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Varied forms of conflict define the nature of contemporary world. Varied forms of shared traditions and values are answers to these conflicts. The inherited culture and tradition from our forefathers speak of love cooperation, and togetherness yet acceptance of being different. To us this is our Composite Heritage. Composite Heritage can be a tool to use for peace promotions and restorations.

As Sindh have five different geographical regions with distinct culture and folklore;

The cultural heritage sites of Sindh ranging from Stone Age to the Indus Valley Civilization and from Jain and Buddhist to the Hindu and Muslim period are spread in all five regions of Sindh.

But simultaneously various societies were also engaged in all kinds of conflict. When various identities such as ethnic, tribal religious, caste, race, lingual, regional etc. asserted their existence and the power they had acquired, it resulted in conflict and war. During those spells of time the common and shared values, traditions, culture and all forms of Composite Heritage were pushed to backseat. And it continued and continues. The sane voices then came up with yet another answer. Various socio-cultural and religious reform movements emerged all over the globe. The strongest among them were Bhakti and Sufi movements in Asia during medieval period.

In the contemporary age of conflict this heritage which we call Composite Heritage appears to be a potent tool in bringing conflicting groups together. Hence, the idea of Composite Heritage became a focal point for those who are striving for peace and harmony in South Asian region.

These thoughts emerged when several groups working for peace and harmony across Sindh. We realized that in order to establish peace and harmony, Composite Heritage, which belongs to everyone living in the region, could become a potent, yet non violent tool in our effort. It is an ever growing process in which all of us make joint, collective effort and everyone else could become fellow-travelers.

Introduction of SINDNet - Mirpurkhas:

SINDNet - Mps. is an issue Based Network of 46 allied NGOs in district Mirpurkhas, working for its development, advocacy, awareness, and for uplift the average life here. It established in 2000 after successfully completion of DPM Graduate Training from SPO, Hyderabad . Due to the allied of registered NGOs, SINDNet, Mps. is an unregistered Issue Based Network of NGOs.

Program Presentation:

Rational :

SINDNet - Mirpurkhas from the very first day of its establishment, struggling for peace is the main stipulate for achieving and restorations. At present Sindh staged in many conflicts, especially the restoration of peace among the peoples having varies cultures in different reigns. While, Sindh is the land of Saints and Su fies teaches peace and harmony always. The saints given messages mostly in poetic ways such as poetic mind of peace are promoted. Now a day, it’s strongly needed to restore peace and consecutive development with harmony of all the edifying communities living in Sindh. Composite Heritage can be use as a tool for acquiring the peace.

· “ Peace is not a relationship of nations. It is a condition of mind brought about by a serenity of soul. Peace is not merely the absence of war. It is also a state of mind. Lasting peace c an come only to peaceful people”

· “ The name of peace is sweet, and the thing itself is beneficial, but there is a great difference between peace and servitude. Peace is freedom in tranquility; servitude is the worst of all evils, to be resisted not only by war, but even by death”

· “ Every day we do things, we are things that have to do with peace. If we are aware of our life..., our way of looking at things, we will know how to make peace ri ght in the moment, we are alive”

· “ I like to believe that people in the long run are going to do more to promote peace than our governments. Indeed, I think that people want peace so much that one of these days’ governments had better get out of the way and let them have it”

· “ If you want peace, stop fighting. If you want peace of mind, stop fighting with your thoughts ”

In addition to peace educati on, it is necessary to organize seminar/workshop/conference at different levels on regular basis on the principles of “Peace and composite Heritage ” as a strategy for building non-violent community and organizational culture incompatible to violence, threat and coercion. Humanitarian and family values along with heritage analysis may be highlighted in such gatherings to empower people with peace power so that all kinds of violence at inner, domestic, community, environment & development and global level are prevented. Structured program of research based should be designed, location and problem specific wise to impart training to children, youths and other age-groups, so that they are able to construct a fulfilling and non-violent lives .

Expressions:

Muhammad Rafique Khatri paid conditional and model compee ring with stage invitation s of guests .

At the beginning of the lecture a Participant Mr. Ghulam Muhammad read a verse from the Holy Quran.

Dr. H ussain Marri , Former Chairman SINDNet , and politician has welcomed and thanked all the participants.

Mr. Zahoor Laghari: Chairman SINDNet has given a brief introduction of SINDNet – Mirpurkhas and SPO – Hyderabad to the audience. He stated working mood of SINDNet and told aims and o bjectives of the program. Also he described progress and work done by SINDNet, Mirpurkhas.

More he said “ From the start of this tenure, SINDNet is playing an important role in the district Mirpurkhas and broaden its presence in allover the district. It has successfully completed several advocacy programs and deducted the suggestive conclusion with several local and national bystanders with wide spread the awareness through media. At the last of his Presentation, the Chairman SINDNet thanked SPO for all kinds of supports and coordination and said SINDNet was able to perform all the activities by the synchronizations and participatory approaches of SPO Hyderabad. He also requested member organization for better suggestions to SINDNet as it can prove a genuine and real Network of the district Mirpurkhas.

“Peace and Composite heritage”

Mr. Sikander Marri is Senior Professor in SAL Collage, Mirpurkhas. He received his B.A (Hons) and M.A English degree from the Sindh University . His Social services are remarkable for Politics and NGOs of Mirpurkhas. He is son of Professor Mr. Mittha Khan Marri (late), who was the Legendary Personality of district Mirpurkhas.

“ The Cultural History of Sindh among the civilization of the world is very old and complex, still many scripts and Knick Knacks have to understand. Such as the historians has discovered the mood of understanding language written in very old scripts of the world but, still they cant deducted the mood of understanding language of Sindh. Peacefully liv ing leads to non violence life. Where Peace is present, there progress, prosperity and success are fluently surviving but in the absence of Peace there neither any development nor democratic mood in its real way of implementations.

In history, Sindh was never being a regular army; it was always a peacefully living region in subcontinent and retains its position of defensive mood. Yes, there are some wars written in the history, on analyzing, when war imposed on the peoples of Sindh, it fought in defense with some others help at the separate and local territories. Sindh never found aggressive in the history.

Sindh have been always a “Sparrow of Gold” the currency of Sindh had been beaten Pound Sterling. Before creation of Pakistan , Sindh was “Heart” of India . Because Sindh rich in resources and culture. The nature of non-violence has been full in Sindhi peoples and he is non-violence by nature. In reference, history of Sindh has several events, showing Sindhi peoples retaining his nature of defense and avoiding violence. It’s due to the culture of Sindh.

The state of “Peace with its own culture” will create literature, increment in knowledge of science, industries will fluent, and great heroes born. Verses of it, violence and Civil War create huge destruction. As in Zimbabwe , the average age of a person is 42 years; they are not able to maintain their health serves. The rate of epidemic diseases is very high such as Adds, because of violence there.

The China , who is strictly avoiding taking part in any war, retaining own position of non-violence. Because China known the importance of “Peace”. On the dispute of Hong Kong , he never selects the way of fighting. He retains his population in clam position and wait till the time of decision decided. Without firing a built, he returned back his Hong Kong and consecutively maintaining the path of own development. Macao and Taiwan were also their part of land. But they don’t want war with them and china is continuously running the dialogue process. China knows that Taiwan is powerful with the help from America . America is supporting Taiwan in equal with support for Israel and Egypt for retaining USA presence in the region. This harsh condition of independence cant tiring the will power for peace.

The framer USSR was the biggest land of contrary which broken without bullets in several Parts. Because they has came in solving all the disputes with peace of mind set. The Success which has any sigh of poor peoples is useless, ineffective and waste of time.

Peace is the second name of all the religions. Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, Jewish and gene religions are always preaching Peace. The religion which have laws for killing insects and animal as a sin, what level of Peace they have in their religion!!!!!

The Germans are known as cold as the peak of Mount Everest . And it is surprising us that how “Hitler” occupied their land and made brutal history among the coldest nation. In Japan , the Emperor Akihito who was also a great Philosopher, at the time of the World War, he saved Japan by apologetic process of ruling. Germens and Japanese both nation when realized that the actual enemy is their illiteracy and lack of knowledge. They did hard work and did self assessments with cultural behaviors. They maintained their law and order situations and retain “Peace” among them. They proved a nation of world class. And this apologetic nation of Japan reached at high level of living. Now America is not able to do investment in Japan .

In Turkey , when the financial conditions were so worst, one of my friends told me, that he only eaten food of Rupees one lack. Currency is going down very fast. But when Turkish analyzed the matters and

found guilty with Kurdish living in Turkey . Now days they not only maintained the justice with Kurdish but also maintain their contacts with neighbor countries. Peace and composite of cultural living hood is necessary for bright future. Peace is guaranty of strong economy. Economic competition, how ought wealth to be distributed? how much is a man worth, the ultimate basis of social conflict, Constructive democracy, The question of inheritance, the question of monopoly, the cure for poverty, the responsibility of the rich for the condition of the poor, Social services, How ought the burdens of taxation to be distributed, these and so many others forms of daily life is called Social Justice.

Nations are coming closers for brotherhood and peace. Distances are disappearing. Promotion for peacefully living is at high level. We need to avoid violence and have to keep strong eye on invaders and strangers. Pakistan is a multi nation and multi cultural country. Democratic politicians have to deduce the solutions of problems as a multi dimensional cultural country, apart of self wisdom thoughts. Past and present conditions of Pakistan are disputed neither based on cultural behaviors nor decided for peace, always imposed war against our neighbor countries. How our generations can live peaceful!!!! Staged in our own problems have been imposed as they can live peaceful. It’s blackish and foolish practice of ruling a country. An undeclared Third World War has been imposed on the world. The war in Kashmir, the war of Israel, the war in Iraq and several other small but full of rich in resources countries are fighting. World faced several Judicial murders, first of all was the murder of Socrates the classical Greek philosopher and ZA Bhutto's judicial murder, all shows ionized violated ways of ruling of a state. The Great Indian non-violent leader Mohan Das Karam Chand (Mahatma Gandhi) was when shoot down by the built of Nathooram, the dignity of working for peace clasped down by its own cultural bearers.

Now the circumstances of politics and cultural behaviors are rapidly changing. There are no any codes of conduct or law which satisfy an absolute law for rest of future life. It should have to maintain with change of life styles ” .

Questions & Answers:

Mr. Sikander Marri, after his lecture, has taken question answer session. Rafique Khatri, Ali Hassan Noon and Dr. Hussain asked questions concerning the lecture. Sikander Marri answered all and satisfied very well.

The country China has achieved developed state of his Nation with in a short period. And The World is overwhelming on this rapid development. It is true; they have maintained their Peace at any instance and promoted their cult ure not copy any other culture, sort of many tribes living in China . Here Pakistan and Pakistanis not only copying west but also our governments are importing ruling laws, policies and all the moods of government since from the creation of Pakistan. In result, after seventy year s, what we got? Is it not acceptable for us to learn from China , to retain our cultural behaviors as China maintained, to import the mood of government of China ?

Democracy is the best answer of your question. We have to maintain our democracy, change the mindset to real and actual democracy. Any of d emocratic way of ruling , promoted by the peoples of the area, has to be implemented .

A culture of peace is thus a comprehensive union of existing movements, hence UNESCO’s desire to create a worldwide movement for a culture of peace and non-violence. The International Year for the Culture of Peace will be one of the key moments for the creation of such a movement. This global movement should help change the culture of war into a culture of peace by uniting all groups, agencies, associations, governments and, especially, individuals within a comprehensive network that works towards the emergence of a culture of peace.

Peace culture, however, is not just a figment of the imagination. It exists in daily life and habitual interaction as people get on with their lives and work, negotiating differences rather than engaging in interminable battles over just how to solve each problem as it comes up. Aggressive posturing slows down problem-solving. Violence is more visible and gets more attention in our history books and in our media than peace does. But peace culture will take us where we want to go.

At the last, Mr. S ikander Marri thanked all the participants and also thanked SINDNet on arranging the time needed lecture program.

All the participants and guests were served by refreshment and lunch at the end of the Lecture.

Participants List Page - 01:

Participants List Page - 02:

Reporting by: Muhammad Rafique Khatri SINDNet-Mps.

Program Report: Lecture program: Peace and Composite Heritage - Dated 24 th July 2011.

Enlightenment: