Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization

March 25, 2008

Sindh

STATISTIC
Status        : Occupied & Unrecognized territory
Population : 45 million, mainly Sindhis
Areas        : 55,000 miles2
Capital      : Karachi – since 1947 (previously Hyderabad & Thatta)
Language : Sindhi, official language of Sindh
Religion    : Islam (80%), Hindhu (15%)

UNPO REPRESENTATION
The Sindhi are represented in UNPO by the World Sindhi Institute.

OVERVIEW
Fertile valley around Indus River.
In the South - Arabian Sea (Indian Ocean).
In the East - Thar Dessert merging into Rajisthan, India.
In the West - Mountain range of Khirthar merging into Baluchistan and Iran.
In the North - Plains of Punjab.
Indus River flowing from Himaliya in the north to Indian Ocean in the South, and Flooding the valley into a fertile land.

POPULATION
In 1947, when British rulers decided to leave India, instead of restoring the original independent status of Sindh, as per the English traditions, Sindhis were asked to join India or Pakistan. Having no other choice i.e.. Independence, Sindhis decided to join the newly created state of Pakistan on the basis of Pakistan Resolution of 1940, which promises that "…the constituent units shall be autonomous and sovereign".

UNPO MEMBER PERSPECTIVE
The World Sindhi Institute (WSI) is committed to achieving human rights for the Sindhis of Sindh in southeastern Pakistan through a nonviolent advocacy, activist, and academic campaign. WSI brings together Sindhis of all religious and geographical backgrounds and their supporters in a proactive, progressive movement whose purpose is to inform others of the human rights and environmental atrocities occurring in Sindh.

Beliefs & Vision
The World Sindhi Institute (WSI) believes that societal stability and sustainability can be established in Sindh and throughout Pakistan through the principles of nonviolence, human rights, justice and respect for the environment. WSI believes that cultural beliefs and practices must be honored and nurtured, while also being encouraged and allowed to change so that progressive development is possible.

WSI is available to support grassroots movements in Sindh by acting as a U.S.-based think-tank and advocacy platform in order to increase regional stability in South Asia.

WSI campaigns for the following developments in Pakistan:
• Secularism (separation of ‘Church and State’)
• Democracy (vs. Military Rule)
• Demilitarization (Civilians, rather than the army, should rule)
• Decentralization (Each Province should be “autonomous & sovereign”, according to the 1940 Pakistan Resolution)
• Nuclear Disarmament (Pakistan must rid itself of Nuclear weapons)

WSI is dedicated to establishing forums and resources to promote the teaching of the Sindhi language, history and culture to people around the world, as well as to provide a platform for all Sindh supporters to express their diverse views. Through international conferences, a quarterly magazine, a national speakers’ bureau, the opening of WSI chapters around the world, and the promotion of Sindhi scholars as academics and practitioners, WSI is confident that equal rights and representation for the Sindhis of southern Pakistan will be achieved in the near future.

A decade of activism; 1997 – 2007
In the past ten years, WSI has been working towards the goal of achieving human rights for the people of Sindh in southeastern Pakistan through nonviolent advocacy, activism, and academic campaigns. WSI brings together Sindhis of all religions and geographical backgrounds and their supporters in a proactive, progressive movement whose purpose is to bring to the attention of the international community, the grave situation of human rights and environmental atrocities occurring in Sindh. WSI initiates and welcomes collaborative projects with other governmental and non-governmental organizations and individuals seeking positive, nonviolent change in South Asia and elsewhere.

Reviewing the gone decade, WSI has realized the following accomplishments, trends, and challenges in the way of the organization:

Functional linkages:
Good work relations have been developed with different international organizations. With United Nations, WSI regularly attends and testifies at various UN conferences in both New York City, NY, and Geneva, Switzerland. The United Nations Association in National Capital Area (UNA-NCA) has awarded WSI with the Blue Ribbon Awards for 1999, 2000 and 2001. On the recommendation of WSI, they awarded Annual Human Rights Awards to four Sindhis, including Dr. Safdar Sarki and Asif Baladi.

WSI works closely with the World Bank, monitoring its work with Pakistan and meeting with its officials to better understand the Bank's policies and projects as they relate to Sindh. The World Sindhi Institute maintains close contact with many officials at the U.S. State Department, meeting regularly with staffers at the Pakistan Desk and the offices of Human Rights, Democracy, & Labor (DRL).

WSI has been working closely with the US Congress and its various Committees. Over the years many members of the U.S. Congress have offered their support to WSI, including the Late Senator Paul Wellstone. Beginning in October 2003, Congressman Tom Tancredo led the House officials in a Sindhi campaign that has resulted in congressional letters addressed to Pakistani President General Musharraf and Chairman of the Voice of America's Board of Directors, a ‘Hearing’ before the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, as well as discussions pertaining to Sindh between State Department officials and members of the Pakistani Government. On the issue of Water, dams and environmental catastrophe in Sindh, Congressman Tom Tancredo initiated a letter to President General Pervaiz Musharraf, which was further signed by many other US Congressional Representatives. Additionally, WSI with supporters is working closely with the ‘International Rivers Network’ and the ‘World Water Council’, of which it is a member. WSI aims to begin projects with other leading, international environmental organizations.

The ‘WSI Internship Program’ is very popular and worth mentioning. It has been gaining strength by word of mouth among students, as well as through formal evaluations of institutions such as Washington Center for Internships and American University of Washington. This semester based program is attended by students from all over the U.S. and abroad.

USEFUL LINK

http://www.worldsindhi.org/