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Association for Communal Harmony in Asia (ACHA)
www.asiapeace.org    &  www.indiapakistanpeace.org
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503.393.6944
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Link to Asia Peace (ACHA) Site
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India-Pakistan Peace Day 2010

REPORTS

*June 25: Pulling strings of peace (TNN, 26 Jun, 2010)
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/amankiasharticleshow/6093819.cms

On a surprisingly pleasant summer morning, a group of children from India and Pakistan made peace look ever so simple at the Wagah-Attari border. In a first-of-its-kind interaction between the two countries, they exchanged peace messages written out on hundreds of handkerchiefs. The event, a part of Aman ki Asha, a joint initiative by Pakistan's Jang Group and The Times of India, was all the more special as it also heralded the arrival of the Commonwealth Queen's Baton from Pakistan…

*July 28:  Peace Caravan left Mumbai for Wagah (Rediff News, July 28, 2010)

http://news.rediff.com/slide-show/2010/jul/28/slide-show-1-india-pakistan-peace-caravan.htm

Common people in India and Pakistan will continue to strive for peace and friendship irrespective of what their political masters do. That was the mood at the India-Pakistan Peace Caravan that flagged off from Mumbai on July 28. The caravan will reach Atari border on August 14 where they will meet their counterparts at the Wagah border, reports Prasanna D Zore…

*August 7: An evening of peace and poetry, Karachi (The News, August 08, 2010)
http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=255511

The Karachi Press Club saw a flurry of activity on its premises on Saturday as speakers from different walks of life gathered to promote peace in South Asia. The programme, titled Aman Ke Badhte Qadam, saw a minor glitch in the form of unexpected rain that had a positive outcome, as many speakers thought of expressing their opinion through poetry rather than lengthy speeches…

*August 7: Poetry recitation to celebrate the Subcontinent’s Independence Days, USA
 To celebrate the Independence Days of the sub-continent The Aligarh Alumni Association of Metropolitan Washington, DC, in cooperation with The Global Organization of People of Indian Origin of Metro Washington (GOPIO) organized a Mushaira and  Kavi Sammelan on August 7, 2010 at the Forest Oak Middle School auditorium, at in Gaithersburg, Maryland.  The guests and the poets, dressed in their national attires, reflected a cool ambience reflecting the Ganga-Jumni culture of all faiths and traditions. Twenty three Urdu and Hindi poets, who shared their compositions, includes A. Abdullah, Abdurrahman Siddiqui, Ashok Narayan, Dhananjaya Kumar, Gulshan Madhur, I.D. Ramasuwami, Kiran Nath, Khurram Yousufzai, Madhu Maheshvari, Mohammad Anwar, Musarrat Jahan Baig, Narendra Tandon Sahil Lakhnavi, Prem Sethi, Rakesh Khandewal, Razi Raziuddin, Rekha Maitra, Sadiq Bajwa, Salahuddin Nasir, Satyapal Anand, Suman Verdhan, Surekha Vij, Vishakha Thakar, and Zaheer Parvez. The nizamat was conducted by Dr. A. Abdullah and it was presided over by Professor Satyapal Anand. (Report by Dr. Zafar Iqbal raabta.india@gmail.com)


*August 11: Expat Indians and Pakistanis join hands for flood relief (Aman Ki Asha)
http://www.amankiasha.com/detail_news.asp?id=246

The Fraser Valley Peace Council in Vancouver, Canada, has collected around $ 7000 so far in contributions from Americans of South Asian origin, including Sikhs, Hindus, and Muslims. The local Chinese and Caucasian communities have also contributed to this collection. The Peace Council has been active in Vancouver for the last three years, earning respect for several peace-related joint activities involving Canadians of Indian and Pakistani origin. "We have set an internal target of 10,000 dollars by 14th August," says Shahzad Nazir Khan, a FVPC volunteer. "Besides our Pakistani community, this amount made possible only because of the generous contributions by the people of different communities, especially from our Indian brothers and sisters"…
*August 14: J&K-When greetings replace guns at LoC (Rising Kashmir, August 15, 2010)
http://www.risingkashmir.com/news/when-greetings-replace-guns-at-loc-251.aspx

Rajouri, Aug 14: For once the animosity gives way to smiles and greetings. On the independence of Pakistan, Indian and Pakistani Army exchanged smiles, handshakes, gifts, greetings and sweets at Chakan-Da-Bagh crossing point on Saturday. The Indian side was led Colonel Amit Kumar of 8 Komoun regiment while Colonel Imran Khan of Baluch Regiment led Pakistani side. Speaking the occasion, Colonel Kumar said as part of the “great tradition” they have congratulated their counterparts on their Independence day. Colonel Khan thanked Indian army for their endeavor.

*August 14: SAFMA, Manch hold candlelight vigil, SAMN, August 16, 2010
http://www.southasianmedia.net/index_story.cfm?id=662803&category=Frontend&Country=MAIN

WAHGA-ATTARI: Members from Indian chapter of South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA) and NGO Hind-Pak Dosti Manch, along with some guests from Pakistan, gathered at the Attari check post on the international border on the intervening night of 14-15 for the candle light vigil. Bollywood Film Producer-Director Mahesh Bhatt, veteran Indian journalist-writer Kuldeep Nayar, Aitzaz Ahsan, former Pakistan Supreme Court Bar Association President and many social activists participated in the midnight vigil. The participants carrying candlelights and torches marched to the Wagah Border raising slogans of Long Live India-Pakistan Friendship….A colourful programme was also organised near the Indo-Pak Wagah border by Hind Pak Dosti Manch and Folklore Research Academy….Thousands of people converged at the Attari-Wagah joint check post Saturday night to be part of the midnight celebrations for India's 64th Independence Day…

*August 14: Activists anchor Indo/Pak Independence Day celebration (India West, Aug 20, 10

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – More than 50 South Asian Americans gathered here Aug. 14 at the new offices of the Global Fund for Women to jointly celebrate Indian and Pakistani Independence Day. The annual event was cosponsored by the GFW and the Friends of South Asia. This year’s celebration was entitled “We Refuse to be Enemies,” and featured a discussion with four noted activists….documentary filmmaker Samar Minallah; Admiral L. Ramdas, former chief of the Indian Navy; anti-nuclear activist Lalita Ramdas, chair of the board of Greenpeace International; and social anthropologist Nosheen Ali, currently a visiting scholar at Stanford…

*August 15: Indian activists collect funds for Pak(Dawn, August 16, 2010)
http://www.southasianmedia.net/index_story.cfm?id=662829&category=Frontend&Country=MAIN

LAHORE: Some Indian peace activists visiting Pakistan remained on The Mall for about three hours on Sunday and collected donations for flood-hit Pakistanis. Dr Sandeep Pandey, Mazhar Hussain, Feroz Mothiawala, Zaid Ahmad, Monica Wahi, Ramneek Mohan, Shetal, Darshan, Rajeshwar Ojha, Feroz Hudda and others from across the border contributed a sum of Indian Rs 30,000 to the Labour Flood Relief campaign before collecting donations from motorists and pedestrians crossing the Regal Chowk…

*August 15: No borders on young India, Pak singers(Hindustan Times, August 16, 2010)
http://www.southasianmedia.net/index_story.cfm?id=662822&category=Frontend&Country=MAIN

Three weeks ago they were just 20 kids, 10 each from India and Pakistan, coming together on the music reality show, on Chote Ustaad 2: Do Deshon Ki Ek Awaaz, on Star Plus. The judges, singers Sonu Niigaam and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, sorted them into two teams representing the two countries….The kids spend over 12 hours of the day together, rehearsing their performances. “We never discuss politics. In fact, if we didn’t tell you, you wouldn’t be able to say who is from India and who is from Pakistan,” insists Akanksha. Moon, her Pakistani counterpart, agrees, “Our parents haven’t taught us to hold on to old grudges, we’re friends.”Putting his arms around his Indian friends Satyendar, Sayantan and Bhanu, he promises to give them a grand welcome when they come to Pakistan.

*August 15: India, Pak border troops exchange sweets(Hindustan Times, August 16, 2010)
http://www.southasianmedia.net/index_story.cfm?id=662800&category=Frontend&Country=MAIN

ATTARI-WAGHA: Celebrating the 63rd anniversary of India's independence, the Border Security Force (BSF) on Sunday presented sweets to its Pakistani counterparts at the Attari-Wagah joint check post between the two countries in Punjab. BSF Inspector General (Punjab Frontier) Himmat Singh presented the packets of sweets to representatives of the Pakistan Rangers. "We are all brothers and sisters and this is our gesture to express solidarity and brotherhood with Pakistan. We hope that in the coming days all tensions will fade away between the two countries," Himmat Singh told IANS. Tens of hundreds of enthusiasts, carrying the Indian national flag in hands, had also gathered near the Attari-Wagah border to be a part of the celebrations. Earlier Saturday, on the occasion of Pakistan's Independence Day, Pakistan Rangers' director general Mohammad Yaqub presented sweets to BSF commandant Sumir Singh…