Dawn

The Dawn newspaper is the oldest running newspaper in Pakistan and also the most widely circulated. The newspaper contains various sections. Mainly the Headline (FrontPage), National, International and World In Focus section. Reading the newspaper gives me a varied perspective since the newspaper has different angles to different stories. The stories are free of bias and those with an open end are left open so as to let the reader decide their own angle on the story.

I chose to focus on the International & World In Focus section. They both generally showcase various takes on the international community as a whole. The stories in this section are not constrained to the major players in the world or those countries that grace the media very often. Many obscure countries also hit the newspaper with hilarious or serious news. The news is not always grave, it also has a soft angle or just a descriptive angle. For example a story of “Prince William: some facts” provides description of Prince William and nothing else.

There is no set agenda for this section other than presenting different stories of different countries. Many of which are not international players. Countries vary from USA, China, Israel, Iran, Lebanon and UK, which are international players in modern day politics, to Poland, Nigeria, Canberra (Australia) and Ankara (Turkey). This shows that the newspaper does not support one country or focus on one country only. The array of stories also provides the reader from news from different parts of the world, thus, proving that Dawn International and World In Focus section caters well to its name.

The news is up to date with events in the above mentioned countries, while some news stories are stories running as updates to a previous story. For example Iran’s nuclear project is a continuing story which keeps getting updates in the news. While one story “Military action won’t stop Iran N-plan: Gates” focuses on the opposing story, another story the next day “Chavez to back Iran ‘under any circumstances’” focuses on the pro side to Iran’s nuclear program, thus, retaining a very neutral side to the story.

This section also has two pictures that are captioned but don’t necessarily follow a story. The pictures are from any country regardless of their status or importance. The pictures generally offer a nice complete view to the newspaper and are a break from the written stories. The pictures are never graphic but do at times provide a political angle to the story.

Apart from that, the section usually has one advertisement. The advertisement is usually affiliated with a foreign country. For example an advertisement from the USAID (United States Agency for International Development) or Overseas Pakistani Foundation can be found in the newspaper. At times there are local advertisements or a university showcase, such as UNSW (University of New South Wales).

The newspaper retains a very broad perspective on its stories. And has a very up to date agenda with regard to happening stories. The news stories are very different in their angles and truly offer an international know-how. The Dawn is a well established newspaper because of its reliability. There are no offensive stories in the paper or any crude or grammatically incorrect stories. The stories have reliable sources and different perspectives. The Dawn also has a website where follow ups to these international stories can be found. Also the latest news stories can be contributed to by lay-man people. The objectivity and the varied stories in the paper are what make Dawn a preferred newspaper amongst others.        

Peace in Karachi

Karachi is marred by violence abating from terrorist who take refuge in the outskirts of the city. Other than that, sectarian violence is now a part of Karachi’s life. The diversity than envelopes the city keeps it in a state of constant flux which paired with low tolerance in people paves the way for outbursts of violence. Karachi is home to criminal organizations and gangs. These gangs operate within their own law structure and pay no heed to the law of the city. The police fears such powerful people and many organizations are in touch with the top law enforcement agencies which grant them protection. This kind of structure has now been linked with politics as well. Target killings in Karachi are linked with these organizations and the politically motivated murders are a product of gang wars which originate namely in Lyari and other suburban areas of Karachi.  Karachi is a highly political hub with political parties forming the basis of the elite. The feud between the Muhajirs (represented by the MQM) against the Pathans also surfaces time and again which wrecks the social structure of the country.

Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan has stressed the need to ensure peace in Karachi and to restore the confidence of its traders. Since Pakistan is an industrial country, it requires investment which does not come in due to the shaky atmosphere in the city, thus delivering a blow to both traders and the economy. Addressing a high-level meeting at the Governor House, he said Karachi is the economic vein of the country and peace in the city is necessary for rapid progress and prosperity of the country. Terrorism activities in Karachi have shaken the confidence of its citizens. Karachiites feel insecure. Therefore, it is the responsibility of government to take action against the criminal elements without any discrimination so as to restore the confidence of people. Stern action should be taken without considering political and personal interests. There should be a movement to maintain peace in collaboration with police and deal strictly with those who take the law into their hands.

While killings and criminal activities are being regulated, negotiations and talks between feuding parties should be carried out. Specifically the Muhajir and Pathan fall out. Both parties should be able to resolve their conflicts in a civil manner to establish peace in Karachi. Though such talks have been carried out before, they have not been fully implemented after the resolutions have been drafted. Thus, not only should negotiations be carried out but also implemented by a middle party. Sunni clerics and Shia leaders should similarly resolve their conflicts. Sectarian violence is a very big problem in Karachi that basically causes larger casualties than any other form of violence. On religious grounds, both sects believe that Islam is a religion of peace just like any other religion. Using religious sentiments and words, a common ground can be established. However, in recent reports it has been discovered that acts of sectarian violence have not been undertaken by people from opposing sects but by anarchists who wish to destabilize the city and the country in general. Such anarchic elements work in either terrorist frameworks or promote their own ideology in which peace is not a profitable venture.

It is not convincing that the federal government is either sincere or possesses the necessary force to deal with this trend of violence and mayhem. So finally it rests upon the army to take a step forward and take charge of the fast aggravating situation. If the army moves in, it should first of all clamp curfew and root out any corruption and criminal elements in the provincial government of Sindh. Those found involved covertly should be prosecuted and served punishments. The army should issue an ultimatum for submission of weaponry within a time frame. The growing militarism and weapon proliferation is a major contributor to violence in Karachi as well. In a more personal manner, the people should be asked to pinpoint and report the names of the thugs and bandits, land grabbers and outlaws that are known to the residents. The religious militants, foreign agents, and secret saboteurs hiding in various safe havens of the city should be hunted down along with their protectors and sentenced. In order to root out violence in a city, the city has to be turned inside out. The army should keep this operation for at least a year till harmony and normal peaceful life returns to Karachi.

Violence in a country does not always stem from violent elements. They can also rise from people who are dissatisfied and disgruntled. Karachi has its lower class which is denied the basic necessities. With rising food prices and lack of welfare, the people have nowhere to turn to except crime and beggary.  To create a happy population, Karachi needs to be able to provide the basic necessities to its people, even if it is not luxury. In the past, bloody revolutions have risen from a rebellious population. Besides, the exploding civic problems should be resolved along with other problems. From improving the public transport system, to provision of clean and running water, to an uninterrupted and inexpensive supply of electricity, to environmental cleanliness and awareness, to expansion and sturdy building of roads, to removal of encroachments on roads and other similar public reforms should be put in place within the shortest possible time.

Karachi is the heart and metropolitan city and the business hub along with the income source of Pakistan. It attracts various ethnicities and people come here to aspire for a better standard of living. Considering the recent socio economic conditions of the country not to forget the political instability peace seems as farfetched idea for Karachi. However hope is what everyone clings onto. If we believe and work towards bringing peace towards Karachi then I think anything is possible with hard work and determination. It is up to the youth to take matters in their hands, because it is our future. Philanthropists and nonprofit organizations can only do so much. The main effort shall always lie in our hands. The responsibility lies on the shoulders of each and every resident of Karachi to make it a better place since the city is our home, and to dirty ones’ own home is not the aim of any person. Jinnah advocated the tenants of peace in Unity, Faith and Discipline. It is time that we take those three elements and ingrain them into our daily life to promote peace in Karachi.

World Trade Center 1993

On Friday, February 26^th 1993, a bomb blast occurred in the parking lot of the World Trade Center in New York. Eight years later, two aircrafts rammed into the World Trade Center in New York on September 11^th, 2001. Both attacks targeted the same building, but the last attack finished the job by reducing both towers to rubble. The terrorist attack of 1993 brought the War on Terror to US soil first and the second attack left a warning that no terrorist plot was to be left unfinished. Historians believe that both attacks were related to each other and committed by the same organization though Al Qaeda was not a pioneer in terrorist attacks back in 1993. However, there is evidence to prove that the 1993 attack was indeed a set up for the 9/11 bombings. The debate starts at who was responsible for both attacks since there is heavy evidence of FBI involvement in the first terrorist attack. Though both attacks varied in their intensity and their method, the impact supported claims that US soil was no longer a safe haven from terrorism in this world.

Condoleezza Rice, National Security Advisor, in April 2004 proclaimed at the 9/11 commission:

“The terrorist threat to our Nation did not emerge on September 11th, 2001. Long before that day, radical, freedom-hating terrorists declared war on America and on the civilized world.”

Mohammed A. Salameh was considered as the lead artist in the bombing of 1993 whose truck was apparently used to store the explosives. The FBI also named several plotters in custody, including Nidal Ayyad, an engineer who had acquired chemicals for the bomb, and Mahmoud Abouhalima, who had helped mix the chemicals. Two more conspirators, Ahmed Ajaj and Ramzi Yousef, who was later declared the architect of the attack, were also to be captured by the Bureau. From all above mentioned suspects, only Ramzi Yousef escaped to Pakistan and was on the run for two years before being arrested and sentenced to life in prison. In October 1995 Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman, a blind cleric who preached at mosques in Brooklyn and Jersey City, was condemned to life for masterminding the terror campaign. The detainees of the 1993 bombings were regular visitors of the mosques in which Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman preached. Rahman's organisation, is alleged to have associations to Osama Bin Laden's al-Qaeda network, accused of carrying out the 11^th September attacks.

The van packed with explosives was driven in to World Trade Center by Ramzi Yousef and Eyad Ismoil. They parked the van in the Secret Service’s section of the car park under and between New York’s largest towers, lit a 20 foot fuse and walked out of the building unnoticed. At 12:17 pm, the bomb exploded, ripping a huge hole through 3 foot of concrete, sending ash and debris everywhere. The ensuing fire choked the stairs ways with flames and smoke which blocked emergency routes for people who wished to escape in panic. The bomb cut off the emergency lighting systems and the buildings electric grid. Telephone lines, Radio Station lines and television cables were cut off and dismantled for over a week following the bomb blast. The blast shattered glass windows and created complete pandemonium. Architects assert that had the van been parked closer to the buildings foundation, Yousef would have succeeded in toppling the tower. Though the bomb had a devastating effect in the parking area, only 5 people lost their lives and several were injured.

An emotional Mario Cuomo, New York's state governor, told journalists:

"We all have that feeling of being violated. No foreign people or force has ever done this to us. Until now we were invulnerable."  

The fear of the 1993 attacks soon faded of the minds of the Americans who had not yet come to terms with Islamic fundamentalism and extremist elements in the field of terrorism. While the world was following the Palestine and Israeli conflicts in Gaza, another terrorist plot was brewing in Al Qaeda networks.

Peace Hero: Emily Greene

-Emily Greene Balch born on January 8, 1867in Boston,was the daughter of Francis V. and Ellen (Noyes) Balch. She came from a prosperous family, her father being a successful lawyer, at one time secretary to United States Senator Charles Sumner. She went to private schools as a young girl; graduated from Bryn Mawr College in 1889, a student of its first graduating class; spent the year 1889-1890 in a study of sociology; used a European Fellowship awarded by Bryn Mawr to study economics in Paris in 1890-1891. She completed her formal studies with dispersed courses at Harvard and the University of Chicago and with a full year of work in economics in 1895-1896 in Berlin.

In 1896 she joined the faculty of Wellesley College, climbing to the rank of professor of economics and sociology in 1913. She was an outstanding teacher; she impressed students by the clearness of her thought, by the extent of her experience, by her kindness for the underprivileged, by her strong-mindedness, and by her firmness that students could express independent judgments only if they shared on-the-spot investigation with their research in the library. During these years she was a member of two municipal boards (one on children and one on urban planning) and of two state commissions (one on industrial education, the other on immigration); she participated in movements for women's suffrage, for racial justice, for control of child labor, for better wages and conditions of labor.

-Miss Balch had always been concerned with the problem of peace and had followed carefully the work of the two peace conferences of 1899 and 1907 at The Hague, she became convinced after the outbreak of World War I in 1914 that her lifework lay in furthering humanity's effort to rid the world of war. As a delegate to the International Congress of Women at The Hague in 1915, she played a prominent role in several important projects: in founding an organization called the Women's International Committee for Permanent Peace, later named the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom; in preparing peace proposals for consideration by the warring nations

Emily Balch also remained active in social reform efforts. She helped to found the Women's Trade Union League in 1903. She was involved in starting a new organization, the Women's International Committee for Permanent Peace, later called the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF). She was also involved in various projects involving The League of Nations after the first World War. She wanted the world to demilitarize and live in peace. She saw war as an opportunity to spread hatred and thus wanted countried to stop using war as an excuse for power. Her efforts extended to launching programs that supported demilitarization and international anti-war campaigns. It was she who facilitated the U.S. withdrawal from Haiti in 1926, after 11 years of occupation.

She attended the 1919 International Congress of Women, held in Zurich, where she accepted the position of secretary of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, until 1922. She briefly took that position, without pay, in 1934, and later contributed her Nobel Peace Prize financial award to the IWLPF.

- During World War II, Emily Balch reluctantly gave up her strict passivity, believing that the threat of Hitler, she "went through along and painful struggle, and never felt that I had reached a clear and consistent conclusion." However, she worked with refugee resettlement and against the Japanese-American relocation camps.

One of Emily Balch's last projects was a 1959 celebration, organized by the WILPF, honoring the 100th anniversary of Jane Addams birth -- Jane Addams of Hull-House, and with whom Emily Balch had worked on peace projects, and who had won a Nobel Peace Prize in 1931.

-She won her Nobel Preace Prize along with American evangelist John Mott (of the YMCA). in 1946. Hence her efforts were never solely for fame. She always practiced humility and proved to the world that nothing mattered more than living for others. Her Acceptance Speech was as follows:

“I am happy in thinking that not I myself but the Womens' International League for Peace and Freedom, with which I am identified, is the true recipient. Hoping, as I do, that this internationally organized body of women has ahead of it a great opportunity for usefulness in educating people everywhere toward the world-mindedness on which peace must be based with other people, I am hoping that 1946 will mark a turning point in the age-old effort to rid the world of war, to national disarmament, to renunciation of power politics, and to development of international trusteeship, not only for dependent peoples, but for regions and interests”

-Chairman Gunnar Jahn of the Committee in the speech of presentation at the award ceremony in December 1946 reported Emily Balch's "lifelong unrelenting work for peace" and declared, "She has taught us that the reality we seek must be earned by hard and unrelenting toil in the world in which we live, but she has taught us more: that exhaustion is unknown and defeat only gives fresh courage to the man whose soul is fired by the sacred flame."

-In 1955, concerned about the widening gulf between the United States and China, she wrote a poem that was a "letter of love," addressed to "Dear People of China." This is the last stanza:

Let us be patient with one another,                                                                                        

And even patient with ourselves.

We have a long, long way to go.

So let us hasten along the road,

The road of human tenderness and generosity.

Groping, we may find one another's hands in the dark"

Emily Greene Balch retired in 1956 and died in 1961. Her efforts were indeed a beacon of light in a world of darkness. Nothing stopped her and nothing slowed her down. Such dedication is nothing short of an icon in this World.

I chose her as my peace hero since I believe that a hero isn’t expected to leave their mark in the world through any form of status or fanfare, but instead they have to live their life as an exhibition of their efforts. And these efforts can be seen in her life and all the decision she took. Never has any woman risen to such difficulties in a world which had still not liberated women. Thus Emily Greene becomes a figure which not only established peace but also extended her influence to various other phases of life and the world.

Where is Nixor, where did they hide? :O

ZABMUN 2010 started off with a bang and proceeded to amaze the delegates that took part in its glorious Opening Ceremony. However, amongst all the festivities there was one, or rather four, delegations that were not present. Who had cancelled. The very night before. And not informed any of the ZABMUN officials until they were called at 12 o’clock at night for a final confirmation.

The delegations from Nixor College disappeared from the MUN scene and were a no-show even after paying up a hefty sum of money that went up to a 5 digit number. The reason for their absence? Supposedly a test week came out of the blue which completely engulfed the 18 delegates who could not turn up. And these 18 had not even informed any of the ZABMUN team of their so-called cancellation. Maybe ZABMUN would not have felt the loss of these delegates had they not been assigned major countries due to their affiliation with a prestigious A-level college of Pakistan.

Apparently, the Nixor delegates believed that the MUN could proceed without key countries, namely United States of America, Palestine and Israel. That would have indeed been quite a New World Order. Or they perceived that they could be replaced quite easily when the Opening Ceremony was simply 12 hours away. But, while the rest of the delegates, both cancelling and attending delegates slept, the ZABMUN Team, along with their President tried to frantically resolve the crisis. And behold, their awesomeness made them quite successful. And ZABMUN is yet again a miracle worker.

Since the Nixor administration is blissfully unaware of their bloopers and have not yet given any comment on the sudden cancellation, we still remain in the dark regarding the true reason for Nixor not being able to MUN. While ZABMUN rolls on, the Nixor MUN-ers will have to wait to implement their New World Order strategies, perhaps in the future you guys! For now lets just stick to the prevailing United Nation structure, wishful thinking can wait. Cheers!

Procrastination

Procrastination seems to be the bane of every young ones life. After dealing with it throughout the years, it extends like a vine in to our adult professional life; making tomorrow the day that never truly comes. While we all tango with this problem, Dale Roberts makes a living out of procrastinating. That’s right, she’s a professional procrastinator.  

She’s taken up the defense of procrastination as a serious job that has made her icon in the world today. A woman who defies the logic of deadlines and thrives on delays proves to be more of an unnatural phenomenon amid the strange and upcoming events. She has business cards and educates people in the art of procrastination. Dale had written books about procrastination and has successfully diminished the evil side of procrastination. Her so-called business is thriving as she tours the world giving seminars. I wonder where I was when she was hiring.    

According to Dale, punctuality is a relative term. Relative to one’s own convenience. She says she never has to wait for people to show up, since she’s the last person to walk in. The meeting starts after she has taken her seat, hence effectively managing her time better than the rest of those who wasted hours waiting. She says, “If procrastination is bad, why does it begin with the prefix "pro," which means "good?”” It’s quite a mystery for all of us too. Maybe it isn’t such a horrible thing after all. Maybe the whole race for us to meet deadlines and creating time frames just wastes our time. After all, didn’t slow and steady win the race?

Well, it something we should all ponder over. She’s finally complied her book on her proverbs, it’s her best book yet. Submitted though, she hopes people will enjoy it by 2019 :D

"Never put off until tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow." (Mark Twain)

http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-3731678.html?key=01-42161A527E1B136A120C05174A3F593C3B4F36602F2A3342720F0B61651A617E137119731B7B51

Elements of dysfunction in Politics

Pakistan has many political parties. And though the debate of Army vs Democracy continues to resurface every now and then, people have yet to identify the main problem with the exchange of power. According to scholars, Pakistan is firstly divided into many factions, each promoting their own tribe, culture, values and even religion. In present day this is seen in the split of the Bhutto’s (Zardari wing) and Sharif’s (Nawaz Shairf, Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz). The Bhutto’s are more regionally attached to Sindh with a lean towards Shitte culture where as the Sharif’s are Punjab based with a rather Sunii following. This shift in culture plays a great role when either party rises to power. While the bureaucracy relishes its power in Islamabad and sometimes Karachi (both being the countries power hubs), the political parties prefer to fawn over their regional counterparts. In doing so, the demographic split between civilians who vote is widened.

Military power was not a concept that was present in Pakistan during the time of independence. The Pakistani military became independent from the British and took on their role of civil subordination and political aloofness as they traditionally are. The erosion of these traditions was commenced by the gradual fall of political institutions in the 1950’s. The military began to take a greater stance to spread their influence and (along with the civil bureaucracy) soon emerged as a distinguishing factor in the decision making at the national level. The repeated military interventions in politics since 1958 and the military rule of dictators such as Zia and Musharaf, has changed the traditional pattern of relationships between civilians and military.

While the military faction of Pakistan is aligned with the elitist bloc, political parties are aligned with feudalistic blocs. Thus in a battle of powers, the major benefactors are those who hold considerable influence in the country. Pakistan has been unable to dismantle prevalent feudal structures which propel the country blindly with brute force being the driving power. Even so, Pakistan sees the rise in political parties professing to be saviors of the nation. Many parties have shed their former policies to step along the trend of secularism while others choose fundamentalist policies, thus proving that land ties are not the only source of loyalty. Political parties have risen in quantity but declined in political power, principally in relation to the military.