"Par tou-e-Noor" - You must be the change you wish to see in the world.

In continuation to my previous post http://zaree.blogspot.com/2010/05/launch-of-par-tou-e-noor.htmlI am sharing details of the project Par tou-e-Noor.

Par tou-e-Noor

Objective:
A pilot project initiated for the purpose of granting interest free loans for micro enterprise and providing professional advice regarding education to the bottom billion i.e. the poorest for sustainable livelihoods.

Par tou-e-Noor shall be operation from the month of July i.e. July 11,2010. I will ensure that the success stories are also uploaded from time to time keeping the privacy of families intact. Following are the details of the products being offered as the first step towards the objective of Par tou-e-Noor.

1. Tiny Ray of Light پرتو ريز

Loan limit: Pk Rs.5,000/- to 15,000/-
Period of Loan : 8 months (Max.)
Frequency of repayment : Bi-monthly/ monthly
Profit Margin : As per mutual agreement between two parties i.e. for purpose of covering the transaction cost only.

The Target segment of this product is the poor who have a little skill and are willing to start a tiny business (within/outside) home. The families refusing to accept charity shall be given priority.


2. Light of Trade نور از تجارت

Loan Limit: Pk Rs.20,000/- to 60,000/-
Period of Repayment : negotiable 18 months (max.)
Frequency of repayment : As per cash flow projected but at least once every month
Profit Margin : As per mutual agreement between two parties in order to cover transaction costs.

Target market: The product is particularly for individuals/ family of existing entrepreneurs not having enough cushion to generate working capital for business expansion. The entrepreneurs engaged in micro enterprise and require capital for making themselves sustainable shall be given preference.
Business type: Embroidery, Handy-craft, stitching/sewing, selling clothes, grocery shops, transportation, Beauty parlors, milk/food business.

The purpose of loan features above is not to enslave the beneficiaries to paper work/ time tables rather it is for purpose of documentation and record. The terms and conditions are negotiable to give hope and divert all efforts for a better future as the name Par tou-e-Noor itself means 'Ray of Light'.

As previously requested in my previous blog post, http://zaree.blogspot.com/2010/05/clarification-regarding-par-tou-e-noor.html
I welcome voluntary, professional help through your mind, heart, skill, time and material from all those who believe in 'we must be the change we all wish to see in the world.'
Email: par.tou.e.noor@gmail.com

Change awaited!!

Social Business- For-profit, low-cost housing development and management company

Jawad Aslam speaking at Acumen Fund's *spark! event, a benefit hosted by Acumen's New York chapter in May 2010. *spark! talks share stories of inspiring individuals igniting change around the world.

Jawad is the CEO of Ansaar Management Co. (AMC), a low-cost housing development and management company in Lahore, Pakistan, and an Acumen Fund investee; Jawad was also an Acumen Fellow in 2008. For more on Jawad's work, visit http://www.acumenfund.org/investment/ansaar-management-company.html

“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind, don't matter and those who matter, don't mind.”

So much for blogging every day!!
Where does the time go? I want to blog but yet when I see this blank post, my mind goes blank. I do have things to say but at the moment, it escapes me what it was....

I did good today by doing my daily job and family responsibilities list complete. I feel good every thing, but yet there is a feeling of uncertainty, worry.....about what, I've not a clue.. just one of those silly things that has no basis in any known fact or reason. I feel sad but I don't know why....Now that would be the height of foolishness.
*shrugs*
I don't know...

I am sure I will wake up tomorrow with a happy face, knowing that even if my wallet doesn't feel full, I will still be making progress, since I have done good in some things.

I know that I can do it. I can take control of my life. I know all this. I REALLY DO. I just have to convince my mind that I am worth it. I know that I am, but at times my mind plays tricks on me and tells me why bother.....you'll just be a side stone and you're making it harder on the rest of the family by trying to compromise/ juggle up priorities. I just need to take control of my mind and not let it control me. I am the one who gets to say I will do it. It's just a matter of mind over matter, right? *sigh* and what a lot of matter there is.......

Quote of the day..by words of Nadeem Farooque Paracha

"A brilliant book of guidance (referrring to Quran Sharif) is thus turned into a pseudo-science manual. Why? It’s simple. If one ‘straightens’ an ignorant Muslim, paradise beckons. But if you bring an educated one ‘back on the path,’ Lord knows, some posh prime real state awaits in beautiful heaven."

Do read Paradise Pulp
and Man bites dog in one sitting.

Nothing 'Old Fashioned' being respectful or good manners

This is something that was poking me for a long time.

Do we perceive being respectful or good manners as 'Old fashioned' and have we limited our good manners to those superior to us?

Let me explain. Some days back I entered the meeting hall in my office and what a pleasant surprise it was. One of the men stood up respectully and said hello. The other three looked at him partly confused partly embarrassed. Initially my boss looked at me with the doubtful eye probably assuming I know the man. I however thanked the man and sat down. The man, being confident and certainly well groomed, explained that men should stand up as good manners. There is a pause and I see other men shrugging off idea presumably thinking 'yeah well maybe'. The man continued and said Muslims must pay respect as it is 'sunnat', Hazrat Muhammad (P.B.U.H) used to stand up whenever his daughter Bibi Fatimah and his nurse, Bibi Haleema entered the room. Again regardless of number of time the respectable figures entered, Hazrat Muhammad stood up in respect.
So the other men in y room are now showing signs of embarrassment. Well the discussion then moves forward to the core of issue.

Day End.

I foolishly expect that maybe in the civilized world, good manners are still the thing of the day.

But Lo and Behold, to my disbelief, the men (quote 'Muslim men') barely know any such gesture or shrug off the idea as too tiresome.

My verdict: Good manners are never out of fashion nor can be enforced via religious sentiments


Stubborn as I am, I even went far to search the Internet for seeing is it only that standing up gesture is associated with Islam or is it prevalent in any other culture.

Surprised to see that apart from Muslim tradition mentioned above, standing in respect of women and elderly was an important point of etiquette in the Middle East. I found a newsletter where a school in USA is especially arranging regular programs educating and re-enforcing good manners and standing in respect for women was important part of the program. Yes the USA that traded off the idea for respect for women to equal rights. I found very important evidence for the same in British etiquette.

Needless to comment on our failings as Pakistanis to imitate the blatant aspects of western society and regretfully by parents fairly well educated. Ever wondered why We would never imitate the habit to queuing or eating orderly at functions, saying thank you to subordinates or politely refusing service.

I am not trying to enforce the idea that respecting women is the only good manner Rather the its just a starting point to ponder over our life if we feel ourselves and people around being worthless enough by displaying exceptionally rude, ill-mannered habits merely to prove indifference. Indifferent is just not meant for 'us', we are suppose to be and should proud to be sensibly warm, emotional and hospitable.

Lastly I have no shame to confess that as a woman, although I don't expect this particular gesture, I would feel very pleasantly honored (even if strange) if a guy stand up as a respect. I have always felt chivalrous men are a rarity these days, and it's a pleasure to have a man practice it from his heart. It will make him very unique in the girls' eyes. Even having a guy open the passenger side door before he goes to the other side to the wheel...is a nice gesture. Not all men practice that, and it's alright. But when some do, it feels good.

RICHER THAN YOU THINK? Innovative ideas- must visit website

HOW RICH ARE YOU?

Every year we gaze enviously at the lists of the richest people in world.
Wondering what it would be like to have that sort of cash. But where
would you sit on one of those lists? Here's your chance to find out.

http://www.globalrichlist.com

Just enter your annual income into the box below and hit 'show me the money'

I'm loaded.
It's official.
I'm the 788,211,024 richest person on earth!



How rich are you? >>

RICHER THAN YOU THINK?

How do you feel about that? A bit richer we hope. Richer and ready to give some of your newly found wealth to those who need it most. It not hard - just slip your hand in your pocket and pull out something special. Something that can help redress the balance - and also make you feel uncommonly good. Many peoples lives could be happier if you donated just one hour's salary (approx $5.78 - UK estimate).

All you have to do is make a choice.

$8 could buy you 15 organic apples OR 25 fruit trees for farmers in Honduras to grow and sell fruit at their local market.

$30 could buy you an ER DVD Boxset OR a First Aid kit for a village in Haiti.

$73 could buy you a new mobile phone OR a new mobile health clinic to care for AIDS orphans in Uganda.

$2400 could buy you a second generation High Definition TV OR schooling for an entire generation of school children in an Angolan village.

DID YOU KNOW..?
Three decades ago, the people in well-to-do countries were 30 times better off than those in countries where the poorest 20 percent of the world's people live. By 1998, this gap had widened to 82 times.

New Element Discovered in Pakistan (Zardarium)

Pakistani researchers have discovered the heaviest element yet known to science. The new element, so far only discovered and found in Pakistan , has been named Zardarium (Symbol = Zm).
It has
Ø 1 Presitron
Ø 1 Priministron
Ø 77 ministrons
Ø 98 deputy Ministrons
Ø 298 National Assemblions
Ø 100 Senatrons,
Giving it an atomic mass of 575. These 575 particles are held together by forces called morons, which are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called pillocks. Since Zardarium has no electrons, it is inert, impotent and ineffective. However, it can be detected because it impedes every reaction with which it comes into contact.

A tiny amount of Zardarium can cause a reaction, that would normally take less than a second, to take from 4 days to 4 years to complete, depending upon the kick-back percentage that Zardarium can get.
It is neither radioactive nor active and is largely inert except for its psychopathic attraction for corrupt morons, Ministrons, Assemblions and Senatrons. In this respect, another two important inert iso-dopes, Nawazium (Symbol = Nm) and Shahbazium (Symbol = Sm) play a vital role as catalysts by their moronic ineptitude. Zardarium has a normal half-life of 2 to 5 years. It does not decay, but instead, the whole country undergoes a re-organizational decay in which a portion of the assistant neutrons and deputy neutrons exchange places.
The most important chemical quality of Zardarium is its magnetic properties for gold, Dollars, and corrupt morons. In fact, Zardarium 's mass will actually increase over time, since each reorganization will cause more morons to become Ministrons and forming iso-dopes as a by-product. This characteristic of moron promotion leads some scientists to believe that Zardarium is formed whenever morons reach a critical concentration. This hypothetical quantity is referred to as a critical morass.
When catalyzed with money, Zardarium becomes Presidentium(symbol = Pz), an element that radiates just as much energy as Zardarium, since it has half as many pillocks but twice as many morons.

Courtesy, Mr. Adil Farhad, an invisible yet active reader of my Blog!

The horrendous and appalling attack

A person who makes headlines, was in headlines himself.

Talat Hussain, a Pakistani journalist who was captured during a naval attack on a Gaza—bound aid flotilla, along with his two team members arrived in Jordan yesterday following their release by Israeli authorities.

He alleged that Israeli soldiers were shooting people in cold blood. He said that the commandos “shot people in the forehead.” “I witnessed myself the first Israeli assault on the ship. There was no weapon on the ship,” Mr. Hussain told news channel by phone from Jordan. “Scuffles broke out when Israelis tried to arrest people. After that people threw at the Israelis whatever they got hold of.
“Four people were shot in the forehead in front me. I witnessed four people dying,”
Being a veteran journalist, we are sure to see exclusive videos and news of the said event in his show. The show will initially attract people country wide, not to mention the jingled commercials will follow and callers shall call up to appreciate the courage of the journalist. Fair enough.
The question is 'what is next'?
According to United Nations statistics, about 70 per cent of Gazans survive on less than $1 a day, 75 per cent survive on food aid and 60 per cent lack regular access to water. The level of unemployment is probably the highest in the world. Hamas reportedly taxes the goods that are smuggled in through tunnels from Egypt, while the Mubarak regime — the second highest recipient of American aid in the Middle East — has collaborated with the Israeli authorities in trying to shut down this unusual avenue of commerce. (source dawn)
Turkey will of course take sever measures of cutting off ties with it 'once buddy' Israel. Europe may react a little not that wouldn't be more of a stir here and there and ineffective UN Resolutions. America despite tagging Barack Obama as a 'perspective Muslim' due to his Muslim background shall continue to 'regret' and 'urge investigation' into this or such issues. Arab countries, most of them much on their agenda such as 'dance and make merry' than to condemn Israel.
Pakistan has created Israeli aggression natured fans itself through Taliban, sometimes Punjabi sometime wazirastani, all hoping in the van to heaven. The barbarism of sectoral killing in no less than the barbaric acts by Israel.
Sad but true that the divide created amongst Muslim Countries especially Arab Countries esp. Palestinian Political parties due to vested interest and ethnic discrimination have made us insensitive enough that neither any humiliation or barbarism in past nor in future are likely to make much of a difference.
Pray, we all stay in peace.