Restless Beings hosted its very first event on the evening of 1 May 2008, launching itself into the public arena in order to bring to the public’s attention the organisation’s reason for being and the innovative way in which it works. With the first Project taking the organisation to Dhaka, Bangladesh, Restless Beings aims to tackle the issues that children in street situations endure on a daily basis and, more generally, to raise awareness of marginalised communities across the world.

The launch event was held at the City Lane City Hotel in the heart of East London. The sell-out event, despite a last-minute increase in capacity, was an absolute success with guests enraptured by the presentation and informative structure of the evening, all the while being entertained throughout the night. With a delicious spread, the first film screening of Restless Beings’ very own documentary and special speakers, the guests were also entertained by a plethora of live singers and musicians all focusing on social change. Artists included the likes of Pearls of Islam, Poetic Pilgrimage, Spitz, Cherry Lee, Ear for Imagery, Suzana Ansar & Yamin Chowdhury & Co, Tai Mahmud & Razzo & many others. Guest speakers included Syed Ahmed and Baroness Uddin, both of whom showed great support for the cause and helped Restless Beings raise funds throughout the night.

The documentary highlighted the social problems that Restless Beings hoped to address through Project 1 and introduced video footage of the affected areas of Dhaka, the victims of prostitution and abuse and the scale of the problems that they face on a daily basis. The harrowing stories brought home the severity of the situation, and allowed Restless Beings to fully convey its message to the audience.

Fund-raising activities, such as the auctioning of small gifts on behalf of the charity, and a call for donations, resulted in a total amount of over £4000 being raised, with much more committed in pledges. Restless Beings’ partner organisation, Shishu Tori Sangsta, was also in attendance and hopes to work together with Restless Beings in the near future. Shishu Tori Sangsta runs a “Schools under the Sky” programme, helping to teach literacy and numeracy, as well as organise recreational activities in a number of informal open-air schools, which are held in Dhaka, and is therefore well positioned for future collaboration.

The event ended near midnight with the documentary as the final piece of the evening show and the attendees showing outstanding support for the organisation and its objectives. With more events on their way, Restless Beings looks forward to the continued participation and support from its sponsors and donors.

Why Attend?

Speakers

Networking and Discussions