Sunday 4 June 2017

Peace Now & Forever Campaign between Pakistan and India: From 11th June to 23 July 2017- Please Enlist as Partners through a simple Form - Operations Note is Appended

Dear Friends,
The Peace Now & Forever Campaign was started recently with the objective of addressing the deteriorating relations between Pakistan and India by the day. 
Common people and even Civil Society seems to be getting increasingly scared to take a stand and soon no space may be left to talk of peace and questioning war hysteria could be branded downright antinational and blasphemy. 

In such a situation it becomes an urgent requirement to provide platforms to enable common people and civil society to demand peace and condemn attempts at war mongering without feeling apologetic or guilty about their stand.  
Hence this Peace Now & Forever Campaign- between Pakistan and India!

Note on the Concept and Operations is attached.

Progress So Far:
Over 150 organisations of India and Pakistan have come together so far to conceive, plan and prepare for the launch of the Campaign from 11th June2017. At least 500 organisations and groups are expected to enlist and partner with this Campaign in the days to come.

Based on the collective inputs we have been also to:
1.       Finalise a Google Form for Registration as Partners with the Campaign. Takes just 3 to 5 minutes and enables both organisations and individuals to register and also enlist with their preferred activities or suggest new and innovations events / programs. The Online Form can be accessed at: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdD-S9UvxnHkHzaFYmyJ0TlTxVNgnkQ0qpb-cRhqbUg3Q97NA/viewform

2.      If you are unable to fill online, then please fill the Partnership Registration Form attached, scan or take a photo and email to peacenowcampaign@gmail.com

3.      A Facebook Page for the Campaign in created. Please click the Link to join: https://www.facebook.com/PeaceNowandForever/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel

Proposed date of launch is 11th June 2017 at 12 noon India time and 11.30 am Pakistan time. So please gear up to organize the Launch of the Campaign in your cities and towns.
Pamphlets and Forms for taking signatures from members of the public will be shared by 7th June 2017.   
Please also note that henceforth all emails will be sent through the email id being used now i.e. peacenowcampaign@gmail.com
Please send all your communication relating to the Campaign at this mail ID.
Please share with others and invite them to join the Campaign.
Look forward to your active collaboration and partnership in making the Peace Now & Forever Campaign a success
Regards

Mazher

Operations Document
Peace Now and Forever Campaign
Between Pakistan - India

Proposed Action Plan:

1.      A Joint Signature Campaign in India and Pakistan and other parts of the world where Indians and Pakistanis live and can come together for this Campaign.
2.      The Reach: at least 100 cities and towns in India and Pakistan and 25 cities in different countries of the world.
3.      Dates: From Sunday 11th June 2017 to 23 July 2017.
4.      Simultaneous Launches: On the same day in different cities, towns and villages of Pakistan and India and in cities and towns across the world.
Many similar campaigns in the past had succeeded in enlisting Pakistanis and Indians living in 20 to 30 different locations in different countries to come together and organize programs in solidarity of the campaigns underway.
5.      Time: 12.00 Noon India and 11.30 am Pakistan Time. As it is Ramazan, evening time may not be suitable. Organisations in other countries can have their launches between 11.00 am and 1.00 pm in their time Zones or any other suitable times but on the same date please.
6.      Personalities for Main Launches: Nobel Laureates Kailash Sathyarti and Malala Yousufzai have been contacted with a request to launch the Signature Campaigns – wherever they are and also write a joint letter to governments of both countries asking for ending all hostilities and start of a comprehensive dialogue process.
7.      Personalities in Different Locations: Celebrities and prominent personalities of the region from different walks of life to be invited to lead the Launch of the Campaign in each of the locations. Apart from ensuring media coverage, this will also provide moral boast and courage to people to come out to express their sentiments in favour of friendship and demand for peace.
8.      Synchronized Programs: Between 11th June 2017 and 23rd July 2017, there will be 7 Saturdays and Sundays when major programs can be organized. There could be good media attention and coverage if similar programs can be organized on the same day in many different locations in Pakistan and India involving artists, sportsmen, film actors, political personalities, prominent citizens, religious leader, youth icons etc.
The 2008 Experience: Similar Signature Campaign undertaken in 2008 in the aftermath of the terrorist attack in Mumbai mobilized over 100,000 signatures in both countries and could reclaim the space for talking peace with some very prominent personalities on both sides signing the petition including Mr. I.K Gujaral the former Prime Minister of India. With instances like appending of signatures by members of the Sindh Assembly in Pakistan and Mahants and Maulavis in Ayodhya on the same day, media was also compelled to provide space to assertions for peace.

   
Operational Processes:
1.      Campaign Signature Forms can be download from emails / website / Facebook Page and photocopied to take signatures. 34 persons can sigh on each form. Format for the Form is attached for approval and finalization.
2.      Submission of Filled in Forms: All filled in forms are to be posted to the addresses given at the bottom of Page Two of each form.
For Pakistan the Address will be: (Will be shared shortly)

For India the Address will be: Aaghaz e Dosti, G-201, Kaveri Apartments, Plot 4, Sector-6, Dwarka New Delhi 110075
3.      Dedicated Email ID: All Communications to and from the Peace Now and Forever Campaign will be from a dedicated mail ID: peacenowcampaign@gmail.com
4.       Enlistment of Partners: Organisations, institutions and groups from India , Pakistan or any other country with links to the Sub Continent that are willing to be part of The Campaign can enlist by filling a simple Google Form that will be available Online. The Form also enables listing of activities that the Partner wants to engage in. Link to the Google Form for Enrolment as Partner of Peace Now Campaign will be shared shortly.
5.      Linking of Partners in same cities / towns: All organisations and groups enlisting from the same areas will be linked by sharing their contact details given on their Enlistment Forms. This could facilitate coordinated programs and activities in different areas that could have a multiplier effect.
6.      Daily Reports: All groups and Partners will be requested to share brief reports of the activities undertaken by them along with some photographs and videos to the Campaign Mail ID. All reports received will be collated and a Daily Bulletin will be shared to Partners and others. If a large number of partners enlist for the Campaign as is being planned and hoped, some material could be available every day.
7.      Media Releases: Interesting reports and stories received from the field / Partners will be shared with the media. A Media Coordination Network will be formed by enlisting Partners in different State / Provincial capitals who will forward the Media Releases received to the media houses in their areas. These will also be requested to organize Press Meets / interactions in their areas as and when possible
8.      Security Concerns and Precautions: Given the prevailing scenario of hate and the aggressive posturing by the fanatic and divisive groups in both countries, all programs and activities should be planned with enough precautions appropriate to the areas concerned. Information to / permissions from all the concerned authorities should be obtained as required.
9.      Co-Conveners: It is proposed to have 3 to 4 Co- Conveners each from Pakistan and India and Two Co-Convener to represent the Diaspora- one each from Pakistan and India. These Co-Conveners can anchor the Campaign and will be responsible for specific responsibilities mutually agreed.
Proposing Beena Sarwar as Diaspora Co-Convener from Pakistan. A name from Indian Diaspora requested.
Indian Co-Conveners proposed: North- Madhulika V. Narasimhan (Aagaz- e- Dosti); South- Mazher Hussain (COVA) and West- Jatin Desai (PIPFPD). Nomination of one person from East India requested
Pakistan Co- Conveners: Requesting friends in Pakistan to nominate four persons from different provinces and organisations who will be willing to Anchor the Campaign.

Other Programs
1.      Organise simultaneous visits by Parliamentarians from India to Pakistan and from Pakistan to India to impact public opinion in favour of peace.
Similar initiative by PIPFPD in 2004 post the attack on Indian Parliament had a dramatic impact and brought back peace to the Sub Continent.
2.      Reach out to governments in West Bengal and other states to issue statements against war hysteria and to restore normalcy- Will it be possible to get any Provincial governments In Pakistan to issue similar pronouncements?

Text for the Joint Signature Campaign
(Note: This Text of Demands by peoples of Pakistan and India was prepared by Peacemongers Group on Whatsapp that has received endorsement from over Nine Hundred very prominent personalities of India and Pakistan and across the world from different fields. This formulation of Demands is adopted for the Peace Now & Forever Campaign. The Demands are as follows:
We the Peoples of Pakistan and India Demand that the Governments of Pakistan and India should:
1.    Develop an institutionalised framework to ensure that continuous and uninterrupted talks between India and Pakistan take place regularly no matter what. Make dialogue uninterrupted and uninterruptible.
2.    Ensure that political leaders, diplomats and civil servants from both countries conduct talks on the sidelines of all international and multilateral forums.
3.    Recognise that the Kashmir dispute above all concerns the lives and aspirations of the Kashmiri people, and work to resolve it through uninterrupted dialogue between all parties concerned.
4.    Implement the 2003 ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan.
5.    Renounce all forms of proxy wars, state-sponsored terrorism, human rights violations, cross-border terrorism, and subversive activities against each other, including through non-state actors or support of separatist movements in each other’s state.
6.    Support and encourage all forms of people-to-people contact, and remove visa restrictions and discrimination faced by citizens of both countries. This must be further taken forward to allow visa-free travel between India and Pakistan.
7.    Increase trade and economic linkages and cultural exchanges between India and Pakistan.
Further, we pledge to uphold the principles of impartial reporting and urge media houses on either side to prevent the growing militarisation of debate. We must act responsibly and stop broadcasting hate speech and creating public hysteria aimed at the other country and/or vulnerable communities.

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