Wall journal on environment launched
KARACHI – Speakers at the launching ceremony of a wall journal “Hamara Mahol” focusing on environment and health issues called for maximum involvement of women in the sustainable development programmes across the country.
The bi-monthly publication, which commenced in 1993 under the aegis of Shirkatgah Women Resource Centre, has to its credit some 60 full-fledged issues on varied topics related to environment, health and women rights. Following immense demand on part of its readers, mainly those based in rural areas, the issues were compiled and re-published in two volumes.
The session was addressed by senior conservationist Obaidullah Baig, columnist Zahida Hina, journalist Sajjad Mir, Sindh EPA Deputy Director Shahid Lutfi, Mehar Marker Nowsherwani, Nasim Fatima, Shagufta Alizai and Hilda Said.
The speakers were appreciative of the fact that diverse but extremely relevant issues were not only raised in the national language but were also supplemented by indigenous solutions.
The issues discussed at the ceremony included simple and home based water purification techniques, kitchen gardening, environmental health – prevention, cost effective house building, recycling of goods and garbage, women education, food contamination, water logging and salinity, insecticides and their impact on farmers, family planning, AIDS, tuberculosis and so forth.
It was acknowledged that the readers mainly pertaining to sub-urban and rural areas besides the city dwellers representing low income groups were sensitized and involved in strategies to address the relevant problems through education and prevention.
Referring to the fact that women constitute more than 50 per cent of the country’s population, Obaidullah Baig reminded that they could be the actual force to rectify the wrongs committed at the name of development.
Hilda Said, who remained associated with the publication for quite sometime, referred to the initiatives taken by her team that included questionnaires to assess the level of understanding of the readers as well to gauge their topics of interest.
According to her, the readers including members of CBOs belonging to fishing villages, workers’ colonies and various other settlements were provided opportunity to send their respective problems, related to their surroundings and professions.
The concerned experts provided them with cost effective and indigenous solutions, she added. Zahida Hina, the journal’s editor, maintained this to be an attempt for change with limited resources available with the Shirkatgah Women Resource Centre.
She said that 60 publications of the journal, compiled in two volumes, besides catering varied topics included experiences and movements initiated in developing countries like India, Bangladesh with a view to motivate people and help them gather courage to protect their lands, mountains, forests, sea and rivers.
Expressing his views on the publication, Shahid Lutfi cited it to be an immense source of information for lay persons and statistics as well as data for researchers.
Senior journalist Sajjad Mir, who was chief guest on the occasion, underscored the need for more publications on such issues. He maintained that instead of giant schemes, small but those directly linked to public lives could pave the way for meaningful progress and development.
Shagufta Alizai, the first editor of the journal, presented a brief history of the publication. Mehar Nosherwani while conducting the proceedings mentioned that the publication was being supported by the European Union under its social development programme.
Nasim Fatima said that keeping in view the public insistence a six-monthly Sindhi version of the journal ‘Asaan Jo Mahol” was also launched and catering to a
large segment of society.
Source: Dawn
Date:5/22/2004
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