Writers, intellectuals, human rights activists, students and teachers showered tributes on former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto Shaheed. People came to pay homage to her struggle for democracy and the sacrifices she and her family have made for democracy and the rule of law in Pakistan. Those present sat on the floor beneath a large photograph of Ms Bhutto, who was assassinated in a gun-and-bomb attack outside Liaqat Bagh (Rawalpindi) on December 27th 2007.
Inaugurating the session, Dr. Abid Q. Suleri stated that the assassination was an attack on the already weak democratic polity of Pakistan. “To condemn this gruesome act of violence you do not have to be a PPP supporter. A majority of citizens have expressed their grief and shock on this incident”, poet and civil society activist Harris Khalique said. He then presented his poem “Jo sab kehte rahe yunhi woh hum kerke dikhatey hain”
Dr. Suleri and Harris Khalique stressed the need for the army to disengage from politics, curb extremism and ensure the realization of civil, political, economic and social rights of citizens. Iftikhar Arif, who presided over the meeting, said that Benazir Bhutto was a symbol of the federation, a symbol of Pakistan internationally, and a hope for the vulnerable and the weak at home. He recited his poem kab tamasha khatm hoga and concluded his homage with his ghazal Dua.
Ms Gohar Jamal noted that “no ideology could succeed without sacrifices” and the Bhutto family had made historic sacrifices for democracy and the people of Pakistan. These could never be forgotten. “These sacrifices give us hope and courage to stand in the way of tyrants” she added.
Other participants included Ahmed Saleem, Aliya Mirza, Naeem Mirza, Khadim Soomro, Amjad Nazeer, Arshad Bhatti, Tauqir Chughtai and Bilal Naqeeb. They urged the intelligentsia, writers, artists and opinion makers to engage in analysis of the problems faced by Pakistan.
Ms Nageen Hayat, Director of the Nomad Art Gallery, read a Declaration on behalf of the Women’s Action Forum and Insaani Haqooq Ittehad. It condemned the assassination and demanded a high-level investigation and the restoration of democracy through fair and transparent elections.
The focus of a National Employment Policy that creates ‘Decent employment for all’ should be on appropriate wages and better working conditions for Pakistan’s labour force. The Policy should also provide equal opportunities in the job market: for people in every economic stratum and for women and men. Although economic growth is crucial for increasing job opportunities for a growing labour force, the critical issue is whether or not this growth benefits everyone. High quality education is critically important if Pakistan is to see an end to the multiple curses of unemployment, under-employment and poor working conditions. These were some of the conclusions drawn by participants who gathered to discuss the draft National Employment Policy.
Quoting the 1989 National Manpower Commission’s statement that “the war for employment generation and poverty alleviation has to be fought and successfully won in rural areas and surrounding small towns”, Dr Sabur Ghayur noted that the rural labour market is still facing challenges. They include the low absorptive capacity of the formal sector and an increasing informal sector; tackling the high unemployment rate of uneducated people and the lack of technical education and vocational training opportunities. One of the Ministry’s suggestions to tackle these issues is the ‘3-tier growth triangles’ as well as special measures to create rural employment.
Alice Shackelford of the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) Pakistan gave her views on the gender aspects of the draft policy. Noting the urgent need for innovative approaches, she argued that Pakistan has made significant national and international commitments to empowering women, establishing mechanisms for accountability and institutionalization and building women’s capacities. She called for greater involvement on the part of civil society, as well as the creation of linkages between related policies, institutions and departments. She noted that efforts on all of these fronts would contribute to ensuring gender equality and women’s participation in the development process.
Muhammad Akram Bunda, of the Pakistan Workers’ Federation, appreciated the government’s efforts in creating a participatory and transparent National Employment Policy, noting that it is urgent that Pakistan wisely utilize the potential of its 70% village population and 10 million people under 30. He suggested several ideas that would make the policy more equitable, useful and successful in dealing with the problems of rapidly growing unemployment and poverty. He urged that the key focus of the policy should be the rural population, for whom the policy should include equality-based education, the promotion of technical education and training, strengthening of a fair micro-financing system and an end to the privatization of public welfare institutions.
Highlighting the root causes of conflicts in South Asia, the speakers stressed the need for local, bi-lateral and regional efforts to solve conflicts. Rejecting the liberal developmental agenda, most of the speakers cited poor governance, poverty, defective democratic structures, the unequal distribution of resources and the lack of effective conflict resolution mechanisms as some of the major contributors to conflicts in South Asia.
Dr. Bishnu Raj Upreti argued that three things were necessary to tackle South Asian conflicts: (i) collective approaches and concerted actions by the state, civil society and international organisations; (ii) issue-based alliances and (iii) responsive regional institutions. He identified a plethora of problems, including: increasing poverty, numerous inequalities, environmental stress, poor governance, trans-border issues, the proliferation of small arms, landmines, the energy crisis, livelihood insecurity and human rights violations as main sources of conflict in the region.
Dr. Ramakumar shared the experiences of India, identifying the absence of a democratic state and of democratic ‘space’ for people, as well as increasing economic insecurity, as the major causes of conflicts and violence. He noted the alarming socio-economic conditions that followed from economic reforms related to globalization. He argued that economic liberalization and the state’s obsession with fiscal deficits have greatly diminished the state’s role in public expenditures. Social and human insecurity have been the result. The state’s retreat from investing in public and community-support structures has created a climate for intensified ethnic and fundamental trends. ‘Communalization’ is another major cause of violence and conflict: efforts to convert every Indian citizen into a Hindu, under the Hindu Rashtra ideology, have resulted in wide-scale dissatisfaction.
Dr. A. H. Nayyar of SDPI said that livelihood security, a culture of equality and strong public and community support structures help to manage conflicts effectively. Conversely, the absence of these mechanisms generates local conflicts which have the potential to spread beyond borders. He said that Pakistan’s rulers have converted the country into a ‘security state’, on the basis of perceived external threats from India and Afghanistan. This approach, coupled with the continued crisis of governance, has resulted in two kinds of internal conflict in Pakistan. The conflict in Balochistan is focussed on rights and autonomy; in the Tribal Areas, militants are trying to impose their ideology. As a result, people throughout Pakistan are experiencing deep psychological pressure and uncertainly. Dr. Nayyar suggested the provision of public and community support structures, democratic governance and efforts to address insecurities, as ways of mitigating the potential for conflicts in South Asia.
Dr. Abid Q. Suleri of SDPI, who presided over the seminar, maintained that South Asia was suffering from internal and international state conflicts, poverty, marginalization, inequality and scarcity of resources in the era of globalization. He said that these prevailing trends have created social inequality and injustice, both of them root causes of conflict.
Highlighting the achievements of SDPI, Executive Director Dr. Abid Qaiyum Suleri declared that the future of independent policy research, in both financial and political terms, is shrinking rapidly. The cost of providing an alternative voice is extremely high, in a dichotomous world where the rule of the game is “if you are not my friend you are my enemy”. Governments in South Asia and around the world fail to appreciate trans-disciplinary research that includes people’s perspectives. Dr Suleri urged the Government of Pakistan to support independent and respected research organizations such as SDPI through the Higher Education Commission, as it has been doing for other public and private sector educational institutions. He noted that SDPI and other institutions are producing quality research, but are still not recognized as “academic research institutes” by the Commission.
Sharing the key features of the annual report, Dr Suleri noted that SDPI had conducted 66 research assignments, organized 44 seminars and conducted 29 training courses during 2006-2007. SDPI continued to provide research-based policy advice on sustainable development issues to the government, the private sector and civil society. The value of SDPI’s research and policy work is evident from the Ministry of the Environment’s decision to entrust SDPI with compiling developing the National Sustainable Development Strategy.
SDPI provided technical input on health issues to the Planning Commission for “Vision 20/30” produced the State of Population Report; and provided policy recommendations on domestic preparedness for services liberalization, trade policy and laws related to farmers’ rights to the Ministry of Commerce. It is also collaborating with the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livelihoods and the FAO on pro-poor agricultural initiatives.
The District Government in Nowshera, following SDPI’s research-based advocacy campaign, banned the sale or use of the land occupied by an abandoned DDT factory until its soil is reclaimed. This will protect the health of residents. In other initiatives SDPI provided policy advice for the inclusion of small growers in the citrus supply chain, and conducted two ground-breaking studies on women: one on women cotton pickers and the other on women’s land rights.
The Annual Report also notes that SDPI supported the cause of people’s rights across South Asia by initiating a unique movement known as Imagine a New South Asia. It is hoped this will provide space for people to dream of a South Asia free from hunger, poverty, injustice and inequality.
SDPI researchers co-supervised the research of students from the Arid Agricultural University, the Universities of Faisalabad, Zurich, Bern, and ISS (in the Hague), and Mount Holyoke College, USA.
The report discusses advocacy as an important tool to bridge the research-policy gap. SDPI was involved in both reactive and proactive advocacy on sustainable development issues, participating in national, regional and international conferences, workshops, and seminars. In disseminating ideas, SDPI researchers wrote journal and newspaper reports, took part in televised debates and served on important committees and commissions. The weekly seminar series continued to provide valuable public space for free, frank and open intellectual discussions on a number of significant issues.
The report also highlights the 2006 Sustainable Development Conference, titled “Missing Links in Sustainable Development: South Asian Perspectives”. The Conference attracted 44 speakers from South Asia. Close to 1,060 scholars, researchers, activists, students and representatives from non-profit organisations, universities, the government and community-based organizations participated.
The report notes that SDPI’s Center for Capacity Building has expanded its portfolio this year by conducting customized trainings for parliamentary research staff, in addition to its regular research-based workshops and regular training courses. SDPI’s Resource Center and its English and Urdu Publication Units served as an information resource base for the multi-disciplinary research at the Institute. The bi-monthly Pakistan Forest Digest, launched this year, is a pioneering effort to bring forestry-related issues together in a single publication. The contents are drawn from the national and regional press.
SDPI’s 15-year journey has not been easy, but, given the resilience of its faculty and staff, and with the excellent collaboration from partners, the Institute will strive to continue its journey for many years to come.
At this event, a number of renowned parliamentarians, economists and civil society representatives engaged in a rich and lively debate on the challenges facing the newly-elected government. Participants discussed the need to shift the focus from foreign financial assistance to reliance on local resources and to reduce over-spending and unnecessary expenditures to revive the devastated economy. Good governance was seen as critical to these economic reforms.
Having identified the key economic challenges to the new democratic coalition government, the participants held the regime led by President Musharraf responsible for the current state of the economy. The prevailing argument was that, despite tremendous foreign financial support, full decision-making power and the intensive recruitment of technocrats and advisors, no serious benefits had been achieved for Pakistan; instead, people have been forced to endure multiple crises.
Newly elected MNAs Syed Naveed Qamar, Nafisa Shah, Fauzia Wahab, Shahnaz Wazir Ali, Asma Arbab Jahangir, Mumtaz Alam Gillani, Ahsan Iqbal, Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhary, Muhammad Baligh-ur-Rehman, Professor of Economics Dr. Sohail Jahangir Malik, Professor Dr. Pervez Tahir of GCU, Sarfraz Khan Lashari of Cranfield University (UK), Saqib Shirani of ABN-Amro Bank, Dr. Aliya Khan of QAU, Haji Adeel of the ANP, Dr Tahir Hijazi, H.U. Baig, and civil society representatives and Dr. Abid Q. Suleri, Harris Khalique and Dr. A. H. Nayyar of SDPI shared their views. Syed Talat Hussain of AAJ television moderated the proceedings.
The critical need for good governance was pointed out by many speakers. Sarfraz Khan Lashari and Ahsan Iqbal both lamented the performance of the previous government, which had not addressed the structural issues faced by Pakistan in the new global economy. Haji Adeel stressed the need for a ‘culture of simplicity’, curbs on corruption and the need for a small Cabinet, amongst other things, as corrective measures. Syed Naveed Qamar proposed that data collection and reporting be greatly improved, as one way to ensure transparency in governance. Shahnaz Wazir Ali maintained that people’s needs, rather than macro-economic indicators, should determine decision-making. Nafisa Shah emphasized the need to invest in people, and good governance, as well as the exploration of alternative sources of energy. Fauzia Wahab highlighted the new government’s ‘100 days’ programme, also noting that people must be made aware of the facts of the present economic situation.
Dr. Abid Suleri noted the need to redefine national security interests, and to focus on agriculture and pro-poor expenditures, while H.U. Baig urged that changes be made in assessment systems so as to enable well-informed decision making. Dr. Pervez Tahir suggested measures to achieve citizens’ social, political and economic rights, which have been violated during the last 8 years. Dr. Sohail Jahangir Malik pointed out a number of ‘disconnects’ in planning and implementation and in monitoring and evaluation. Achieving high standards of monitoring and evaluation would be critical for improving the knowledge base, he argued.
Dr. Nayyar stressed the need for long-term planning and the allocation of 6% of GDP to education for several consecutive years. Saqib Shirani suggested that development priorities be reconsidered and that there was a need to rationalize spending so as to ensure micro-economic stability. Dr. Aliya Khan discussed the increasing gaps in income-distribution, which have led to reduced access to basic social services. As did several other speakers, she spoke of the need to balance social needs with economic needs, and called for fiscal decentralization and the re-structuring of public development spending.
Ashish Nandy, a renowned political psychologist and sociologist at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies in Delhi, argued that violence and non-violence co-exist as human potentialities. However, those who feel they have been let down by the present global system and have no future within it, are likely to invoke violence and terror.
A key factor contributing to the current growth of violence is the collapse of communities and the normative systems they had formerly sustained. The resulting social flux and moral anomie have psychologically disoriented large sections of people and generated a sense of loss, anxiety and anger. Many people live with a sense of loneliness and the feeling that the vocations, religious life and ethics they have known are being invalidated by forces they cannot understand or control. “The meaning of life has been taken away from them but not the meaning of death, so they invoke violence and terror to become audible and visible” maintains Nandy, citing the cases of Palestinians, Buddhist monks in Thailand and Sri Lankan and Pakistani suicide bombers.
It is also the case, Nandy explained, that terror has been an instrument of statecraft, diplomacy and political advocacy for centuries. To see it as a new entrant in the global marketplace of politics is to close one’s eyes to the deep human propensity to connect terror to organized, ideology-led political praxis. This propensity has also enjoyed a certain ‘natural’ legitimacy in the dominant global culture of public life.
The central point made was that, despite recent events, violence cannot be justified. The mainstream global culture of statecraft insists that the antidote to terror is counter-terror. In that respect, the killers who struck in New York on “9/11” and the regimes that claim absolute moral superiority share some common values. Both believe that when it comes to the “Satanic other”, all terror is justified as long as it is counter-terror and is interpreted as retributive justice. Both positions are the product of the twentieth century, which in retrospect looks like a century of terrorism and its natural accompaniment, “collateral damage”. Guernica, Hamburg, Dresden, Nanking, Tokyo, Hiroshima and Nagasaki are all formidable names in the history of terror and counter-terror, used systematically as political and strategic weapons, in Nandy’s view.
He added that when we refuse to recognize these experiences or seek to de-legitimize them, we push the desperate and the abandoned towards a small, closed world of like-minded people who constitute a ‘pseudo-community’ whose members’ rage and frustration are sometimes free-floating but always seeking expression in desperate self-destructiveness masquerading as self-transcending martyrdom. The self-transcendence may be questionable but the desperation is not, he maintained.
The Association of Human Development, in collaboration with SDPI, launched the Nadi filtered drinking water showcase project for remote rural areas of District Thatta, Sindh, under the Asia-Pacific Forum for Environmental Development (APFED). APFED is a joint activity of the Institute of Global Environment Strategies and the United Nations Environment Program. The showcase projects aim to demonstrate innovative practices for sustainable development in the Asia Pacific region. SDPI is a member of the APFED Network of Research Institutes for Sustainable Development, known as NetRes.
Initiating the project activities, a one-day Training of Trainers workshop was conducted on February 3, 2008 at Master Sadiq Primary School, Tehalka Jati. Twenty five participants from five adjacent villages were trained by local facilitators Mr. Manshah Sadiq, Mr. Younas Chowdhry and Mr. Ijaz Khokhar.
In addition to the local trainers, AHD President Mr. A. Khurshid Bhatti, Program Manager Mr. Iqbal Memon, Managing Director Mr. Munir Baig and Dr. Mahmood A. Khwaja from NetRes, and faculty members from SDPI also addressed the participants and spoke about the health impacts of unsafe drinking water. Another important subject was the action plans and operational methods for sustaining the project.
Participants learned how to prepare, operate and maintain the low-cost Nadi filters, which ensure safe drinking water at home. The Nadi filter uses locally prepared and available material. The effectiveness of the filters was evident from the color and taste of the water and the absence of any suspended materials. Bacteriological and chemical tests on the filtered water confirmed its safety.
In several villages in Tehalka Jati, 250 Nadi drinking water filters will be assembled and operated by the Trainers who attended the initial course. AHD has already released material for 130 filters, which are presently being assembled.
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