Call for Partnership-Peace Now Campaign between India and Pakistan- Over Thousand Eminent Personalities Endorse- Innovative Programs to Spread Peace in the Region

[COVA Network]

Dear Friends             

The Peace Now & Forever Campaign is started with the objective of addressing the deteriorating relations between Pakistan and India by the day and to provide platforms to enable common people and civil society to demand peace and condemn war mongering without feeling apologetic or guilty about their stand.  

The Campaign was Launch on 1^st July 2017 with simultaneous programs in 35 cities and towns of Pakistan and India and will conclude with a Festival of the Sub Continent: Joint Celebrations for Union of Hearts on 14-15 August 2017.  We propose that the Peace Now Campaign Programs should be organized in at least 300 cities and towns across India and Pakistan to reclaim the atmosphere of peace for the region. Indians and Pakistanis living in other countries are also coming together to organize programs in their cities. 

 

We are happy to share that a thousand eminent personalities from India and Pakistan, including generals and admirals from the armed forces, film personalities, artists etc. have endorsed the Resolution of the Signatures Campaign that is also being taken to communities across both countries for their endorsement as part of the Peace Now Campaign.  The Demands of the Signature Campaign and some Proposed Programs are appended below as Annexure 1 and 2.

 

We request you to Partner with the Peace Now Campaign by organising programs in your cities and towns or by participating in the programs being organised by others. Please fill the online forms given below to register as Networks, Organisations or Individuals.

 

Partner Enlistment Form- For Networks

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSckoGTb1IC-MNElOHEqV5HPSeBi3rdW6Breqy3l4pkMbS4NSw/viewform

Partner Enlistment Form- For Organisations

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScBwnB_W82RBoM-IeunI4h0w2LMlQ0NbZhcRGt-JKZPuolS5Q/viewform

 

Partner Enlistment Form- For Individuals

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdv1VfXIM_jNYHHrDJvNOL5WC9Q8iHS89abs11V3TNp83GurRyw/viewform

You may also email to peacenow...@gmail.com or to covan...@gmail.com to enlist as partners or for more information.

We are attaching the Pamphlet, Signature Form, Banner and Poster designs of the Peace Now Campaign to facilitate easy implementation of the Campaign in your areas of operation. Just download and get started!!

 

Seeking your Partnership and lets collaborate to craft a Great Campaign together that can establish an atmosphere of peace between Pakistan and India.

 

In Solidarity

For Peace Now Campaign

Mazher Hussain

Ph: +91-9394544244

 

Annexure 1

Resolution for peaceful relations between Pakistan and India

Make dialogue uninterrupted and uninterruptible

 

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 side lines 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.    Immediately 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.    Remove restrictions on 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, cultural and sports 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.

 

Annexure 2

Peace Now Campaign: Proposed Programs

Signature Campaign

The Core Activity of the Campaign will be a Joint Signature Campaign to be undertaken simultaneously in India, Pakistan and other countries where Indians and Pakistanis live together. The signature campaign will conclude on 15^th August 2017. All individuals, groups and organisations collecting the signatures in Pakistan and India are requested to post the filled in forms to the address in Karachi and in Delhi given on page 2 of the Signature Forms. After 15^th August 2017 two copies will be made of all signature forms received and given to the Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan.  

 

Initiation of Two People Based Processes:

Dil Se to Record Sentiments: This APP, being developed, can be used to enable Indians and Pakistanis who have been to the other country to video record their experience there – in any language, all in a minute and upload to a dedicated Youtube channel. Those who have never gone but would like to visit can say what attracts them! Expecting thousands to record and flood cyberspace with goodwill! 

 

Million Connects: The second process that will be initiated as part of the Peace Now Campaign through a web based portal to bring together individuals, communities, groups, organisations and institutions- ranging from schools and colleges to professional bodies- in cyberspace through different platforms like Skype, Google Hangouts, Facebook, Whatsapp etc. to promote mutual understanding, friendship and peace in the region. Already many organisations in India and Pakistan are engaged in establishing contacts between students of different schools in both countries with very good results. We want to extent this through a dedicated website where youth and other sections of society will be able to engage online to gain better understanding and establish friendship and mutual respect. This will also be a process like the first one and will go beyond the Campaign period with the active involvement of the people.  

 

Other Impactful Programs and Activities:

Many impactful and imaginative programs are being planned- especially on seven weekends that will be available during the Campaign like:

Ø  Plays / Films followed by discussions on Peace including need for cordial Pakistan India Relations in Schools, colleges and universities,

Ø  Bikers Rallies in 50 Cities of Pakistan and India,

Ø  Film and Documentary Festivals,- 22nd to 23^rd July 2017

Ø  Artists for Peace- 29-30 July 2017

Ø  Young Art for Future of Humanity: through Platform for Children and Youth: Commemorating Hiroshima and Nagasaki- 8^th and 9^th August 2017

Ø  All Faith Prayers Meetings: Religious Priests from different faiths in a city / town will assemble at a place of worship of one religion (temple, masjid, church, gurudwara etc) to pray for peace for the two countries and the word together. -15^th August 2017

Ø  Festival of the Sub Continent: Joint Celebrations for Union of Hearts- 14-15 August 2017

Ø  Peace Caravans, Rallies and Marathons,

Ø  Outreach to Political Parties and Elected Representatives etc.

Many more ideas and suggestions are coming from Partners regularly and will be shared with all partners for consideration.

It is proposed that all programs like Bikers Rallies, Art for Peace, Film Festivals etc. will be organised simultaneously on the same day by different Partners in different cities to promote sense of solidarity and gain maximum media attention.

 

Proposed Programs along with recommended dates are attached. Please also find attached Report of Launch Programs, format for Signature Form, Pamphlet, Poster and Prototype for the Banner for different programs. The Poster Design, in coral draw, is also given as open (editable) files to change the Banner as per the program being organized. 

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COVA (Confederation of Voluntary Associations), is a national network of voluntary organisations working for communal harmony and community empowerment in India and peace in South Asia and South East Asia through formation of COFI (Countering Online Fanatic Indoctrination) Networks in 12 countries of the region. COVA is also engaged with multilateral bodies like the United Nations Organisation, G20, BRICS, OIC and others for structural transformations of the world order to make society  more equitable, sustainable, just and peaceful.

Address: COVA,# 18-13-8/A/508/B, Bandlaguda, Chandrayangutta, Hyderabad- 500 005 Telangana, INDIA. Phone: +91 40 24442984, Fax: +91 40 24444527

E-mail: covan...@gmail.com;  URL: www.covanetwork.org

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