Human Kindness is Limitless

Feature

Volunteers serve as a catalyst for change in a society. It is important to provide a supportive environment to these selfless individuals and organizations so that they may contribute to true nation building.

The culture of volunteerism is inherent to many societies and supplements State functions. It is also an expression of the spirit of human compassion. Sometimes, however, it may be a response to the failure of State apparatus, prompting people to form support networks with friends and families in times of crises. Whatever the reason, societies at large benefit tremendously from selfless acts of devoted volunteers.

Volunteer work may be defined as work motivated not by material gains or external pressures, but by free will. It may include assisting the physically, socially or mentally disadvantaged in their everyday struggles, running literacy programs, and disease prevention and awareness campaigns etc. by contributing time, skills or resources. A question that often teases the mind is, how the idea of volunteerism takes root in communities in the first place, and whether it is dependent on the level of affluence in societies. A cursory glance at some aspects of developed and underdeveloped cultures around the world shows motivated people in all socio-economic groups, and sometimes more so in disadvantaged groups wherein the element of empathy plays an important role even when financial constraints paralyze action, and we find international charity organizations playing their important role by offering financial support to genuine humanitarian causes. 

In the US, the spirit of volunteerism is inculcated in individuals from a very young age, starting with pre-school children. By involving their parents in educational and fun activities at school, the community takes a teach-by-example route. As we go higher up the educational ladder, this trend is further seen to be strengthened when colleges encourage ‘Gap-year’ volunteer work experiences at home and abroad, taking up causes one feels passionate about, and learn valuable life lessons along the way. Needless to say, these programs benefit recipient societies tremendously as they enrich individual outlook.

The possibilities are endless when it comes to selecting one’s cause – from becoming a part of charities focusing on creating safe and supportive atmosphere for small children, to getting involved in pressing economic situations like provision of affordable housing for low-income families. When choosing social volunteerism as their passion, American citizens are never short of opportunities in their multicultural and multiethnic society. Social volunteerism helps develop a healthy pluralistic culture that focuses beyond religious, ethnic, and racial barriers and challenges misconceptions, thereby promoting social harmony. For example, the Sharon Pluralism Network working in a small town in Massachusetts helps bring “change at grassroots level in the society” through collaboration of seven town organizations “that partner together to support multicultural and interfaith understanding and engagement.”

This American spirit of volunteerism is extended to outside of the country as well, and has benefitted South Asian societies greatly. For example, the charity, CARE, has worked extensively in Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal to fight poverty and social injustice, running literacy programs and empowering women. CARE volunteers worked tirelessly in Pakistan during the 2010 floods alongside local volunteers to provide shelter, health and sanitation, and safe water facilities. Continuing CARE projects in India and Sri Lanka focus on disadvantaged children at orphanages and care centers, helping with teaching both life skills and handicrafts along with basic education, while also supporting the mentally and physically challenged. In Nepal, CARE projects work on special needs education and vocational training at orphanages. In Bangladesh, volunteer work focuses more on improving the local infrastructure that is perpetually caught up in a cycle of cyclones and floods. American volunteers have helped locals in building walls, drainage systems, playgrounds and clinics, and run educational programs that focus on health. Also, CARE projects have focused on food insecurity, maternal mortality, HIV prevention strategies, literacy, capacity building of communities etc.

Pakistan is a land of contradictions. While its rich history of art and architecture stretches back to 5,000 years, the present state of weak governance coupled with threats of terrorism has rendered the country paralyzed on many fronts. However, challenged by the holes in sustained development efforts of the State, resilient Pakistanis continue to take up the roles of builders and sustainers with or without help from international humanitarian organizations. The Pakistan Centre for Philanthropy (PCP) ranked Pakistan as the sixth most philanthropic country in the world. In a 2004 study it noted that more than 200,000 Pakistanis volunteer their skills on a full time basis. This view is supported by a 2005 report by The Christian Science Monitor which states that, “Pakistan has one of the highest rates of philanthropy in the world… 58 percent of Pakistanis volunteer their time to needy causes, giving nearly $700 million a year in charity.” Judging from the success of the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital of Imran Khan which was built solely on public donations worth $22.2 million, to one man’s dream, the Edhi Foundation, which is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s largest volunteer ambulance service, benefits millions of people in need, this culture of charity is indeed intrinsic to Pakistani society even as it continues to face numerous challenges on a daily basis. Despite widespread corruption in many government departments, volunteer charity organizations are widely respected for maintaining transparency and creating an efficient and effective image of Pakistani volunteers.

Pakistanis living abroad, like Pak-Americans, also continue to support the less privileged in their country of origin. During the 2005 Earthquake and the 2010 Floods, they donated generously towards relief efforts. Many Pakistani-American organizations also contributed time, skills and funds for victims of the 2004 Asian tsunami and for victims of Hurricane Katrina, according to a report in US Dept of State’s The Washington File. Active humanitarian organizations among these included Association of Pakistani Physicians of North America (APPNA), Pakistani Association of Greater Seattle, Association of Pakistani-American physicians, The Council of Pakistan-American Affairs (COPAA) of Southern California, The Organization of Pakistani Entrepreneurs of North America (OPEN) etc. Many Pak-Americans contributed in individual capacities as well.

Conversely, for years American volunteers have also worked through charities and in their individual capacity in Pakistan in relief efforts during times of crises. While their contribution has been invaluable, an important feature of this contact is formation of bonds which go beyond the short period of actual contact and helps dispel misconceptions on both sides. An American volunteer, Dr Mary Burry, visited Pakistan for relief work during the 2005 Earthquake. The Christian Science Monitor later quoted her as saying, “Like most Americans, I had the idea that this is a pretty dangerous place to be…” and the experience “totally changed my concept of Pakistan.” Another American volunteer, Wesley Olson remarked, “I’ve been to eight or nine countries by now - and by far the nicest people I’ve met have been here.” In turn, Pakistanis were also deeply touched by the generosity and dedication of the American helpers.

When all sides prosper due to actions of a few, it is indeed a wonderfully simple way to bring countries closer together. Selfless volunteer work helps develop a culture of kindness and compassion by benefitting the most vulnerable sections of communities, enriching the giver as much as the receiver. It is simply an expression of human kindness that spreads outwards and envelopes everyone in its warmth.

Published in SouthAsia as: Human kindness is Limitless June 2011

The Development Challenge

Feature

Many South Asian countries continue to receive financial and technical support from the Asian Development Bank. However, development planners and practitioners urge ADB for reform in its policies and procedural approach in order to be truly reflective of its commitment to poverty reduction

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) was established in 1966 with a commitment “to help its developing member countries reduce poverty and improve the quality of life of their people”. It is financed by 67 member countries, and works closely with development agencies, governments and in the private sector, providing financial and technical assistance. A brief description of some assistance projects provided by the ADB to some South Asian countries from the ADB website is as follows:

India is a founding member of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and its fifth largest shareholder. Loans amounting to $22,228.15 million have been approved for various projects in India since 1986, which include among others, the clean energy initiatives and rebuilding and reconstruction projects. In support of Tata Power project, ADB provided a loan covering about 70% of the project cost. To assist the effected people of 2001 Gujrat earthquake, in which nearly 2 million people lost their homes and thousands lost their lives, ADB approved a $350 million project in financing housing, rebuilding infrastructure, and restoring power supply and livelihoods.

Pakistan, the 13th largest shareholder, has received about $ 20 billion in loans so far, utilized in supporting development initiatives in infrastructure, energy, social sectors and governance. In 2005, as Pakistan struggled to handle the worst earthquake of its history that affected 3.5 million, the ADB provided valuable assistance in various forms, including loans for materials used in rebuilding and reconstruction. Similarly, when the 2010 floods impacted 20 million people, sweeping away 2.2m hectares of farmland, the ADB not only sought to establish a trust fund for other partners to channel their contribution, but approved a $3 million grant with 200 million pledged over the next two years for urgent relief and rehabilitation needs.

Sri Lanka has received $4.69 billion in loans and $104.8 million for 238 technical assistance projects since joining the ADB in 1966. ADB’s support provides opportunities for Sri Lanka’s disadvantaged communities to tackle the effects of years of conflict, and natural calamities like the 2004 tsunami. Important Microfinance and skills training is also provided by the ADB-supported projects to empower women, giving them a choice to stay near their families rather than migrate to the Middle East as domestic workers, where they are employed in menial jobs and suffer widespread abuse. ADB has also been actively involved in helping Sri Lanka’s underfunded educational system get back on track, providing electricity to schools, scholarships for students and teachers, and capacity building.

Bangladesh joined the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in 1973, and is one of the largest borrowers of concessionary Asian Development Fund resources. The cumulative lending in 2009 amounted to about $10.89 billion for loans, with $195.15 million for technical assistance grants for 348 projects.

Despite injecting millions of dollars into development spending in Asia, the ADB has received strong criticism from the international community for being a highly centralized and unaccountable institution, catering more to the demands of its major donors, Japan and the US, thereby contributing to serious setbacks for the very people it aims to help. There are strong objections to policy reforms and privatization of state institutions advocated by the ADB in borrowing countries, which result in downsizing and, hence, increased joblessness. The member governments, when pressurized to keep up with debt as well as maintaining growth, often are forced to take the route of increased taxes and result in less long term benefits for their populations.

Oxfam Australia has criticized the ADB of insensitivity to concerns of local communities by undermining “people's human rights through projects that have detrimental outcomes for poor and marginalized communities.” The bank has been charged by NGOs with causing displacement of 100,000 to 150,000 people in Asia each year due to ineffective implementation of its well-meaning but lop-sided approach to development planning and implementation

ActionAid, an international anti-poverty agency formed in 1972, has called for wide ranging reforms of the ADB, and asserted, “Because of their failed instruments, poverty is higher, you see rising unemployment, you see malnutrition, all over Asia.” More than 10% of the total external debt of the Asia Pacific is also owed to the ADB. Although some of these poorest countries perpetually struck in the cycle of debt could benefit from write-offs, there was strong opposition expressed by Director General of ADB, Mr. Nag, against the idea of debt cancellation when it came up as part of the UN MDGs and insisted, “We as an institution do not do that. We believe that we are a developmental institution, but are also a bank”.

The bank has also received criticism for its lack of insight, or will to implement, environmental safeguards in pursuit of its goals, often resulting in short term development value but long term environmental damage, like the coal-powered fire station in Thailand. A US-based NGO, Environmental Defense, has charged that “The ADB's environmental categorization is significantly weaker than that of the World Bank, which requires all projects classified as sensitive to undergo an environmental assessment. But such an assessment is not always required for ADB projects classified as sensitive.”

Other issues where ADB has come under fire is its disregard for issues of larger political implications, like the territorial dispute between India and China where the ADB endorsed a $2.9 billion funding strategy for proposed projects for India Country Partnership strategy, directly impacting India’s relations with China. China expressed strong condemnation of the bank’s move which “not only seriously tarnishes its own name, but also undermines the interests of its members.”

In conclusion, ADB’s strategies might be more effective if they promoted a balance between economic growth and ensuring livelihood sustenance for the disadvantaged populations of South Asia. Moreover, planning development initiatives with full participation of local communities and other relevant stakeholders, rather than catering to international marketing concerns would bring better results and appreciation for the well-meaning but constantly challenged role that the ADB struggles to play in its anti-poverty initiatives.

SOUTHASIA, The Development Challenge APRIL 2011

The challenge of Slums

Feature

Some of the largest slums in the world adapt innovative, if indeed short term, solutions at the hands of slumlords to fulfill basic needs where States fail

The slums of India are not a recently discovered phenomenon but came into focus more so when Danny Boyle’s 2008 blockbuster, Slumdog Millionaire, appeared on box-office to enthrall audiences across the globe. The tough lives of the slum-dwellers were highlighted through the plight of child stars, who travelled all the way to the red carpet of Oscars and back to the reality of their disease-infested slums, to join 60 million other slum-dwellers of India in a life they would probably never be able to escape.

These slums – centers of healthcare nightmares battling diarrhea, TB, maternal mortality and domestic abuse and child labor living in what the UN terms ‘unacceptable living conditions’ – characterized by lack of water and sanitation, overcrowding, non-durable structures and insecure tenure, feature in the UN-HABITAT report, The Challenge of Slums: Global report on Human Settlements 2003, as one of the biggest challenges of urban living. According to the report, the 2% annual growth rate is expected to double so that one in every three people in the world will end up in a slum within 30 years unless urban growth is checked through rigorous planning. This study of global urban conditions also finds that the 30 richest countries host only 2% of slum population while in the 30 least developed countries, this percentage is almost 80%. In India, though not exclusive to Mumbai, slums have been a major challenge, and an overwhelming 55% of the population of Mumbai lives in slums, which cover only 6% of the city’s land.

The generally understood and accepted reason for formation of slums is massive migration of workers to cities and production centers in search of job opportunities. Naturally, the new workers from poverty ridden areas who are already struggling to survive cannot afford renting new housing and make temporary shelters which get transformed rapidly into semi-permanent housing colonies. Since these are unplanned and basic amenities are missing, there is not only an increased strain on the existing resources of the region, but leads to further deterioration of services outside the slums as well. Moreover, slums also serve as breeding grounds for all sorts of criminal activities.

Many slum-dwellers of India diligently shun any re-housing or development plans because they believe the corrupt politicians and developers will go back on their promises and leave them hung out to dry. Years of encroachment on the vast stretches of public land owned by official agencies but neglected in development planning, these slums also represent billions of dollars worth of dead capital. Unfortunately, the slum residents get the raw end of the deal either way. They suffer humiliation and battle constant health risks while forced to house twice as many people in spaces barely enough for half the number of residents. On top of that, the slumlords that control all services provided in slums, including rent and electricity, are harsh and sometimes worse than criminals, extracting their full share while boasting of providing a service that the State has not been able to deliver.

To start with, the slum mafia starts out with one small hut at a time, slowly gaining strength using bribes and coercion to grow into a whole colony. Funded or coerced by the slum mafia, politicians make a pretense of working to provide basic services for slum dwellers including water supply, drainage, electricity and roads. Within a few years of official red-tape the colony is regularized and slums become permanent growing, developing entities. A stark example in this regard is that of Mumbai’s 1900 acres of land for airport complex, widely reported in the media for losing almost 150 acres of land to encroachment. Ultimately, when relevant government agencies took notice and the process for re-location of slums started with planned surveys, many of the surveyors were attacked by the slumlords, which also simultaneously started evicting residents if they met any resistance to their designs. Gangsters earned profit by forcing slum-dwellers to partition their already cramped and small units into multiple ones, and surveyors were either bribed or forced to record the divisions as new units so that the government would have to provide four free flats to four different families when in actuality there was only one. The slumlords would then give only one new flat to the family, increase rents, and sell remaining three flats at a market price and pocket the profit too.

Despite the horror of slum dwellers existence, the level of entrepreneurship displayed by slumlords and the hope, however small or distorted, it offers to millions for a better life merits recognition. Where governments failed to deliver to their citizens with adequate provision of basic civic facilities and infrastructure, these slumlords stepped forward to fill the vacuum and proved to be William Drayton’s ‘Social Entrepreneurs’, described as, “where others see barriers, [Social Entrepreneurs] delight in finding solutions and in turning them into society’s new and concrete patterns.”

However, as asserted in the UN report, what is truly needed is not just finding opportunity in adversity through manipulation or extortion, but by getting to the root of the problem that gives rise to slums in the first place: absence of adequate employment opportunities to improve the economic condition of slum dwellers. Some helpful steps in this regard would certainly have to include development of industrial areas close to smaller towns so people don’t have to migrate to large cities in search of better work opportunities, developing and promoting transportation facilities to encourage free movement to and from urban work areas to living centers in rural communities, and considering upgrading existing living spaces as a more cost effective solution in the long run to re-location options. Unfortunately, lack of political will and opportunistic approach of corrupt government officials might need to be addressed before any positive change can be seen in the countries hosting huge populations of slums around the world.

SouthAsia Magazine, The Challenge of Slums Feb 2011

The Reality of Reality Shows

Feature

Television is an influential medium of entertainment reaching out to millions. It is, therefore, necessary to utilize its potential as a positive influence while serving that purpose.

The importance of entertainment as a central cultural phenomenon cannot be overlooked since it serves as an indicator of larger cultural trends. Media is considered to be one of the most influential entertainment tools effectively utilizing its many genres. It is interesting to note that while particular entertainment preferences guide our choices influenced by cultural conditioning, appeal of some entertainment genre transcends cultural barriers. Reality television is one such genre of entertainment that has claimed universal appeal in the global media.

Reality television is characterized by programming in which ordinary people are featured encountering dramatic or unusual situations, supposedly while performing actual everyday tasks. The genre is not new and has existed of long in the form of game shows, but in the last decade it has been expanded to include a variety of topics, including drama, talent hunt, search for love, adventurE, celebrity lifestyles, highlighting a cause, and crime etc. Reality television is not very ‘real’ in the sense that it employs sensationalism to attract viewership and boost ratings. Sometimes, reality shows are scripted but an illusion of reality is created through editing. Shows based on lives of showbiz celebrities are mostly popular because of the element of glamour.

In India, the more popular reality shows entice viewers with gossip masala. In some Indian reality shows, a heightened sense of sensational drama is achieved by having the participants behave in an exaggerated manner often considered scandalous and challenging to social etiquette. Some other reality shows are based on contests for the purpose of talent hunt, especially in music-related fields which has a huge market in India. To better understand the popularity of this genre in India, an introduction of some Indian reality show might be helpful.

Many Indian reality shows are inspired by shows from abroad, again highlighting the universal appeal of the topics explored. Big Brother inspired the production of the Indian version, Big Boss; Sach Ka Saamna from Moment Of Truth, and Indian Idol and Chotay Utaad – which features child singer and performers – from the UK Pop Idol and American Idol. Among music programmes, Indian Idol has served as a big platform for many budding singers. India’s Got Talent, is the Indian version of the ‘Got Talent’ series. The Great Indian Laughter Challenge, a competition of standup comedians, is a very successful comedy reality show on Indian television, inspired by the American programme, ‘Who’s Line is it, Anyway’? Another ‘hunt for love’ show MTVsplitvilla, is based on the concept of the American dating game show, The Bachelor, in which a rich bachelor finds the ultimate girl of his dreams by choosing from a group of girls through a process of grueling tests and elimination. Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa is the Indian version of BBC’s ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ and ABC’s ‘Dancing with the Stars’ and ‘So You Think You Can Dance’; Kaun Banega Crorepati’ is the Indian version of the UK game show ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?’ This show combines the celebrity aspect of reality genre featuring the legendary star, Amitabh Bachhan. This is also the show on which the 2009 blockbuster film, ‘Slumdog Millionaire” was based, creating a unique and highly successful reality film. Another important reality show called Haath se Haath Mila, (Let’s Join Hands) is an influential show highlighting the importance of community service by creating awareness about HIV/AIDS in India and features celebrities from Bollywood. .

A quick glance on reality show format and their focus shows that their popularity stems from their perceived relation to our own dreams and aspirations. The common thread that runs through most reality shows is their popular appeal in terms of sharing achievements, heartbreak, joys and tears in a quest for success. While the talent-hunt shows provide a useful platform for showcasing unexplored talent and to give opportunities, their greater appeal also lies in the public’s own desire to see ordinary people change their destinies and achieve their dreams. In others, where contests strive to find their dream partner, heartbreak and high drama entails through much of the series. However, the concept of making the contestants go through sometimes humiliating experiences to avoid elimination teaches values that the society does not approve of at large. At the same time, the viewers and men in these Indian reality shows have a fun time at the expense of the participants, while the girls end up demeaning themselves through catfights and obscenity. Feminists have been up in arms against reality shows that show women as sex objects, to no avail.

Another trend in the West which is still under consideration in India, is the reality show production of political figures as stars. Sarah Palin's Alaska has faced strong criticism in the US media, and a Time Magazine report questioned the motive of the show as being “the world's most expensive political ad” at $1 million for each episode, produced free of charge. In India, though no reality show has been made exclusively for a politician as yet, people with political links have occasionally appeared on such shows; Sanjay Nirupam was a participant in Bigg Boss, and Rahul Mahajan has featured in several reality shows.

Another important aspect of reality show production is its strong marketing value. Since people tend to identify and relate with participants of reality shows on some level, there is a greater chance of being influenced by their preferences. Sometimes reality shows feature use of popular brands to boost their own profits. These brands pay high rates for advertisement. This is known as product placement. It is a form of advertisement where branded goods are casually placed in the story line. An advertisement is accepted as having a great impact on minors too, whether it is the decision of purchasing toys or imitating their favorite character’s actions. That makes it a big responsibility for the marketing agencies. The negative influence of smoking by lead actors in the past is known to have influenced minors and adults alike.

In the US, an example of embedded marketing includes ‘Extreme Makeover’, which promotes sponsors like Sears and Ford. The designers of the programme executing the makeovers are often shown shopping at Sears and fitting Kenmore appliances in the homes undergoing makeovers. The Indian show Haath se Haath Mila also uses placement ads to promote its message. Film clips of the stars supporting the cause and appearing on the show are used as embedded marketing tools to draw viewership and enhance profits. A few examples of product placement in Indian movies include Coke in Taal, Maruti Swift in Bunty Aur Babli and Calvin Klein in Salaam Namaste.

Most reality shows focus on profits and don’t mind promoting negative messages to boost their viewership.  It is important to realize that reality television is an indispensible and influential tool of entertainment today. Instead of providing meaningless or detrimental entertainment, we can utilize its potential as a positive influence on the viewership alongside its real purpose.

***************

PUBLISHED: SouthAsia Magazine, Jan 2011.

The AIDS Challenge

Feature

Each year December 01 is celebrated around the world as International AIDS Day to renew the commitment of the world community to spread awareness and find ways to combat this disease. There are an estimated 36 million people currently living with HIV and AIDS worldwide, of which at least half are women and 98% of these women live in developing countries.

AIDS (Acquired immunodeficiency Syndrome) is a disease that weakens the immune system and  makes the victim vulnerable to infections and cancers that may result in death if left untreated. AIDS is caused by the HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), and is spread through contact with infected blood or secretions. Since the HIV epidemic is largely connected to behaviours that expose individuals to the virus, studies have focused strongly on awareness and promotion of safe sex as being at the center of HIV prevention strategies. Risk factors that encourage the spread of disease in developing countries, especially in Asia which houses 60% of the world’s population, include low literacy rates, crippling poverty, high fertility combined with low contraception usage and topped by poor access to health and education facilities.

Pakistan is the second largest country in South Asia, and WHO and UNAIDS estimate the number of HIV/AIDS cases in Pakistan to be around 90,000, while national statistics report them to be at a modest 5,000 – the discrepancy points to the fact that a vast majority of cases go unreported due to social taboos about sex and victims’ fears of discrimination. Pakistan has been a low HIV prevalence country with only 0.1% afflicted among its general adult population, but is increasingly faced with a threat from a high number of injecting drug users (IUDs) and has now moved into what is known as the transition phase.

To respond effectively to this threat, Pakistan started its National AIDS Control Programme (NACP) in 1986, which has shown productive outcome in line with its objectives of “prevention of HIV transmission, safe blood transfusions, reduction of STD transmission, establishment of surveillance, training of health staff, research and behavioral studies, and development of programme management.” NACP program partners include World Bank, WHO, DFID, CIDA, GFATM, GTZ, UNAIDS, UNODC, UNFPA, UNICEF, UNIFEM, CDC Atlanta, Clinton Foundation and the GFA Consulting Group. The NACP through its centers across the country has made possible access to treatment and information to many victims, while maintaining data and providing research opportunities towards the larger goal of prevention and eradication despite facing challenges. The NACP is also providing free treatment to patients in its 20 centers across the country.

The modes of HIV/AIDS transmission in Pakistan relies largely on heterosexual transmission and contaminated blood or blood products as the most commonly reported vehicles. Other transmission methods include injecting drug use, male-to-male or bisexual relations and mother-to-child transmission, while HIV prevalence is 1% to 2% in high-risk populations such as female sex workers and long-route truck drivers.

Pakistan’s general population finds itself at potential risk through an general attitude of low compliance with infection control procedures including handling of blood transfusion and use of unsterilized medical instruments. Studies indicate that a high percentage of injections are administered with used injection equipment due to shortage of funds. According to WHO estimates, unsafe injections account for three percent of new HIV cases in Pakistan. It is also estimated that 40 percent of the 1.5 million annual blood transfusions in Pakistan are not screened for HIV. Moreover, in 1998, the AIDS Surveillance Centre in Karachi conducted a study of professional blood donors and found that 1% of them were infected with HIV.

IDUs remain at a considerably higher risk of contracting HIV infection in Pakistan because they often indulge in high risk practices of sharing syringes. Since Pakistan neighbours a major opium producing country, Afghanistan, a percentage of its vulnerable young-adult population has been addicted over the years. With a growing number of drug abusers, in 1999 the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) had conducted studies in Lahore on changing methods of drug ingestion from inhaling to injecting, and warned of a rise in HIV cases. As predicted, the country saw an increase from 9% in 2005 to 21% HIV prevalence among injecting drug-users by 2009.

While there is little documentation about homosexual relations in men in Pakistan due to religious and cultural taboos, evidence from various studies suggests it is prevalent throughout the country. According to WHO, "Asia is believed to have the world's largest number of [MSM], estimated at 10 million.” Sexual activity between men is likely present in boys’ hostels and jails, and in the groups of transvestites, transsexuals and eunuchs who are known to engage in unsafe sexual practices due to their disadvantaged socioeconomic and educational status.

Gender inequalities are also known to facilitate the further spread of HIV/AIDS among women in male dominated cultures in Asia in general. The status of women in Asia makes them especially vulnerable to HIV, and they suffer from a lack of access to support systems for HIV too. The number of women infected with HIV in Asia rose to 20 percent between 2003 and 2005, compared with a 17 percent increase for the region's total population, (UNAIDS 2005).

Pakistani women in general have less socio-economic independence and have less decision-making power than men. Gender disparities are rampant in many fields, e.g. female literacy rate in Pakistan is at 35% for women and 59% for men. Despite social stigma, commercial sex is also prevalent in all major cities of Pakistan. Owing to their low social status, female sex workers (FSWs) are often exploited and abused, and have little legal recourse or protection. Many behavioral studies indicate that female sex workers have little or no understanding of safe practices which makes them more vulnerable to STIs and HIV/AIDS. Furthermore, these sex workers often lack the power to negotiate safe sex or seek treatment for STIs and one study indicated that only 2% of female sex workers said they used any form of contraception with clients.

A big hurdle in treatment options for women is, however, the stigma attached to being related to an AIDS patient. Many women are shunned by not only their neighbours, but also close family members for the crime of association. Sometimes, after losing the husband to AIDS, women become more vulnerable to abuse. They face open hostility, and their children also suffer social isolation. Many women are excluded from inheriting property, cast out of their homes by in-laws and end up with severe food insecurity and lack of long-term sustainable livelihood as well as lack of support and care systems for treatment and life-saving drugs. Children of these women, or those born to HIV positive mothers, suffer widespread discrimination too. UNICEF sources claim only 38% of children under 15 living with HIV in the developing world received antiretroviral treatment which is considered extremely important for sustainability of victims.

The epidemic of HIV/AIDS in the developing world requires a consistent focus of respective governments and constant support of the world community in employing effective strategies based on timely prevention of HIV transmission, safe blood transfusions, training of health staff, continuing research and development of program management on a large scale, supported by an enabling environment. Hopefully, the World AIDS Day will serve to keep the focus on this important issue alive.

SOUTHASIA, 'The AIDS Challenge, Dec 2010.

Winning Hearts and Minds, the Right Way

Opinion

He might not have much influence on his country’s foreign policy, but he is surely the best ambassador any country could hope for

Pick up any newspaper, and you find Pakistan in the news more often than any other country – and usually not for the best of reasons. Fortunately, however, these days the news of corruption, bombs, beards and burkas is outshined by the hospitality and love ordinary Pakistanis shower upon an American helicopter pilot, John Bockman. His blog in a Pakistani newspaper, The Express Tribune, has been widely shared by his host country’s readers and is still drawing comments four weeks hence. He is part of a US humanitarian mission in Pakistan, delivering aid to the flood-ravaged areas.

Although the US remains the single largest donor of aid to Pakistan’s latest calamity-hit population, it still suffers from a huge public relations nightmare as far as its image among the majority of Pakistan’s population, or even the Muslim world, is concerned. Struggling to contain the negative fallout of some of their aggressive policies in this War on Terror, the US policy-makers and practitioners are hard-pressed to find effective measures to win hearts and minds of ordinary Pakistanis, and thereby curtail recruitment for terrorists. Although there are a variety of reasons quoted for this image deficit, including the oft quoted Bushism, ‘They hate us for our freedoms’, yet few believe that to be true because the bombs that drones drop with relentless frequency in the north-western areas of Pakistan drown out all other explanations and far outweigh aid and care packages.

The drone technology has been extensively used in the Northern areas of Pakistan to target militants in the last decade. It is a cause of serious concern for human rights activists around the world due to its high rate of failure, spilling more innocent blood than getting intended targets. A recent article by Johann Hari in the British newspaper, The Independent reported that the year 2009 alone saw 900 civilian lives in the tribal areas lost to this fearsome technological tool, and that according to David Kilcullen, who is a counter-insurgency expert and an adviser in the State Department, only two percent of those killed in Pakistan by drones are terrorists while 98% are " as innocent as the victims of 9/11".

These aggressive policies do not seem to have helped in curbing terrorism other than inducing some temporary setbacks to terrorists. They have also failed completely in winning hearts and minds in Pakistan for one big reason: ordinary Pakistanis are still struggling to differentiate between their benefactors and enemies. When terrorists blow up government buildings, hospitals, girls’ schools or markets killing innocent men, women and children, they claim victory against forces of evil while dismissing innocent blood as a necessary sacrifice in the path to their glorious goals. When drones unleash their unmanned power, often based on faulty intelligence on houses where families are sitting down to supper and blowing them to a million pieces, the Intelligence Agencies declare victory promptly if their target dies, and not a word of regret is uttered for other lives lost in collateral. Since there is no official acknowledgement of drone strikes by the US Government, no apology or sense of responsibility, nor modification of existing strategies is deemed necessary. Boosting recruitment and winning hearts and minds of terrorists? Absolutely. Ordinary people, not so much.

It was to such a backdrop that John Bockmann landed at Chaklala Base in Pakistan more than a month ago. He received much warmth from Pakistanis, despite being part of a system that represents, for many of them, blatant aggression. Why he draws such a response, one may be forgiven for wondering. Is it because he brings care packages for them, instead of bombs? Smiles and shakes hands; hugs and thanks them when he receives offers of chai? Makes an effort to learn Urdu so he may converse with his gracious hosts? Recounts his experiences without bias, thereby challenging stereotypes about them? Acknowledges that their everyday concerns for peace are similar to his own or those of his people back home? Pledges to do all in his capacity as an individual for the cause of peace? Or, all of the above? The answer is really quite obvious. John Bockmann might not have much influence on his country’s foreign policy, but he is surely the best ambassador any country could hope for.

I want to tell him, and I am sure I speak for many when I say, “ John, you are a beacon of hope, a source of strength and an inspiration for all those who believe in building a fair and just world. Your experiences are unique in that they represent the best of what humanity has to offer in the worst of circumstances. You are also the face of America Pakistanis need to see more of in order to pull through the chaos that is their constant companion. Please don't forget this hospitality when you return home. Cherish this experience as a constant reminder of what you have accomplished that people in higher positions can aspire for but not achieve – making ‘brothers’ among strangers by respecting their culture, acknowledging their kind hospitality and returning their warmth with your own. Thank you, John.”

Wars are built on propaganda and shielding of truth so that neither side gets to see the humane aspect of the other – it makes the taking of innocent lives lighter on the conscience. Pursuing long term goals of peace takes patience, and understanding. Brute force can only result in temporary gains while fuelling the fires we need to quench. There has to be another way to defeat the evil of violence. We must find it. After all, a decade of hate hasn’t done us much favour.


Published: ASIA! THROUGH ASIAN EYES Nov10, 2010.

Investing in Healthcare

Feature

Access to healthcare is a basic human right. The World Bank is playing an important role in helping South Asian countries to provide this right to their citizens.

Developed countries of the world have in place a robust infrastructure and institutions that see to the provision of these rights, while developing countries struggle with funds and weak healthcare systems. When resources fail to meet demand, various world aid agencies help bridge the gap with financial and technical assistance. The World Bank has been a consistent supporter of South Asian governments in tackling serious health issues like HIV/AIDS and Polio mellitus.

HIV/AIDS

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) weakens the immune system and exposes the body to infections. Although AIDS was first recognized by the US Center for Disease Control (CDC) in 1981, in its third decade it still eludes a cure, there is no vaccine and preventive measures involving practices of safe sex and Syringe Exchange Programs (SEPs) have been advocated as the best approach. In 2007, roughly 33.2 million people lived with AIDS worldwide. An estimated 2.1 million people have also died of it.

Epidemiologists have conducted extensive studies to understand and identify high risk groups and formulate effective management strategies. However, South Asian countries present a unique challenge because of their population diversity which hampers effective management. The World Bank’s report, AIDS in SA: Understanding and responding shares the scope and dynamic of this infection in South Asia. It points out the most vulnerable groups as being Sex Workers (SWs), their clients, homosexual men (MSM), and Injecting Drug Users (IDUs). Once infected, these groups are more likely to transmit infection to large numbers of contacts.

These high-risk groups are present in significant numbers in some South Asian countries. In 2004, India harbored more than 60 percent of the HIV infections in Asia (UNAIDS). In 1998, Prime Minister Vajpayee declared HIV/AIDS as “India’s most important public health problem.” India has a legalized sex industry and at least 500,000 female sex workers (SWs). These SWs are receiving help and information regarding safe sex practices to control the pace and spread of infection. In countries where sex is not a legalized industry, most SWs operate from homes dissemination of information becomes a challenge. Sri Lanka, which has an estimated 30,000 female SWs, is also estimated to have 40,000 to 50,000 drug users. Pakistan has about 500,000 chronic heroin users (UNODC 2002). Figures from neighboring Afghanistan show that, of an estimated 920,000 illicit drug users, 120,000 are women and 60,000 are children (UNODC 2005).

The Detailed Implementation Review (DIR), a World Bank, document gives information on WB contribution in this regard: The World Bank had been a consistent supporter of initiatives in South Asia and has financed HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment programs extensively. In 1992, a World Bank (Bank) assessment revealed that India could “follow in the footsteps of some of the worst affected countries in Africa, resulting in the erosion of many of the past gains in human development.” WB sponsored the Indian government’s National AIDS Control Projects (NACPI, NACPII) and in 1998 the Bank was acknowledged to be its single largest donor. The positive results of the project have now been acknowledged widely.

The World Bank has also conducted studies to help governments understand the best approaches. For South Asia, the costs of treatment to the disease-afflicted populations and consequently, the economy of the country is a serious concern. Mariam Claeson, WB's HIV/AIDS Coordinator for South Asia explored the impact on economic growth in South Asia in the report,’ HIV and AIDS in South Asia’ as a regional development issues: “Although HIV prevalence in South Asia is comparatively low, the region faces a number of challenges including the risk of escalation of concentrated epidemics, the economic welfare costs, and the fiscal costs of scaling up treatment for AIDS. If HIV infections are distributed across the range of South Asian living standards, then only 30 percent of the cases would be above the more generous poverty line of US$2.15. And the poorest 10 percent of these would be pushed down into poverty by AIDS treatment expenditures.” Preventive strategies have thus been propagated as the best approach.

POLIO MELLITIS

The Global Polio Eradication Initiative was launched in1988; polio was endemic in 125 countries around the world at the time, and 350,000 children a year became paralyzed because of it (WHO). Thanks to the successful global polio vaccine campaign over the past 20 years, it exists only in four countries including three Asian nations (India, Pakistan and Afghanistan) and one in Africa (Nigeria). These countries remain a cause of grave concern as travel to and from these countries challenges containment, and eradication continues to be an elusive goal despite an expenditure of more than $6billion so far.

For Pakistan and Afghanistan, war and instability seems to be a contributor in the spread of polio. In the latter half of 2008, large scale movement of populations from the Northern areas of Pakistan took place due to militant violence and resulting military action. The Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from war-affected areas took up residence in camps or with relatives in other parts of the country and the virus moved into areas previously considered free of it. The recent floods have again rendered almost 20 million homeless and forced them into camps. Although updated assessment of spread of disease among them is not currently avialable but it is predicted to be a helathcare nightmare unfolding slowly but surely. In Afghanistan, ongoing decades old war continues to hamper administration of OPVs to affected areas.

The Director of Polio Eradication Initiative at WHO, Dr. Bruce Aylward, in his report to the World Health Assembly said that 2008 was “a very difficult year for the eradication programme." in Nigeria because there was” "a simple failure to reach and vaccinate children,” According to the disease surveillance unit of the WHO, Nigeria accounts for 61 per cent of global polio cases and 95 per cent of cases in Africa. Although southern Nigeria has been polio-free for a couple of years, northern Nigeria, in 2003, stopped immunizing its children against polio when hard-line Nigerian clerics called for the boycott. The result was the spread of polio virus from Nigeria to 23 polio-free countries around the world, including nations as far away as Indonesia and Yemen, effecting nearly 1500 children. The reason for persistence of disease in the Pakistan and Afghanistan rests on similar misconceptions regarding the contamination of polio vaccine with infertility drugs and AIDS virus. This has resulted in stiff resistance against polio eradication campaigns and threats to government and aid officials, challenging containment efforts in these countries

The governments of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria are trying to reach people through media and religious leaders to remove misconceptions. The campaigns are not likely to meet with success despite support form World community unless religious and cultural concerns are addressed. The number of reported cases in 2009 clearly show more needs to be done – 57 in Pakistan, 22 in Afghanistan, 327 in India and 379 in Nigeria (Global Polio Eradication Initiative) The World Bank is part of the ‘Partnerships for Polio Eradication Project’, and its IDA is providing additional financing of $50million would finance the increased resources required for the procurement of Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) in support of Nigerian government’s efforts. In Pakistan, the World Bank has supported all initiatives for Polio Eradication. The combined World Bank financing for Polio eradication in Pakistan during 2003-2007 amounts to US $110.78 million. The Bank also approved the credit of US$74.68 million to Pakistan for a Third Partnership for Polio Eradication Project.

While the work done in the health sector of the South Asian countries has been universally recognized and appreciated, some strong criticism has also been noted of the WB policies setting strict financial pre-requisites and asking countries to raise interest loans and reduce government spending in order to get bailout loans during periods of economic decline. Mark Levinson wrote in The Cracking Washington Consensus, how “International financial institutions, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), pressed developing countries to conform to the formula as a condition of their loans.” He also quoted a study from the Center for Economic Policy research which states that , “there is no region of the world that the Bank or Fund can point to as having succeeded through adopting the policies that they promote—or in many cases—impose on borrowing countries.”

There may be truth in that criticism, but it is also a fact that many critical healthcare initiatives in South Asian countries may not have come about without the active support and engagement of World Bank. For this reason, South Asia continues to partner closely with the World Bank to achieve its goals.

SouthAsia Magazine "A Healthy Future" October 2010

Tears in the Rain

Excerpt:

"Open the door!" He bellows and keeps on banging. She moves quickly and pulls at the bolt. He barges in, knocking her down. He shoves her out of the way. He goes to the corner where she has kept his roti wrapped in the greasy cloth. She drags herself to the other side, pulling her knees against her chest.

Fixing her with his piercing gaze he gobbles his food, washing it down with large gulps of water from the earthen pot. She watches the water dribble from the corner of his mouth and disappear into his thick, wet beard...

***

This story is being re-vamped....watch this space!

Park 51 - to be or not to be?

Opinion

Learning to live together peacefully again

The first time I heard about the plans for building a mosque at Ground Zero, I had immediately questioned the wisdom of such a move. However, since then, I have had a chance to ponder the deeper implications of this proposal as more details come to light, not the least of which is the fact that the mosque is actually a community center with prayer rooms for Muslims, Christians and Jews, and it is not at Ground Zero but two blocks away from it.

September 11, 2001 will be forever etched in our memories as the day when the world changed forever. The morning of 9/11 began for many like any ordinary Tuesday. For others, who left home with hasty goodbyes hoping to make it up later, it turned out to be a nightmare. A horrified world struggled to make sense of it as confusion, debris and death rained from the sky, while a group of bloodthirsty fanatics applauded. Sadly, as the twin towers collapsed, so did the world view as we knew it. Islam was suddenly thrust into the glare of international spotlight and scrutiny, and a new world order dominated by raw emotion took shape within hours that still continues to color our perceptions nine years hence.

The events that have ensued since 9/11 have also caused us to make many difficult choices, unfortunately many of which have resulted in more death, and fueled terrorism around the world. Consider this: if the little girl who had to grow up with a picture in the frame instead of a warm parental embrace in one part of the world questions her right to that protection, a little boy also mourns a family he lost in the middle of the night to the roaring sound of an unseen enemy that calls itself a freind. Who is responsible for their tragic share and the resulting changed perceptions? Meanwhile, a breed of fanatics swells their ranks around the world taking advantage of actions which reaffirm their stand of a world pitted against their religion.

The serious consequences of this linking of isolated radical phenomenon to mainstream Islam have resulted in detrimental effects evident on several societal levels in the US. On one hand, the American society has become increasingly insecure despite investing heavily in internal and external security, while on the other; alienation of huge sections of its own population is causing a systematic breakdown of societal cohesion – neither of which can help the cause of peace. On the global level, this means fuelling of further hatred and increasing acts of violence against innocent people, Muslim and non-Muslim, deemed guilty through perceived association.

What many patriotic non-Muslim Americans have failed to realize is that 9/11 has done more damage to mainstream Muslims across the world, and especially in the US, than any other single event in recent history. Not only have they not been allowed to grieve the deaths of beloved family members, friends and mentors, and fellow citizens whom they lost on 9/11, American Muslims are also urged to choose between their national identity and their religious preference – a choice no one should have to make in a land that prides itself for freedoms many in other countries can only dream about. Muslims and non-Muslims together must do their share to change this dangerous situation.

For their part, non-Muslim Americans need to stand with the majority of peaceful Muslim Americans - who are being isolated by the rhetoric of hate-mongers - in their endeavors aimed at promoting respectful engagement between different religious groups. They have to acknowledge that the true symbols of American power are the patriotic citizens of this country who have upheld the values their forefathers sacrificed their lives for. The constitution itself would be a useless piece of paper but for the willingness of Americans of all faiths, and no faith, to abide by it. If Americans were to lose that one value, there would be a Pandora’s Box of issues waiting in the wings to challenge everything their country stands for.

Muslims are not confused. They know who they are. Yet, they have not been able to help non-Muslims distinguish clearly between themselves and those seeking violence in the name of their religion. Judging from opposition to Park 51, even the second and third generations of Muslim Americans would seem to have failed to assimilate in their society since any perceived provocation from their community calls for their immediate ouster by their own countrymen. Or could it be because the hate-mongers in this society have been more successful in their manipulation of the psyche of post 9/11 non-Muslim Americans? Why does the average American not recognize that the revival of the ‘us vs. them’ politics and mass hysteria is merely a replay of previously applied strategies fulfilling selfish agendas, and can only result in undermining their strength as one people? Would closer contact between Muslims and non-Muslims remove misconceptions and bring some relief? If yes, can we turn this conflict into a teachable opportunity?

Park 51 may turn out to be the litmus test future generations would evaluate the strength of the American nation on. There is every probability the proposed community center would turn out to be everything Imam Rauf proposes it will be – a center fully devoted to promoting moderate Islam to bring interfaith harmony in a society widely fractured by suspicion and hatred. However, the proponents and opponents of this proposal are well within their constitutional rights to express their views. They must respond to each other with patience till they are able to address and acknowledge each other’s legitimate concerns and rights as citizens of this country.

Whatever effort and time is put into resolving this issue peacefully would be well worth it simply because Park 51 is not about revenge; it is about learning to live together peacefully again.

A version of this article was published in the Radical Middle Way Sept 14, 2010.

Click 'n Connect!

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.