Individuals of all economic strata are shedding their jobs, hometowns, and lifestyle to embrace a wider experience and a more meaningful existence.
Canadian Stephanie Case is a human rights lawyer and women's rights advocate with expertise in conflict settings and humanitarian emergencies.
In 2009, she gave up a career in corporate law to assist some of the world's most vulnerable populations. She has since worked for the United Nations and respected non-profits in Afghanistan, South Sudan, Gaza, and elsewhere.
She was a member of the Independent Diplomat UN team, focusing in particular on the UN Human Rights Council, and was responsible for developing strategies on human rights across the range of the its work.
Before joining Independent Diplomat, Stephanie worked as a programme lawyer at the International Bar Association's Human Rights Institute in London, covering East and West Africa, as well as the Middle East.
She was a corporate lawyer at an international law firm in New York, where she maintained a busy pro bono practice working on human trafficking, death penalty and asylum cases.
She has experience working in Liberia, Rwanda, Ethiopia and Palestine on behalf of Lawyers Without Borders, and also in Malaysia for the UN High Commission for Refugees.
She is a former judicial law clerk and a member of the New York State Bar. Stephanie has a BA from Queens University in Canada in international development and psychology, and a Juris Doctorate from the University of British Columbia in Canada.
She is currently finishing her dissertation on human rights standards applied to UN peacekeeping missions as part of her LLM in International Human Rights and Humanitarian Law as a Chevening Scholar at the University of Essex in the United Kingdom.
As an avid ultra-runner, she has run dozens of ultramarathon events ranging up to 200-miles, placing on the top three in many. Stephanie is a passionate advocate for women's rights, and a TEDx speaker.
Today, Stephanie is working full-time for the United Nations while serving as the President and Founder of Free to Run. Stephanie received a Governor General of Canada's Meritorious Service Medal in 2020 for establishing Free to Run.
Free to Run works to support women and girls in areas of conflict through adventure sports to build physical, emotional, and social well being.
Free to Run provides them with the tools to become leaders who exercise self determination, challenge negative norms, and boldly reclaim public spaces.
Free to Run members are community leaders, advocates, and role models in their societies, bringing people together across cultural, ethnic, and religious lines. They change views about the roles that women can, and should, play in society.
The focus at Free to Run is not simply directed on measuring the athletic performance of it's participants. The success of their programs is linked to the skills and competencies that participants develop.
They realize a shift in attitudes achieved within themselves and in their surrounding communities. The goal is to increase the opportunities for women and girls to engage in public life, using sport as a tool of empowerment and education.
Free to Run programs include a combination of adventure sports, life skills development, and community service where all participants participate in public, outdoor sports within their community several times per week.
They also volunteer in their community and even lead local projects which further strengthens their own leadership capabilities as well as community support.
Since 2014, Free to Run has reached thousands of women and girls across Afghanistan, Iraq, and previously in South Sudan and the DRC.
All thanks to the huge team of changemakers who have believed in Free to Run's mission and the power of sport to change lives.
Many have been in touch with Stephanie about the ongoing situation in Afghanistan. Everyone has seen in the news that the security situation has deteriorated dramatically over the past few weeks with the Taliban making signifigant territorial gains across the country.
Operating this charity in Afghanistan over the last seven years has never been easy, but the current situation brings new and immense challenges. But, according to Stephanie she does not believe that they will be insurmountable.
Since Free to Run was established in 2014, the organization has been a positive driver of change in the lives of 3,000 women and girls living in regions of conflict. Free to Run has programs operating today in four different provinces of Afghanistan.
In 2018 they launched a brand new program in Iraq that's currently being expanded. They also have previously delivered successful projects in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan.
Stephanie has competed in many RacingThePlanet 250 kilometer self-supported races. She came in 1st in the race in Vietnam, 1st in the Nepal 250K and 2nd in the Australian 250.
She also won Vermont's 100 mile endurance race in 2009. This all started in her last year of law school when she decided to go climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. For Stephanie it was a life-changing experience and she was hooked on this kind of adventure.
Many of Stephanie's friends and followers have reached out to her personally - or to her team members to express concern over the recent horrendous developments in Afghanistan.
All of the team at Free to Run want to thank all of you for your continued support and also to provide you with a much-needed updates whenever possible.
Likely you will have seen in the news that the security situation across the country has deteriorated significantly over the past few days and weeks with the Taliban making sweeping territorial gains across the country.
One by one, we have all watched as provinces where Free to Run was operating fell to the Taliban, and now the Taliban have entered Kabul. Talks are ongoing with the government about a transition of power.
Operating in Afghanistan over the last seven years has never been easy, but the current situation brings new and immense challenges. Stephanie and her team do not believe, however, that they will present insurmountable challenges. They are not giving up.
In July 2021, Stephanie flew back to Kabul with their Executive Director, Taylor Smith, to meet with their staff and participants. She wanted to let them know first and foremost that Free to Run will always stand by them.
She wanted to hear from them what they needed from her organization- from all of you - in the face of such uncertainty.
The strength of thier program has rested in thier ability to adapt and respond. They have always been led by the needs of their participants and this will not change. In fact, it will become even more critical as they navigate the way forward.
For the moment and in the immediate future, her team is primarily focused on supporting the safety and security of their team in Afghanistan.
She has been pursuing relocation options for some of her staff members over the last month and are aiming to support their participants through their network where they able to.
They acted early, taking precautionary security measures concerning their offices, equipment and documentation and will continue to take a conservative and cautious approach to safety.
At the same time, she wants to assure everyone that they are not losing theirr fighting spirit, nor the boldness of their approach in supporting the women and girls of Afghanistan.
Her organization, Free to Run does not have all of the answers right now, but they are tirelessly working to find them, with Afghans in the lead.
A Taliban spokesperson has indicated that the group will respect the rights of women, and NGOs will be able to operate, but they will need to see how the situation unfolds in the coming days and weeks.
The current upheaval is cause for concern, but they are not losing hope. They will need to shift, to adapt, and to change, but definitely will not give up. There will be a way and they will find it with a bit of patience, creativity, and sensitivity.
In the meantime, we still need help - perhaps now more than ever. They may not be running marathons in Afghanistan right now, but they are continuing to pay staff salaries and support their team remotely, and they need to be ready to go when it's time to shift back to programs.
Her team is thinking creatively around how to support those who are displaced or attempting to relocate, and they will keep others updated on how they may specifically be able to assist.
If you wish to support their efforts, please consider a one-time, or recurring donation through their website at Free to Run or directly through Paypal at donate@freetorun.org.
Free to Run programs in Iraq continue and their mission remains the same: to support female leaders in areas of conflict through outdoor sport and adventure.
The future of Afghanistan is unclear, but what is certain is the need for women and girls to be part of the solution and the way forward. The Free to Run team is not giving up and we hope you won’t either.
Conflicts can have a devastating impact on societies, causing suffering on a widespread scale. Women and girls are often disproportionately affected, and the particular ways in which their rights are restricted are often overlooked. Their invisibility from society is as much of a symptom of discrimination as it is a cause.
Free to Run works to support women and girls in areas of conflict through adventure sports to build physical, emotional, and social well being.
We provide them with the tools to become leaders who exercise self determination, challenge negative norms, and boldly reclaim public spaces.
Free to Run members are community leaders, advocates, and role models in their societies, bringing people together across cultural, ethnic, and religious lines. They change views about the roles that women can, and should, play in society.
Since Free to Run was established in 2014, the organization has been a positive driver of change in the lives of 3,000 women and girls living in regions of conflict. Free to Run has programs operating today in four different provinces of Afghanistan.
In 2018 they launched a brand new program in Iraq that is currently being expanded. They have previously delivered successful past projects in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan as well.
The events in Afghanistan last year remain paramount in Stephanie's brain. To see the last major capital cities in Afghanistan fall to the Taliban one by one in about 48 hours.
To see the Taliban occupy the presidential palace in Kabul on the 15th of August and to watch in horror of the horrendous chaos at the airport as Afghans tried to flee the country in order to save their own lives was gut wrenching for the Human Rights lawyer.
It was impossible to even pretend to feel even anywhere near what her Afghan friends and colleagues felt in those frightening moments.
She had run on trails with other Afghan women in Kabul just three short weeks before the chaos erupted and it was unbelievably heart wrenching for her to bear witness to such a tragedy.
The FREE TO RUN film linked below captures these moments - plus the stories of two Afghan women who have fought in their communities, through running and outdoor adventure, for women’s rights in their country.
The film also follows Stephanie Case's journey through the 450 kilometer Tor des Glaciers race, which she struggled to complete just days after evacuating colleagues from Kabul, Afghanistan. Her phenomenal 3rd place finish is testament to her unwavering determination.
If you wonder how Afghanistan, woman’s rights and running fit together in one coherent story then watch the Free to Run film and find out. The film is now featuring in a number of film festivals across Canada, the UK and France.
It's obvious why Stephanie is proud of where this story is going and is encouraged by the support Free to Run has received. More importantly, she is grateful these issues are getting coverage.
"People still say why are you doing this? Why are you going to play sports? Slowly, we will change their minds, but I don't care what they say. I hope I can show other girls in my province what we are capable of, and prove to the men what an Afghan woman can do."
Inna Zobova is a fashion model and actress residing in Paris and is the designer of her own line of exquisite scarves. Her unique visual design signature is based on drawings, mixed media and photography. INNANGELO's scarf collections are crafted by Ratti. This prestigious company was founded by Antonio Ratti in 1945 on Lake Como in Italy and is one of the biggest luxury textile manufacturers in the world. The Ratti name is a symbol of resolutely ambitious quality in the world of luxury. Click on the image above and look at Inna Zobova's designs.
Yabanci is a book by a Dutch woman who moved from Holland to Turkey to start a new life in a Turkish village overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. A great read for those who are considering a move abroad or have lived in a different culture. Available in English as an ebook or in Dutch in both print and popular ebook formats...
take a look
Canadian Stephanie Case is a human rights lawyer and women's rights advocate with expertise in conflict settings and humanitarian emergencies.
She is currently finishing her dissertation on human rights standards applied to UN peacekeeping missions as part of her LLM in International Human Rights and Humanitarian Law as a Chevening Scholar at the University of Essex in the United Kingdom.
They realize a shift in attitudes achieved within themselves and in their surrounding communities. The goal is to increase the opportunities for women and girls to engage in public life, using sport as a tool of empowerment and education.
In 2018 they launched a brand new program in Iraq that's currently being expanded. They also have previously delivered successful projects in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan.
Operating in Afghanistan over the last seven years has never been easy, but the current situation brings new and immense challenges. Stephanie and her team do not believe, however, that they will present insurmountable challenges. They are not giving up.
At the same time, she wants to assure everyone that they are not losing theirr fighting spirit, nor the boldness of their approach in supporting the women and girls of Afghanistan.
Free to Run programs in Iraq continue and their mission remains the same: to support female leaders in areas of conflict through outdoor sport and adventure.
The events in Afghanistan last year remain paramount in Stephanie's brain. To see the last major capital cities in Afghanistan fall to the Taliban one by one in about 48 hours.
