[Stop-traffic] World Social Forum (WSF) Calls for a New World

Tue Jan 20 11:19:11 2004

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                                                      January 19, 2004
                              Press Release
              World Social Forum (WSF) Calls for a New World
       LHRLA president emphasized on more stringent protocols and
   arrangements in South Asian Countries to arrest the menace of women
                         & Children trafficking

  The participants of a seminar on “the impacts of globalization on
  trafficking of women and children at the 4th World Social Forum
  (WSF) were informed that Pakistan has introduced a law against
  trafficking that needs to be strengthened by expressing a political
  will to implement it at all levels with sufficient human and
  financial resources to curb the menace of human trafficking.

  Speaking at the seminar, LHRLA president from Pakistan Mr. Zia Ahmad
  Awan said since trafficking is a serious cross border issue in the
  South Asia, we need to focus on more stringent protocols and
  arrangements in the region to nab the pimps and trafficking mafia
  that makes lives of the poor women miserable by coercing them to sex
  trade and forced labor. He called for strategies and plans to deal
  with these crimes against humanity.

  Mr. Zia Ahmad Awan appreciated the efforts by Pakistan government
  for registering and documenting the undocumented persons from other
  countries who have been living in Pakistan with a vulnerable status
  of being “no where”. Under new Pakistani registration process, all
  immigrants who are undocumented could get themselves documented to
  avoid any problem in future. He said by doing so a sympathetic view
  regarding immigrants has been taken by the government of Pakistan.

  Ms. Masuda Hossain from Bangladesh said both the government and NGOs
  are taking concrete steps to check trafficking of Bengali women by
  focusing on more economic empowerment for the women. She said
  various micro credit schemes and health facilities are being
  provided to women so that they could come out of poverty thus saving
  themselves from being vulnerable to traffickers.

  Ms. Mahalaxmi Upadhya from National Women's Commission Nepal while
  speaking on the plight of the trafficking victims said they need
  support from society and the governments for their rehabilitation
  and reintegration. She said the Commission has been doing a lot of
  work to tackle with the issue of trafficking of women and children.
  Earlier, speaking on the objectives of the seminar, Ms. Vipula Kadri
  said the seminar would facilitate countries to gain deeper insights
  into the dynamics of trafficking in the region and to develop
  further strategies for mutual cooperation to combat the menace.

  The fourth World Social Forum (WSF) Saturday (January 17, 2004)
  turned into a global assembly of people against President Bush and
  the U.S. led anti people initiatives across continents and regions
  as over 75000 jubilant pro-people development workers,
  parliamentarians and civil society, media and trade union
  representatives raised their voice for the people who are becoming
  vulnerable due to what they called the “corporate and the military
  influences of the United States”.

  While opposing the processes of globalization and their impacts on
  the lives and livelihoods of the people, panelists in 236 seminars
  on the first formal day, supplemented by hundreds of rallies and
  demonstrations, said “no” to the incumbent world order calling for a
  new world, the world order that represents the people and not the
  corporate and military interests. They called for lasting peace in
  the world and end to all wars to imposing new imperialism and
  corporate approach endangering the rights based approaches.

  From Pakistan, around 600 people representing from various walks of
  life are participating in the WSF. Pakistan Social Forum- an
  alliance of a large number of NGOs and other civil society groups-,
  Action Aid Pakistan, Lawyers for Human Rights and Legal Aid (LHRLA),
  Journalists for Democracy and Human Rights (JDHR), Aurat Foundation,
  Asr, PILER and a dozen of other civil society groups are organizing
  their panels and are participating in others events. Pakistan's
  Janoon Group mesmerized thousands of jubilant participants when they
  performed at the inaugural ceremony. Interactive Resource Center
  (IRC) presented street plays on farmer’s and women's rights. Action
  Aid Pakistan organized a peace rally led by Dr. Fouzia Saeed,
  country director Action Aid. The participants of the rally went
  through every nook and corner of the venue of the WSF and gathered
  massive support in favor of peace in South Asia. They chanted
  slogans in support of Pakistan-India peoples' friendship and
  peaceful relations between the two neighboring nuclear states. The
  rally sent across a message to all the people of the world to unite
  for global peace.

  A delegation of Parliamentarians from Pakistan also held a gathering
  at the WSF and expressed their concern for the cause of the
  downtrodden and vulnerable people of the world and vowed to plead
  for justice, peace and the development right of the people.

  Issued by:

  Lawyers for Human Rights and Legal Aid (LHRLA)

  For Further Information

  Lawyers for Human Rights and Legal Aid(LHRLA)
  D-1, Ist Floor Court View Apartment Court View
  Road Opp. Sindh Assembly Building Karachi
  Pakistan. Ph: 5685824, 111-911-922
  Email: lhrla@fascom.com / madadgaar@cyber.net.pk
  Web site: www.lhrla.com / www.madadgaar.org

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<div align=right><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#FFCC00">&nbsp;</font></font><font size=+1>January
19, 2004</font></div>
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<center><b><u><font size=+2>Press Release</font></u></b></center>
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<td>
<center>&nbsp;<b><font color="#000099"><font size=+3>World Social Forum
(WSF) Calls for a New World</font></font></b></center>
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<td>
<center><font size=+2>LHRLA president emphasized on more stringent protocols
and arrangements in South Asian Countries to arrest the menace of women
&amp; Children trafficking</font></center>
</td>
</tr>

<tr BGCOLOR="#CCCCCC">
<td>
 The participants of a seminar on “the impacts of globalization
on trafficking of women and children at the 4th World Social Forum (WSF)
were informed that Pakistan has introduced a law against trafficking that
needs to be strengthened by expressing a political will to implement it
at all levels with sufficient human and financial resources to curb the
menace of human trafficking.&nbsp;
Speaking at the seminar, LHRLA president from Pakistan
Mr. Zia Ahmad Awan said since trafficking is a serious cross border issue
in the South Asia, we need to focus on more stringent protocols and arrangements
in the region to nab the pimps and trafficking mafia that makes lives of
the poor women miserable by coercing them to sex trade and forced labor.
He called for strategies and plans to deal with these crimes against humanity.&nbsp;
Mr. Zia Ahmad Awan appreciated the efforts by Pakistan
government for registering and documenting the undocumented persons from
other countries who have been living in Pakistan with a vulnerable status
of being “no where”. Under new Pakistani registration process, all immigrants
who are undocumented could get themselves documented to avoid any problem
in future. He said by doing so a sympathetic view regarding immigrants
has been taken by the government of Pakistan.&nbsp;
Ms. Masuda Hossain from Bangladesh said both the government
and NGOs are taking concrete steps to check trafficking of Bengali women
by focusing on more economic empowerment for the women. She said various
micro credit schemes and health facilities are being provided to women
so that they could come out of poverty thus saving themselves from being
vulnerable to traffickers.&nbsp;
Ms. Mahalaxmi Upadhya from National Women's Commission
Nepal while speaking on the plight of the trafficking victims said they
need support from society and the governments for their rehabilitation
and reintegration. She said the Commission has been doing a lot of work
to tackle with the issue of trafficking of women and children. Earlier,
speaking on the objectives of the seminar, Ms. Vipula Kadri said the seminar
would facilitate countries to gain deeper insights into the dynamics of
trafficking in the region and to develop further strategies for mutual
cooperation to combat the menace.&nbsp;
The fourth World Social Forum (WSF) Saturday (January
17, 2004) turned into a global assembly of people against President Bush
and the U.S. led anti people initiatives across continents and regions
as over 75000 jubilant pro-people development workers, parliamentarians
and civil society, media and trade union representatives raised their voice
for the people who are becoming vulnerable due to what they called the
“corporate and the military influences of the United States”.&nbsp;
While opposing the processes of globalization and their
impacts on the lives and livelihoods of the people, panelists in 236 seminars
on the first formal day, supplemented by hundreds of rallies and demonstrations,
said “no” to the incumbent world order calling for a new world, the world
order that represents the people and not the corporate and military interests.
They called for lasting peace in the world and end to all wars to imposing
new imperialism and corporate approach endangering the rights based approaches.&nbsp;
From Pakistan, around 600 people representing from various
walks of life are participating in the WSF. Pakistan Social Forum- an alliance
of a large number of NGOs and other civil society groups-, Action Aid Pakistan,
Lawyers for Human Rights and Legal Aid (LHRLA), Journalists for Democracy
and Human Rights (JDHR), Aurat Foundation, Asr, PILER and a dozen of other
civil society groups are organizing their panels and are participating
in others events. Pakistan's Janoon Group mesmerized thousands of jubilant
participants when they performed at the inaugural ceremony. Interactive
Resource Center (IRC) presented street plays on farmer’s and women's rights.
Action Aid Pakistan organized a peace rally led by Dr. Fouzia Saeed, country
director Action Aid. The participants of the rally went through every nook
and corner of the venue of the WSF and gathered massive support in favor
of peace in South Asia. They chanted slogans in support of Pakistan-India
peoples' friendship and peaceful relations between the two neighboring
nuclear states. The rally sent across a message to all the people of the
world to unite for global peace.&nbsp;
A delegation of Parliamentarians from Pakistan also held
a gathering at the WSF and expressed their concern for the cause of the
downtrodden and vulnerable people of the world and vowed to plead for justice,
peace and the development right of the people.&nbsp;
 &nbsp;</td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#000066"><font size=+1>Issued
by:</font></font></font>
<p><font face="Times New Roman,Times"><font color="#000066"><font size=+1>Lawyers
for Human Rights and Legal Aid (LHRLA)</font></font></font>
<br>&nbsp;</td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td>For
Further Information
Lawyers
for Human Rights and Legal Aid(LHRLA)&nbsp;
 D-1, Ist
Floor Court View Apartment Court View&nbsp;
 Road Opp.
Sindh Assembly Building Karachi&nbsp;
 Pakistan.
Ph: 5685824, 111-911-922&nbsp;
 Email:
lhrla@fascom.com / madadgaar@cyber.net.pk&nbsp;
 Web site:
www.lhrla.com / www.madadgaar.org</td>
</tr>
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