More EU, Dutch Aid for Pakistani Flood Victims

More EU, Dutch Aid for Pakistani Flood Victims

People pass through a flooded street in Pakistan.
The European Union and Netherlands have
increased their aid for flood victims in the country.
Photo by: Vicki Francis / DfID / CC BY-NC-ND

The European Union and Netherlands have increased their aid for flood victims in Pakistan.

For the second year in a row, Pakistan is devastated by flooding. The most recent has affected 5.4 million people.

The European Commission announced Oct. 17 that it will provide an additional €6.5 million ($8.9 million) in humanitarian assistance to the South Asian country, bringing the total EU flood aid for Pakistan this year to €104.5 million.

Meanwhile, the Netherlands has made another donation of €4 million also for Pakistani flood victims. It earlier contributed €400,000 to the International Red Cross for a similar cause.

The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Oct. 14 that it had to use money from existing programs to fund the fresh donation as all the 2011 budget for emergency assistance had been spent due partly to the famine in the Horn of Africa.


Courtesy: Devex - Eliza Villarino 

a Global Disorder

A global disorder

By Irfan Aamir

One needs to have a deep understanding of Pakistan’s current political and economic direction, which despite the looming global economic and public debt crises still appears driven more by rhetoric and random decision making rather than planning and policy. However, one may not have to undertake a deep study to understand this impasse as most numbers are disappointing and challenges appear ominously skewed against Pakistan’s economic and political managers. How dismally Pakistan has performed on many global performance indexes across the various categories of governance can be easily browsed, though it may be hard to digest.

Pakistan’s political and economic news still read no different than they did 8 years ago, with monetary deficit, dearth of foreign investment and a looming power crisis as the main highlights. Past governments as well as the one today have stood committed to address all these challenges, which is exactly what the current incumbents have been saying since they took power almost 4 years ago. Government’s domestic debt, despite the recent rather generous slash in discount rate, still looks like a fallacy about to fall and bubble ready to burst. State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) governors may come or go, but the government will continue to borrow by printing currency at the rate of a billion dollars per month and keep handing out monetary policies with 2 months shelve-lives, if not less.  Such is the adolescent treatment to things that require serious responsibility and a much higher maturity level.

On the international economic scene ‘things’ don’t look so great either, in fact they haven’t looked this grim in the recorded history of human economics. As some economists and thinkers are putting it, the only thing that looks certain is more uncertainty. “Un-known unknowns” as the former US Defence Secretary would probably love to brand this imbroglio. The inevitability of an uncertain but evident change in global economic order is kicking some serious clouds of doubts and fears, making the entire system jitterier and lacking positive sentiments.

When the global finance managers and economic leaders were able to deliver some recovery in late 2009-10, ostensibly by pressing their governments to pump in trillions of dollars and euros for interventions and bankrolling the multibillion dollar corporations in the West, many thought that the global economic crisis had been contained. Recent developments, nevertheless, indicate that ‘financial market volatility’ is here to stay for the foreseeable future. What is becoming more apparent is that the recent short-term macroeconomic or regulatory policy initiatives in a number of economies across the world, especially the West, have failed to provide the desired confidence while the planners appear sans any plans for a long-term economic growth. Is it time to scramble?

Recently released Global Agenda Survey 2011 by the World Economic Forum (WEF) only confirms the varied fears and doubts everyone has about the current unending economic uncertainty. Global Agenda Council members were asked to identify ‘the’ most important international trends and how they would impact the global economy, society and environment in the next 12-18 months. The presentation, which identifies 20 trends that can and will impact the way people do business, how societies co-exist and what the Global Agenda Council members have to say about the trends can assuredly trigger some nerves and it is about time that they did. 
Of the trends highlighted in the WEF Global Agenda Survey 2011, analysts believe many are already at work at home in Pakistan.



Public Debt Crisis and Weakening Job Market are ranked as the ‘most important’ global trends and challenges. As bizarre as the relevance may appear, in case of Pakistan both these trends are not only visible but look fairly unmanageable at this point.  A country which borrows more than it has the capacity to earn or service, and is facing a mounting debt crisis that it is scrambling to service with no donors or Friends of Pakistan around reaching for their cheque books. What is even more serious is that the economy is not producing jobs either. By the admission of the Planning Commission itself, Pakistan needs to produce 1.5 million jobs each year consistently for the next few years. The economy, however, is producing only 0.3 million by government’s own estimates.
 
Some other rather disturbing trends and challenges for the next 18 months listed high on the top ten in the Global Agenda Survey 2011 are Economic Inequality and Social Unrest, crucial areas where Pakistan has demonstrated a lower level of excellence consistently. What is as annoying is that the state in which Pakistan and its economy is today isn’t the doing of ‘enemy nations’ but mostly of those civilian leaders who allegedly want to work for the people and those military leaders who were politically elected to decide the fate of our country. Promises and unending rhetoric is the most consistent thing about a very inconsistently managed country and its leaders. The question is, how long can they continue to befool or mislead?

The writer is a Karachi-based communication consultant.

irfan.aamir@gmail.com






With the courtesy of Money Matters, The News International

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA ETHICS DAY TO BE CELEBRATED IN PAKISTAN

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA ETHICS DAY TO BE CELEBRATED IN PAKISTAN, a photo by ajjano on Flickr.

Mishal Pakistan in collaboration with the Center for International Media Ethics to mobilize the journalism community on September 23rd, 2011

The Center for International Media Ethics - CIME, a non-profit organization with staff members operating across several continents teams up with Mishal Pakistan, a leading strategic communication social enterprise, specializing in media and communication for policy design in a bid to bring together a network of journalists and students in Pakistan to provide training, discussion and expertise in the ethics of their profession.

“The Pakistani media industry, since its deregulation in the year 2002, has expanded exponentially. While the media has come a long way, from a singular national media outlet, to a vibrant and proactive community of news channels and print media, it is still far behind in the implementation of a media ethics protocol. Special interests and above all, sensationalism continue to compromise objectivity, especially in the electronic media. Such trends can be countered, most effectively, with better training of journalists and a wider campaign to promote ethics in journalism. – said Melisande Middleton, founder of the Center for International Media Ethics

The aim of Media Ethics Day is to mobilize the journalism community and provide journalists around the world with an opportunity to discuss media ethics issues, examine case studies, and participate in role-plays and debates related to the various ethical dilemmas they might expect to face on the job.

The Center for International Media Ethics - CIME has appointed Mishal’s Director Content, Puruesh Chaudhary as its Ambassador to Pakistan on Media Ethics. “CIME and Mishal will work on indigenous platforms that will serve the journalistic community, policy-makers and students to participate and share opinions that will strengthen the understanding of ethical dilemmas facing the media industry”, said Puruesh Chaudhary, CIME Ambassador to Pakistan.

Through this partnership, both CIME and Mishal Pakistan intend to promote respect for truth, accuracy and privacy by engaging relevant stakeholders to create dialogue on ethical practices through training programmes on quality reporting that results in educating the public. The two organizations would drive the emphasis that journalists together have the power to formulate a tacit code of ethics as a status quo of their profession, which is evolved and observed, mutually by the community, the regulatory authority and relevant stakeholders.

A recent web-based survey launched by CIME, reflects on how media professionals themselves see their position at work, ethical standards of media in their country and the need for improvement of ethical standards among journalists and media professionals. A significant number of respondents from Pakistan and Bangladesh indicated that it is difficult to follow ethical rules due to lack of awareness regarding the code of ethics established by respective employers.

CIME encourages journalists to take on a proactive role in defining ethical practices through the choices and decisions made at work on a daily basis. This partnership between CIME and Mishal will urge journalists to work together to make their own judgments and identify their own strategies.

CIME has already hosted its Forum three years in a row, to provide panel discussion sessions for a group of selected journalists on the topic of ethics. This provides a framework for media professionals to share strategies on local ethical dilemmas that come up in their work. CIME hosts the annual CIME Forum in developing and emerging economies where journalists cannot normally afford ethics training, with the goal of improving the overall journalism ethics standards in each given country.

Mishal, launched in 2003, has been engaged with some of the most dynamic organizations in the region to develop their communication strategy and solutions for better understanding and creating synergies between different members of the information ecosystem. Mishal has been at the forefront of creating a knowledge-based ecosystem and is actively pursuing to improve the state of media and journalism in Pakistan.

The team behind Mishal has been developing, creating and managing media entities and content for the last 20 years at various platforms. Taking this initiative to the next level Mishal has been actively pursuing to build the capacity of the media in creating better understanding the issues in global perspective.

Mishal has undertaken the task to build the capacity of the Press Clubs and Associations in Pakistan by creating a knowledge-sharing learning platform for the media and journalists across Pakistan. The initiative will build the capacity through interactive workshops, conferences, collaborative-thinking and media and journalism awards for the professionals in the field of journalism and media.

Mishal launches gender empowerment Fellowship program with LadiesFund

At the launch of the Ladiesfund and Mishal Fellowship Program:  (L to R) Sameera Raja - Canvas Art Gallery, Gordon James Brown Avari Hotels, Puruesh Chaudhary - Director Content Mishal Pakistan, Tara Uzra Dawood - CEO DCM Ltd./Manager of LadiesFund and Nilofer Saeed - Hobnob, Neecos, Copper Kettle

Mishal announced today that in partnership with LADIESFUND it will award the Rs. 100,000 Fellowship in March 2011.  This initiative marks the 7th anniversary of Mishal’s operations in the country, the organization aims at creating sustainable social value dividends in Pakistan.

“Pakistan has shown significant progress on the political empowerment of the women on the Global Gender Gap Index of the World Economic Forum, it is time that we also empower our women on economic opportunities, health and education” said Puruesh Chaudhary, Director Content, Mishal Pakistan.

LADIESFUND was launched with an aim to facilitating female financial security through investments and acts as a forum for women globally to network and promote entrepreneurship.  LADIESFUND was established in 2007 by Dawood Capital Management Limited as an advisory service and asset management division for women clients. 

On the launch of the LadiesFund Entrepreneurship Conference, Amir Jahangir, CEO Mishal (Pvt) Ltd. said that, “Mishal plans to expand this relationship with the LADIESFUND, through a progressive approach to create gender parity by creating a shift from an information economy to a knowledge-based economy; empowering the females through technological breakthroughs and innovation; and supporting an innovation ecosystem which fosters entrepreneurship by putting women empowerment at the center of the strategy.”

LADIESFUND announced its fellowship and scholarship programs, which aim to identify and tap in to the high potential of this unexplored segment at the grass root level by conducting nationwide searches. Addressing the participants and the section of the press, Tara Uzra Dawood, CEO Dawood Capital Management Limited, said “women from different backgrounds are choosing their own ways to contribute to the economy which is becoming more and more critical in closing the gender gaps within our society.” 

Mishal’s collaboration with LADIESFUND will help in identifying gaps in policies and would be suggesting solutions and set of policy guidelines for the stakeholders for gender parity on the principles of the Global Gender Gap Index of the World Economic Forum, Puruesh Chaudhary briefed the participants.

Globally gender gaps are being recognized as gaps of equity and gaps of efficiency.  Investing in women and reaping the returns are the fundamental cornerstones of economic growth. According to World Economic Forums' latest report on Global Competitiveness Index, Pakistan stands at 137 among 139 nations in female participation in labour force. Through this initiative, Mishal pledges to focus on economic participation and opportunity and educational attainment to promote gender parity.

Mishal, launched in 2003 by Amir Jahangir, who has been honoured as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum, has been engaged with some of the most dynamic organizations in the region to develop their communication strategy and solutions for better understand and creating synergies between different entities.

Mishal, launched in 2003 by Amir Jahangir, who has been honoured as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum, has been engaged with some of the most dynamic organizations in the region to develop their communication strategy and solutions for better understand and creating synergies between different entities.

Mishal has been at the forefront of communications solutions and is actively pursuing to improve the state of media and journalism in Pakistan.

The team behind Mishal has been developing, creating and managing media entities and content for the last 20 years at various platforms. Taking this initiative to the next level Mishal has been actively pursuing to build the capacity of the media in creating better understanding the issues in global perspective.

Mishal has undertaken the task to build a workforce which can be the building block of a knowledge-based economy. Mishal through various initiatives is creating the capacity of various segments of the society including female workforce, capacity of the Press Clubs and Associations in Pakistan by creating a knowledge-sharing learning platform for the media and journalists across Pakistan. The initiative will build the capacity through interactive workshops, conferences, collaborative thinking and media, journalism and gender awards for the professionals in the field of journalism and media.