[Reader-list] Faiz Centenary

[Inder Salim]

aayiyaa haath uthaya hum bi
hum bi

hum jinhian rasmay dua yaad nahin




On Sat, Nov 13, 2010 at 11:22 AM, SJabbar <sonia.jabbar at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> 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.
>
>
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