Dark Sea that narrates the profound changes brought about by global warming in the Mediterranean, and The Other Town, a documentary about the Other and how natives of a Greek and Turkish town insist on keeping myths built on […] The post KaleidHERscope – Episode 46: Producer and director Nefin Dinç speaks about her documentaries (15/4/2025) first appeared on Island Talks.

Chris Mavrou, advocacy & communications coordinator for Birth Forward and Andreas Christodoulou, Director of Operations of the Cyprus Federation of Patients’ Associations (CyFPA) speak to Magda Zenon on kaleidHERscope about RespectWATCH; a project designed to develop an advocacy strategy and WatchDog mechanisms to ensure Respectful Maternity Care in Cyprus. The post KaleidHERscope – Episode 45: Chris Mavrou (Birth Forward) & Andreas Christodoulou (Cyprus Federation of Patients’ Associations) speak about RespectWATCH (29/3/2025) first appeared on Island Talks.

Ioli Orphanides Eteocleous & Giota Doukanari, both from Birth Forward, speak on kaleidHERscope about the ‘RESPECT – Toward a culture of Respectful Maternity Care (RMC)’ project. As the ‘RESPECT – Toward a culture of Respectful Maternity Care (RMC): Enhancing Provider-Client Shared Decision Making and Informed Choice’ project comes to an end, Ioli Orphanides Eteocleous Spokesperson […] The post KaleidHERscope – Episode 44: Ioli Orphanides Eteocleous & Giota Doukanari of Birth Forward explain the ‘RESPECT – Toward a culture of Respectful Maternity Care (RMC)’ project (13/3/2025) first appeared on Island Talks.

Irene Stephanou, South African born Cypriot performer and educator, speaks to Magda Zenon on kaleidHERscope about bringing together her political consciousness and the experience of growing up in the South African Greek speaking community with her own unique blend of storytelling and about her challenges with Multiple Sclerosis, which she has had since she was […] The post KaleidHERscope – Episode 43: Irene Stephanou, a South African born Cypriot performer on her experience of growing up in the diaspora (9/3/2025) first appeared on Island Talks.

Dr. Smadar Ben-Natan, an Israeli international lawyer/ academician speaks to Magda Zenon on kaleidHERscope about the intersection of international law and human rights in Israel/Palestine, about the Israeli military courts and incarceration, about the significance of International Law in today’s global context and about the Jewish Settlers and the definition of Apartheid and Zionism. Here […] The post KaleidHERscope – Episode 42: Dr. Smadar Ben-Natan discusses the intersection of international law & human rights in Israel/Palestine (22/2/2025) first appeared on Island Talks.

From IRA combatant to storyteller, Anne Walker speaks to Magda Zenon on kaleidHERscope about her journey and sharing her story for the first time, about helping others break free from a cycle of violence and hatred and about the transformative power of storytelling in its various forms. The post KaleidHERscope – Episode 41: From IRA combatant to storyteller: Anne Walker speaks about the transformative power of storytelling (29/1/2025) first appeared on Island Talks.

Documentary maker and long-time traveller, Nafsika Hadjichristou speaks to Magda Zenon on kaleidHERscope about her love of photography and of travelling, about the countries through which she has travelled, especially the 2 years she spent in Latin America and how photography and travelling ‘weave together’ her human rights activism. To find out more about Nafsika, […] The post KaleidHERscope – Episode 40: Documentary maker & long-time traveller, Nafsika Hadjichristou on her love of photography & travelling (12/1/2025) first appeared on Island Talks.

Anglo Armenian film maker and writer from Cyprus, Victoria Harwood Butler-Sloss speaks on kaleidHERscope from Los Angeles about finalizing her latest novel Love in Aleppo, about home, about love and loss and about memories….. Find out more about Victoria and her work: http://www.planetvix.com/ The post KaleidHERscope – Episode 39: Anglo-Armenian film-maker & writer from Cyprus, Victoria Harwood Butler-Sloss on home, love & loss (25/12/2024) first appeared on Island Talks.

Ianthi Sparsis, an experienced Keith’s Cacao practitioner and Reiki Master, with many years of training in meditation, embodiment work, shamanic rites, and the ancient practices of women frame drummers speaks on kaleidHERscope about her first steps on the rhythmic path to transformation that connected her to the almost lost lineage of Aphrodite’s frame drumming priestesses, about her keen interest in healing sisterhood trauma and helping women empower other women by leading women’s frame drumming circles, and about the ‘super food’ Cacao and leading ceremonial cacao ceremonies and cacao circles. The post KaleidHERscope – Episode 38: Ianthi Sparsis, an experienced Keith’s Cacao practitioner, Reiki Master, on healing sisterhood trauma (19/12/2024) first appeared on Island Talks.

Poet, ethnographer, and interdisciplinary qualitative researcher Nafia Akdeniz speaks to Magda Zenon on kaleidHERscope about the meaning of home, forced displacement, and about her poetry-based project “We Are Not Ghosts” – Varosha Narratives. https://d6.eu/sound-walking/ The post KaleidHERscope – Episode 37: Poet, ethnographer, and researcher Nafia Akdeniz on the meaning of “home” (1/12/2024) first appeared on Island Talks.

Slovenian documentary filmmaker, Anja Medved, speaks to Magda Zenon on kaleidHERscope about the priceless value of storytelling, about her collaboration with her mother, Nadja Velušček on collecting cross-border memories between Gorizia and Nova Gorica and her documentary Smugglers’ Confessionary, and how these stories ‘re-weave’ history. The post KaleidHERscope – Episode 36: Slovenian documentary filmmaker, Anja Medved, speaks about collecting & documenting cross-border memories (20/11/2024) first appeared on Island Talks.

With a background of mixing art & history, PhD candidate Aliénor Gandanger discusses the wartime godmothers of WW1, a theme about women, relationships, emotions and about portraying a wartime godmother through a comic book heroine and turning a history subject into a comic book. KaleidHERscope is brought to you by Magda Zenon. The post KaleidHERscope – Episode 35: Mixing art & history, Aliénor Gandanger discusses turning the wartime godmothers of WW1 into a comic book (30/10/2024) first appeared on Island Talks.

Kainat Riaz, an education advocate and the keynote speaker at the ‘United for Peace, EU-UWC youth leadership’ forum in Cyprus recently, speaks to Magda Zenon on kaleidHERscope about October 9th 2012 when she was with Malala when she was targeted by the Taliban, about the value of education and the UWC and about ‘Beydaar Society’, […] The post KaleidHERscope – Episode 34: Education advocate Kainat Riaz talks about the day Taliban attacked Malala and more (18/10/2024) first appeared on Island Talks.

Dr. Habiba Sarābi, the first Afghan woman to become a provincial governor and 1 of the 4 women at the negotiation table with the Taliban in Doha this year, speaks on kaleidHERscope about the life of the women in Afghanistan, the mental health of all Afghans and the rise in suicides and about how we […] The post KaleidHERscope – Episode 33: Dr. Habiba Sarābi, 1 of 4 women at the Doha negotiation table with the Taliban discusses life of Afghan women (2/10/2024) first appeared on Island Talks.

Evie Theocharous, a researcher and a board member of Cyprus Youth DiplomaCY, speaks on kaleidHERscope about why it is imperative that there is a substantive inclusion of youth in the Cyprus Peace Process and about transitional justice, especially its gender perspective. Disclaimer: The House of Youth Representatives is a simulation of the House of Representatives co […] The post KaleidHERscope – Episode 32: Evie Theocharous, board member of Cyprus Youth DiplomaCY, discusses substantive inclusion of youth in the Cyprus peace process (26/9/2024) first appeared on Island Talks.

Naw Angeline, a Women Human Rights Defender, an educator and a member of WASL speaks on kaleidHERscope about Myanmar, one of the ‘invisible’ global conflicts; what is happening in the country now, the lack of security, the internal displacement, the humanitarian needs, the role of the women and Gen Z and the message she wants […] The post KaleidHERscope – Episode 31: Naw Angeline, a women human rights defender speaks about Myanmar, one of the ‘invisible’ conflicts (3/9/2024) first appeared on Island Talks.

Following the brutally public discussion and treatment of Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting’s during the Paris Olympics especially online, on kaleidHERscope Magda Zenon speaks with Phyllis Ellis, film-maker and former Olympic field hockey player about gender and the focus on ‘what you look like’ rather than on performance, the 90-year history of sex testing and […] The post KaleidHERscope – Episode 30: Phyllis Ellis, film-maker & former Olympian, discusses sport organizations, misogyny& disinformation (15/8/2024) first appeared on Island Talks.

Lebanese cultural practitioner, writer, and researcher, Myriam Dalal, speaks to Magda Zenon on KaleidHERscope from Luxembourg about being an artist and how forced migration disrupts, yet creates opportunities for new creative expression including a totally contemporary ‘love dance’, about Intangible Cultural Heritage and what it is, but mostly about the lesser-known stories of different groups […] The post KaleidHERscope – Episode 29: Cultural practitioner, writer, & researcher Myriam Dalal: stories of different groups of women that helped survival of communities (12/8/2024) first appeared on Island Talks.

On kaleidHERscope this week from Bogota, Colombia, Rosa Emilia Salamanca, Director of CIASE (www.ciase.org), a Colombian peacebuilding organisation with a particular focus on women’s rights, and a member of WASL speaks about inclusive peacebuilding within a peace process in a very diverse Colombia, about breaking up the increasing binary thinking and learning to embrace our own […] The post KaleidHERscope – Episode 28: Rosa Emilia Salamanca explains how peace is being built in Colombia (29/7/2024) first appeared on Island Talks.

On kaleidHERscope Cypriot-Australian writer, performer and bestselling poet Koraly Dimitriadis, a fearless feminist voice for the southern-European diaspora, speaks to Magda Zenon from Melbourne about violence against women and opening up the space to talk about the violence of men, about the challenges of single parenting and about ensuring that the voice of the Cypriot diaspora is […] The post KaleidHERscope – Episode 27: Koraly Dimitriadis, Cypriot-Australian writer, performer & bestselling poet, a fearless feminist voice (23/7/2024) first appeared on Island Talks.

On kaleidHERscope Nitsan Joy Gordon, author and director of the Together Beyond Words Organization ( Together Beyond Words | Healing For Peace ) speaks to Magda Zenon about the organization she helped found together with Arab and Jewish colleagues, to help empower and train women as peace builders so they can promote the understanding and […] The post KaleidHERscope – Episode 26: Nitsan Joy Gordon, director of the Together Beyond Words, an organization founded by Arab and Jewish peacemakers (5/7/2024) first appeared on Island Talks.

Tatiana Der Avedissian, head of business development for Economist Impact’s World Ocean Initiative, the recently appointed chief adviser and climate-justice coordinator for the 2024 meeting of the W7, and a women’s rights and gender equality engagement group within the G7 in Italy, speaks to Magda Zenon on kaleidHERscope about the development of a sustainable ocean […] The post KaleidHERscope – Episode 25: Tatiana Der Avedissian of Economist Impact’s World Ocean Initiative: the nexus of gender equality, climate change and peace & security (24/6/2024) first appeared on Island Talks.

Jo Even Caspi, an Educational and Developmental Psychologist and a member of Women Wage Peace, speaks on kaleidHERscope about relocating to Israel from the USA in the ‘70’s, about Women Wage Peace, about setting up successful inter-group dialogues within Israel and about the situation in Israel and Gaza and the only way forward she sees. The post KaleidHERscope – Episode 24: Jo Even Caspi, psychologist & a member of Women Wage Peace: Situation in Israel & Gaza (5/6/2024) first appeared on Island Talks.

Lorna Vassiliades, a PhD student investigating displaced heritage in solo performance at Queen Mary University of London speaks to Magda Zenon on kaleidHERscope about transitioning to academia from a career in journalism, about childhood memories of Varosha and the events of ‘74, about the many identities we carry and about her upcoming events. For details […] The post KaleidHERscope – Episode 23: Lorna Vassiliades, a PhD student investigating displaced heritage in solo performance (20/5/2024) first appeared on Island Talks.

Researcher and consultant on military and security affairs, Natasa Loizou, speaks to Magda Zenon on kaleidHERscope about migrating to Argentina in 2006, constructing all her identities including her Cypriot one, whilst simultaneously integrating into the local community, her journey in her traditionally ‘masculine-centred’ career and her life goal to empower young women to get involved […] The post KaleidHERscope – Episode 22: Natasa Loizou, consultant on military&security affairs, on migrating to Argentina & her journey in a traditionally ‘masculine-centred’ career (12/5/2024) first appeared on Island Talks.

Xenia Economidou, a Rapid Transformational Therapy (RTT) practitioner, speaks on kaleidHERscope about her transition from the corporate world to becoming certified as a Rapid Transformational Therapy (RTT) practitioner, about ‘Being Enough’, and about the profound connection between our past experiences and current self-perceptions and how with the right tools we can transform the stories that […] The post KaleidHERscope – Episode 21: Xenia Economidou, a Rapid Transformational Therapy (RTT) practitioner, speaks about ‘Being Enough’ (23/4/2024) first appeared on Island Talks.

Editor and translator Maia Tabet speaks to Magda Zenon on kaleidHERscope about being a global nomad and how it helped her recognize her true identity, about her love of languages and words, about Cyprus and about the horror of the situation in Palestine now The post KaleidHERscope – Episode 20: Editor and translator Maia Tabet on how being a global nomad shaped her identity (2/4/2024) first appeared on Island Talks.

Within the context of the ‘RESPECT – Toward a culture of Respectful Maternity Care (RMC): Enhancing Provider-Client Shared Decision Making and Informed Choice’ project, Ioli Orphanides Spokesperson on RMC & Nicos Middleton, Principal Investigator & Scientific Coordinator of the project, speak to Magda Zenon on kaleidHERscope podcast about the overall objective of this project, what […] The post KaleidHERscope – Episode 19: Ioli Orphanides & Nicos Middleton: Toward a culture of Respectful Maternity Care – RESPECT project (1/3/2024) first appeared on Island Talks.

Susana Malcorra, president and cofounder of GWL Voices for Change and Inclusion, former Argentinian foreign minister, Chief of Staff for UN SG Ban ki Moon and Co-Chair of the Crisis Group speaks on kaleidHERscope about how and why GWL Voices is gathering support from countries and leaders and committed to achieving equality and working towards […] The post KaleidHERscope – Episode 18: Susana Malcorra of GWL Voices for Change & Inclusion on why gender equality is imperative at UN level (20/2/2024) first appeared on Island Talks.

Israeli peace activist Yael Treidel, who has worked with both Women Waging Peace (https://www.womenwagepeace.org.il/en/) and The Road to Recovery (https://www.allmep.org/allmep_member/road-to-recovery/) speaks to Magda Zenon on kaleidHERscope about the political climate in Israel and the occupied territories now, about how being a peace activist is not a choice but a way of life for her and […] The post KaleidHERscope – Episode 17: Israeli peace activist Yael Treidel speaks about the political climate in Israel and the occupied territories now (6/2/2024) first appeared on Island Talks.