Whitney Buchanan – How Freedom of Speech, Human Rights and Religious Tolerance support Women’s Empowerment

Human rights and religious tolerance. Progress linked to freedom of speech and women’s empowerment. Differences between Middle East and West and the values and opportunities we learn from each other. Whitney Buchanan is today’s guest. Founder of the Middle East Collective, with a background in Global Affairs and having lived in countries such as Turkey, Egypt, Germany and Uganda as well as her native America. We will be discussing : Human Rights and Religious Tolerance. Including regions that particularly stand out as being progressive. Progress linked to freedom of speech and women’s empowerment – Last 10-15 years and how progress can be unexpected and not in the regions you would think Differences between Middle East and West. What we can learn from each other, values, opportunities and support Sustainable goals for women’s careers and professional progress . How women can bring more of these goals, different values and beliefs into their local environment and everyday life. How this can be implemented in the workplace. Whitney Buchanan – founder of Middle East Collective. She founded MEC as a result of the increased levels of Islamophobia in America, partially due to U.S. presidential candidates’ political debates and the terrorist attacks in Paris and Brussels. She strongly believes in religious freedom, diversity, gender equality, LGBTQI inclusion, universal human rights, and freedom of speech. She obtained her Master of Global Affairs from the American University in Cairo. Whitney has lived in Turkey, Egypt, Germany, and Uganda since 2009, which has shaped her worldview and love for the MENA region. Born in Tennessee, Whitney spent her adolescent years below the Mason-Dixon line, where she began advocating for women’s empowerment and religious tolerance. You can find Whitney on the web: Website – Whitney Buchanan Social Media –  twitter