Following the November Presidential election, I read an opinion piece in Huffington Post entitled, "I Thought America Was the Best Country to be a Woman, Until Now. Does America Need Another Women's Suffrage Movement?" by Sucheta Rawal. The article provided excellent commentary about the state of women in the United States following the election, and I strongly urge you to read it (link at end of this post).
I was so impressed by the article that I reached out to its writer, Sucheta Rawal, and invited her to appear here on my blog in a Q&A. Sucheta's bio follows below, but first, the reason for publishing the Q&A today.
Are you aware of today's significance? The United Nations (UN) General Assembly proclaimed January 24th as International Day of Education in celebration of the role of education for peace and development with the aim to "ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and to promote lifelong learning opportunities for all" by 2030.
According to the UN, "Education offers children a ladder out of poverty and a path to a promising future. But about 244 million children and adolescents around the world are out of school; 617 million children and adolescents cannot read and do basic math; less than 40 percent of girls in sub-Saharan Africa complete lower secondary school, and some four million children and youth refugees are out of school. Their right to education is being violated and it is unacceptable. Without inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong opportunities for all, countries will not succeed in achieving gender equality and breaking the cycle of poverty that is leaving millions of children, youth, and adults behind."
SHARE THIS: Without inclusive and equitable quality education for all, countries will not succeed in achieving gender equality. ~@UN and @UNESCO #InternationalDayofEducation #DebbieLaskeysBlog
Based on today's emphasis on education, I thought it would be a good fit with Sucheta's passion for learning and cultural diversity. And now, a brief introduction...With a mission to promote meaningful and sustainable travel, award-winning South Asian travel writer, columnist, author, and speaker, Sucheta Rawal has contributed to over two dozen publications including CNN, TIME Magazine, NatGeo, Travel+Leisure, CondeNast, Fodor's, and HuffPost. Sucheta is a three-time TEDx speaker and author of five "Beato Goes To" children's books (based on her travels and featuring her cat) that educate kids about the diversity of the world. She has personally traveled to over 121 countries across seven continents and speaks about her experiences from her firsthand perspective. She also founded the non-profit, Go Eat Give, to raise awareness of different cultures through travel, food, and community service.
In Sucheta's own words, "My goal is to find the beauty in the world, through its people, cultures, nature, and enable cross-cultural understanding so we have a more cooperative, just, and peaceful future. Through authentic storytelling in my articles, books, blog, and speeches, I inspire others to try new things, meet diverse people, and open their minds to a world that is bigger than themselves."
QUESTION: Please describe Go Eat Give.
SUCHETA RAWAL: I started the non-profit in 2011. The thought behind it was that people want to travel meaningfully and engage with locals but not for as long as a gap year, instead, for two-to-three weeks. The organization provides aid to grassroots projects and offers customized travel experiences to individuals and groups.
QUESTION: Which is your favorite country, and why?
SUCHETA RAWAL: I don't have favorite countries, but I do have favorites in different categories. For example, for food, I like Italy, Israel, and India. I also like Greenland, Ecuador, and Japan. It's hard to choose!
QUESTION: What are some travel tips to "travel meaningfully?"
SUCHETA RAWAL: Before you leave home on a trip, visit places where people from the country you're going to visit gather, for example, churches, temples, organizations, consular offices, etc. It's much better to visit a foreign country when you know someone who can make hotel, restaurant, or activity recommendations - or even meet you for a meal or take you on a tour.
QUESTION: What most stands out to you from the 2024 Presidential election?
SUCHETA RAWAL: Due to women's voting rights, women are equal to men, however, I wonder, are we not preparing women to be leaders?
QUESTION: How do you envision your next five years?
SUCHETA RAWAL: I will continue working on my travel and book projects because my cause is even more relevant today. It's imperative that everyone understands cultural differences but continues to have conversations. To talk and discuss as a collective soul.
QUESTION: In 2022, I wrote a post featuring my list of 15 people I would invite to an amazing dinner party. If you could dine with some leaders from history or the modern era, who would you choose, and why?
(Read my post here:
https://www.debbielaskeysblog.com/2022/06/my-amazing-dinner-party-of-15.html)
SUCHETA RAWAL: I would invite Vice President Kamala Harris due to her many inspiring firsts and because she was someone who represented "me." As I noted in my Huffington Post piece, "I was elated to see a woman of color who was so well-accomplished and forward thinking. It actually made me interested in watching live news again." Others would include Oprah Winfrey due to her success; Indira Gandhi because she was Prime Minister of India twice in a conservative country; and Mother Teresa for her very giving and generous legacy.
On a related note, I read Sucheta's first book for kids, "Beato Goes to Greenland." Since I share Sucheta's passion for travel, experiencing new cultures, education, and cats, I thoroughly enjoyed the story - and look forward to sharing with two little girls I know. According to the book's description, "The house cat from Atlanta embarks on his quest to see the world. His first stop is Greenland, where his new friend saves him from sleigh dogs."
My gratitude to Sucheta for sharing her leadership and diversity insights and for being a valued member of my blog community.
SHARE THIS: As travelers, we have a unique opportunity to represent not only ourselves but also our countries, cultures, and beliefs. Citizen diplomacy involves all individuals helping to build relationships and promote mutual understanding across borders. ~@Sucheta Rawal #DebbieLaskeysBlog
Image Credit: Ryan Spencer via Unsplash.
Read Sucheta's Opinion piece in Huffington Post, which led to this Q&A:
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/opinion-america-woman-2024-election_n_6734daa7e4b0b5b61d3f5e1a
Learn more about the UN's International Day of Education:
https://www.un.org/en/observances/education-day
Connect with Sucheta at these links:
Website: https://suchetarawal.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sucheta.rawal/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suchetarawal
Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/SuchetaRawal
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suchetarawal/
Go Eat Give's Website: https://goeatgive.com
Books: https://beatogoesto.com
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B01GIRLKNE
