President for better environment
ISLAMABAD: President Pervez Musharraf has said that World Environment Day is a United Nations flagship environment event, celebrated every year on 5th June around the World. In his message, President said that “this year’s slogan, “Kick the Habit! Towards a Low Carbon Economy,” recognizes that climate change is becoming the defining issue of our era.

He said that this day provides an opportunity to focus worldwide attention on the importance of the environment and stimulate political attention and action, adding that the event seeks to give a human face to environment issues; empower people to become active agents of sustainable and equitable development. Read the rest of this entry »

The World No Tobacco Day would be observed on Saturday May 31 throughout the world including Pakistan. This year the Day to be marked under the title “Tobacco Free Youth”. A recent report published in Pakistan says that total 250 million smokers (36 per cent males and 9 per cent females) exist in the country.

The report further says that the number of smokers is on the rise in Pakistan mainly due to easy availability of smuggled and counterfeit cigarettes in the open market. In the year 2007, total 77.92 billion cigarettes were manufactured in the country. Out of which about 16.64 billion cigarettes were illegal and fabricated due to which the government exchequer is facing a loss of Rs. 7 billion annually, market estimates said. Read the rest of this entry »

The International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers (29 May) was designated by the General Assembly in its resolution 57/129 of 11 December 2002. This action stemmed to pay tribute to all the men and women who have served in United Nations peacekeeping operations for their high level of professionalism, dedication and courage, and to honour the memory of those who have lost their lives in the cause of peace. The Assembly invited all Member States, organizations of the United Nations system, non-governmental organizations and individuals to observe the Day in an appropriate manner. Read the rest of this entry »

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan observed World Drugs Control Day here Wednesday. According to a report, around forty billion rupees worth drugs are being used by millions of Pakistanis. The drug users not only include men but women and children. Around four million persons in the world die of drugs each year that start with the use of cigarette, pan and then go way to hashish, opium and heroin.

With advancement in the field of Science and Technology, drug mafia have hit the world drug market with improvised drugs to cater to the needs of the millions of the frustrated lot who do not find a happy corner inside their house join the fold of black addiction that lead them to a silent death.

ISLAMABAD: World Hepatitis Day would be observed on Monday to create awareness among the people about the disease. According to World Health Organization, the control of hepatitis outbreak has become a burning issue in Asian countries, especially with around 1.5 million clinical cases of hepatitis occurring each year.

Health experts said there are two types of viral hepatitis in Pakistan, one is short lived and self-limited hepatitis A and E usually spread through feco-oral-route while hepatitis C and B is a blood borne disease and usually chronic. According to health professionals hepatitis A and E are typically caused by ingestion of contaminated food or water while hepatitis B, C and D usually occur as a result of parenteral contact with infected body fluids like from blood transfusions or invasive medical procedures using contaminated equipment.

They said hepatitis B is transmitted by sexual contact. The symptoms of hepatitis include jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes), dark urine, extreme fatigue, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. HBV is the most serious type of viral hepatitis and the only type causing chronic hepatitis for which a vaccine is available. Injection drug use is the major risk factor for HBV and HCV infections. The main reason for such a high incidence of hepatitis is that treatment becomes complicated because injected drug users suffer from other conditions such as HIV, mental illness, alcoholism and they have little or no contact with the health care providers.

World Mother’s Day was celebrated across Pakistan on Sunday. Special events were arranged to pay tributes to mothers and processions were taken out by civil society members to highlight the issues pertaining to motherhood. Celebrations were devoted to those honorable mothers who are the experts of one of the most difficult tasks on earth.
Mother’s day Activities
Model Town Football Academy (MTFA) celebrated Mothers’ Day here at Sunday night at the MTFA Ground. Mothers Day is celebrated with a lot of enthusiasm and gaiety. On this day people reflect on the importance of mothers in their life and thank them for their unconditional love and support. Read the rest of this entry »

World Asthma Day is organized by the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) in collaboration with health care groups and asthma educators to raise awareness about asthma and improve asthma care throughout the world. To disseminate information about asthma care, a Global Initiatives for Asthma GINA Assembly was initiated, comprised of asthma care experts from many countries to conduct workshops with local doctors and national opinion leaders and to hold seminars at national and international meetings. In addition, GINA initiated an annual World Asthma Day (in 2001) which has gained increasing attention each year to raise awareness about the burden of asthma, and to initiate activities at the local/national level to educate families and health care professionals about effective methods to manage and control asthma.

Asthma is a serious global health problem. People of all ages in countries throughout the world are affected by this chronic airway disorder that, when uncontrolled, can place severe limits on daily life and is sometimes fatal. The prevalence of asthma is increasing in most countries, especially among children. Asthma is a significant burden, not only in terms of health care costs but also of lost productivity and reduced participation in family life.

World Asthma Day 2008 is being celebrated on Tuesday, May 6. This year’s event will continue the focus on the positive theme introduced for WAD 2007, “You Can Control Your Asthma.” This theme is consistent with the emphasis on asthma control set out in the latest versions of the GINA guideline documents, and will help to spread the word that asthma control is the goal of treatment and can be achieved in the vast majority of asthma patients with proper management. Your Asthma.

Event Info for Pakistan
Activities for Patients and the Public
1. Free distribution of educational materials, leaflets and booklets in English and Urdu.
2. Free Allergy Camp at Community Centre, Aabpara, Islamabad.

Activities for Health care Professionals
Seminar for GPs and Family Physicians on Allergy & Asthma.

Participating Organizations
The Allergy & Asthma Institute, Pakistan
Developing Health, Islamabad

International Firefighters’ Day is observed each year on 4th May. On this date everyone is invited to remember the past firefighters who have died while serving our community or dedicated their lives to protecting the safety of us all. At the same time, we can show our support and appreciation to the firefighters world wide who continue to protect us so well throughout the year.

International Firefighters’ Day (IFFD) is a time where the world’s community can recognize and honour the sacrifices that firefighters make to ensure that their communities and environment are as safe as possible. It is also a day in which current and past firefighters can be thanked for their contributions.
The world is celebrating the International Firefighters Day on Sunday to commemorate those five firefighters who lost their lives while attempting to extinguish a fire at Linton in Australia on December 2, 1998. May 4 is linked with the Day, the patron saint of all firefighters.

According to international standards, every locality with a population of 100,000 or more should have at least one fire station, but the city government in Pakistan’s various cities has not decided to set-up any more fire stations. They have not even decided to increase the work force. Though, about six months ago, the city government in Karachi announced 200 new vacancies, but they were never filled.

FREE PRESS, ACCESS TO INFORMATION VITAL FOR DEVELOPMENT, TOP UN OFFICIALS STRESS

New York, May 3: Marking the annual World Press Freedom Day, top United Nations officials have stressed the role of a secure and independent media, and access to information, in empowering individuals and advancing development. “When information flows freely, people are equipped with tools to take control of their lives,” noted Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in his message for the Day, observed each year on 3 May. “When the flow of information is hindered — whether for political or technological reasons — our capacity to function is stunted.” Mr. Ban stressed that a free, secure and independent media is one of the foundations of peace and democracy. Attacks on freedom of the press are attacks against international law, humanity, and freedom itself — everything the UN stands for, he said. Alarmed at the increasing targeting of journalists around the world, and the failure to thoroughly investigate and prosecute such crimes, the Secretary-General called on all societies to spare no effort in bringing to justice the perpetrators of such attacks. He also paid tribute to all who work in difficult and dangerous conditions to provide the world with free, unbiased information. The theme for this year’s World Press Freedom Day, which was established by the UN in 1993, is “access to information and the empowerment of people.”

In his message on the occasion of the Day, the head of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) — the body tasked with protecting freedom of expression — stressed that press freedom and access to information feed into the wider development objective of empowering people by giving people the information that can help them gain control over their own lives. “This empowerment supports participatory democracy by giving citizens the capacity to engage in public debate and to hold governments and others accountable,” said UNESCO Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura. Access to information is primordial to the exercise of the basic human right of freedom of expression, Mr. Matsuura added. To be free, the media need to have access to information.

Such access is also indispensable in fighting corruption, which has been defined as the primary obstacle to development. The winner of this year’s UNESCO World Press Freedom Prize is a Mexican reporter who has been a target of death threats, sabotage and police harassment because of her work uncovering prostitution and child pornography networks. Freelance investigative journalist Lydia Cacho Ribeiro will receive the award today at a World Press Freedom Day ceremony in Maputo, Mozambique, organized by UNESCO. General Assembly President Srgjan Kerim stressed the importance of press freedom, noting that “it is access to information that truly empowers the individual to become more active and more responsible. In this free press is a crucial ally.” He said the media contributes to the process of democratization, to the strengthening of the rule of law and ultimately to institution building by asking the “right and often difficult” questions, providing access to information and representing all views impartially. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights marked the Day by noting that harassment and secrecy laws are weakening press freedom. “It is a sad fact that many governments across the world persist in undermining the freedom of the press to report facts and opinions and, by extension, the right of people in general to be informed about events and policies that are shaping our world,” Louise Arbour said. Ms. Arbour noted that governments are becoming more secretive and offering propaganda disguised as objective information — especially when alleged security-related issues are on the table. The proliferation of new or strengthened secrecy laws means that the media are forced to resort to speculation, which can then be used against them to further undermine their credibility, or even as a justification for initiating legal proceedings against them, she added.

Echoing her comments, the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression marked the Day by calling on governments to end censorship, protect a free and independent media and guarantee their right to criticize. “Freedom of the press cannot be applicable exclusively for those with whom we agree,” stated Ambeyi Ligabo. “On the contrary, the key to freedom of expression is to respect the rights of those with whom we disagree to voice their own opinion. Without this right, democracy itself cannot flourish.” In Afghanistan, Norah Niland, Chief Human Rights Officer for the UN Assistance Mission there, underlined the importance of press freedom as the country prepares for a fresh round of presidential and parliamentary elections next year. “In the run-up to Afghanistan’s elections in 2009 and 2010 press freedom will be more vital than ever, people can only make informed decisions about the political future of their country if they are empowered with balanced objective information,” said Ms. Niland. “The media has a crucial role to play in this respect.”-UN News Service

Here is a May Day story I told Amitava Kumar while he was reviewing Eqbal Ahmad’s Selected Writings for The Nation.

This past summer, Robin Varghese, a former student of Ahmad’s at Hampshire, recounted a story to me that he had heard his teacher tell in class. When Ahmad was in his 20s, he received a Rotary fellowship to come to the United States for further studies. He knew that he wanted to see four things when he left the subcontinent. Three of those four sites he visited en route to this country. He went to the Highgate Cemetery in London to pay homage to Karl Marx; he also visited 21B Baker Street, for its well-known literary landmark; and he wandered through the British Museum, where his reaction was “Return the loot!” The fourth place that Ahmad wanted to visit was in the United States, in Chicago, and it was the site of the Haymarket riot of 1886. Ahmad wanted to go there because, as a boy, he had been taken to May Day celebrations in India. He now wanted to lay flowers at the Haymarket monument to honor the striking workers who had marched in the first May Day parade.

But several years were to pass before he could visit Chicago. He had arrived in the United States in 1957 to study history at Occidental College; a year later he enrolled at Princeton as a graduate student in political science and Middle East history. His research then took him to Tunisia, an even further detour from Chicago. It was not until 1967, during his three-year stint as a teacher at Cornell, that Ahmad found himself giving a job talk in the city where in 1886 laboring men and women had fought to win the eight-hour workday. He left his hotel, picked up a bouquet of flowers and, when he arrived at Haymarket, asked where he could find the monument. No one seemed to know of it. Finally someone pointed it out to him. It was a statue of a policeman who had preserved law and order on that day long ago. Ahmad brought the flowers back with him and gave them to his girlfriend, Julie Diamond, who eventually became his wife.

In 1968, in a speech at an antiwar sit-in, Ahmad, who was now a fellow at the Adlai Stevenson Institute in Chicago, spoke of his search for the Haymarket monument. He told the audience how shocked he had been that the historical memory of workers’ resistance, recognized and celebrated throughout the world, had not been honored in its own place of origin. Not long after, two FBI agents showed up at Ahmad’s door. They wanted to know what he had said about Haymarket and who had been in the audience. It turned out that the Weathermen had just blown up the offending statue of the Chicago policeman. “I am inclined to tell stories,” Eqbal Ahmad had once said, and, in one of his interviews, he offered a vignette about the visit from the two FBI agents:

They first asked me if I was a citizen of the United States. I said, “No.” They said, “Don’t you feel that as a guest in this country you should not be going about criticizing the host country’s government?” I said, “I hear your point, but I do want you to know that while I am not a citizen, I am a taxpayer. And I thought it was a fundamental principle of American democracy that there is no taxation without representation. I have not been represented about this war. And my people, Asian people, are being bombed right now.” Surprisingly, the FBI agents looked deeply moved and blushed at my throwing this argument at them. They were speechless. Then I understood something about the importance of having some congruence between American liberal traditions…and our rhetoric and tactics.”