Sindhi Culture: Feudalism and Sufism in Sindh

Do you know what differentiate Sindh from the rest of provinces in Pakistan? Ghost Schools? No! ; Ghost Teachers? NO! ; Bad Governance? No! ; Bata Mafia? No! Sindhi culture? Yes! It’s Sufi culture that differentiates Sindh from rest of the Provinces in Pakistan. During my extensive traveling through Pakistan, everywhere I go I have been encountering with the people who are mostly curious about my religious affiliation. But Sindh is the only place where I have been encountering people who are most interested in cast and creed instead. The reason is socio-cultural dynamics and distinguished history of Sindh which is mostly underpinned with feudal system and sufi culture. The feudal system have empowered handful of families at the cost of silent majority. Due to which there is widespread gaps amoung those who have and those who don’t have anything to even survive. To maintain socio-political supremacy in their respective areas, these handful chieftains and cunning feudal lords have very easily divided people in different cast and creeds; thus dominating in local affairs generation after generation. While the masses are deprived from basic civic amenities like quality education, quality health services, clean drinking water, electricity, affordable energy, decent sources of livelihood and sanitation facilities. To further strengthen their clout, these political elites and feudal lords are distributing alms from the exchequer of Government under different social support and cash transfer programmes; thus increasing perpetual dependency syndrome amoung their masses. 

Addressing during Sindhi Culture Day

While on the other hand, I have never ever seen this much religious tolerance as i have been observing in the Sindh province of Pakistan. In my opinion, the reason behind all this religious tolerance in Sindh is just because of two main reasons. The first reason is relatively thing presence or absence of religious seminaries. And the second reason is the great influence of sufi culture and teaching of great Sufi Saints like Lal Shahbaz Qalandar, Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai, Abdullah Shah Ghazi and others saints and mystic personalities who have greatly influenced all the people of Sindh by preaching about humanitarian principle, pluralistic values and unity in diversity throughout Sindh. 

Now that when the religious extremist and hatemongers are on the rampage throughout Islamic world including Pakistan, I have been observing mushrooming of religious seminaries and religious sentiments in Sindh as well. Therefore, on the Culture Day of Sindh, I would like to draw the attention of each one of my Sindhi friend in general and school teachers in particular to reflect on the teaching of Sufi saints and their teaching for peaceful coexistence and inculcate the same amoung our children and work together to defuse the nefarious designs of religious extremist and destructive agenda of hatemongers in Sindh. Let’s reiterate our commitment to protect our distinguish culture heritage of Topi Ajrek, respect diversity in all its forms and promote humanitarian principles and pluralistic values for peaceful coexistence and prosperous future of our coming generation in Sindh and throughout Pakistan."

Sustainable Development Goals: What We Need to Know

Now that when the historic new Sustainable Development Agenda unanimously adopted by 193 UN Member countries during 70th Annual meeting of UN General Assembly on 25th to 27th September, 2015 in New York, USA, it is befitting to find out more about the 17 initiatives that could transform the world by 2030.

What are the sustainable development goals?

The sustainable development goals (SDGs) are a new, universal set of goals, targets and indicators that UN member states will be expected to use to frame their agendas and political policies over the next 15 years.

The SDGs follow and expand on the millennium development goals (MDGs), which were agreed by governments in 2001 and are due to expire at the end of this year.

Why do we need another set of goals?

There is broad agreement that, while the MDGs provided a focal point for governments – a framework around which they could develop policies and overseas aid programmes designed to end poverty and improve the lives of poor people – as well as a rallying point for NGOs to hold them to account, they were too narrow.

The eight MDGs – reduce poverty and hunger; achieve universal education; promote gender equality; reduce child and maternal deaths; combat HIV, malaria and other diseases; ensure environmental sustainability; develop global partnerships – failed to consider the root causes of poverty and overlooked gender inequality as well as the holistic nature of development. The goals made no mention of human rights and did not specifically address economic development. While the MDGs, in theory, applied to all countries, in reality they were considered targets for poor countries to achieve, with finance from wealthy states. Conversely, every country will be expected to work towards achieving the SDGs.

As the MDG deadline approaches, about 1 billion people still live on less than $1.25 a day – the World Bank measure on poverty – and more than 800 million people do not have enough food to eat. Women are still fighting hard for their rights, and millions of women still die in childbirth.

What are the proposed 17 goals?

1) End poverty in all its forms everywhere

2) End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture

3) Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages

4) Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

5) Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

6) Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all

7) Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all

8) Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all

9) Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation, and foster innovation

10) Reduce inequality within and among countries

11) Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable

12) Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

13) Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts (taking note of agreements made by the UNFCCC forum)

14) Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development

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15) Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification and halt and reverse land degradation, and halt biodiversity loss

16) Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels

17) Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development

Within the goals are 169 targets, to put a bit of meat on the bones. Targets under goal one, for example, include reducing by at least half the number of people living in poverty by 2030, and eradicating extreme poverty (people living on less than $1.25 a day). Under goal five, there’s a target on eliminating violence against women, while goal 16 has a target to promote the rule of law and equal access to justice.

How were the goals chosen?

Unlike the MDGs, which were drawn up by a group of men in the basement of UN headquarters (or so the legend goes), the UN has conducted the largest consultation programme in its history to gauge opinion on what the SDGs should include.

Establishing post-2015 goals was an outcome of the Rio+20 summit in 2012, which mandated the creation of an open working group to come up with a draft agenda.

The open working group, with representatives from 70 countries, had its first meeting in March 2013 and published its final draft, with its 17 suggestions, in July 2014. The draft was presented to the UN general assembly in September last year. Member state negotiations followed, and the final wording of the goals and targets, and the preamble and declaration that comes with them, were agreed in August 2015.

Alongside the open working group discussions, the UN conducted a series of “global conversations”. These included 11 thematic and 83 national consultations, and door-to-door surveys. The UN also launched an online My World survey asking people to prioritise the areas they’d like to see addressed in the goals. The results of the consultations were fed into the the working group’s discussions.

Are governments happy about the proposed 17 goals?

The majority seem to be, but a handful of member states, including the UK and Japan, aren’t so keen. Some countries feel that an agenda consisting of 17 goals is too unwieldy to implement or sell to the public, and would prefer a narrower brief. Or so they say. Some believe the underlying reason is to get rid of some of the more uncomfortable goals, such as those relating to the environment. Britain’s prime minister, David Cameron, has publicly said he wants 12 goals at the most, preferably 10. It’s not clear, though, which goals the UK government would like taken out if they had the choice.

Amina Mohammed, the UN secretary general’s special adviser on post-2015 development planning, said it had been a hard fight to get the number of goals down to 17, so there would be strong resistance to reducing them further.

Some NGOs also believe there are too many goals, but there is a general consensus that it is better to have 17 goals that include targets on women’s empowerment, good governance, and peace and security, for example, than fewer goals that don’t address these issues.

How will the goals be measured?

The indicators are still being thrashed out by an expert group. Each indicator is being assessed for its feasibility, suitability and relevance, and roughly two for each target are expected. The indicators are due to be finalised in March 2016.

How will the goals be funded?

That’s the trillion-dollar question. Rough calculations from the intergovernmental committee of experts on sustainable development financing have put the cost of providing a social safety net to eradicate extreme poverty at about $66bn (£43bn) a year, while annual investments in improving infrastructure (water, agriculture, transport, power) could be up to a total of $7tn globally.

In its report last year, the committee said public finance and aid would be central to support the implementation of the SDGs. But it insisted that money generated from the private sector, through tax reforms, and through a crackdown on illicit financial flows and corruption, was also vital.

A major conference on financing for the SDGs, held in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa in July, failed to ease concerns that there will not be enough cash to meet the aspirational nature of the goals. The UN said the Addis Ababa action agenda (AAAA for short) contained “bold measures to overhaul global finance practices and generate investment” for tackling the challenges of sustainable development. It included a recommitment to the UN target on aid spending – 0.7% of GNI – set more than 40 years ago and pledges to collect more taxes and fight tax evasion. But civil society groups were less impressed, saying the summit had failed to produce new money to fund the goals, or offer ways to transform the international finance system. Calls for a new international tax body fell on deaf ears.

When will the new goals come into force?

The SDGs have been officially adopted at a UN summit in New York in September, and will become applicable from January 2016. The deadline for the SDGS is 2030. 

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Courtesy to the Guardian 

Sustainable Development Goals for Globle Development

From 2000 to 2015, the international development agenda was centered on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which encompasses eight globally agreed goals in the areas of poverty alleviation, education, gender equality and empowerment of women, child and maternal health, environmental sustainability, reducing HIV/AIDS and communicable diseases, and building a global partnership for development.

After completing the largest consultation in its history of UN, more than 150 world leaders are attending the UN Sustainable Development Summit at UN headquarters in New York from 25th to 27th September, 2015 to replace MGDs by formally adopting an ambitious new sustainable development agenda comprising 17 goals to achieve 3 extraordinary things for all the humanity during next 15 years. These include end extreme poverty, fight inequality & injustice and fix climate change. This momentous agenda will serve as the launch pad for action by the international community and by national governments to promote shared prosperity and well-being for the humanity over the next 15 years.

Now that when the targeted year for MGDs was about to complete it was need of the hour to recognize the success of the MGDs – and the fact that a new development agenda was needed beyond 2015 – countries agreed in 2012 at Rio+20, the UN Conference on Sustainable Development, to establish an open working group to develop a set of sustainable development goals. After more than a year of negotiations, the Open Working Group presented its recommendation for the 17 sustainable development goals. In early August 2015, the 193 member states of the United Nations reached consensus on the outcome document of the new agenda “Transforming our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”. Therefore, historic new Sustainable Development Agenda unanimously adopted by 193 UN Member Countries today on 25th September, 2015 in UN headquarters in New York.

There are 17 sustainable development goals with 169 targets in contrast to the 8 Millennium Development Goals with 21 targets. The complex challenges that exist in the world today demand that a wide range of issues is covered. It is, also, critical to address the root causes of the problems and not only of the symptoms.

The sustainable development goals are the result of a negotiation process that involved the 193 UN member states and also unprecedented participation of civil society and other stakeholders. This led to the representation of a wide range of interests and perspectives. On the other hand, the MDGs were produced by a group of experts behind closed doors.

The MDGs focused primarily on the social agenda particularly the poorest in developing countries, while the sustainable development goals will apply to the entire world, the rich and the poor.

The new global goals are more ambitious, and are meant to apply to every country, not just the developing world. Stated in broad terms, the goals are accompanied by 169 specific targets meant to advance the goals in concrete ways. Most are meant to be achieved by 2030, though some have shorter deadlines.

Pope Francis gave his backing to the new development agenda in an address to the UN General Assembly before the summit to adopt the 17-point plan opened, calling it “an important sign of hope” at a very troubled time in the Middle East and Africa. When General Assembly President Mogens Lykketoft struck his gavel to approve the development road map, leaders and diplomats from the 193 UN member states stood and applauded loudly.

Then, the summit immediately turned to the real business of the three-day meeting — implementation of the goals, which is expected to cost $3.5 trillion to $5 trillion every year until 2030. 

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon set the stage, saying the agenda “embodies the aspirations of people everywhere for lives of peace, security and dignity on a healthy planet.”

 The goals “are a to-do list for people and planet, and a blueprint for success,” Ban said. 

The document, titled “Transforming our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,” not only outlines 17 broad goals but sets 169 specific targets. 

The non-binding goals succeed the eight Millennium Development Goals adopted by world leaders 15 years ago. Only one of those has been achieved: halving the number of people living in extreme poverty, due primarily to economic growth in China. At least one other is close — cutting in half the proportion of people without access to clean water — and there are still three months until the goals expire. 

The new goals include ensuring “healthy lives” and quality education for all, clean water, sanitation and reliable modern energy, as well as making cities safe, reducing inequality within and among countries, and promoting economic growth and good governance. 

Critics say they are too broad, lack accountability and will lead to disenchantment among those most in need of hope. Supporters say there is no choice but to go big in a world of expanding population, growing inequality, dwindling resources and the existential threat from global warming. 

They note that while the millennium goals were developed by then secretary-general Kofi Annan and his staff, the new goals are the result of years of negotiations by all 193 member states, which means they should all have a stake in their achievement. 

Sweden announced that a group of nine leaders from different regions will work to ensure implementation of the goals. It includes German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the presidents of Brazil, Colombia, Liberia, South Africa, Tanzania and Tunisia and the prime ministers of Sweden and East Timor. 

Speaker after speaker pointed to the spread of extremist groups as barriers to development, perhaps none more eloquently than Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousefzai, who was shot in the head by the Taliban in Pakistan in 2012 for campaigning for girls’ education. Standing in the assembly chamber’s balcony surrounded by 193 young people representing every country, Malala told the leaders: “The future generation is raising their voice.” Each teen held a lantern, which she said symbolized their hope that the new global goals will be achieved. Millions of children are suffering from “terrorism, displacement and denial of education,” Malala said, noting the heartbreaking photo of 3-year-old Syrian refugee Aylan Kurdi lying drowned on a Turkish sea shore and the tearful parents of girls abducted from their school in northern Nigeria by Boko Haram. 

“Promise peace to all children in Pakistan, in India, in Syria and in every corner of the world,” Malala implored the leaders. “Promise that every child will have the right to safe, free and quality primary and secondary education,” she said. “Education is hope. Education is peace.” 

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi said the international community has to deal with global challenges that hinder development — “especially terrorism” which isn’t confined to Arab nations but has spread worldwide. In pursuing development, he said, the Egyptian people are facing “the most dangerous extremist terrorist ideology.” Egypt has been fighting an insurgency by Sinai militants allied to the Islamic State group. At the same time, security forces have cracked down on Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamists since the military — then led by el-Sissi — ousted President Mohammed Morsi, a senior Brotherhood figure, in 2013 after massive protests against Morsi’s rule. Hundreds of Islamists have been killed and thousands arrested. El-Sissi also expressed concern that “the tools” to achieve the goals are insufficient, and stressed that richer nations have a responsibility to help poorer ones. 

Afghan leader Abdullah Abdullah, whose country is one of the world’s poorest, urged “political commitment and revitalized partnership” to achieve the goals. 

The head of Amnesty International used his speech to make an impassioned critique of mass surveillance, the arms trade, income inequality and human rights abuses. “You cannot launch these goals and in parallel deny a safe and legal route to refugees, a life with dignity,” Amnesty’s Salil Shetty added. 

Merkel told fellow leaders there is no quick solution to the migrant crisis that has seen hundreds of thousands of people fleeing war, poverty and persecution flood into Europe and safe havens closer to home. 

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi said eliminating poverty is the top priority in his country, which has the world’s largest number of people living in extreme poverty. Modi confirmed plans for a fivefold boost in renewable energy but added two years to the time frame, saying it will take seven years instead of five. 

As for finding the trillions needed to implement the goals, Kenya’s UN Ambassador Macharia Kamau has insisted it can be done. But Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates said Thursday “we’d be doing very well to have anywhere near that amount of money available by 2030.” 

How to Identify and Write Success Stories to Show Your Developmental Results

Developmental results are measurable changes in knowledge, skills, motivation, behavior, decision making, practices, policies, social action, social, economic and environmental conditions that derive from a cause-and-effect relationship. There are three types of such changes (intended or unintended, positive or negative and direct & indirect) that can be set in motion by a development intervention – outputs, outcomes and impacts.

To show the developmental results we are using different  knowledge tools and techniques in international development and humanitarian sector. Case Studies, Success Stories, Lesson Learnt and Best Practices are prominent amoung them. 

In today's blog i would love to write about Success Stories. So that you will better be able to show your developmental results in your targeted areas in the wider interest of your own organization, targeted communities, partners and donor agencies.  

What is a Success Story? 

A success story shows an organization or individual making a difference in people’s lives. It describes a positive change and shows how that change benefits the people of a given area of intervention. A good success story uses evidence to show the value of our interventions in terms measurable changes in knowledge, skills, motivation, behavior, decision making, practices, policies, social action, social, economic and environmental conditions that derive from a cause-and-effect relationship.

You can write a success story about an entire project, program or part of a program (i.e. activity) that is particularly noteworthy and significant in terms of results and its impacts. It may be about an innovation, emergency response or outstanding effort. Whatever you choose to write about, your story should show your intervention making a difference in targeted areas.

Why write success stories? 

• To show accountability for public funds
• To verify that we are using resources to make a positive difference in people’s lives
• To share successes so individuals in and out of organization can learn from our results
• To spread the word about organization as a valuable resource
• To show that numbers alone don’t tell the whole story of organization
• To reflect and learn from our work
• To practice good scholarship
• To negate and disseminate knowledge

How is success stories used? 

• To assess team progress in relation to plans (performance reviews ).
• To share information among partners and generate interest among potential partners
• To help internal staff and partners better understand organization’s work and value
• For reporting purposes
• To post on program-area web sites
• As a source of news stories for local media
• To document activities and accomplishments of staff, volunteers and targeted beneficiaries
• As input for nominating individuals for awards and presentations

We can also use Success Stories in a variety of ways, including:

• As part of your tenure review documentation
• In organization’s annual reports and monthly reports to stakeholders
• In communications with local officials / partners
• To share the value of organization with partners and generate interest among potential partners
• To celebrate achievements with colleagues and stakeholders
• To keep up with colleagues’ accomplishments around a wider audiences

• In internal communications

What makes a good success story? 

A good success story: 

• Describes results that are valued by clients 

• Contains compelling, significant facts 

• Catches your attention 

• Tells who benefits 

• Answers: “So what?” 

• Spells out your organization’s role in achieving results 

• Is easy to read and understand 

• Identifies key partners and funders.  

When do you submit success stories? 

• When you have something significant to report and evaluation data to back it up
• When you are proud of a program or initiative
• On an ongoing basis – don’t wait until the end of the year

Key Points for writing Success Stories

It’s one thing to have a good story to tell. It’s another to write it so that people will want to read it. Use the following tips and many resources on the Internet for help in writing your success stories.

SITUATION 
a) Clearly describes an important issue or concern - why we should care
 b) Shows that issue or need is appropriate for your organizations response
 c) Includes data demonstrating need

RESPONSE (inputs and Activities) 
a) Spells out your organization’s role/contribution
b) Identifies participants: numbers and demographics of individuals, businesses, and/or communities that were reached
c) Identifies partnerships, if applicable
d) Identifies funding sources, if applicable

RESULTS (outputs, outcomes-impact)
a) Tells who benefited and how
b) Uses numeric and/or narrative data to describe important outcomes
c) Answers “So what?” Makes value clear to reader
 d) Links story to research, if appropriate
 e) States future plans based on results

             For multi-year effort
a) Shows important progress for the reporting period
b) Links work across years

EVIDENCE (evaluation) 
a) Describes data collection method
b) Includes sample (number and how selected)
c) Provides response rate
d) Tells when data were collected

WRITING STYLE 
a) Active voice
b) Reads like a story
c) Compelling and significant facts
d) No jargon or abbreviations
e) Concise, complete sentences (f) Names/titles, not “this agent”

References:

• http://www.slideshare.net/FidaKarim/reading-material-on-success-story-writing-for-cert-karachi-by-fida-karim 
• http://www.slideshare.net/FidaKarim/reading-material-on-success-story-writing-for-me-staff-ita-sukkur 
• http://www.slideshare.net/FidaKarim/how-towriteeffectivesuccessstoriesbyfida-karim 

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Hope these tips were helpful in taking your M&E career to the next level. Please feel free to share any other tips or useful information in the Comments section below.

Natural Beauty of Pakistan vs. Switzerland

Switzerland is famous all over the world for its natural beauty along with Swiss Banks, Swiss Watches and Swiss Knives. Pakistan is not less beautiful than Switzerland in terms of natural beauty and picturesque valleys. Here are some pictorial glimpses showing a comparative analysis of Pakistan vs Switzerland.

1. Satpara Lake, Skardu

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2. Naltar Valley, Gilgit-Baltistan

 3. Azad Kashmir, The Heaven on Earth

4. Banjosa Lake, Azad Kashmir

 5. Deosai Plains, Skardu

6. Ibex, the National Animal of Pakistan

 7. Saif-ul-Mulk Lake, Kaghan Valley

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 8. The beautiful colors of Hunza

 9. Muzaffarabad, A Mini Paradise

M Bukhari/ Flickr

 10. Sharda Village, Muzaffarabad

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 11. Shangrila Resorts, Kachura Lake in Skardu

 12. Terrifying Bridge in Passu Gojal, Gilgit Baltistan

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 13. Naltar Lake

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 14. The killer mountain of Pakistan, Nanga Parbat

 15. Winter in Pakistan

 16. Night view of Pakistan in winter season

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 17. Summer blossoming in Fairy Meadows

Fairy Meadows and Nanga Parbat: Where the Legends of Killer Mountain Live

Fairy Meadows is the bouquet of alpine flowers set before the towering translucent tomb of Killer Mountain, called Nanga Parbat in Sanskrit.  The mountain provides the views that make Fairy Meadows such an alluring destination, but Fairy Meadows are where the legends of Nanga Parbat are kept alive, told by generations of villagers who witnessed the legions of climbers that never descended its icy walls.

Its welcoming rug on its northern face is the Raikot glacier, strewn with dark echoing crevasses, plagued by constant avalanches, and guarded with 15 meter ice spears exuding the ancient silent character of terracotta warriors.  Over one in five people who attempt to climb Nanga Parbat never descend.  Even the famous Reinhold Messner, who was the first to climb all the world’s 14 peaks over 8,000 meters (26,247 feet) had to be nursed back to life after losing his brother and seven toes on the mountain.

Nanga Parbat is the ninth tallest mountain in the world, standing at 8,125 meters (26,657 feet), and the second tallest mountain in Pakistan only after K2.  It is also the first mountain in the great Himalaya range, which then stretches 2,400 kilometers to the East through six nations, ending in Tibet.  It is as if the Himalaya understood first impressions, and stuck a foreboding foot forward.

The men of the mountains have long black beards wear topi hats, long kurtas, smell of tobacco and bonfires, and have long deep gazes from tracking distant storms.  The women are seldom seen, mostly on a distant ridge in their bright flowing sashes, tending a field or herding goats with long shaggy hair, twisted horns and the golden enchanted eyes of the Greek god Pan.

The meadows change with the seasons.  The birch trees streak the mountains school bus yellow in autumn, while winter is bare, bone white and still.  Spring brings the river’s roar, the crisp cracks of avalanches, brave purple, yellow and white wildflowers, and little brick red buds on the end of the white birch branches emerge like candle flames.  Babbly brooks jog through the meadows, which sparkle with pyrite and quartz, but the snow remains high on the mountain faces, and the winter winds still visit on occasion, howling through the log cabins at night.

However, the stark beauty of spring is said to sweeten in the summer and the best time to visit is from mid-July to the end of August.  The heat of the valley becomes unbearable, and landslides are common and deadly, so the village of Tato loads all their important possessions on donkeys, and trek up to the Fairy Meadows where their summer village rests.

The houses are built of pine logs and recessed into the mountains like hobbit holes, w

ith flattened birch bark as roofs, covered in dirt which sprout meadows themselves, camouflaging them into the alpine atmosphere.  The men play polo, cut firewood with echoing thuds of their axe, and sip tea.   The women pick wild mulberries, raspberries, and strawberries in the meadows and tend vegetable gardens.  At night Nanga Parbat glows white in the darkness, and men lounge on Pakistani rugs around small wood-fired iron stoves relaying the stories of Killer Mountain.

The mountain trails and creaky little log bridges across the rivers are now mostly just used by villagers.  A devastating Taliban attack on climbers in 2013, was erroneously reported to have occurred in Fairy Meadows (it actually occurred quite far away) and has scared most visitors from the region.  However, the Government has taken the incident quite seriously, and now armed guards accompany hikers, on the array of trekking options, including to Nanga Parbat Base Camp in the summer.  The experience feels very safe, and travelers should worry more about the steep cliffs and the biting cold at night than terrorism, and take advantage of the pristine experience one can have in this seldom visited mountain gem.

Those interested in the trip should contact Ghulam Nabi, who runs Raikot Serai Lodge, can make all arrangements, and showed me a great time.

Hunza: Pakistan’s Valley of Bliss

Snowfall in Hunza Valley

Pakistan’s ‘real Shangri-La’ is a world free from militancy, poverty, gender inequality, pollution and a lacklustre education system.

Visitors to the stunningly beautiful valley, towered over by five snowcapped mountains, sometimes feel as if they are standing at the edge of the Earth – or, maybe, at the centre of it.

Either way, they often don’t feel as if they are in Pakistan, a country that struggles with poverty, pollution, militancy and a lacklustre education system, especially for women.

Once a hardscrabble Himalayan town where residents barely had enough to eat, Karimabad, in the Hunza Valley, is now one of Pakistan’s most idyllic spots – an oasis of tolerance, security, gender equality and good schools. That standard of living can be traced to residents’ moderate interpretation of Islam, the mighty Karakorum Highway (KKH) as well as considerable support from one of the world’s largest charities-The Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN).

Youth of Hunza Valley are instrumental in solving their own issues by their own initiatives. HGISF Pakistan is one of the leading youth-led and youth-centric Civil Society Organization working for youth-centric community development.  

Many parents in the valley say that if they had to choose, they would send their daughters to school over their sons. Nearly all families own at least a small plot of land. Residents say they cannot remember the last murder in the valley. As such police Stations are devoid of prisnoers. Civic sense of community is at its best in Hunza Valley as the locals have strong sense of ownership of their cultural heritage, civic amenities, public parks, government building and communal assets. Therefore, unlike other parts of Pakistan, public buildings, social centers, roads and  civic amenities are not in a shamble condition with filth and peeks of pan. Similarly, you will not find a single beggar in whole Hunza valley and streams are not polluted with plastic bags, human waste and decaying appliances.

Such views – and protection of the surroundings – have allowed the Hunza Valley’s population to become a bulwark against Islamist extremism, despite its relative proximity to militant strongholds in Pakistan’s tribal belt and Kashmir, a disputed region that Pakistan and India have fought wars over. “Here, we have facilities, we study and there is no terrorism,” said Haider Ali, 18, watching classmates play soccer as the sun set behind Mount Rakaposhi, elevation 25,551ft.

Not everything is perfect, of course. Electricity deficits can keep the lights out for days at a time. A once-vibrant tourism industry collapsed after the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. Deforestation has led to a shortage of firewood, so families must huddle in one room to stay warm when winter temperatures plunge toward zero.

And some local leaders worry the community has become too dependent on charitable groups, leaving it vulnerable to a sudden reduction in aid. Such concerns are growing more pronounced as the Pakistani government, which temporarily expelled Save the Children last month, implements strict new licensing requirements for international aid groups.

But for now, Karimabad is an example of what’s possible in rural Pakistan when residents accept support from international charities and stand firm against the threats posed by militancy.

The author enjoying his summer vocations in Karimabad Hunza. 

“This is the real Shangri-La,” Lars-Gunnar Wigemark, the former EU ambassador to Pakistan, said after seeing the Hunza Valley for the first time last year.

More than 90 per cent of the residents of Karimabad are followers of the Prince Karim Aga Khan, a billionaire philanthropist who lives in France and goes by the title of Aga Khan IV, is their spiritual leader – and a major benefactor of the Hunza Valley.

Prince Karim’s Aga Khan Development Network has an annual budget of $600m and operates in more than 30 countries. Over the past four decades, it has worked with other charities to invest hundreds of millions in the valley, paving roads, opening schools and establishing health clinics and water treatment centres for the 65,000 residents. During the 1980s, in a bid to expand the local economy, the Aga Khan network helped persuade farmers to grow cherries and peaches along with the traditional cash crops of wheat and potatoes. Now, much of Karimabad is an orchard.

Prince Karim Aga Khan is also a proponent of education. According to the The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) of Idare-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi (ITA) and Alif Ailaan Pakistan District Education Rankings 2014 , the Hunza Valley’s enrollment rate is 100 percent and literacy rate is 96%. The national literacy rate is about 58 per cent, with a sharp disparity between men and women.

Shahzad Roy-the renowned Singer from Mainland Pakistan is interacting with school children of Hunza Valley. An educational song of Shahzad Roy-Chal Pada- have rightly covered educational attainments of Hunza Valley.

A World Bank study published last year concluded that female literacy in parts of the Hunza Valley had reached 90 per cent, compared with 5 per cent in another mountainous district, Diamer, about five hours away by road.

“When I was in school, few could even speak English,” said Javed Ali, 41, manager of Karimabad’s Hill Top Hotel.

“Now, everyone speaks it fluently.” From settlements at an elevation as high as 9,000ft, children walk up to three miles into the valley to get to school each morning.

After middle school, some female students enroll in the Aga Khan Higher Secondary School for Girls, which teaches only maths and science. Nearly all graduates go on to college, according to Zahra Alidad, the principal and a graduate of the school.

Aga Khan Higher Secondary School (AKHSS)

Iqbal Walji, president of the Aga Khan Council for Pakistan, said the Hunza Valley had been sheltered from the extremist ideology that has taken root in other parts of the country.

“When you have communities improving their own lives and obtaining education, it prevents easy manipulation of communities and allows them to be resilient against external forces,” Walji said.

Some local leaders complain that residents have become too passive and reliant on the Aga Khan charities. “All decisions are centralised and made in France, and people are just waiting for others to solve their problems,” said Izhar Ali Hunzia, a local leader.

But Ali Murad, 66, said he is grateful for financial support that helped free his and other families from the isolating grip of mountain life. When Murad was a child, his family struggled to make money and ate mostly food made from wheat. Now he owns eight cherry trees, 35 apple trees and 40 apricot trees. Two of his three sons have graduated from college. One works as a chef in Dubai and the other as a Chinese interpreter.

Karimabad Hunza during Autumn. 

Four tried-and-tested tips to land a job in Dubai

Create ‘Job Wanted’ ads on job sites like www.dubizzle.com and share the same on LinkedIn. PHOTO: REUTERS

Most of us, if not all, go to the UAE on a visit visa in order to search for a job. And the majority of us have no guarantee of finding a satisfying job. It takes time to research and locate your ideal job post in UAE. If you are unemployed, make this task your full-time job; if you’re employed, set aside some time every day after work for your job search, after all, we’re all looking for the next best opportunity.

Speaking from experience, here are a few suggestions and tips I would like to share with you for a successful job hunting experience that helped me land a job in Dubai.

1. Know your market

UAE has a highly competitive job market, where the number of expatriates reached up to 83.5%. Due to the Emiratisation policy, first preference is given to local candidates followed by western and Arab citizens and lastly, western-educated candidates.

Asians are high in supply and low in demand, thus receiving comparatively lesser salaries. Therefore, it is strongly suggested to develop a competitive advantage, create strong linkages, and take calculated risks and informed decisions on the basis of market realities in order to qualify for any well-paid job in the UAE.

It is strongly recommended that one should secure employment before travelling to the UAE. Speculative visits are occasionally successful and rarely lead to an offer of employment unless you are extremely lucky or have good networks and contacts in preferred sector.

Therefore, it is highly suggested you start your job search from your own country, that too, at least one to three months before your planned visit. Most of the jobs, especially white collar jobs in the UAE, advertise at least 20 to 30 days before starting their screening, shortlisting, and interviewing process.

This way, you will be able to gauge your market potential. If you receive any kind of positive response, then it is suggested you move ahead otherwise do not take any risks. If you start applying after entering the UAE, you will be wasting at least 20 to 30 days out of your 30 to 90-days visit visa.

Narrow down your search with reference to sectors and potential positions that you want to apply for, which means look for those opportunities that match your core competencies, career goals, personal priorities, and experience to secure your targeted job within limited time and resources.

Research job opportunities and potential employers and create forward linkages besides continuously updating your knowledge, skills, and expertise. According to my observation and findings, it is highly likely to find a job in the education, healthcare, tourism, hospitality, logistics, export, construction, and retail sectors as these sectors are booming in the UAE.

While production, manufacturing and automotive sectors are showing sluggish sentiments, petroleum and petrochemicals, fishing, aluminium, cement, fertilisers, banking, commercial ship repair, construction materials, boat building, handicrafts and textiles are the major industries in the UAE. Therefore, pertinent professionals are suggested to take informed decisions accordingly.

2. How to apply

Prepare multiple impressive résumés and cover letters. Chronological, functional and combined résumé formats are acceptable in the UAE. It is suggested that you state your name, contact number, email and postal address (in case of being in the UAE) along with your passport-sized picture at the top of your résumé. Your personal information, for instance, nationality, date of birth, passport number, visa status and if you own a driving license, should be included at the bottom of your résumé.

While applying from your home country, mention your UAE-based friend’s or relative’s contact numbers with their due consent so that the employer can contact you via this number. When you reach the UAE, buy your own SIM and update your contact information accordingly.

Make sure the recruitment agency and HR personnel you’re dealing with are legitimate and not demanding any kind of fee for giving you a job. Many of these hiring companies and HR personnel are a scam, promising to submit your résumé to prospective employers or give you a job, thus fleecing the job hunter. They are well aware that visitors will leave the country within a short span of time and will not be able to claim a refund or report any malpractice. Therefore, please be cautious.

Before applying for a visa, confirm whether it is extendable or not. Since January 1, 2015, the UAE government has scraped the visit visa extension policy. One can get a non-expendable visit visa for one month to three months at the cost of AED800 and AED2,100 respectively.

3. What you need to apply

Initially, it is very difficult to land a job in the UAE. Therefore, it is suggested not to expect high salaries. If one receives an offer which matches up to their current salary along with accommodation and transportation, then he/she should accept the offer as it is easy to jump from one opportunity to another after getting experience in the local market, especially for well-qualified and competent individuals who have a better chance. There is no ban for skipping from job to job before the end of a contract according to the Free Zones or government organisations in the UAE.

If you are visiting the UAE on a visit visa, it is suggested one keeps around AED2,000 with themselves to show the airport authorities that you have enough money to finance your visit. A lot of people have said they were not allowed to depart from Pakistan if they had less than the mentioned amount, though the authorities do not ask for financial proof all the time. At least I myself have not been asked by authorities at the airport, the only question I was asked by the immigration officers was why I was visiting the country.

My suggestion is to dress smartly, keep the specified amount with yourself and definitely not mention the fact you are going to look for a job. Instead, tell them you are visiting for recreational purposes.

According to the latest survey by Jobs Portal and Bayt.com, 41.5% of responding companies in the Middle East and North African region always research new hires online before hiring. In some of the online job application forms, a considerable number of organisations seek web addresses of your social networks and LinkedIn profile to assess your candidacy with reference to the given job and their corporate culture. Therefore, increase your online visibility, manage your online reputation and try to build your unique online brand and put forth a positive image.

Read up on the living and working conditions in Dubai and make arrangements accordingly. On an average, it costs approximately AED500 to 800 for housing, AED300 to 600 for food and AED400 to 700 for transportation and communication for one month. Due to such steep costs, it’s important to learn about benefits offered by employers, whether accommodation, transportation, and return tickets are included in the package. These things can eat up a large part of your salary if you have to pay for them yourself.

In today’s job market, one’s references and network determines your net worth, as you can tap into the ‘hidden’ job market by maximising your existing network along with developing a list of contacts through friends, family, former co-workers and your social institutions or alumni.

4. Social media should be your new best friend

Create a profile on LinkedIn and update its status regularly. Create ‘Job Wanted’ ads on job sites like www.dubizzle.com and share the same on LinkedIn and other social media forums and professional circles. Reach out to the people in your network and speak to them, ask them for advice, helpful information regarding jobs, and job leads. Prepare your own pitch by describing who you are, your background, and what you are specifically looking for from the person you are contacting.

The most effective and recommended tools for job hunting in the UAE are network and references, followed by online job sites like www.byte.com, www.dubizzle.com,www.gulftalent.com, www.naukrigulf.com, www.nadia-me.com, www.jnjobs4u.com, www.catererglobal.com,Gulf News Classifieds, Khaleej Times, and LinkedIn besides official websites of potential companies in the UAE.

One can also apply by visiting offices of all the potential employers and companies. Jebel Ali Free Zone, Sharjah industrial area, Dubai Financial Centre, Dubai Textile City, Education City etc. are suggested for dropping your resume by hand for low cadre positions only.

The most time-tested and effective technique for job hunting in the UAE is to apply for matching positions through online job portals, Google search and company websites and then follow-up through phone calls. One call after submitting the application is enough in order to let the hiring manager know that you have applied for the given position and to tell him/her that you are perfectly competent and eligible for the position. If they don’t give you a chance to discuss this at that point in time, then wait for the closing date of the job advertisement and follow-up just after the closing date and request them to give you the chance on the basis of your competence.

Through this, you will maximise your opportunity to appear for an interview. Therefore, the most important point is to be prepared and stay updated on your core competencies and skills in order to pass the test or interview.

Always keep a record of all the jobs you have applied for, including Terms of References of vacancies where you have the most chances of being shortlisted for your easy reference, tracking progress, and further follow-up.

Keep up to date with the news in your chosen industry, keep reviewing and fine-tuning your resume and keep on trying without losing heart. Eventually, opportunities come to those who dare to take risks and constantly prepare to avail them when they arise.

Hope these tips help and good luck to all the job hunters out there!

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