Sungi
Partner's Assembly 2008
Sub Theme: Climate Change, Energy Crises and Population
Introduction:
Planet Earth, home to about 6.5 billion people, is more vulnerable to ecological collapse than ever before.
The industrial revolution brought about the machine age to supposedly ease human living. It transformed the
entire landscape of our planet in a fascinating and incredible manner. The industrial revolution, technology,
turned out to be a blessing in some ways but poses a direct threat to humanity on the other hand. Nuclear
weapons, outcome of technological advancement, can destroy the entire humanity on earth in the fraction of
a second. Another extremely serious threat facing humanity today is the climate change and global warming.
Uncontrolled industrialization affected the natural climatic system and thereby nature itself. Humanity is
facing its consequences even today. If the climate change is not averted, it will ultimately destroy our planet
and life on it. Thus, Climate Change is the foremost catastrophe of our times that has put the entire humanity
in extreme danger of extinction.
According to climate scientists, the temperature of the earth is increasing incredibly fast.
Over the last 100 years, the global temperature has increased by 0.6 C and it is expected to
rise further by 4.85 C before the end of current century. As temperatures increase, glaciers
melt faster; sea level rises, precipitation increases, rainfall patterns change, flooding,
hurricanes increase, longer droughts occur, new diseases emerge. Latest research has found that
impacts are overwhelmingly negative and will affect poor countries and vulnerable people first
and hardest. These counties and people are often the least responsible for causing the problem
and have the fewest resources to adapt to the rapid changes.
Climate changes are natural but the world's scientists confirm that human activity - mainly
greenhouse gas emissions from the burning of fossil fuels for energy, forest fires and
deforestation is now causing the Earth's climate to change incredibly fast, taking us far
outside natural ranges and towards 'tipping points' beyond which consequences of global warming may be irreversible.
Global warming is a political issue as the most developed counties are primarily responsible for the impending catastrophe.
It is, therefore, their primary responsibility to reduce these emissions to the minimum acceptable levels while help poor
counties for adopting measures to mitigate climate change. However, it is the moral responsibility of each inhabitant of
Planet Earth to contribute to averting this catastrophe and save the earth for our future generations.
Objectives of the theme:
In the above context, the issue of Climate Change will be discussed to achieve following objectives:
• Increase understanding on climate change and associated issues
• Prepare policy recommendations
• Launch Sungi partners’ campaign on climate change
Sub Theme: Food crises- genuine or manufactured
The world is bracing for the worst food crisis, witnessed in recent memory. In today’s global village, Pakistan
cannot escape its impact. But is the food crisis as severe as is being made to be? There are varying opinions,
but outside the government, stakeholders confidently push forward the view that “there is no shortage of food
grains in the country and the crisis is all manmade”. They blame successive governments for mismanaging a perfectly
manageable situation. The reason for the present position is that previous government gave an exaggerated crop estimate
and allowed wheat export at lower than the international prices. Due to a lack of consistent policy, the government
later allowed import of the commodity at exorbitantly high price. The critics argue that neither the wheat production
figures nor the exact cultivation area were reported correctly by the departments concerned. “Don’t forget that
Pakistan produces 33 million tons of food grains against its annual requirement of 27 million tons”. In the case of
Pakistan, the food crisis comes hand in hand with an energy crisis and in an environment already rife with of political
uncertainty and extremist threats. Food and energy shortages could become worse this summer. This is a dangerous mix
and those currently engrossed in political shenanigans might soon find that their best laid political plans would come
to naught if these basic needs remain unmet. On the other hand, Pakistanis also continue to suffer from the soaring
prices and shortage of wheat flour. Thousands of people lined up outside government run stores every day to get flour
but many go home without any wheat flour.
Out of the 22 million tons of wheat produced this year the country could have easily exported 1.5 million tons, but a
large part of it was smuggled to India and Afghanistan due to price differences. The government could hardly procure
5 million tons of wheat while the same quantity slipped into the hands of traders who hoard it for creating artificial
shortage leading to price increase. The country had produced 5.5 million tons of rice, but hoarders captured a major
chunk of the produce. The local consumers need 200,000 tons of fine rice and 700,000 tons of broken rice. The “greedy
hoarders” are responsible for the current increase in rice prices.
If the government seriously wanted to increase production of food crops it has to ensure provision of agricultural inputs
at cheaper rates. The prices of DAP fertilizer, which is the most vital input; has jumped to Rs. 3, 000 per 50 kg bag.
Expensive electricity and oil are also adding to farmers’ woes. The government needs to give due importance to the agriculture
sector if it wants to achieve sustainable economic growth. The government spent $ 2,750 million on import of wheat. It could
have saved $ 1,300 million if it had procured wheat from farmers at Rs. 1, 000 per 40 kilograms. If the government does not
ensure regular stocks and supply of wheat the flour price might jump to Rs40 per kg in July. The country has enough wheat
and there is no need to import wheat at double the rate prevailing in the country. The money thus saved in foreign exchange
could be spent on providing subsidy to consumers to buy wheat flour.
Sub Theme: EXTREMISM AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION
Much blood has been shed by people who believe that their violent actions serve a divine cause. This distortion of the teachings
of the great religions has been most brutal and fanatical when the blood of the community, tribe, or nation is made hostage by
fanatical utterances of the religiosity and racially intoxicated.
As Sungi Development Foundation truly believes in non-violent movements, our leaders and communities should also make it clear that
they have zero tolerance for terrorists and tolerance is the only way out.
In contrast to the common notion of Islam, as a religion that advocates attainment of peace through non-violence and tolerance.
It has the ideal values and principles and expects Muslims to live by them. However, despite these ideals set out for us, various
societal forces impede their implementations. Islam is interpreted and read dependent on the lenses being used. Hence, the values
taught by our religion are being distorted and result in violence. Islam is used as a guise to cover up the personal, ideological
and political designs of both extremism and fanaticism.
The necessity of doing good by struggling against any forms of oppressions and the respect of the sanctity of life are core values
in the propagation of peace and non-violence. Every human being is looked upon as a seperate entity – a being composite of body
and soul, a being with rights and more importantly with human dignity. Hence, to respect and preserve human life is a must.
Looking back at extremism, what they (extremists) preach and practice is a complete dichotomy of what Islam teaches and propagates.
Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have
outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of the world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and
freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspirations of the common people.
In Pakistan the militarization of society by past governments and dictators in the guise of Pan-Islamic Brotherhood has resulted in
the poverty stricken, powerless and marginalized sections of society to ascribe to the radical Islamists distortions to wrest their
civil, human and fundamental rights. Thus the emergence of the terrorist groups has been inevitable.
Education, productive economic opportunities and a sense of belonging to a State as equal citizens, where the state ensures the civil,
human and fundamental rights of all members of society in an equitable and just manner can eventually eradicate the menace of terrorism
from our polity. Such a campaign is the need of the hour and Sungi would like to contribute in whatever manner possible in consultation
with its community partners.
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