THE NEW NARRATIVES LAB​

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​Thando Hopa is a model, diversity activist, and lawyer. In 2018 she was the only South African on the BBC's list of the 100 most influential women. That year she was included in the 2018 Pirelli Calendar becoming the first South African person of color to appear in it. In April 2019 she made history by becoming the first person with albinism to appear on the cover of Vogue. She participated in the World Economic Forum on Africa in 2019.

Thando Hopa's entire life has been dedicated to unearthing a humanity that she was not finding in media. The history of one of Thando's identities - albinism - is the most underrepresented in historical archives and media. Her career and voice have challenged the fashion industry's values and notions of diversity and inclusion.

Watch Thando's 2020 Davos Betazone, The Beauty of Inclusion

Rena Effendi is an award-winning photographer whose work portrays the socioeconomic effects of globalization on marginalized communities around the world. Through her photography, she gives a voice to the unheard and sheds a light on the fragile balance between tradition and modernity in post-conflict societies. Rena Effendi's work has been exhibited at the Venice Biennale, Art Basel Miami Beach and the Istanbul Biennial. She has worked on assignment for National Geographic, The New Yorker and The Wall Street Journal, among others.

Rena Effendi has participated in the Annual Meeting of the New Champions and the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum. Her current work is focused on the plight of children of European nationals who joined Isis and are now left behind in Syria.

Watch Rena's 2020 Davos Betazone, Seeing the Other

Wanuri Kahiu is a filmmaker, speaker and science fiction writer. Her short award-winning science fiction film PUMZI (2009) about futuristic Africa premiered at SUNDANCE Film Festival (2010) and received international acclaim including the 'Citta di Venezia' award at the Venice Film Festival 2010. Her futuristic views have been the source of articles, African futurist journals, masterclasses and dissertations. Wanuri Kahiu speaks globally about AFROBUBBLEGUM - the advocacy for images of fun, fierce and frivolous African images and was named TIME's 100 Next in 2019.

Wanuri Kahiu's award-winning film RAFIKI, a joyful lesbian love story about two girls was the first Kenyan film to be invited to Cannes Film Festival (2018). The film was banned in Kenya, after which Wanuri Kahiu sued the Kenya Film Classification Board for the infringement of her constitutional rights to freedom of expression. The constitutional case is ongoing.

Watch Wanuri's 2020 Davos Betazone, The Fight for Artistic Freedom

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