HUNZA CULTURAL FORUM (HCF) ISLAMABAD: January 2012

From: naunehal shah [mailto:naunehal_47@yahoo.com]
Subject: hcf
Dear all,

I am sending the notes from our last meeting at Hunza Embassy Lodge early last month as a reference for any future discussions. I understand a get together is in the offing. Am I right Brigadier Sahiban? I hope Dr. Perveen Ashraf and Qudsia can invite more ladies and Sami and Mansoor will bring more young men.

Thank you and best regards

Naunehal
Subject: RE: hcf
Asalamu allikum to all of you
Belated Norooz Mubarak to all of you

I wanted to share an idea; if at all this is feasible to act upon. As we all well understand the richness of cultural heritage of Hunza valley its evident diversity. Over the times this diversity is turning into some sort of disintegration which is quite alarming!!! It is my personal understanding may be I am wrong but I share the fear with you all with full honesty. Hence I propose an idea to undertake some activities, such a research offers to young people on different aspects of history, cultural diversities, and other socio-anthropological spectrum of Hunza. It can be a competition, symposium, or conference where successful papers can be presented and individuals will be given awards of encouragement. Later we can arrange dissemination of compendiums for wider coverage of audience.

This is a personal thought it can be considered for further discussions if at all it is feasible
Many thanks and warmest regards

Jalal ud din Shah

Respected leaders

I sincerely thank you all for prompt responses to my email. I was in the field…..remote areas of Afghan Badakhshan ….we are hoping and planning organization of Deedar first time in the history of Afghan Jammat living in isolated villages of Shegnan and Darwaz districts of Afghan Badakhshan…it is a great privilege to be part of such an activity which is historical in many senses; security, cross border (Tajikistan and Afghanistan), happiest tears in the eyes of Jammat as many of them will have deedar first time in their lives …..Pray for us….

Keeping this contrast in my mind as we northern Jammat had our deedar in 1960 …..several questions come to my mind….Baig Ali sahib’ question over proposal for Golden Jubilee celebrations kept me busy with thinking over several ideas ….hence I propose the following;

I heard from some reliable sources that MHI wished this GJ to be a symbol of gesture towards pluralism…it must not be limited within the sphere of Jammat alone……every one can make several interpretations of this idea…..however what I understand is we have to be open up….and share the contribution of 50 years of Imamat in the human development with others…..I started working on a proposal which shall elaborate the components of programs covering the four pillars of ethical framework of AKDN; Faith, Economic, social, and cultural development …..and in essence these are the four dimensions which makes a human life perfect…the proposal will cover all these dimensions and draw up a program of research based multimedia presentations, pictorials, paintings, and role plays ……which can be presented to Jammat as well as others in the form of symposiums and or a full day program…..I’ll share the proposal in next two days for guidance and advice ….and of course the realization of this activity would remain subject to the approval of the Council…

My second idea is very much specific to northern areas! More than 50 years back our wise and forward looking leaders of that time established a great institution “Shah Karim Hostel” ….this is the only institution in the AKDN world which is been directly dedicated to Imam’ name…later under the wise leadership all northern Jammat contributed to build the main building in Konodass…which remained as great institution till today, a great center which shaped the life of northern areas Jammat…I have no idea but I am very much sure thousands of students got the light of knowledge from this great institution….it was a gift of northern jammat to Imam…they made it happen at that time when it used to be a difficult time…..as per my knowledge this institution remained under the direct Imamat funding…..for last some years AKES handed this over to Council…..but still under Imamat funding…..after more than 50 years isn’t it an opportunity for those who got the fruits of life and knowledge from this institution to offer a GJ gift to their beloved Imam????? Question will come, how? There are several examples of Alumni or old student associations of learning institutions……Islamiya College Peshawer….never gets grants from Govt…. because the old student association generated such an asset that today that college is self sustained…..rather they have more savings….so can’t we take over the financial burden of Shah Karim Hostel…..I am quite sure more than 5000 students studied and on an average 70% are successful in their lives…hence under the umbrella of Regional Council Gilgit a gathering of old students is inevitable where we can generate annual committed funding…..this is a time for the Jammat of northern areas to give a momentum to the contribution of our leadership who foresaw the future of the jammat long ago…it is a time of rejoining the efforts….it is a time to take over responsibility of new generation….

With these rough ideas I want to keep the floor open for further deliberations and discussions to give an attainable shape to these proposals…

With best regards

S. Jalal ud din Shah
Area Manager Border Districts
Aga Khan Foundation, Afghanistan
Khorog, GBAO, Tajikistan
Email: Jalaluddin.Shah@akdn-afg.org
Cell# +992 93 5553438

From: Hisamullah Beg SI(M)
Sent: Monday, March 26, 2007 4:13 PM

To: 'S.Jalaluddin Shah'

Subject: RE: hcf
My dear Jalal,

I am very happy to get the first positive Mail. This is the way we can deliberate and arrive at workable solutions.

I hope you have received the appreciation for your contribution and future commitments as well as my vision for HCF. I had also sent you chapter-1 unpublished history of Hunza. There are chapters dealing with culture and mores (as well as values) which will be provided to the interested researchers. Some research work done by school students in Shimshal and upper Hunza in collaboration with TOKYO university is praiseworthy and example for other parts of Hunza which could be augmented and expanded in accordance with your thoughts. The views given by Baig Ali also merit consideration.

With best wishes
Hisamullah Beg

Hisamullah Beg SI(M)" <hisam@kado.net.pk> wrote:
Subject: Vision for HCF

I think a simple and unambiguous aim for the proposed association will be more appropriate than a number of other themes being propounded. Essentially:

“The forum will provide a platform to foster and rejuvenate the common feeling of pride of being Hunzukutz through linkage to the cultural sensitivity existing within majority of people. Towards this aim it will confine its activities to holding dance and music events (Tamasha) at scheduled intervals combined with traditional food mela/handicraft sale & display. These occasions could be used for celebrating marriages of couples in Rawalpindi/Islamabad and adjoining areas.”

From: salman ali [salmanali55@hotmail.com]
Sent: Monday, March 26, 2007 2:44 AM

Subject: RE: hcf

I think Jalal has a good idea. In this age of materialism it is increasingly getting harder for people to practice realism and even more difficult for those hit by the virus of modernism to have even a semblance of their adherence to the rich cultural heritage which they have inherited to be left in the oblivion!! I am glad that there is the realization for rejuvenation of the Hunza spirit. Let it be carried forward to our future generations and this is the time to take the first step.

Prof Salman Ali

Honorable Brigadier Sb

Thank you very much for sharing the vision of HCF. I think, the idea of HCF is a great idea attaching the Hunzukutz to their culture. As the technology and massive cultural invasion put deep impacts on the young minds of our area. I feel such programmes in form of Tamasha and other cultural events could be helpful to bridge the gap.

The current programme was a wonderful programme liked and appreciated by every one. I felt that a good number of college and university students participated in this programme. In addition to other programmes HCF can be helpful to arrange some stalls with literature in form of best books Hunza Culture. This literature will give awareness about the simple but pride culture of Hunza. An idea of participation in the programme in the typical Hunza dress can be encouraged like, Cap for both men & women and Choga as well. As these programmes strengthen, with passage of the time this groomed generation will be helpful to play its role for sustainability of society.

With my best regards,

Ali Gohar Hunzai
Prog. Supervisor
Beaconhouse Outdoor Education Programme
Margalla Campus, Pitras Bokhari Road,
H-8/4, Islamabad
Pakistan
Tel:+92-51-4431486/7
Cell:+92-300-8426826
Fax:+92-51-4437021
Email:ali55pk@yahoo.com
Web:www.beaconhouse.edu.pk

From: Amjad Ayub <qara1@hotmail.com>
Sent: Sunday, 25 March, 2007 10:19:37 PM
Subject: RE: hcf

Dear Jalal Sahib:

First of all thanks for breaking the ice, as all the respected members of HCF were quite for some time now after the brainstorming session at Hunza Embassy lodge. Your idea is excellent and to implement this we need first to get organized ourselves at the platform of HCF. Some of the tasks are still pending, need attention of the senior and respected members of the HCF. It is imperative now to get our brainchild registered, bring more professionals to net as members and than start ideas like yours Jalal. I appeal through this mail to hold another meeting in near future to discuss the progress we have made on the matters, which we mutually agreed in our last meeting at Hunza Embassy lodge.

Date: Sun, 25 Mar 2007 21:37:28 -0700
From: imamyarbaig2003@yahoo.com

Subject: Re: hcf
To: jalaluddin.shah@akdn-afg.org

Dear Jalal;

The idea is very creative. We can discuss in our next meeting, However I have a feeling that there is more reaction than tolerance in our leadership.

Dr Baig

From: Mr Baig Ali [baig_ali@yahoo.com]
Sent: Monday, March 26, 2007 1:02 PM

Subject: SUGGESTION

Dear All

The golden Jubilee of SARKAR NOOR MOULANA SHAH KARIM UL HUSSAINI IS ABOUT 110 DAYS ahead. The councils did not receive any proposals for the jubilee Programme so, please come out with the proposals and if planned a very short meeting that ll helpful for the councils to include in programme lists & budget.

The idea of Mr. jalal is no doubt great, however, in some area already such working and researches are in progress and a few of the project has been completed in Gojal area.

Baig Ali
OGDCL HOUSE, Pakistan Phones: 03005125309 0092-51-920022625 Off.

On Fri, Dec 2, 2011 at 8:59 PM, salman ali <salmanali55@hotmail.com> wrote:

GOOD GUIDANCE FOR THE YOUTH. What do you suggest for restoration and rediscovery of our lost values?? How can the HCF contribute towards this aspect apart from the attempt at the cultural or semi-cultural shows we have been organising or trying to organise over the last 5 years here in Islamabad??

Sent: Wednesday, December 07, 2011 12:23 AM
Subject: Hunza Culture Forum Event 2011

Honourable Professor Major General Dr. Salman Saheb,

Thank you so much for your kind encouragement on what I had suggested our youth re. choosing a career path.

Regarding your question on any suggestions for possible restoration or rediscovery of our (cultural) values; I have the following submissions;

Giving a suggestion to you would mean not more than showing a candle light to the sun, however, I would dare to suggest what you practically and very rightly demonstrated at the residence of our brother Zahid at Rawalpindi while many of us were there for his condolence together with around 30 - 45 members of our professionals and youth segment of our society from Gojal-Hunza – that part needs to be actually replicated and expanded further through minor customization varying from one demographic situation to the other.

I am sure that one day, our children and youth may question us as to what was our culture, what were its norms & values and we would ultimately get ashamed to saying, "we don't know" as we were doing jobs and businesses, we therefore didn't have time to think over it or sit with our elder people and listen to such stories or history of cultural norms, the systems and processes of the cultural events in daily lives.

Unfortunately, having been away from the capital for over 9 years, being a layman, having few preoccupations and time constraints after arrival at Islamabad since end of August this year to-date, I do not represent HCF or any other Cultural Forums which may exist at present including Hunza Cultural Forum, GECA, WTCA or several other virtual or physically existing Cultural Forum etc.).

Since I am not formally associated with any such cultural platform, with due apologies, I have no authority to either implement or get nice ideas implemented through these Forums. However, all I could do is that in the past too, I have shared few suggestions through emails with our respected professionals at local level platforms but I am sure people have other priorities and may not have time to go through or pick from my useless suggestions and may go to junk emails' folders.

Talking of Hunza Cultural Forum, as far as I know (please correct me if I am wrong), it was the dynamic efforts of few dedicated individuals/professionals/initiators to start with few identical music/events. HCF does not stand registered yet I suppose and looking at the dire need of the time, there is a need for those initiators and other senior professionals from our (Hunza) Region to formalize and organize HCF in order to have its effective role in preservation or rediscovery of our rich cultural values while GECA may wish to take few steps with regards to addressing your suggestions as it has been formed, registered and is trying to work on culture and education sectors yet at local level.

Though, they may have already noted your it, I would also like to forward your valuable inputs to them and stress upon adaptation and materialization of these great ideas of yours, give some thoughts to your questions and try to address them in suggested possible way.

We would actually love to keenly hear from personalities like you and few others who already possess a great deal of precious knowledge on our Culture. Having said that, I would still like to contribute my part of thoughts through a few suggestions which are roughly noted in a file attached to this email.

In order to create an enabling environment, an unbiased, logical and neutral strategic plan needs to be developed by such forums and we all need to accept the suggestions or ideas based on their value and importance rather than setting prioritization based on as to who these suggestions have been given by.

Our dilemma of our recent past was that student or other organizations/forums were formed, polluted and misused for unhealthy activities/street politics (with wrong assumptions) in some cases which have resulted in loss of trust by our educated think-tanks/professionals and general people. There remained a generation gap too between the youth and highly skilled professionals/people of Hunza.

May I also submit Salman sahib that what to talk of loss of our cultural values, we are losing our basic human values day by day and becoming materialistic in our approaches which again is God forbid, “a sign of disaster”. At least all of us know the basic human values which we can start regaining and following right away.

Being a Muslim, we still ought to be hopeful that with every dawn that comes up, our talented children and youth would not disappoint us and follow and spread the message of “restoration and rediscovery of our basic cultural and human values” that we at striving to advocate for at present.

Best regards,

Mehmood
(UN)

Respected elders

I feel that an explanation is due with respect to the slogan shared by Imran Hunzai.

When I coined the slogan three years back at a rally in Karachi the idea behind it was not cementing divisions in an already cleavaged society , but of seeking "unity in diversity".

Unity in diversity positively accepts separate identities of the "parts" while also uniting them as one, in a single "whole".

I completely agree with respected Professor sb that Hunza has four main languages. But when the slogan was constructed it was not based on languages, but popular terms used by the populace to denote the three sub-regions in geo-cultural context.

Thank you Imran for the great work you have done for publicizing the HCF event.

regards

Noor

On Sun, Jan 8, 2012 at 10:18 PM, salman ali <salmanali55@hotmail.com> wrote:

I DO NOT AGREE WITH THE SLOGAN AS IT IS DIVISIVE. WE SHOULD PROMOTE UNITY RATHER THAN PROMOTING SLOGANS WHICH AGAIN WOULD MAKE PEOPLE CONSCIOUS OF THEIR DIVISIONS. ANYWAY ''KANJUD'' IS ALSO AN ALTERNATIVE TERM USED FOR THE WHOLE OF HUNZA PARTICULARLY IN ADJOINING BADAKHSHAAN!! HUNZA IS MULTILINGUISTIC WITH FOUR LANGUAGES. THIS SLOGAN ALSO LEAVES OUT THE 4TH ONE!! SO NO USE INVENTING SLOGANS!!

Please recollect; KANJUT is the name of Entire Hunza used in the official communication by Chinese, using it for Central Hunza is not recommended.

By Hisamullah Beg SI(M) o

Respected All,

Slogan sounds nice, if we deliver this message across all region we will be able to make "Apna Hunza Beimisal" in reality.. I am for it, if we take it as a theme for this year's Cultural Event.. Bless you all and I expect equal participation from all the regions of Hunza..

Best wishes

Amjad Ayub

Dear And respectable all!

We have to judge our comments on the basis of Imam's Farmans. We do have the respect for the thoughts of all. How imam defines the Diversity and Pluralisium we have to understand. The slogan devised by Mr. Iran is not only a slogan but combination of words and conclusion on a single Proper Noun I.e. Hunza--------I am of the opinion that Shinaki, Gojal and Khunjud are the historical names and facts------all the three are Cohesive and binding in Hunza.

I do agree with Noor and the Young man who devised the Slogan for HCF!,,,,,,,........Some of the founders reserved their words--------that UD again CREAT a thought break in Youth. Thanks to the great general for expressing his wisdom and thought very openly-------

Baig Ali

HCF’s key objectives include harnessing peace and harmony among Hunzukutz and promoting the traditional music of Hunza, artisans of Hunza and their stone, wood and embroidery work, variety of traditional foods of Hunza and research work related to the history and culture of Hunza. Youth plays a vital role in this regard. Opportunities are created for youth to gain acquaintance with their culture and heritage, and knowledge and understanding to effectively promote the cause of HCF. This group has been created to capture a greater audience for, and seek intellectual inputs from the youth and professionals to make the Hunza Cultural Mela 2011 a success, and take the cause of HCF successfully forward into future. Please demonstrate your ownership of, appreciation for and affiliation with the culture of Hunza by making intellectual and material contributions to harness it further.

Darvesh Karim (on Facebook)

Hisamullah Beg:

I appreciate the effort towards transparency. I consider transparency as the BEDROCK for a successful entity.

Dr Imam Yar Baig:

Dear Rehmat Karim;

Many thanks for the information and transparency.......regards......Dr Baig

Dear Rehmat Karim, Amjad, Fayyaz and members of the HCF Event Managing Committee,

A big thank you for organising the event - the 6th HCF Dance and Music programme in Islamabad this year. Unfortunately I could not make it to the event myself but I was happy to hear all praise for the success and quality of the programme. It now seems to me that our people in Rawalpindi & Islamabad look forward to this event and there will continue to be demand for the holding this event, at least on an yearly basis .

I have never had any doubts in the abilities, competence and commitment of Rehmat, Amjad and Fayyaz. You and the members of your team are our valuable assets and we can be rightly proud. Well-done and keep it up. May Allah reward you for your devoted services to bring smailes on the faces of our recreation starving people.

Financial transparency can be key to success of organisations, companies and cooperatives and the lack of it the cause for disintegration. I am particularly impressed to see a transparent financial presentation. Excellent.

After every event or activity a review or evaluation becomes necessary to highlight lessons and discuss way forward. May I, therefore, propose a post event get together of the event management committee with some of the original initiators of the HCF for this purpose. I am sure Rehmat can draft a crisp agenda but some of the suggested items can be: financial management, structure of HCF, listing of artist, fixing artists' remuneration (based on their popularity, skill and need), inviting guests; Government officials, parliamentarians and diplomats etc. But above all this get together should be used to strengthen harmony and unity among us.

Warm regards
Naunehal

Dear Rehmat

Very nice remarks from military officials. Keep it up.

Riaz Hussain

My Dear Imran and members [Hunza Cultural Council],

You may or may not be aware that I have undertaken a self-assigned mission for the advocacy and dissemination of AKDN LEARNING MATERIAL on TALIMAT and CIVIL SOCIETY as a necessary step towards making the societies more desirable. With this background, as an example I had shared a vision for “HCF” through a blog post. You will notice that this write up follows the recommended guide lines and recommends written TOR/procedures for various committees [Ser no 3 of CODE OF PRACTICE FOR HUNZA CULTURAL FORUM ISLAMABAD].

I will feel highly satisfied if you can share the copy of TOR/Procedures that have been evolved for the committees formed in the meeting on 2 Feb 2013.

HUNZA CULTURAL FORUM (HCF) ISLAMABAD

Friday, January 27, 2012

Views of Members and Donors

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Fresh Date for the event