Monthly Update: May, 2007
PAKISTAN
HIV/Aids: ActionAid Pakistan as part of GLOBAL AIDS WEEK OF ACTION organized a consultative meeting to review Charter of Demands of APACHA Pakistan (Asia Peoples Alliance for Combating HIV/Aids) and finalize the document. ActionAid also mobilized the communities to speak up for the right of People Living with HIV and AIDS in Pakistan.
ActionAid also participated in organizing a grand program by the civil society organization jointly under the banner of APACHA Pakistan and Punjab AIDS Consortium at Racecourse Park, one of the crowded and central picnic places in Lahore City. More than 5000 people observed the International Candlelight Memorial and Global AIDS Week of Action. The programme included candle lighting ceremony by HIV Positive People, and the family members who lost their love ones due to HIV/Aids. The ceremony was lead by the HIV Positive People
ActionAid in collaboration with a local partner Roshan Samaj Development Organization in the locality of red light area, Mirpurkhas designed a series of activities regarding awareness amongst the key players of the society on HIV/AIDS; young prostitutes living in the slums of Mirpurkhas.
The young girls of red light area Mirpurkhas, from as early as eight years old, sell their bodies in order to survive. These vulnerable girls are exposed not just to fatal diseases like HIV, but physical violence and every danger imaginable.
The prostitutes of the area did not have any knowledge of HIV/AIDS and they have been practicing in this profession without any precautions. They are not even aware of the use of contraceptives. This was the first time when some organization entered into the area to give them basic tips to get themselves protected from the virus of HIV/AIDS. The representatives of Marie Stoopes and Asia foundation joined hands with ActionAid to be a part this unique activity.
This platform gave an opportunity to the prostitutes to share their problems and woes. This activity has also helped them to demand the use of condoms to their clients and also to protect themselves and their children from the deadly disease.
Labor Rights:
On the occasion of the International Labor Day, over 250-300 women and children across Kachho attended the event held at Dodo Brihmani on May 15, 2007 to remind the government to end Poverty and give recognition to the toil and hard work of rural women under existing labor laws. They also emphasized that this change will not be possible unless women's concerns and rights are mainstreamed in governance.
Women of these villages around Kachho provide most of the labor for farming, from soil preparation to harvest. After the harvest they play a crucial role in storage, handling, and processing. In addition, women in rural areas are generally responsible for preparing meals for their families. On a global scale, women's role in household and national food security is vital.
The seminar was followed by a walk. Women, young girls and children participated with enthusiasm and dedication by holding placards and chanted slogans to mark the day and show solidarity with the laborers of the world. Children presented tableaus and songs to highlight the importance and issues of women laborers.
"We live in an old house with a large family that included my mother, three brothers and their wives and several children. There is little privacy and it is very crowded", says Mir Zadi "The women of Kachho have more chances in their lives now than before. I was never able to go to adult school and I cannot read or write in my own language. We were very poor with few clothes. It was very difficult to save any money", she adds. "Although there are still many changes that need to be done here in our village, I can see some changes that happened in the last few years after the intervention of Village Shadabad in collaboration with ActionAid. Women here are given more chances than before".
Water: Pakistan is one of the worlds most arid countries. The Indus River is the country's only major river system. Pakistan's economic and wellbeing is built on this water system despite the scant average annual rainfall of just 240 millimeters. Over the year Pakistan has harnessed the Indus River to bring 35.7 million acres under irrigation to cultivate land and otherwise desert condition.
ActionAid Pakistan while working with a local partner Gorakh Welfare Development Organization identified environmental threats due to RBOD (Right Bank Outfall Drain) Mega Project designed to effluent of contaminated water of upper Sindh, Balochistan and NWFP. This project badly affected District Dadu, Jamshoro and Thatta, especially the great Lake of Asia Manchhar. ActionAid in collaboration with Gorakh Organization took the initiative to start a campaign to save Manchhar Lake and other Districts at Right Bank of River Indus. Consultative meetings on RBOD Issue with Media, civil society, intellectuals and communities of District Dadu were organized by ActionAid.
The purpose was to initiate an open dialogue about RBOD mega project, its design, and future challenges to communities, create awareness among the common people regarding the RBOD issues and to develop an effective strategy for future.
Governance: More than 25 community Economic Literacy and Budget Accountability for Governance (ELBAG) ELBAG groups through out Pakistan have planned a knowledge-based social mobilization and grassroots action and advocacy to seek accountability from the institutions of governance through analyzing and monitoring public expenditure and government on its global commitment to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.
Capacity building training workshop for the core teams of the community groups were organized by ActionAid in Layyah, Pakistan; where ActionAid is working since two years with poor and excluded people of remote area. The core teams belong to long term partners of ActionAid Pakistan. 50 prominent activists from community groups attended and participated in the workshop. The workshop is followed by a community based survey to assess the realization of MDGs and governments initiatives in this regard. The core team will further come up with findings of the survey and advocacy actions at local and national level such as issuance of "Peoples' report on MDG achievements" and recommendations for the government. This will include a knowledge-based social mobilization to influence the institutions of governance for prioritizing accordingly.
Food Rights: ActoionAid Pakistan on the platform of Sustainable Agriculture Action Group (SAAG) and Pakistan Kissan Itehad (PKI) organized a press conference on "current wheat procurement and small farmers". Speaker from PKI and SAAG lamented that farmer is facing enormous problem to sell their produce in the market on government set rate of Rs.425 for 40kg. They criticized the government for having cumbersome delayed and discriminated procedure which forced the small farmers to sell their produce on Rs.390 to 400 per Kg to the middle man which is even not covering their cost of production.
They highlighted that government has increased 2.43% in the wheat support price for this year while on the other hand different agricultural inputs have recorded an increase of about 30% to 40% in the country. They deplored that current scenario is forcing the rural farmers to migrate to the larger urban centers in search of better source of livelihoods as the agriculture has no longer been a sustainable source of livelihood for their families.
They demanded that government should increase the price of wheat from Rs.425 to Rs.500 for 40 Kg and provide gunny bags to small farmers instead of middle men. They urged the government that procurement process should be made easy so that every small farmer could sell his produce on better price and avoid exploitation of middlemen. The press conference is published in number of English and Urdu newspaper and went on air on FM 99.
Conflict and Human Securities: Citizen's Peace Committee) held a Joint Seminar on "Political Violence: Role of State and Society". The seminar was followed by a successful peaceful protest rally. The seminar was widely attended by participants of NGOs, social activists, judicial and media personals.
The major points raised at the occasion include the killings in Karachi and attack on the office building as well as crew of AAJ TV were vehemently condemned and solidarity with the families of victims of Karachi violence was expressed.
It was highlighted that the "Karachi carnage" was state sponsored and executed by MQM. Government and law enforcement agencies deliberately failed in providing security to the people of Karachi. MQM is a fascist party with close links to other fascist forces such as the military and religious extremist groups.
It was demanded that Complete and wholehearted disarmament of political parties, religious groups and organizations and of any other entities possessing arms illegally should be carried out in Pakistan.
Legal inquiry on the 12th May incidence should be initiated and perpetrators should be brought to justice while Government and MQM should apologize to the people of Pakistan.
Independence of Judiciary and the rule of law should be upheld. No one stands above the law. The army should stop meddling in political affairs and go back to the barracks.
Role of media needs to be carefully analyzed and while rights of media should not be further curtailed; media also needs to set ethical norms.
Free and fair elections should be held in Pakistan. Condition of graduation for running in elections should be eliminated.
