Interfaith Seminar Urges
Promotion of Dialogue
Group
photo of participants in the seminar |
Rawalpindi: A symposium
on UN Millennium Development Goals was held in Rawalapindi
under the auspices of Saba Aslam Education & Welfare
Trust in collaboration with the United Nations Development
Programs (UNDP).
Speakers representing various walks of life highlighted
the development goals set by the UNDP under its Millennium
Development Plan. They appreciated the goals set by the
UNDP and suggested the inclusion of a number of other programs
under these goals for a better achievement of the objectives.
Prominent among those who spoke on the occasion were the
following: Mr. Saghir Aslam, Founder and Chairman of Saba
Trust; Mr. J. Salik, ex-Federal Minister; Mr. Riaz Akhtar,
representative of UNDP; Madam Nalan Bal, Managing Director
of Khubaib Foundation from Turkey; Ch. Hussan Nawaz, ex-Director
General Judicial Academy; Hamed Raza Afridi, National Project
Manager UNDP; Mrs. Bushra Akbar, prominent social worker;
Barister Jehangir Jadoon; Mr. Junaid Swati of Dya Trust;
and Mr. Abdul Shakoor, Director of Wisdom House Education
System.
The speakers shed light on various goals set by the UNDP
including eradication of poverty and hunger, achievement
of universal primary education, promotion of general equality
and women empowerment, reduction in child mortality, importance
of maternal health, combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other
diseases, environmental sustainability and enhancement of
global partnership for development.
Mr. J. Salik, in his speech, stressed the need of promoting
interfaith dialogue to create peace and harmony among different
faiths to serve humanity, particularly that living in developing
countries. Mr. Aslam has been practicing this regularly.
He said character building is a prerequisite for real development
and character building should be based on the divine messages
revealed through holy books. He appreciated the hospitality
of Saghir Aslam extended during his visit to the US. He
also added that Mr. Saghir Aslam feels pleasure in working
with the followers of all faiths irrespective of color,
creed and nationality. He particularly mentioned the Saba
Trust vision of reaching out and helping minorities such
as Christians, Bahis, Hindus, Sikhs and others. Saba Trust
works with everyone, Mr. J. Salik remarked. The Trust has
no favorites and all are treated equally. He appreciated
Mr Saghir Aslam’s services to humanity and said that
he is a man of vision and great character. He compared Mr.
Aslam with the well-known social worker Abdul Sattar Edhi.
Ch. Hassan Nawaz, ex Director General Judicial Academy,
called for inclusion of “Justice for all” as
an important feature of the Millennium Development Goals.
He said no development is possible without providing ‘quality
justice’ to the people. He pointed out that we are
losing our values and we should pay special attention to
save these values as development alone cannot improve the
image of a nation without moral values. He appreciated the
efforts of Mr. Aslam in developing harmony and peace among
different faiths. He said Mr. Aslam has been distributing
clothes, food, medicine and other items to all faiths including
Christians, the largest minority in Pakistan. He also acknowledged
the interfaith conferences held under the auspices of the
Saba Aslam Education & Welfare Trust, which has helped
in building bridges between different faiths.
Hamed Raza Afridi, National Project Manager UNDP, emphasized
the importance of Saba Trust’s work in different fields
and was extremely impressed by Saba Trust’s prompt
help to the quake victims after the October 8 earthquake
and how the Trust worked strenuously to reach far flung
areas with workers walking for miles to reach the remote
villages.
Julius Ruffin, ex-Federal Minister and one of the Christian
bishops with the largest congregation, complimented Saba
Trust for its work. He particularly mentioned the distribution
of hundreds of wheelchairs and food items to members of
different faiths. He appeared extremely impressed with what
Saba Trust has accomplished in interfaith work. Mr. Ruffin
stated that when he found out that Saba Trust had set up
computer labs for the Christian community in remote places
like Skurdu he was extremely thrilled. This is called interfaith
work and educating people in remote areas, he remarked.
Madam Nalan Bal. Managing Director Khubaib Foundation from
Turkey, appreciated the UN Millennium goals and highlighted
the schemes underway through her foundation in Pakistan.
She said her foundation is educating prisoners, orphaned
children and needy people and keeping them in proper environment.
Mr. Riaz Akhtar, representative of UNDP, spoke on gender
justice and highlighted the salient features of the Musalihat
Anjuman Project working towards this end. He was impressed
by the Saba Trust’s micro credit program. He shared
with the audience the success story of a local barber who
was earning a meager sum of Rupees 1700. per month, which
was way below the poverty level, and who was now earning
Rupees 30,000 per month with net earning approximating Rupees
20,000. He was now able to provide jobs to three other persons,
had a better salary than what he was earning earlier while
working for some one else. “This is what I call eradicating
poverty and helping the less fortunate (underprivileged),”
said Raiz Akhtar.
Mr. Saghir Aslam, Founder and Chairman of the Saba Trust,
in his brief remarks explained the aims and objectives of
the seminar and said such discussions were very helpful
in not only achieving the goals of development but also
in providing a forum for setting new goals to serve the
people in need. He also gave a brief resume of the activities
of the Saba Aslam Education & Welfare Trust.
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