Current Projects
Where Does China’s Belt and Road Go?
According to a report issued by Xinhua, the Chinese state news agency in August, Xi Jinping in addition to his role as Party Secretary, President, Chair of the Central Military Commission, and of about half of the all-important Small Leading Groups which co-ordinate policy, is also China’s “Story Teller in Chief.” This is evidently not a formal role. But nor is it a completely metaphorical one. At a Politburo meeting convened soon after the new leadership was appointed at the 18th Party Congress in 2012, Xi reportedly told his colleagues they needed to “tell the China story.” Around the same time, more publicly, he said that China needed to have a more activist stance about its role in the world. The era of the silent, almost supine Hu Jintao leadership, where the world went into deep angst about what China’s intentions were and no one in the elite leadership in Beijing bothered setting these out, was over. China was now in the mood to tell the world what it believed its story was. Part of this story, it is now clear, was to assert parity with its key international relationships, and get rid of the idea from the Deng Xiaoping era that China was biding its time and simply keeping a low profile. With the United States, Xi asserted a “new model of great power relations” while meeting President Obama in Sunnylands in 2013. With the European Union, the second largest trading partnership, he declared the two were, despite their manifest differences, “civilizational partners.” Through these new frameworks, the world had been learning that China was in the mood for equality, not deference. And nor was it going to be branded as assertive or pushy. As the world’s second largest economy, Beijing felt it was simply taking up its rightful place. Unsurprisingly, the region where China has had the greatest challenges in spelling out its new story is the one it inhabits. Despite their clear areas of conflict and complexity, the U.S. and E.U. story were relatively easy to nail...
Where Does China's Belt and Road Go?
According to a report issued by Xinhua, the Chinese state news agency in August, Xi Jinping in addition to his role as Party Secretary, President, Chair of the Central Military Commission, and of about half of the all-important Small Leading Groups which co-ordinate policy, is also China’s “Story Teller in Chief.” This is evidently not a formal role. But nor is it a completely metaphorical one. At a Politburo meeting convened soon after the new leadership was appointed at the 18th Party Congress in 2012, Xi reportedly told his colleagues they needed to “tell the China story.” Around the same time, more publicly, he said that China needed to have a more activist stance about its role in the world. The era of the silent, almost supine Hu Jintao leadership, where the world went into deep angst about what China’s intentions were and no one in the elite leadership in Beijing bothered setting these out, was over. China was now in the mood to tell the world what it believed its story was. Part of this story, it is now clear, was to assert parity with its key international relationships, and get rid of the idea from the Deng Xiaoping era that China was biding its time and simply keeping a low profile. With the United States, Xi asserted a “new model of great power relations” while meeting President Obama in Sunnylands in 2013. With the European Union, the second largest trading partnership, he declared the two were, despite their manifest differences, “civilizational partners.” Through these new frameworks, the world had been learning that China was in the mood for equality, not deference. And nor was it going to be branded as assertive or pushy. As the world’s second largest economy, Beijing felt it was simply taking up its rightful place. Unsurprisingly, the region where China has had the greatest challenges in spelling out its new story is the one it inhabits. Despite their clear areas of conflict and complexity, the U.S. and E.U. story were relatively easy to nail...
CRSS interviews Ms. Sherene Hassan, a board member at the Islamic Museum of Australia
"The Islamic Museum of Australia was built about three and a half years ago. The project began over seven years ago. Basically, the whole family as well as a number of volunteers from the community got together with a vision of trying to reclaim the narrative on Islam. A lot of what people say and hear in the media is very negative and a number of individuals were concerned about that negativity becoming so prevalent...," Ms. Sherene Hassan, a board Member at the Islamic Museum of Australia speaks to CRSS. https://vimeo.com/233849876
Sabawoon Showcase: August 24, 2017
Contribution of Women in Pashto Literature The latest episode of Ranra (light) focused on the contribution of female writers and poetess in the development of Pashto Literature/ poetry. Militancy has greatly affected the region, it has also adversely affected literacy. Due to cultural barriers, female writers and poetess are not visibly active and most have resultantly accommodated their poetry with the prevailing times. One should encourage youngsters through their artistry to strive for a better tomorrow rather than dwelling about the past. Moreover, the above mentioned program also highlighted the role of the Pak Women Writers Forum in encouraging young female writers. Ms. Nazia Durani, poetess, fictionist and member of Pak women writers’ forum, Peshawar, took part as studio guest in the show. Ms. Durrani said: “Inspirational poetry should uplift the nation, we are against vulgarity and the government must take corrective action against cinema owners running movies with questionable content, this is not part of our Pashtoon culture.” A radio report was made part of the program. The report highlighted the reasons and causes on the shortage of female poetess in the country. Three listeners took part in the program through live calls. They shared their poetry and the basis of their inspirations with the listeners. About Sabawoon: Sabawoon airs in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). It is designed to highlight the local issues and promote the fundamental governance values, such as democracy, rule of law, women’s rights, and equal citizenry. The show airs Monday through Thursday every week under four themes on FM-101.5 Peshawar and Dera Ismail Khan 711 KHZ from 3:20 PM to 4:00 PM. On Monday, Jarga Maraka covers current affairs and important regional issues with an input from government and other senior officials. On Tuesday, Da Simay Jaaj gives an overview of the top stories from KP and FATA regions. Jwandai Jazbey airs on...
Australia and The Jihadists
Muslim intelligentsia in Australia seem to be groping for answers to understand as to why migrants from South Asia or the Middle East consider Islam as a “security blanket” for themselves, and their female family members in particular. Melbourne — Muslim intelligentsia in Australia seem to be groping for answers to understand as to why migrants from South Asia or the Middle East consider Islam as a ‘security blanket’ for themselves, and their female family members in particular. The question arises, they point out, particularly because the religion back home hardly serves as a security valve in crime against women, unlike here in the West, a society anchored in fundamental rights. Scholars as well as officials, however, do draw consolation from the fact that most of Australia’s over half a million Muslims do represent a pragmatic liberal citizenry that feels comfortable with the western notions of human rights. Scholars as well as officials do draw consolation from the fact that most of Australia’s over half a million Muslims do represent a pragmatic liberal citizenry that feels comfortable with western notions of human rights “For a Muslim boy or girl born here defence of fundamental rights for all is automatic because that is the foundations of the society,” points out Abdullah Saeed, Professor and director at the National Centre of Excellence for Islamic Studies, University of Melbourne. The first and second generation migrants still view such a debate as western agenda that is in conflict with Islam, Saeed told us during an interaction here. He has found memories of his stay at a Faisalabad seminary in the 1970s, where he learnt Arabic and also picked up Urdu during his year and a half. It is the generation that finds it easier to blame others for the Muslims’ present plight and thus prone to embracing the jihadist, Al-Qaeda-inspired narrative of victimhood instead of looking at the internal socio-political problems and contradictions in the societies back...
Sabawoon Showcase: August 23, 2017
Youngsters Interest in Modern Games The latest episode of Jwandai Jazbey (alive spirits) emphasizes the interest of youngsters in playing sports and the possibilities it entails for their future. The importance of sports and the interest of the youth in modern games like cricket is contradicted by the lack of available facilities for promising career avenues in volley ball, hockey and squash, to name a few, due primarily to state negligence. Absence of proactive promotion of modern games hinders Pakistan’s ability to showcase its positive image globally. Sports act as a foundation for physical, emotional and psychological tolerance, all of which a society critically needs to prosper and progress. To highlight this, the program shed light on the roles of the sports directorate and federations with regards to their responsibility to support players participating on an international platform. Mr. Tahir Iqbal, a squash coach from Peshawar, took part as the guest in the show where he stated “My message to todays’ youngsters is to keep up the hard work as it is always rewarded eventually” A radio report was also made part of the program. The report highlighted the contribution of legendary athletes in their respective sports. Furthermore, two listeners took part in the program through calls made while one listener participated through text messages. Their views echoed the sentiments of today’s youth, demanding for increased and improved sports facilities from the government. About Sabawoon Sabawoon airs in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). It is designed to highlight the local issues and promote the fundamental governance values, such as democracy, rule of law, women’s rights, and equal citizenry. The show airs Monday through Thursday every week under four themes on FM-101.5 Peshawar and Dera Ismail Khan 711 KHZ from 3:20 PM to 4:00 PM. On Monday, Jarga Maraka covers current affairs and important regional issues with an input from...
Sabawoon Showcase: August 22, 2017
Regional Review on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) The latest episode of Da Simay Jaaj (regional review) discussed several public issues, such as clean drinking water, education and labor issues in different districts and Agencies of KP and FATA. The first report highlights the issue of drinking water in a Girls High School in District Charsadda. Due to a small fault in the installed water pump in the School, the girl students themselves bring water from nearby neighboring home. In the last five month, no one has given attention to solve the problem. The second report mentions the college admission issue in District Swat. According to the statistics the population of Swat is around 2.8 million, but there are only 6 government colleges. This year 15 thousand students passed matriculation exams and are due to enroll in colleges, but due to scarcity of colleges only 3000 students were accommodated in government and 3000 in private colleges, the remaining 9000 are still in search of admission elsewhere. PTI leader and MPA Mr. Fazal Hakeem talking as a telephonic guest in the show stated that he was trying to start evening shift in the government colleges, and is striving to find a rented building in order to start a temporary college in the area. He assured the public of the area, that the issue will be resolved by next year. Moreover, program discussed the problems faced by labor and factory owners in Mohmand Agency, due to power shortage and load shedding. In the final report, the importance of NGOs role in the development of the region was discussed. Report highlighted that an NGO, EVA-BHN was working hard towards developing awareness amongst the patients and local community regarding their rights and available facilities in basic health units in KP. There were ten feedback calls and one SMS in the show, six calls were aired live; callers also discussed their local problems and tried to draw the attention of the...
Sabawoon Showcase: August, 21, 2017
Hiring procedure and hurdles of unemployed youth. The latest episode of Jarga Maraka (debate and council) shed light on the hurdles of unemployed youth due to the different testing authorities, fee structure and examination procedure. Unemployment is rising day by day, every year hundreds of Universities produce millions of graduates of different fields, and each graduate striving to get a suitable job in the market. Unfortunately, due to tough competition they have to proceed by appearing for various tests and interviews of different testing authorities. Moreover, program shed light on the fee structure of these testing authorities, the varied ways they adopt for conducting the examinations and in majority of cases, no reply or feedback is given to the candidates. Mr. Arif Yousaf, special Assistant to CM KP and Mr. Inam Ullah, a senior Journalist were the studio guests in the show. Replying to the questions of presenter and callers Mr. Yousaf said, we adopt NTS, KPTA for hiring to keep and maintain the merit among the candidates. He accepted the fact that the fee structure of 300 to 1000 Rupees creates hurdles towards striving for gainful employment amongst the unemployed youth, as each one is contesting more and more examinations in order to get a suitable job. He promised the CRSS listeners to take up this cause with the CM, hoping to subsidize the fee of NTS etc. A report was made part of the show, in which the statistics were shared of different examinations and income of testing authorities. We received 15 calls, out of these 11 calls were aired live. About Sabawoon: Sabawoon airs in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). It is designed to highlight the local issues and promote the fundamental governance values, such as democracy, rule of law, women’s rights, and equal citizenry. The show airs Monday through Thursday every week under four themes on FM-101.5 Peshawar and Dera Ismail Khan 711 KHZ from 3:20 PM to 4:00 PM. On...
What Does Brics Declaration Mean For Pakistan?
The section on International Peace and Security (from point 35 to 52) of the 60-point declaration released at end of the BRICS summit held over the weekend in China has evoked mixed reactions in and outside Pakistan. Point 47 of the declaration reflects concerns shared by China, Russia, Pakistan, Iran and Turkey regarding the situation in Afghanistan. It not only condemns the continued spate of violence there but also supports 'Afghan-led and Afghan-owned' initiatives focused at promoting peace including the Moscow Format and the Heart of Asia-Istanbul. Several other points reflect BRICS countries' continued support for Palestinians, commitment and determination against trans-border terrorism, terrorist financing, and denial of space to foreign fighters as well as desire for negotiated settlement to other conflicts in the Middle-East and Africa. Point 48, in particular, has triggered a quasi-celebration among perennial critics and skeptics, in particular those who would draw sadistic pleasure over anything that would slur or defame Pakistan. The full-text of the point is as follows: "We support efforts of the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces in fighting terrorist organisations. We, in this regard, express concern on the security situation in the region and violence caused by the Taliban, ISIL/DAISH, Al-Qaida and its affiliates including Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement, Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, the Haqqani network, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, TTP and Hizb ut-Tahrir." Former Pakistani High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit has expressed surprise at some of the reactions to this part of the BRICS declaration. "These terror outfits are already proscribed in Pakistan. They were also mentioned in the Amritsar Heart of Asia conference in December last year with Pakistan on board," Basit has been quoted as saying. He has also pointed out that the Xiamen Declaration mentions the TTP, which Pakistani officials believe is funded by India. The...
Sabawoon Showcase: August 18, 2017
Youth thinking about conventional and social media. The latest episode of Taroon (bond) focused on the current trends in electronic media and the use of social media. The present age is called the age of media. It can influence people in different ways and has put an increased pressure on youngsters on how to look and behave in a certain manner. The program shed light on the current situation of electronic media division i.e. pro and anti-government, its impact on the news quality, and the use of social media. Program was recorded in the University of Swat, with Mr. Khalid Khan, the head of Journalism and Mass communication department, along with a lecturer of the same department and students. Mr. Khalid Khan criticized the division in the media organization and how it is harmful for the future of journalism. He also stressed on the importance of following media ethics to avoid sensationalism and fake or desk news. The students also criticized the use of social media for spreading hate literature. They also stated that efforts must be made on implementing cyber-crime laws and demanded more rules and regulations to make the use of social media fruitful and positive. Six listeners took part in the program. They took keen interest in the topic and gave their positive feedback. About Sabawoon: Sabawoon airs in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). It is designed to highlight the local issues and promote the fundamental governance values, such as democracy, rule of law, women’s rights, and equal citizenry. The show airs Monday through Thursday every week under four themes on FM-101.5 Peshawar and Dera Ismail Khan 711 KHZ from 3:20 PM to 4:00 PM. On Monday, Jarga Maraka covers current affairs and important regional issues with an input from government and other senior officials. On Tuesday, Da Simay Jaaj gives an overview of the top stories from KP and FATA regions. Jwandai Jazbey airs on Wednesday and deals with issues of...
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TESTIMONIALS
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I am also a member of National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting. Recently, we held a meeting with the Director General of Radio Pakistan and we told them to initiate such local programs (like Constituency Hour) in regional languages to educate and inform people. Even Indian Radio can be heard in FATA which is being used for propaganda purposes and must be closed. Therefore, we should launch some standard and quality programs like CRSS that will change the taste of the listeners.