The Faces of Pakistan’s Future

Posted on June 28, 2009
Filed Under >Adil Najam, Disasters, Society
17 Comments
Total Views: 87236

Adil Najam

The memories, impressions, experiences, stories, scars, smiles, and worldviews that are being fostered as you read these lines in the IDP camps in Pakistan today, will define not only the future of these children, but possibly the future of Pakistan itself. Will these be memories of neglect and disdain and of a world and country who ignored their needs? Or will these be memories of a community and a country coming together as one to respond to these needs? The answer will not only define the future of hundreds of thousands of children, but of a nation itself.

The enemies of Pakistan know this well. And they sow the seeds of fear, of disdain, of doubt, and of hatred amongst these congregations of humanities in need. They realize just how important this moment is. Just a little assistance, a little attention, and dreams of glories untold can turn around an entire generation. Their discourse builds on the idiom of revenge, of fear, of hatred for other Pakistanis and of Pakistan, of promises of revolution outside the folds of Pakistan, of anger, and of vengefulness.

We Pakistanis must also recognize the power of this moment. But our message cannot simply mirror that of our enemies. Our message must be the message of hope, of possibility, of Pakistaniat, of unity, of humaneness and of humanity, of coming together and of rising as one. But, ultimately, no message can resonate simply because of the strategic imperative of the moment; the power of the word derives only from the content of the action that accompanies the word. History shall judge us all, not just by what we say in this moment of need. But what we do in this moment of need.

We at ATP have always been proud of the Pakistaniat of our readers, and reaffirm once again our committment to that Pakistaniat. Including the US$4780 raised from readers in our initial campaign plus teh US$1400 already raised this week and the US$2220 added from our Ad revenues, ATP readers have already raised a total of US$8400 for IDPs; most of which has been already sent to the Edhi organization in Pakistan and UNHCR. We intend to close this current campaign over the next few days, but we will remain committed to doing whatever little we can and urging all to do whatever they can.

Let us never forget that this is not just about the plight of those who have been displaced from their homes; this is also about making sure that the rest of us are never displaced as they have been. This is not about our generosity, this is about our humanity. Let us look into the eyes of these displaced children, and let us infuse into that reflection our own aspirations.

17 responses to “The Faces of Pakistan’s Future”

  1. Ayesha says:

    The good news is that many IDPs are beginning to go back home. I think that is major and hope that will accelerate. But the needs are still great and I hope people will not forget about them.

  2. Mahboob says:

    I think the issue is of great importance but our apathy for future (youth) of Pakistan is due to multiple reasons. One that the whole system is not built for a better future of present youth which is quite a secular or mundane ideal. On the contrary we are always taught and surmoned to achieve some goals in the air like hoisting flag in some other country or to change the entire world by brining about islamic revolution. So we will have to revisit our goals and slogans for improving the future of Pakistan.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*