Inciting Intolerance- source dawn blog

Hypocrisy it is.. The sentence ‘Congratulations, Michael Berry your message of hate resonated all the way back to Lahore’ hits the nail. He confessed how low his mind and soul can go to prove his point but didnot acknowledge that he is insensitive enough to fall low just to earn ratings for his show.

Inciting Intolerance

“I’ll tell you this — if you do build a mosque, I hope somebody blows it up. I hope the mosque isn’t built, and if it is, I hope it’s blown up.”

Those comments aired live on the radio, less than 36-hours before half-a-dozen terrorists armed with automatic weapons, grenades and suicide jackets stormed into two Ahmadi places of worship in Lahore, killing at least 95 people and injuring over a hundred worshipers.

But that message of hate wasn’t aired in Lahore or even in Pakistan. It was aired live across Houston, Texas.

The man behind the comments was Michael Berry, a former Houston City Council member and an award-winning radio talk show host with KPRC-950 AM.

In fact, the Michael Berry Show, which the comments were made on, was recently named the #1 talk show at 5 pm in the state of Texas. The show also won first place in the Houston Press Club Awards for best radio talk show in 2008.

Berry’s audacious comments were made to a live caller named Tony, who wanted to respond to the host’s opening comments in the show about how plans to build a mosque near Ground zero in NYC would be ‘disaster.’

Michael Berry: Tony on the West side I see you’re a big fan!
Tony: Hey Michael, I’m wondering if you are a bigot or..
Michael Berry: What’s a bigot?
Tony: Let me just get my point and then you can talk all you want because that’s what you do
Michael Berry: Okay…
Tony: Now you so eloquently put it that they were terrorists in 9/11, that’s fine everyone agrees with it, then you beautifully go on to say they are building a mosque. Who is this they? Who is this ‘they,’ you are talking about? I’m an American Muslim, so I’m not an American? I can’t build a mosque where I want to? How are you attaching criminals who flew planes, terrorist, murders who flew planes in 9/11 and linking them to building a mosque in New York?
Michael Berry: Is Tony your real name?
Tony: It is my real name. It’s my real name because people have called me Tony since I was born. That’s why. But what difference does it make what my name is?
Michael Berry: You just don’t sound like a Tony. Alright, well here’s the deal
Tony: Uh huh
Michael Berry: No! No Tony, you can’t build a mosque!
Tony: Why not?
Michael Berry: At the site of 9/11
Tony: Why not?
Michael Berry: No you can’t…and I’ll tell you this if you do build a mosque, I hope somebody blows it up!
The complete live call can be heard here.

The caller Tony responded to Berry’s comments by saying, “Good for you! That puts you right in the category of the people who flew the planes.”

And then the following conversation took place:
Michael Berry: really?
Tony: Yes, you people are exactly the same as those terrorists who flew those planes.
Michael Berry: Who is you people?
Tony: What?
Michael Berry: Who is you people? Whatever your name is.
Tony: You people, you right-wing nut jobs. That’s who you are.
Michael Berry: Let me tell you something Tony. It’s the right wing nut jobs that are going to keep this country safe from people like you.
Tony: Hold on, saving from who? Who are you saving us from ? Saving from me?
Michael Berry: No. Listen. You are in a building box. Its right wing radicals like me that are going to keep this country safe for you and everyone else from the people that are flying the planes from the countries that you fled from. Okay? If you want to identify with those people, go live with them. If you want to live in countries where they are practicing radical Islam: if you want to live there and be a part of that, Then by all means, whatever your real name is go do it. If you feel offended that we don’t want a mosque on top of 9/11. Then you have no shame or you are full of audacity.

Comments like that coming from a popular radio host in the city I live in aren’t just hurtful, they are scary. He clearly had no problem equating the 9/11 terrorists with ALL Muslims. And he had no problem making a call for “bombing a mosque” live on the airwaves in a city with 17 mosques and close to 200, 000 Muslims.

People like Michael Berry are killing the spirit of liberty and civil rights that define the United States of America.

Berry actually had the guts to say to the caller, “Is Tony your real name? You just don’t sound like a Tony.”

The irony is his own wife of 17 years, Nandita Berry, goes by “Nandy”. According to his about Michael Berry page she “was born and raised in Hyderabad, India. They are the proud parents of 3-year-old “Michael T”, who was born in Ethiopia.”

So while this white right-wing public rep cum radio host boosts of his diversity ‘by being married to an Indian immigrant and having adopted baby from Africa’ he also calls for a mosque to be blown up.

What kind of hypocrisy is that?

As the caller named Tony put it “you are exactly the same as those terrorists who flew those planes.”
‘They’ say they are fighting in the name of Islam and then they storm into places of worship and kill 95 God-fearing Ahmadis.

Congratulations, Michael Berry your message of hate resonated all the way back to Lahore.
PS: Michael Berry graciously issued a half-baked apology on the KPRC-950’s website:

“While I stand by my disagreement of the building of the mosque on the site, I SHOULD NOT have said ‘I hope someone blows it up.’ That was dumb, and beneath me. I was trying to show “Tony” how much I opposed his opinion, but I went too far. For that, I apologize to my listeners.”

But the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) is not satisfied. As the largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization in the US, they are demanding action from the FCC (the American version of PTA). In a press release the National Executive Director Nihad Awad has said:

“Calls for acts of violence against houses of worship must never be tolerated or excused. We ask the FCC to demonstrate that incitement to violence is never acceptable on our nation’s airwaves.”

Sahar Habib Ghazi is a Houston-based journalist, who also blogs at www.outsideislamabad.com

Shocking!!

http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/sci-tech/17-smoking+toddler+highlights+indonesias+tobacco+addiction-ek-05

DAWN.COM | Sci-Tech | Pakistanis create rival Muslim Facebook

DAWN.COM | Sci-Tech | Pakistanis create rival Muslim Facebook

After all expression is free!

ISLAMABAD: Pakistanis outraged with Facebook over “blasphemous” caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed have created a spin-off networking site that they dream can connect the world's 1.6 billion Muslims, reports AFP.

A group of six young IT professionals from Lahore, the cultural and entertainment capital of Pakistan, Launched www.millatfacebook.com on Tuesday for Muslims to interact online and protest against blasphemy.

The private venture came after a Pakistani court ordered a block on Facebook until May 31, following deep offence over an “Everyone Draw Mohammed Day” page considered “blasphemous” and “sacrilegious”.

“Millatfacebook is Pakistan's very own, first social networking site. A site for Muslims by Muslims where sweet people of other religions are also welcome,” the website tells people interested in signing up.

Dubbed MFB, after Facebook's moniker FB, its founder says professionals are working around the clock to offer features similar to those pioneered by the wildly popular California-based prototype.

Each member has a “wall” for friends to comment on. The site offers email, photo, video, chat and discussion board facilities.

The Urdu word “Millat” is used by Muslims to refer to their nation. The website claims to have attracted 4,300 members in the last three days — mostly English-speaking Pakistanis in their 20s.

The number of aficionados may be growing, but the community is a drop in the ocean of the 2.5 million Facebook fans in Pakistan and there have been some scathing early reviews of the start-up.

Neither has Facebook been immediately reachable for comment.

“We want to tell Facebook people 'if they mess with us they have to face the consequences',” said Usman Zaheer, the 24-year-old chief operating officer of the software house that hosts the new site.

“If someone commits blasphemy against our Prophet Mohammed then we will become his competitor and give him immense business loss,” he told AFP, dreaming of making “the largest Muslim social networking website”.

Once signed up, members are a click away from debate on the bulletin board.

For example, “Enticing Fury” wrote: “The reason is that this forum must be reserved for ALL MUSLIMS OF THE WORLD and not only Pakistan. So using the word MILLAT is very good!

“Well done guys. You have made a great alternative for the whole Muslim ummah (nation)!”

But the nascent quality of the work-in-progress website has preoccupied and dismayed some, as well as drawn at least one damning newspaper review.

One member wrote: “they need 2 have more info”.

Another posted a mournful: “need games here as well. I miss cafe world” referring to the popular Facebook page where members can run their own virtual cafe.

“It was a good idea... as it can give us a forum to connect, but its reach is too limited,” Mohammad Adeel, a 31-year-old pharmacist told AFP in Karachi, who joined to keep up with friends he missed due to the Facebook ban.

Local newspaper was crushing. “The quality of user experience is so abysmal that it does not merit the humble title, 'Facebook clone',” it wrote online.

“To sum up, MillatFacebook is a bold effort... but it is unlikely to capture a large audience, judging by the online experience it offers currently.”

But Zaheer is pleased with his handiwork, saying the site has already attracted members living in Britain, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Russia, the United Arab Emirates and the United States.

Pakistani law student Rana Adeel, 21, signed up to MillatFB in Lahore after receiving invites through SMS and email from friends.

“In two days, I got more than seven friends. If the Facebook ban is lifted, I'll keep networking on both,” he told AFP.

To go by the Book or follow the soul..

Young professional Pakistanis, have so much less to share, experience and learn when it comes to seeing the world from a step ahead of what is presented to us in print and electronic media. Reason is simple. We are accustomed to go by the book from our initial childhood years and unfortunately, the book in literal meaning as well as the mentors, have very less to share about the changes in real world. How many of us have the opportunity of being guided to read or listen about various causes, creative innovations and change makers during our years as student? I see parents, sp those that are professionals scanning up to date schools and end up appreciating schools that tend to celebrate Muslim and 'international' festivals, including the utterly useless festival of Halloween. But how many of them question if the school management have ever have opted to celebrate change makers, arranged awareness campaign for various causes, how many of the students know about grameen, how many have ever been told that people in Africa die of malaria, how many of the Internet savvy kids have been directed to visit UN Volunteering or Bankers without Borders websites, how many of the parents have encouraged the spirit of charity?
It is for this reason that I feel that children are growing up nowadays with loads and loads of information and exposure but lack depth. They are handicapped before the words of book when it comes to critical analysis, exposure of real world issues, their role in the society/ family/ community, their priorities and unfortunately the concept of being content.
I was moved by reading a story of one of very young graduate who spend three days with family in Africa on Dollar 2 per day. How many of us know about it. Her experience changed her views/ perception towards life. It not about knowing the pains of poverty but its about sharing the bliss of being blessed and satisfied.
If the process of awareness and exposure starts earlier it helps in grooming of an individual and a balanced society. Its a loss to see parents treating a child like delicate glassware, self centred instead of making the child strong and encouraging responsibility sharing towards community and society.
I do wish that parents understand and question the their own attitude towards life and the attitude being made part of their child's personality by these expensive 'branded' schools.

Avoiding a crisis

Avoiding a crisis

There’s nothing new about the fact that the response of authorities in Pakistan to emergency situations is habitually delayed . We let the water rise way above our heads before even trying to do something about it. In simple words, every problem is ignored until it becomes chaotic and we have a crisis at hand.

So there is nothing surprising about the fact that the plea of the people of Hunza went unheard for months. On January 4 , an artificial lake emerged as a result of a massive landslide, blocking the Hunza River. The landslide killed 20, and left about 25,000 people stranded. According to a report :

Some local experts are of the opinion that early use of powerful water pumps to ejaculate the water at the blockade site and subsequent start of work to make spill way across the debris could have saved Gojal from turning into a water bomb. As the situation deteriorates, the people are left in psychological trauma as they see their houses, properties, crops and plants getting submerged. Desperately they wonder why the authorities declared the disaster a minor issue in the first place. After outburst of the lake, will the people of Gojal survive along with remnants of their properties or would it be a desperate battle for survival?

The report aptly summarises the Hunza crisis and the authorities’ indifference that has resulted in creating mayhem. The government response is now that of sympathy. But is sympathy enough after months of indifference and exposure to psychological and financial trauma?

For over five months, the people of Hunza have waited for the authorities to respond to the deteriorating situation, to save their property and to rehabilitate them, but to no avail. Now, over 40,000 people are at risk of being displaced as a result of the flood. Adding insult to injury, the Hunza IDPs will now join ranks with the millions of internally displaced people who have had to leave their homes due to militancy in the past year. The striking figures presented in this report suggest that in 2009 over three million Pakistanis were displaced as a result of the ongoing offensive in the country’s tribal belt; the most in the world and three times more than the Democratic Republic of Congo, which falls in second place.

Despite these shocking, painful, and distressing revelations, the authorities remain apathetic to displacement crises. Instead energies and attention have been focused on political games and power tussles. The voice of a common man is too often snubbed or only heard when the damage is irreversible. On Saturday, hundreds of people in Hunza held a 20-hour long protest against the government’s apathy toward the situation. Most of them chanted anti-government slogans after being disappointed by Prime Minister Gilani’s failure to announce relief for the affected people.

The Hunza disaster is yet another failure of the civilian, popularly elected government. Once again, the army and international relief organisations have been requested to step in. This tendency to pass the buck makes one wonder whether there is any sense of crisis management in the country, or if the government even feels remotely responsible or is aware of its role in such a situation.


If we look at the history of crisis management before this, whether the crisis was caused by war or natural disaster, the government’s role lacks transparency. The Hunza crisis is a ticking time bomb both in terms of the unpredictable flood and the bottled up anger of the people. If the government does not take this opportunity to address the pending issues of crisis management now, it is only a matter of time that we witness yet another exodus.

Source: Dawn news Blog

Game of corruption and deception

Deceptive promises

The leaders of PML (N) have expressed solidarity with the suffering people of Hunza Valley. Speaking with journalists at the Gilgit Airport Nawaz Sharif said that the Pakistani nation stands with the affected people in their hours of grief. He said that all out efforts will be made to ensure suffering of the people.

Addressing the IDPs at Hunza Shehbaz Sharif, chief minister of the Punjab, announced 10 crore rupees for rehabilitation of the people displaced from Attabad, Hunza. They also announced that 5 lac each will be paid to families who lost their dear ones in the landslide disaster. CM Punjab further said that children of the affected families will be provided free education and accommodation in the cities of their choice in Punjab.

He, however, did not openly support the demand of the local people for judicial inquiry into the alleged delay in excavation of the spillway.

Ground reality

Provincial government of Punjab is facing a deficit of Rs25 billion in tax collection. It demands money every month from the federal government, which contradicts provincial government’s claims of good governance. During year 2009-10, Punjab government requested Rs 37 billion from the federal government. SBP expressed grave concern over the overdraft amount, asking the Punjab government to take “remedial measures” on an urgent basis.

People seem to forget the 'Mulk Sunwaro' scheme fraud by Nawaz Sharif and now the political gimmick of Sasti Roti scheme.

Arrogant, ignorant, self-serving Leader of Hunza

http://tribune.com.pk/story/13405/hunza-lake-speaker-comes-down-hard-on-%E2%80%98rumour-mongers%E2%80%99/

And for the government, PPP is habitual of churning money and power by cashing in on corpses of their dead leaders. They have deliberately ignored the plight of hunza to direct billions of aid with comfortable help of the local representatives.

I just hope there is no catastrophe and the self-help oriented people of hunza shine out courageously as is their tradition.

Keep you thoughts

However mean your life is, meet it and live it: do not shun it and call it hard names. Cultivate poverty like a garden herb, like sage. Do not trouble yourself much to get new things, whether clothes or friends. Things do not change, we change. Sell your clothes and keep your thoughts.

~Henry David Thoreau

PAK Ministers diagnosed with viral Conceit disease!!

“Conceit is the weirdest disease in the world. It makes everyone sick except the one who has it.”

It is now confirmed that the present government of Pakistan and the higher ups (esp. Chief Minister gigit baltistan and elected representatives) have fallen victim to the disease known as 'Conceit'.

Symptoms: It is a contagious disease that spreads by eyeing for power, handshakes with people in power and ignoring people without power. The patient suffers from memory loss and self denial from his own statements, desires to listen to music of misstated self-praise, addicted to gaining attention through false statements at press conferences, loves to move around uselessly under brigade of protocol, steals resources from national en chequer due to physchological disorder and evades all duties assigned.

Moment of self respect:
I am genuinely proud to belong from Hunza. Not for the sake of some identity crisis but today the courageous people of hunza showed that they are different, utterly refusing to accept charity from conceit stricken politicians and ministers who loomed above in their helicopters like bats and then shamelessly announcing that there is nothing but their 'moral' support for devastated families and flood prone area.

This is the reward that the land of hunza gets for presenting the ownership of their land to Pakistan after fighting off off dogra, after sacrificing lives in 1965 and 1971 wars and their red sacrifice for Kargil (not to mention when the NLI soldiers were left alone upfront to fight while other brigade 'chickened out'). The land which generates gold and silver through tourism and fruits is not entitled to compensation because PM announces that there is economy faces financial crunch?? What about millions spend on SUV, protocol, helicopter safari rides and perquisites? I am disgusted to see how indecisive and incomprehensible the PM is to even think of coming to hunza to announce such an absurd statement.
DAWN.COM | Pakistan | Villagers blast govt's response to Hunza flood

All this was enough to boil the blood when the 'dethroned and self proclaimed' Rani of Hunza jumps in the scene like mowla-jutt to show support and launch a protest campaign, sitting in Islamabad. Also giving a hilarious statement calling for 'whatever' commission for inquiry!!

Just to remind that Hunza is not asking for charity (sick idea of Bait-ul-Maal chief of distributing rice biryani and equally attention seeking PM to inaugurate the 'daigh' by cutting a ribbon, so what is next a chicken inauguration ceremony). People need compensation, land for themselves and some infrastructure support. Hunza people can handle the rest!

Talk about weddings being glitezy..Lasers and iPods for the funeral of a lifetime!!

Mark twain once said “Why is it that we rejoice at a birth and grieve at a funeral? It is because we are not the person involved!”

Well i guess its no more the case atleaset in Singapore. Check the weblink DAWN.COM | Culture | Lasers and iPods for the funeral of a lifetime. Afterall, death need not be a grim affair, especially for the living, and at a new columbarium in Singapore, the deceased can depart, rock concert style.

I guess its a matter of time when the bollywoood heroines would compete to do a glitzy item song during scene of death in thier films!!

On the surface its a smart and innovative business decision but deep inside it only shows the great divide between too much haves and have nots.

Enjoy your day and look for an opportunity for peace of mind and soul in true saint style!

Banana republic in the making?!!

Recently a PPP leader, Zafar Ali Shah was in news by alleging his party responsible for making the country 'Banana' Republic. Strict definition may be argued upon but indeed Pakistan is heading towards being tagged as a potential banana republic. Reasons are simple, the Prime minister of the country has time to officially campaign (shamelessly spending million on state money on campaigning, protocol in the name of party discipline) for a fake and fraudulent person for byelection but has no time to address the situation of flood prone Hunza, five months of internal devastation and its aggrieved people. He has ignored the people killed due to deasater and now continuously ignoring the plight of people of hunza and expected devastation of 16 villages due to floods.
Nevertheless equally shameful are the newly elected representatives (esp the speaker for his outrageous comments to Dawn News calling effected as 'unduly emotional' on the demands of local people for compensation and loss of land) who chose to hold trade and travel cultural shows but never raised a combined voice for their own people.
Owing to the deeds of the current government, manipulation of facts by relevant authorities I believe the effected shall have to build their lives on self help basis, the same basis which has driven the local communities to complete projects in the past. However the provision of land is responsibility of government and the dead soulless representatives should come out of their caves and help the people which is their responsibility ethically and constitutionally.

The effects of the devastation is given int he link below: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010%5C05%5C15%5Cstory_15-5-2010_pg3_5

DAWN.COM | Business | Making the impossible possible

In 1996, the Kashf Foundation became Pakistan’s first microfinance institution, empowering both women and families in an attempt to replicate the Grameen Bank model. Today, 14 years later, Kashf has 152 branches nationwide, boasts 305,938 supported families, and operates its branches using a franchise model, allowing for closely managed growth. Below, Kashf’s founder, social entrepreneur Roshaneh Zafar, describes what inspired the microfinance organisation, its successes and obstacles, and the young Pakistanis involved in the process.


Q: Kashf was started in 1996 and was Pakistan's first microfinance institution. What inspired you to establish the organisation?


Many factors impacted me in making the plunge in 1995 to set up an organisation that specifically catered to women’s financial needs. The first imperative was of course the fact that women in our society do not get the due acknowledgement they deserve for their contribution to the overall economy. Time and time again, during my travels while I worked for the World Bank in Pakistan, women from all walks of life would tell me the same thing, that they wanted a better life for themselves and their families, however, they lacked economic opportunity. This resonated across the country, from when I sat with shy and veiled women in Kalat in Balochistan to when I engaged with highly empowered and articulate women from the plains of the Punjab.
The second was related to my own commitment. I had grown up in a Pakistan where I had not faced any discrimination on the basis of gender. I was and am strongly committed to the notion that we can build a world free of gender discrimination – that comes with two strategies, empowering women economically (providing them a financial voice) and investing in their social status (through education and health).


Q: Although the Grameen Bank model has been tremendously successful in Bangladesh, there were many who believed that microfinance would not be as successful in Pakistan. Why do you think this may have been true in the past and how is the Kashf model different?


There are many firsts in the Kashf model. Kashf was the first to offer an array of women friendly products: loans for productive purposes, for consumption needs, insurance products and housing loans. We were the first to microfinance entity to become financially sustainable in 2003 as well as the first to raise loans from commercial banks.
Our approach to financial services delivery has always been to build the business case for investing in women’s economic development. There is no doubt that societies that fail to invest in their women – essentially 50 per cent of their work force – can never prosper or develop.


Q: Have any of Pakistan's endemic issues hindered Kashf's growth? What have been some of the major obstacles Kashf has faced in the last 14 years?


Until 2008 we were able to grow our programme at an average rate of 40-50 per cent annually, however, the economic meltdown in 2008 combined with rapid inflation led to a major slowing down of operational outreach. Furthermore, in 2008, much like other sectors, the microfinance sector was impacted by the deteriorating economic and political situation.
Additionally, the ability of microfinance users to make payments on their existing loans has been somewhat impaired, due to business failures and decreased economic activity that has reduced the quality of the microfinance portfolio in Pakistan.
At the same time, the demand for microfinance loans has increased multifold as a result of inflation and the decline in the exchange rate, which means that people need larger loans to set up small businesses. The economic recession coupled with rising defaults and business failures amongst microfinance users has increased liquidity and refinancing risk for microfinance providers, both in terms of being able to raise additional funds and to meet current debt obligations. The recent “Banana skins” report taken out by Citibank and CGAP has revealed that credit risk is an emerging issue across the global microfinance sector, while costs of undertaking microfinance operations are negatively affecting the sustainability of many institutions.
Microfinance providers also face a high level of political risk as there is an increased perception of the dwindling writ of the state and a deteriorating security situation. Additionally, a precedent for popular mobilisation has been set which increases the risk of political intervention in the microfinance sector as different tiers of government are largely unclear of the role microfinance has on pro-poor growth. There has also been an increased tendency of governments and political parties to introduce populist unsustainable income support programs, which suffer from typical targeting and rent-seeking symptoms, and are contrary to the spirit of sustainable financial services. Consequently, uncertainties stemming from the political set-up have adversely affected the economy, especially microfinance providers.


Q: Kashf Foundation hires many young Pakistanis who work as loan officers for the organisation. What has been your experience working and mentoring these young officers and what has inspired them to work on the ground?


I would not describe it as any other way but inspirational. It is for us to give hope, encouragement, and positivity to the youth of Pakistan. At Kashf, we hire men and women fresh out of college, who then become harbingers of change within their communities. The fact that they are part of a socially responsible institution unleashes their inner and latent potential – I have seen loan officers get promoted to area managers in a matter of years. In Pakistan we don’t lack talent, we lack good institutions to harness that talent. We have to focus on building institutions that can provide opportunities to young people, and at the same time we have to build their entrepreneurship skills. For this reason, we decided to initiate a youth empowerment programme at Kashf.


Q: What have been some of the organisation's greatest successes?


The most rewarding part of my work has been seeing real life changes. Only a few weeks ago I was visiting Kasur, an area hemmed very close to the Indian border, and which is famous for its leather works. I had the opportunity to visit a mature client, Baji Jamila, who has been working with us for the past seven years. I entered the courtyard of her small house, and saw Baji Jamila busy in the small antechamber that she had converted into a mini loom factory.
Six years ago, Jamila had invested in a small spindle machine, which she purchased secondhand for US$150 to spool thread, package it, and sell it in the local market. This business had proved quite profitable and she now has four such spindles working simultaneously, spooling different coloured thread. Jamila’s husband, Muhammad Mansha, seeing the success of his wife’s business left his job as a small-time clerk and began working for her, taking care of purchasing the raw thread and getting it dyed while she ran the spindles and managed the 20 women who work for her to package the thread. It’s stories like these that really warm one’s heart and make one realise that the impossible is possible.
Overall, we have seen a successful ramping up of our programme and since 1996 have disbursed loans to one million entrepreneurs across the country and provided US$225 million in working capital. We have also seen that over 60 per cent of our clients invest in new businesses, which has a multiplier effect on the local economy. Within the family this leads to higher income, higher savings and lower food vulnerability and often it translates into better education and healthcare of children.


Q: Where do you see Kashf in the next five years?


Our aim is to reach out to 650,000 active clients by 2014.
DAWN.COM | Business | Making the impossible possible

Philanthropy- with no budget?!

Even though Washington, D.C. resident Reed Sandridge was recently laid off from his job at one of the District's many nonprofit agencies, he has not lost touch with the need to give back.

He wanted to stay true to what his mother always told him—that when you're going through tough times, that's when you most need to give back.

Beginning last December, the 36-year-old began a Year of Giving project. Every day he walks around Washington trying to convince a different person to take $10 from him, GNN.com reports.

He hopes that through his efforts, his sense of altruism will be contagious. According to his website, about 16 percent of recipients of Sandridge's money have, in turn, donated the cash to someone else.

Since he began his Year of Giving project, Sandridge has handed over $1,260 to 126 people he met on sidewalks and coffee shops.
"I never envisioned that it would turn into what it has," Sandridge told the news source. "I'm really no longer in control of it anymore."

Aside from gaining satisfaction by giving back to his community, the traveling philanthropist says his project has allowed him to meet and connect with his Washington neighbors.

The business horizon yet to be discovered!

Seven Principles of Social Business
By PROFESSOR MUHAMMAD YUNUS in his own note

1. Business objective will be to overcome poverty, or one or more problems (such as education, health, technology access, and environment) which threaten people and society; not profit maximization

2. Financial and economic sustainability

3. Investors get back their investment amount only. No dividend is given beyond investment money

4. When investment amount is paid back, company profit stays with the company for expansion and improvement

5. Environmentally conscious

6. Workforce gets market wage with better working conditions

7. ...do it with joy

Hunza lake on the verge of spill – The Express Tribune

Good to know the chief minister got stuck too!

Sad situation with little help from Government. Political parties have time for argument on a defunct NRO but no time to save lives of people devastated. Another star of shame for the government.

Hunza lake on the verge of spill – The Express Tribune

So that others may simply live...

We, who have so much, must do more to help those in need.
And most of all, we must live simply, so that others may simply live.
-- Ed Begley, Jr.uote of the day!

Clarification regarding Par tou-e-Noor

Dear readers,
I have been receiving a a lot of queries regarding the name, objective, guidelines and criteria revolving around the project 'Par tou-e-Noor'.

Let me discuss them in order:
Par tou-e-Noor is basically derived from Persian language meaning 'Ray of Hope'/ 'Ray of Light'. The said phrase is also used in urdu language. The theme of project is directed towards the hope that it derives from its vision and hence the name was best suited for the project.

The broad prospective of the project was catering to financial/ intellectual needs of beneficiaries (families) that have less or no access to functional products and are in transitory poverty circle. A little help can help them not fall into the vicious circle of chronic poverty.

The identification of beneficiaries and current project scope is being worked out in detail and it will be inappropriate to disclose the same before the draft is finalised by the partners mutually.
Currently the project is limited to provide micro- credit for small business, education and provision of professional advice on the aforesaid areas. However the project envisions extension of its arms to include micro-credit for machinery, income generation and foresee change maker for sustainability of community through income generation on self help basis.

The project in its varied form is being implemented in various parts of the world especially through various funds under the administration of Grameen Bank. However the purpose of Par tou-e-Noor was bridging the gap of accessibility of communities (currently Rawalpindi and Islamabad) to small financial products without interest and heaving administrative charges. It in no way competes with sister organisation or foundation in perspectives/ funds or access.

Being a staunch believer of written communication/ policy the details/ criteria/ costs and relevant legal formalities are being finalized. The same shall Be available by the month of June for review/ comments.

Once again I am grateful for the support, interest, cooperation and good wishes extended by dear ones and friends. I ensure that I shall contact each of you personally for your help and assistance in this cause.

Have a cheerful day!

Launch of 'Par Tou-e-Noor'

World saw 1990s as one of the developmental decade with theories and remedies emerging for eradication poverty. Interestingly, we South Asians assume that its actually the people of Africa are chronically poor and south Asians or Asian are some what moderately poor. However its not true. We need to look beyound our glass windows to see poverty next door and poverty which is easy to eradicate without any superficial help or grant.

The point of elaborating the above is to set the ground for a crucial question. For those blessed with the stream of wealth, education, good health and progressive future, does poverty in South Asia stand as a phenomenon be left for NGOs, World Bank and United Nations to cater to? Wait for accumulation of such amount of wealth that is enough to form an NGO with flashy furniture, expensive cars, Lots of PR and flash lights? What are the areas where we can actually contribute physically, materially or just exchange of advice which can turn around a family's future?

Little steps to add just like the pleasure of training a baby to walk. The excitement, concentration and pleasures are unmatchable. So is the case of these anonymous contributions.

I do not possess precious treasure,gold or silver. What I have to offer is my sincerity, belief in right of equal opportunity and zeal to share my experience. With this i start off a small project for poverty alleviation named 'Par tou-e-Noor'.

Initially it will cater to two aspects i.e provision of professional advice and provision of small loans. The advice shall be restricted to professional advice for small business and child education. The loans shall be provided for start up business and education. The details shall be shared with the identified beneficiary.

The system of small loans is purely based on mutually agreed upon ratio of payment and installment. No interest shall be charged on late payments however depending on the loan amount, collateral shall be kept for protecting from default.

A small fee shall be charged for extending advice to families who require some professional advice regarding their future decision of business and education.

Later the organisation would extend to provision of loans for housing, child welfare, Health and machinery.

The organisation is initially starting off with a small amount of Rs. 20,000 and the organisation shall start operations from July 01, 2010. The terms and conditions and legal formalities shall be completed accordingly. The name and respective responsibilities of founders are also being finalized in the month of June and duly communicated through this blog.

I welcome contributors, partners and volunteers who would extend their support for advice, funds and / or administrative functionalities. Keeping in view my circle of dear ones and friends I expect that I will be able to pursue the objective for making 'Par tou-e-Noor' a respectable contributor.

Good day!

Welcome!

Jim Carey once said in one of his movies:

"You know what the trouble about real life is? There's no danger music."

That is exactly what has happened with me throughout my life. While i assumed that each time I will hear a danger music, I bumped into a crash.

Strangely, the kind of private person I am, I am amazed at how I am starting the blog with no specific ambition in my mind at all, solely motivated to express all the colorful experience, expression, observation that I have collected in the past, filling in at present and seek in future.

You may find contradiction in me as person that hates good guys preach tales but at the same time worship change makers, hate hypocrisy but tend to accept compromise for dear ones and hate to work but love luxuries. However, normal as all these contradictions maybe, its me and my blog that shall feed in all the acceptable expressions that don't find their place in real life news medium.

I also will use this blog to some of my personal ambitions and passions that I have developed over the years but didn't have much of a space to give them some face.

For all those who like, dislike, despise or love the views, expression is the key for all the feeling you generate.

Hope you all are blessed with the endurance to walk beside me!