[Reader-list] Faiz Centenary

[SJabbar]

Faiz Ahmed Faiz centenary celebrations - 2011
A statement by Progressive Writers Association (PWA)
Faiz Ahmad Faiz was one of the most prominent Pakistani poets who won
unparalleled global acclaim. He symbolised all that is humane, dignified,
refined, brave and challenging and patriotic in Pakistani society. His
poetry reflects his intellectual resentment and resistance against an unjust
and archaic social order which he rejects on rational grounds as anti human;
yet it has no bitterness. He remains loving and loveable, respected and
respectful. 



Faiz's poetry articulates the aspirations, anguish, pain and suffering of
not only the people of Pakistan but that of the whole world, as well as
their unremitting resolve to create a better and just society. His was the
voice of sanity, for he sought peace in a troubled world.

Faiz lived in the times of literary giants like Josh Malihabadi, Sardar
Jafri, Kaifi Azmi, Majaz Lakhnawi, Majrooh Sultanpuri, Pablo Neruda, Nazim
Hikmet, Rasul Gamzatov, Ralph Russell and many others. Faiz was their equal,
and can rightfully claim a place in this galaxy of world-renowned poets.

Faiz is recognised and respected by the literati of the world. His works
have been translated in many languages including translations in almost all
the languages of the erstwhile Soviet Union .

In present times when the identity of the Pakistani people has been severely
tarnished by the self-appointed protagonists of Islam who are engaged in
heinous crimes against humanity, there is no one better than Faiz to project
the real self of the nation. Through Faiz we can show the world that the
people of Pakistan are a happy lot - tolerant, accommodating, peaceful,
loving and warmhearted.

The year 2011 will be the 100th birth anniversary of Faiz. This will be
celebrated throughout the world by admirers of this great poet of the
twentieth century. 

It will be a befitting tribute to the memory of Faiz if this occasion is
made the platform from which to project the real image of Pakistan by widely
disseminating his message of humanity, peace and brotherhood.

Mission 

The mission of the Progressive Writers Association (PWA) of Pakistan is to
hold Faiz centenary celebrations throughout the year 2011, both in the
country and abroad.

The PWA Pakistan invites all institutions, organisations, groups and
individuals from Pakistan and around the world to come forward and join
hands in an endeavor to celebrate the 100th birth anniversary of this most
prominent son of the nation in a befitting manner that will aptly project
his ideals and the central concerns of his poetical work.

In Pakistan, at least one event will be organised every fortnight in one of
the cities of the country.

Efforts will be made to celebrate the event in as many foreign countries as
possible, especially in those places where there is a significant presence
of the Pakistani and South Asian Diaspora. We aim to enlist the
participation of the indigenous intelligentsia, literati, artists, media
persons and other segments of the civil society.

We are aiming to focus on the following foreign cites/countries where events
to celebrate the Faiz Centenary will be organised:

India (Amritsar, Chandigarh, Delhi, Aligarh, Luckhnow, Allahbad, Bhopal,
Hyderabad, Mumbai, Kolkata and any other cities where this might be
possible); Bangladesh (Dhaka); Nepal (Katmandu); U.K. (London, Oxford,
Cambridge, Bradford/ Leeds, Birmingham and Manchester); U.S.A. (New York,
Chicago, Washington D.C., Houston, Los Angeles and San Francisco); Canada
(Toronto, Calgary and Montreal); Germany (Berlin); Holland (Amsterdam);
Sweden (Stockholm); France (Paris); Italy (Rome); Russia (Moscow); Gulf
(Dubai/Abu Dhabi and Muscat).

If found practicable, events will also be organised in Cuba (Havana), Japan
(Tokyo/Osaka), Australia (Sydney), Turkey (Istanbul), P.R.China (Beijing) ,
Iran (Tehran), and South Africa .

Main Objective 

In Pakistan: To promote peace and harmony amongst people of all races and
nationalities, transcending religious, ethnic and linguistic differences.

Globally: To present Faiz as the ambassador of the soul and feelings of the
people of Pakistan by projecting his poetry and other literary works, as
well as his struggle for world peace and prosperity.

Central Theme of the Faiz Centenary
Aaiyey hath uthaein hum bhi
Baraey amn-e-alam aur insani khushhali
Come, we too should raise our hands (in supplication)
For world peace, and for the prosperity of its people
Process 

The aim is to spark peoples' interest in his person as a poet of the people
and in his poetry as an inspiration to work for a better world and to gather
all sections of society in the collective celebration of Faiz's Centenary-an
amorphous yet synchronous event that would be democratic, inclusive and
universal in its approach.

We would be working to create an umbrella association of individuals,
informal groups and organizations that have an interest in Faiz and can act
as 'nodes' in their part of the world. While the central theme of the
celebrations-'Aaiye haath uthaaen hum bhi' for world peace and for the
prosperity of its people (appropriately representative of Faiz's
oeuvre)-would remain the defining sentiment, organisers would be free to opt
for any idea or expression inspired by Faiz's life and work.

The celebrations will be a combination of online and on-ground activities.
Online, because we can and will use our existing network and overcome the
physical limitations of geographical boundaries. On-ground activities will
include academic conferences, seminars and lectures in addition to music and
dance performances, theater, films, mushaeras, and exhibitions of paintings,
books and photographs where possible. All this, and what ever else can
possibly be done. If Faiz has been re-imagined or his work has been rendered
in song, on canvas or in a theatrical performance, and if Faiz has been
translated, then our effort must be to make that piece of work widely
accessible.