If u wishes for peace, prepare for war

If u wishes for peace, prepare for war

This is an ancient Roman saying. As a ruler, we prepare for what we want; we do not wish for its opposite. Here the contradiction is verbal, not material.

The meaning of the saying is to be strong and of that enemies will beware of warring with you. It is not war of aggression for which you are to prepare; in aggression war preparation is meant to end in war, but war to defend rights.

You stand on defense. There are many instances in history of a strong army or navy ensuring peace and of a weak army or navy inviting the inscription: “Happy is the city which in time of peace thinks of war”. At the same time it should be borne in mind that the pulling up of huge armaments even when honestly intended to secure peace, might cause war.

For,

“How oft the right of means to do ill deeds”.

Make deeds ill done!  

Knowledge is power

Knowledge is power; this is true; weather the power which knowledge gives be used for good or for evil. By his medical knowledge the doctor can cure disease and save his patient’s life.

But the blackmailer, by his knowledge of one’s guilty secret, can bleed his victim while under the threat of disclosure. In general, the man who knows has an advantage over the man who does not know.

In this way the educated classes have always been able to rule over the ignorant. Physically, a man is a comparatively weak animal. He cannot naturally run like a horse, nor fly-like the birds. He is no match in strength for the elephant, the lion or the bear. He has no natural weapons defense like the tiger’s fangs and claws.

Yet he conquers all these strong and fierce beasts and forces some of them to be his servants. It is his superior knowledge and intelligence that makes him the master of creatures’ superior to him in physical strength.

Malala!

Malala!

 I am proud and happy for your providence

Your struggle has shaken the world

Making all realize that ignorance is a curse and a great sin

While bullets stood mum against your bravery and,

How many opportunists will get credit in your name?

Though you got life by bullets

But what about those oblivion innocent girls

 Who, over the last 40 years, left my village?

For the sake of knowledge, hoisting their scarf as flags

{What they got?}

Indicts of infidelity, gifts of censures,

Stepped on fire of abhorrence….

But they were bearers of determination

Illuminated light of knowledge even in windstorms

By dint of their courage and resolve,

The light of knowledge keeps spreading in my town

But

Why no one dared to say

Those were also Malalas’

Yes,

There are king makers, whoever they want to promote

Otherwise who cares for TRUTH here!!!!

The sun is shining over the roof of the world

The sun is shining over the roof of the world

Peeping through an outlet of cloud, some rays as beam of gold 

In the frozen land of mind

Now the hopes are born with the melting ice

The ice is melting and hopes are born  

Feeling the warmth of care and love, got mold

Some feeble but wild violet s beneath the ice

Are shooting up through the ice, like sword

The fragrance and hues will spread over the vale

Will shine and

Hold, cold, gold, bold,

The sun is shining on the roof of the world

By: Nazir Ahmed Bulbul 

KASB GAH

KASB GAH

Mountain Women Quilt Center

Center of contemporary and traditional quilting

Protection of marginalized women

Enabling Vulnerable through quilting 

Introduction:

Quilting is not a new activity in Gojal, Hunza.  The tradition was a community activity where women and girls were involved to make warm bedding for the chili cold winters. With the passage of time and construction of the Karakorum Highway (KKH) between Pakistan and China, the practice slowed downed. Now, most of the bedding and quilts are purchased with expending a fair sum of money.

The Attabad (Hunza) Disaster, causing the blockage of KKH and Hunza River since January 4, 2010, taught the people of Gojal, Hunza, many lesson to preserve and reuse their unique traditions involving natural resources and community skills to have self-sufficient life.

In 2010, 15 marginalized women (most of them IDPs, and widows) felt demand of the time to survive when most of them lost their natural resources, submerged by the Attabad Lake. Some of the village women planned to start a women center where they could learn skills to craft their future and utilize the time that were used in agriculture and livestock.

Some of the women having sound sewing skills and traditional quilt making techniques were eager to work and learn further to help their family income for better education and health. They have wool, fabric scraps and clothing to recycle to begin quilting with less additional expense.

The KASB GAH (Women Quilt Center Gulmit) aims to serve the marginalized people in Gojal, through providing a center for activities of teaching quilting and patchwork.

The board of governors suggests a systematic business plan in the following steps as learnt in HiMAT training sessions: 

1. Assessing group readiness

A group of 15 marginalized women from Gulmit gathered and were ready to develop and manage a community quilt center with resources as; time, finance and materials (raw materials, sewing machine)

In early meetings enough time and resources were used to identify the personal qualities, resources and raw material and technology for the business. It was fond that the group possessed some personal qualities, skill and knowledge required with some raw materials to manage the business. Time was the main resource and it was known that most of the IDPs have enough time to spare. For finance, the members agreed upon contributing 2500 rupees per head, as initial investment. Further it was also agreed to contribute in kind (if with raw materials and sewing machines) for initial production.

2. The Business idea

Product and service

Business idea of the group is production of quilts and bedding materials. Living in the high mountains of the Karakorum range people spend large sum of money on fuel for energy, clothing and bedding materials to stand long cold winter. Investment in such activities could provide quilts and bedding materials at a reasonable price with usage of local materials and indigenous knowledge and skills. Most importantly, it will provide an opportunity for the marginalized and interested women to contribute to their family income.

The products include; quilts, bedding materials (pipr, teshek, yijin), pillows and baby envelops. The raw materials for the product will be wool from the villagers, used small pieces of fabric and clothing from their home and cotton from market. Small pieces of fabric and clothing would be joined together to make larger pieces with creative designs and decorative values.

Who will buy?

It was learnt through a survey that in population of 4500 people living in Gulmit and its vicinity villages are mostly using quilts, blankets and bedding materials imported from China or main cities of the country. If the same products are produced in the village it will cost them half of the price.

Who else is providing the service?

Currently, a community center in a small village (Hussaini) with a population of 700 people is producing such products and is popular among the local clients. But the demand is huge and the distance from Gulmit is 7 km through mountainous path. There are enough potential customers who want to reproduce or buy new quilts. 

3. Does our business product have a market?

Through survey of potential customers in the village and investigation of the only competitor it was learnt that the business could yield more if the changing needs of the customers were sensed and responded with new techniques, touch and technology.

Estimate the potential sells

Research marketing method

4. Does our business have the resources we need?

The members shared an amount of Rs. 2500 as start up investment. However this amount is insufficient to meet the operating cost and marketing cost. Therefore, the members are using their own resource (wool and fabrics scraps and clothing) and looking forward to hunt donors or acquire loan from Village organizations, Women Organization, Mountain Area Support Organization or banks. Looking at the current high interest rate by the organizations it seems sensible to relay on their own resources or hunt donors.

4. Is our business likely to be profitable?

The market survey seems very positive if start up investment is provided. The business seems with profit and could give better income. Through a workshop the tentative forecast of revenue and expenditure showed the business profitable not only in term of economical aspects but social and cultural too.

5. Can we manage the risks?

External and internal risks are obvious in any business and could be minimized by proper planning, terms and conditions and risk management techniques. The board of Governors will closely monitor activities of the center and give in time feedback to manage any shortfall.

6. Do you have every thing organized?

Following the modern business management techniques the center will follow the following organizational charts (see appendix)

Management and governance

With the boom in business, a business manager will be responsible to manage the day to day affairs of the center and will be accountable before the board of governors. The Governors will govern Marketing and customer relation (economic conditions in the region, action of competitors, changing expectation of customers) Ongoing improvement and development (change in technology and equipment, change in expectation and needs and reflection, what next for the business.

Currently, the secretary is responsible for the bookkeeping (financial record, financial transaction receipt, ledger, bank account) and maintenance of other records. Members have been given different portfolios for collecting raw materials, production, marketing and custom relation related tasks.

Profit will be divided among the owners on the basis of their shares after excluding the operational cost and depreciation.

The crazy English language

English is the most widely used language in the history of planet. One in every seven human beings can speak it. More then half of the world’s books and three-quarters of international mail are in English. Of all languages, English has the largest vocabulary, prepares as many as two million words – and one of the noblest bodies of literature.

Nonetheless, let’s face it: English is a crazy language. There is no egg in eggplant, neither pine nor apple in pineapple, and no ham in hamburger. English muffins weren't invented in England or French fries in France. Sweet meats are candy, while sweet breads, which aren't sweet, are meat.

 We take English for granted. But when we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is neither a pig nor guinea. And why is it that a writer writes, but finger don’t fing, grocers don’t grocer and hammer don’t ham? 

Doesn't it seem loopy that you can make amends but not just amend, that you comb through the annals of history but not just one annal? If you have a bunch of odds and ends and you get rid of all but one what do you call it? If a teacher taught, why isn’t it true that the preacher praught? If a horse hair mat is made from the horses and the camel’s hair coat is made from the hair of camels, from what is a mohair coat made?

If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat? Some times I wonder if all English speakers should be committed to an asylum for all verbally insane. In what other language do people drive on a parkway and park in a driveway? Recite at a play and play at a recital? Ship by truck and send cargo by ship? Have noses that run and feet that smell?

How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites? How can the weather be hot as hell, one day and cold as hell the next? While quite a lot and quite a few are alike? You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burns up as it burns down, in which you a form by filling it out and in which your alarm clock goes off by going on.

English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects the creativity of the human race (which of course isn’t really a race at all).

That is why, when stars are out they are visible, but when lights are out they are invisible. And why, when I wind up my watch I starts it, but when I wind up this essay I ends it……

   

Man power and business

Man power and business

Once in a town, there lived a man who had two daughters and ten sons. One day the man went to one of his friend who was a shopkeeper in the same town. The man shade tears and shared about his plight financial situation. He added that he has ten sons but they are good for nothing and always play or tease each other. Upon that, I am getting feeble and could not earn more to support my family. On the other hand, people are making fun of me for the huge family. What shall I do? He said with grief. Had you thought about this before the birth of the children, asked the shopkeeper.

The man nodded his head. The shopkeeper asked that what he posses further? ‘Nothing else, oh ya, a small piece of land’ the man replied. The shopkeeper inquired how many sons he has. Ten, replied the man. How many bread do they eat in a day asked the shopkeeper. Around thirty,’ said the man. Where all these breads go,’ again asked the shopkeeper. In the bellies,’ replied the man with astonishment. What the bread changes into, asked the shopkeeper.The man was mum. The shopkeeper added that it change into energy and of course some waste. Is this energy of any use, asked the shopkeeper again. The man gazed him vacantly and said nothing. Pointing toward a redawala, passing by the shop with carrying huge loud, the shopkeeper asked, how many breads do you think this man had today and how many hand s he has? Three of four breads and two hands, said the man with anger. How many hands your children have, he asked again. The man was in rage… the shopkeeper said they have 24 hands altogether. So, what… asked the man.

The shop keeper promised to help if he will gather some information about the market. He instructed him to observe “who do what”.

The man came back with information like; 3 shoe makers, 4 hairdressers, 7 redawala, 20 truck loaders many waiters and drivers etc. How much a louder and a redawala charges, asked the shopkeeper. Redawala charges Rs. 20 per 40 kg and 300 per truck by the loaders.

By that evening, the shopkeeper met the manager of the Goods transporting company and offered loaders on lowest rate of Rs. 250 per truck. The company manager was happy to hear that.

The shopkeeper asked the man to bring all his sons to his shop the next morning. The next day the man reached with all his sons at the shop. They were between 10 to 31 years and with good physic. The shopkeeper offered them some sweets and asked them to do him a favor. He further added that he will also gift them a cycle if they need one. The children were delighted upon hearing this. They promised to help the shopkeeper in unloading his goods from trucks. He took the children to the truck stand and they started unloading the truck. In the beginning it seemed fun but unloaded two trucks they were exhausted. Soon the shopkeeper refreshed them with a delicious meal. Upon unloading 4 trucks the man received 900 rupees along with the fine meal, by that evening. On the second day they unloaded 6 trucks and after 6 days they were able to gather a sum of Rs. 6000. by that time the shopkeeper gave them a bicycle too and encouraged them to work hard. After the first week they ordered to construct a bigger reda and the five younger ones were asked to pull that reda transporting 500 kg goods at a time on Rs. 15 per 40 kgs. Soon the ten brothers become very popular in the market.  The bicycle was shared and enjoyed by all brothers at different time. The wheels of the cycle and reda went round and round and on the second year they were able to bye a pickup  On third year they had a mini truck and after five years they had their own truck. Today after 7 years they have half of the share holders of the Goods transporting company.

The man was very happy with his true friend. One day he said to the shopkeeper that the Mullah was very right in saying that all children are born with their fate. The shopkeeper smiled and said that but the Mullah is mum to say that how to acquire the fate… both of the friend laughed.