Mohammed Naqvi

The story of Mukhataran Mai touched many, but only few of us have done what Mohammed Naqvi, the Pakistani American filmmaker, has.

He has made a feature-length documentary on Mukhtaran Mai that celebrates her strength to emerge as a human rights icon symbolizing social change.

“Shame” is the name of the documentary. So far, it has received numerous awards, including a Television Academy Honor presented by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. The awards that the filmmaker, Mohammed Naqvi, has won include:

- Overseas Press Club of America's Carl Spielvogel Award

- South Asian Journalist Award

- Amnesty International Humanitarian Award

- EBS International Documentary Festival Special Jury Prize

- Full Frame Documentary Film Festival Award

So, who is Mohammed Naqvi?

Ofcourse, he is an NRP.

He was born in Karachi, Pakistan and grew up in North America.

Only few of us know that he made the award-winning documentary, “Terror’s Children”, which saw the launch of Discovery-Times Channel.

He is also the producer of Big River, a narrative feature, which was screened at Berlin Film Festival.

For this creative soul, there is no stopping….

Mariam

IMG_0558, originally uploaded by nrpglobal.

Always smiling:)

Durre, Aasia, Zeba

IMG_0557, originally uploaded by nrpglobal.

Planning Experts!

Sophia Aslam

IMG_0556, originally uploaded by nrpglobal.

In conversation...

Faisal and Huma Irshad

IMG_0555, originally uploaded by nrpglobal.

A Newly Married Couple!

Iftar 2008

IMG_0553, originally uploaded by nrpglobal.

Where is my hookah?

CAMP-NY Iftar

اللَّهُمَّ اِنِّى لَكَ صُمْتُ وَبِكَ امنْتُ [وَعَلَيْكَ تَوَكَّلْتُ] وَعَلَى رِزْقِكَ اَفْطَرْتُ

O Allah! I fasted for You and I believe in You [and I put my trust in You] and I break my fast with Your sustenance

While breaking the fast, more than 140 Muslim professionals in NYC recited the dua (prayer) as they gathered for Iftar arranged by New York Chapter of the Council for the Advancement of Muslim Professionals (CAMP-NY), on September 5, 2008.

CAMP is a not-for-profit organization for Muslim professionals, based in North America. It provides professional and social networking opportunities to Muslim community through educational, social and intellectual activities.

Zeba Iqbal is CAMP International’s Vice Chair, and the officers of CAMP’s New York Chapter are Mariam Mohaideen (President), Aasia Idris (Treasurer), Uzma Kaleem (Secretary), Durre Hanif (External Affairs).

The iftar was arranged at Al-Diwan restaurant. The scrumptious Lebanese food and generous hospitality (thanks to CAMP-NY officers and Al Diwan’s staff) made the evening memorable for most of us.

Questions

- Non-Resident Pakistanis remit over five and a half billion dollars per year in remittances to the country. But, the economic development of the country remains sketchy.

Why?

- According to a UK-Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (UKPCCI) report, there are more than 100 multi-millionaire Pakistanis in the UK. Yet, they are not investing in Pakistan.

Reasons?????

These questions may appear simple but are thought-provoking.

Let’s analyze….

Feedback appreciated…

Naya Jeevan for Kids

Asclepius learnt the art of healing from Chiron [a healer and a teacher], but the NJFK team has learnt it from the victims: the socioeconomically disadvantaged children in developing countries.

NJFK is the acronym for a not-for-profit organization that is dedicated to providing free/ subsidized healthcare to children in developing countries with an initial focus on India and Pakistan.

NJFK, as a social enterprise, uses corporate principles to create an impact on society. This brilliant idea by young Pakistani social entrepreneurs has had been acknowledged at an international platform. The NJFK team has won NYU Stern’s annual business plan competition in April 2008.

Today, nrpglobal provides the highlights of its discussion about the project with the Vice President of NJFK, Mr. Saad Tabani.

Obviously, my first and foremost query was about NJFK.

How did it begin?

“It was Asher Hasan’s brainchild, who is a doctor by profession. Asher’s first-hand experiences gave him this idea. I met him at NYU, while he was looking for other team members for the project,” said Saad, over a cup of coffee, at Bryant Park, in New York. “All members of the team thought that it would be best to take it to a recognized platform, such as NYU Stern’s annual business plan competition, where we won $75,000 for our business plan.”

In layperson’s terms, this project aims to provide health insurance to citizens in developing countries. “There is no health coverage to support catastrophic health conditions in countries such as Pakistan, and we are trying to ensure that there is,” said Saad. “We would also like to ensure that the quality of healthcare facilities provided is the same for all.”

According to the World Health Organization, Pakistan’s total health expenditures amounted to 3.9 percent of gross domestic product in 2001, and per capita health expenditures were US$16.

The Pakistani government has undertaken several initiatives to address the situation. One example of such an initiative is Pakistan's Social Action Program (SAP), which is largely funded by the Pakistani government and the World Bank. There are concerns about the productivity of these programs, given the absence of community ownership of socially viable projects.

But, with initiatives such as Naya Jeevan (new life) where communities organize, create, and manage social enterprises; there is nayee umeed (new hope) for us.

What do you think?

Ramadan Mubarak

Hello: Ramadan Mubarak to all of you.

Ramadan and Rooh Afza

There is no iftaar without Rooh Afza and pakoras with tamarind chutney.

The deep-red sharbat and mummy’s home-cooked scrumptious, signature food has had been irreplaceable ever since I moved away from Pakistan.

But, I, like other NRPs, make an effort to cherish the festivals with similar zeal and fervor – the way we celebrated in Pakistan.

The small things/items that tickle my past are the brands we associate Pakistan with, such as Rooh Afza Sharbat, Lipton Chai, Ahmed Achaar, and Shaan Masala.

As Ramdan starts in less than a week’s time, nrpglobal promises to share iftaar experiences. If you have any of your Iftaar stories/pictures, please email us.

Tariq Ali

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE THE DUEL by Tariq Ali Publication Date: September 16, 2008 Contact: Katie Monaghan Associate Director Scribner Publicity 212-632-4950 katherine.monaghan@simonandschuster.com

FROM THE AUTHOR OF CAN PAKISTAN SURVIVE?, A PROVOCATIVE NEW LOOK AT PAKISTAN’S TURBULENT PAST AND UNCERTAIN FUTURE

THE DUEL

PAKISTAN ON THE FLIGHT PATH OF AMERICAN POWER

by Tariq Ali

“Pakistan is our partner in the war on terror…It is also a major source of Islamist extremism.”

—Director of National Intelligence John Negroponte, addressing the U.S. Senate, January 2007

“Ali carefully examines Pakistan’s long, troubled relationship with America... intense, closely observed commentary on perilous developments in an unstable nation.”

—Kirkus Reviews

“A veteran journalist on Pakistan, Ali reviews the country’s six-decade political history critically, indicting the leadership class and its ties to the U.S. Viewing the country as in neocolonial thrall to U.S. strategic interests, Ali comments freely in a narrative that acquaints readers with the country’s main political events…The military being the dominant feature of Pakistani politics, Ali applies his caustic pen to descriptions of its leaders … Ali offers strongly argued opinions on the past, and his preferred future, of Pakistani politics.” –Booklist Pakistan is the world’s sixth most populous country and the only Islamic state with nuclear weapons. It is the likely hideout of Osama bin-Laden and a staging ground for Taliban forces fighting NATO in Afghanistan. Yet the country is also a key ally of the United States in the war on terror and the beneficiary of over ten billion dollars in US aid since September 11. In THE DUEL: Pakistan on the Flight Path of American Power (September 16, 2008, $26.00), Tariq Ali explores the uneasy alliance between the United States and Pakistan and the deepening political crisis inflaming an already unstable region.

Ali draws on extensive first-hand research and personal knowledge of many of the key players involved to assess the causes and consequences of Pakistan’s rapid spiral into political chaos. In the wake of Pervez Musharraf’s resignation, the most likely political alternatives, Benazir’s widower Asif Zardari and Nawaz Sharif are, Ali, argues, more corrupt than Musharraf himself. The chances of stability in Pakistan look slim – and the consequences of an unstable Pakistan are terrifying for the region and the world. THE DUEL is a timely and provocative must-read.

Praise for Tariq Ali’s The Clash of Fundamentalisms:

“Ali locates the flexible, skeptical, hedonistic traditions within Islamic thinking... whom the fundamentalists wish to silence.”

— Fred Halliday, The Los Angeles Times Book Review

“Urbane, highly intelligent and vividly written. One hopes this fine study will earn no fatwa.”

— Richard Sennett, Times Literary Supplement

“Timely and important...[Ali] is lucid, eloquent, literary, and painfully honest, as he dissects both Islamic and Western fundamentalism.”

— Howard Zinn

About the author:

Writer, journalist and film-maker Tariq Ali was born in Lahore and was educated at Oxford University, where he was president of the Oxford Union (a position subsequently occupied by Benazir Bhutto). He has campaigned against wars from Vietnam to Iraq. Today he writes regularly for a range of publications including The Guardian, The Nation and The London Review of Books and is on the editorial board of New Left Review. He has written more than a dozen books including non-fiction such as Can Pakistan Survive? The Clash of Fundamentalisms, Bush in Babylon and Pirates of the Caribbean, and fiction including Shadows of the Pomegranate Tree, The Stone Woman and A Sultan in Palermo, as well scripts for both stage and screen. He lives in London.

ABOUT SIMON & SCHUSTER

Simon & Schuster, a part of the CBS Corporation, is a global leader in the field of general interest publishing, dedicated to providing the best in fiction and nonfiction for consumers of all ages, across all printed, electronic, and audio formats. Its divisions include Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing, Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, Simon & Schuster Audio, Simon & Schuster Online, and international companies in Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit our website at www.simonsays.com

Wamiq Jawaid

Wamiq Jawaid, originally uploaded by nrpglobal.

Syed Wamiq Jawaid is a cultural and socio-economic analyst on the Muslim communities around the world.
http://wamiqjawaid.blogspot.com/

Dr. Hina Chaudhry

Dr. Hina Chaudhry, originally uploaded by nrpglobal.

Founder & Chief Scientific Officer, VentriNova Inc.

Farhan Tahir

Farhan Tahir, originally uploaded by nrpglobal.

The man on the left is Farhan Tahir. Viewers must have watched this Pakistani-American in Hollywood movies, namely Iron Man and Charlie Wilson's War.

Guests

Guests, originally uploaded by nrpglobal.

Event Discussions

Mr. Sheheryar Azhar

Mr. Sheheryar Azhar, originally uploaded by nrpglobal.

The host of top rated talk show on ARY Digital and ARY One World, Shaheryar Azhar was the key moderator of the Non Resident Pakistani Summit - 2008.

NRP Summit 2008 - Schedule

Friday: 8.00 am Registration Opens 9:00 – 11.00 am PAKISTAN – 160 MILLION CUSTOMERS – DOING BUSINESS IN PAKISTAN 1. Mahmood Shaukat, Chairman & CEO NRP Summit 2. Shaheryar Azhar, Moderator Principal Speaker 3. Husain Haqqani, Pakistan Ambassador to USA 4. Rana Masood, Deputy Speaker, Punjab National Assembly 5. Javed Hashmi, Senior VP, PML (N) Member National Assembly 11:15 – 12:00pm IMPORTANCE OF PAKISTAN IN A GLOBAL VILLAGE 1. Marvin Weinbaum 12:00 – 1:00 pm LUNCH BREAK 1:00 – 2:00 pm IT – PAKISTAN, A BUSINESS ADVANTAGE 1. Hasan Naqvi, President & CEO, CMI Group, Canada 2. Iqtadar Zaidi, President & CEO, Techaccess, Pakistan 3. Imran Haque, Director of IT, Pfizer 2:00 – 3:00 pm EDUCATION & HEALTH – NEEDS & OPPORTUNITIES 1. Dr. Hina Chaudhry, Founder & Chief Scientific Officer, VentriNova Inc.. 2. Tasnim Shaheryar, President, Dil Foundation 3. Misbah Naqvi, Manager Special Projects, Acumen Fund 3:00 – 4:00 pm PAKISTANI MEDIA INDUSTRY 1. Tahir Khan, Chairman, Interflow Group of Companies 2. Shahid Khan, Senior Partner, IBB Consulting 1. Farah K. Ahmed Esq. Director, South Asian Media Association 4:00 – 5:00 pm LIVING IN PEACE – 21ST CENTURY ISLAM 1. Dr. Saud Anwar, President- PAKPAC 2. Dr. Saleem Mir 3. Taha Gaya, Executive Director, PAL-C 7:00 – 8:00 pm Refreshments & Networking Saturday: 9:00 – 10:00 am SECURING ENERGY – ASSETS & INFRASTRUCTURE 1. Parvez Mahmood, Chairman, One World Consulting 2. Bob Brown, Executive Vice Chairman, Cathy Oil, Canada 3. Sadiq H. Zaidi, President, Renaissance Energy Consultants 4. Natasha Paracha, Chairman Pakistan Affairs, UN International Renewable Energy Organization 10:00 – 11.00 am LEADERSHIP & SUCCESS THROUGH ETHICAL BUSINESS 1. Masood Jabbar – Chairman of the Board, Picsel Technologies & Former President Sun Microsystems 2. Malik Sarwar, Head of US Business, Permal Group 3. Amyn J. Merchant, Sen Partner and MD, The Boston Consulting Group 4. Kashif Zafar, Managing Director and Head of US Rates Sales, Barclays Capital 11:00 – 12.00 pm MANAGING BUSINESS IN TURBULENT TIMES 1. Junaid Rubbani, President & Managing Partner, Combinatorics Capital, LLC 2. Farhan Sharaf, President, MJX Capital Advisors 3. Nassar Ahmed, Co-Founder DiMaio Ahmad Capital L.L.C. 12:00 – 1:00 pm LUNCH BREAK 1:00 – 2:00 pm INVESTING IN PAKISTAN & PAKISTANIS 1. Rana Imtiaz Khan, Partner, Jensen & Meyers 2. Saleem Muqaddam 3. Shahid Khan 2:00 – 3:00 pm THE SECRET OF OUR SUCCESS 1. Imran Khan – CEO, Al-Baraka 2. Dr. Imran Shah, Co-founder & Managing Partner IBB Consulting 3. Mansoor Ahmed, Deputy Associate Dir. of Space Science at NASA 3:00 – 4:00 pm EMPOWERING WOMEN 1. Fawzia Afzal Khan 2. Ulya Khan, Sr. VP, Global Head of Program & Business Operations, Thompson Reuters 3. Dr. Rosina Samdani, Founder & President Capella Advisors 4. Amina Khan, Esq. Wealth Counsellors, PC 4:00 – 5:00 pm A TIME FOR OPTIMISM - Shaheryar Azhar 5:00 – 5:15 Chairman’s Closing Remarks PAKISTAN TRADE EXHIBITS: August 22 & 23 9:00 AM TO 6:00 PM

Philanthropic Contributions by NRPs in U.S.A - Part 2

Yesterday, I discussed the PCP study on NRPs’ philanthropic contributions in the United States. Today, we will discuss the structural hurdles that make it difficult for NRPs to give more to Pakistan. “The first barrier is the chronic lack of trust in the civic sector in Pakistan. The second hurdle is the lack of convenient mechanisms to transfer funds to Pakistan and unclear US regulations about charitable giving abroad (especially after 9/11). There is also a dearth of reliable mechanisms to monitor the performance of organizations and a lack of opportunities to interact directly with organizations and their workers. The third constraint is that there is very little information available to Pakistani-Americans about philanthropic organizations in Pakistan.” Source: A Pakistan Center for Philanthropy Study This study was funded by a grant from The Rockefeller Foundation USA and commissioned to the Pakistan Centre for Philanthropy through the Aga Khan Foundation U.S.A. The field research was conducted by a team of fifteen researchers led by Professor Adil Najam, Associate Professor of International Negotiation & Diplomacy, The Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy, Tufts University. Note: NRP Summit is tomorrow (Friday) and the day after. As I will be at the event, I may not be able to post on these days. But, I promise to upload pics and event details soon.