Sharing about Support to Nepal OBR 2016 and other issues in South Asia

[Kamla Bhasin]

My dear South Asians and Sangaties,

Loving Greetings from Sangat and me!

As usual, life in South Asia has been tough, bad and sad news coming for different countries. Every country is in a turmoil. New challenges every day.

1. Repeated earthquakes in Nepal and some parts of India have not allowed people in Nepal to shed fear and get back even in to those homes which have not been damaged.

Rehabilitation work is going on to deal with the very large scale of loss of life, severe injuries, health problems and loss of homes,  belongings etc. Very sad and very challenging.

The heart warming part of this tragedy is the huge expression of support and solidarity by people within Nepal and all over South Asia and the world.

Every day people in the Sangat, PSSARC and other South Asian networks are writing to express their sadness and solidarity. Many people are trying to support in their small and big ways. This people to people, cross border  solidarity is most heart warming. We can congratulate ourselves for this.

Civil society groups in every South Asian country has been trying to mobilise support.

With the help of an Indian NGO Goonj, groups from India have been sending funds and materials by truck from India. SWAYAM Kolkata played an impoprtant role in coordinating this. Sangat and Jagori have also been contributing.

In Delhi a very large number of NGOs have been meeting and mobilizing support.

Asmita Collective in Hyderabad decided not to print their Annual report this year and to send the saving of Rs Seventy Five thousand to Nepal. I find this amazing.

Monique Wilson and Eve Ensler from OBR Global sent out a call and they have already raised $ Fourteen Thousand and are sending this money through to TEWA for support to women and children.

Several women's organizations like TEWA, SAATHI, WHR, WOREC have joined hands to coordinate relief and rehabilitation efforts. This is really most positive .

May our solidarity grow and we  become more able to deal with tragedies.

2. We have been totally shocked by the brutal attack on Sabeen Mahmud, an amazing feminist activist in Karachi. Loss of this precious life is really sad. We share the loss of Sabeen and condemn this violence and brutality.

On this Sunday, May 24, there will be a meeting in Delhi to celebrate Sabeen's life and to mourn her loss.

Meeto Memorial  Award for Young South Asians has decided to honour Sabeen this year for her commitment to justice, equality and Peace.

3. We express our outrage at the heinous attack in Kabul recently in which many lives were lost. There were several civil society workers and leaders who were killed. One of our friends from India Dr, Martha Farrell, who was there to support NGO work, also lost her life. We express our deepest condolences and celebrate Martha's life dedicated to constructive work for justice and equality.

4. The brutal and systematic killings of Secular Bloggers in Bangladesh have been gruesome. We express our sadness and outrage.

5. Rapes, honour killings, attacks on minorities happen routinely.

What does one do in these circumstances, except keep strengthening our resolve, become more fearless, come closer to each other.

6. In April 2015 we had a two day meeting in New York City, to review, strategize and plan our future OBR activities. A coordination committee has been formed to take the process and activities forward. From South Asia Khushi Kabir, Abha Bhaiya and I are on this Committee and all three of us attended this important meeting.

I am sharing with you a brief report of this meeting. All the Country coordinators in South Asia are specially urged to read this report.

All of us who met in New York have decided that because OBR has been very successful in mobilizing people, we must continue this global campaign.

The theme of REVOLUTION, has also been retained because nothing less than that would help.

We decided to focus on the MARGINALISED communities, involve and support them.

OBR will continue to be democratic, decentrlised, inclusive, intersectional.

CREATIVITY, DANCE, DRUMS, MUSIC etc will continue to energize our campaigns.

We will focus on involving children and youth, schools and colleges, and men.

I urge you all to start thinking of OBR. Let our activities be ongoing and not limited to one day.

Let us resolve to bury or cremate patriarchy, casteism, racism and all other hierarchies. They have no place in today's world.

I salute each one of you for your commitment and work. I celebrate our South Asian and global solidarity. Let  Power of LOVE drown violence every where.

With love and solidarity

Kamla ( Bhasin)

Sangat and OBR South Asia

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Kamla Bhasin, Advisor Sangat-A South Asian Feminist Network

Be Peace, don't just talk about it.......

it is not a matter of faith, it is a matter of practice.......

Thich Nhat Hanh