Solidarity Always
After the earthquake, about fifty Pakistani associations intervened in the field and played a vital role with the victims - associations whose work has often been curbed, even stopped by either the government or the military or Islamic fundamentalists who exploited the disaster to serve their own purposes. And yet these associations never gave up despite the magnitude of the task, and four months after the earthquake they carry on fighting, not only to denounce how citizens have been excluded from the programmes of rehabilitation and reconstruction of the devastated area, but also to call into question the aberration of national policy.

A march to be heard
Détente between India and Pakistan has been perceptible for the last 3 years. This improvement in relations is partly due to international community pressure but especially to the vast efforts of the Pakistani and Indian civil societies. Over the last 10 years, these peace activists have played a decisive role by organizing campaigns and peace marches within these countries and across the borders. Among these initiatives, the citizen peace march was organized from March 23 to May 11, 2005 between Delhi, India and Multan, Pakistan. It had a great impact due to its unique characteristic: 50 days of simple citizens public expression.

Running for a mixed society
Sunday-January 30, 2006, Lahore, Pakistan: 15,000 people - women, men and children - supported by foreign sympathisers start the race. A mixed gender marathon under close surveillance. Since the official announcement at the beginning of January, Islamic groups had tried everything to ban this new mixed gender race and to intimidate the entrants thus creating a high tension climate. But all these threats, ban campaigns and demonstrations will not have stopped the will of these thousands of women who, despite their fears, run together with men.

Theatre loud and clear
The World Social Forum (WSF) in Karachi will be festive ! Many activities have been set up by the Pakistani associations to promote WSF. A collective energy which inspired the association Ajoka to prepare several theatre performances on the themes selected for the Karachi part. This will to promote WSF through art and in particular through theatre or dance has not come about by chance in a country where artistic expression has for a long time been banned and violently reprimanded by the authorities in power.

WSF 2006, last chapter
While the relief and rehabilitation work continues in Kashmir with the help of civil society organizations, the Pakistan Organizing Committee has been making efforts to re-mobilize for World Social Forum in Karachi. On 24th of January last, when the WSF was coming to an end and the one in Caracas was about to start, Pakistani people organized a Pakistan Social Forum in Lahore - an event which enabled them to show solidarity with their friends in Mali and Venezuela, but also to let people know that, contrary to the many rumors, the 3rd part of the polycentric edition of WSF 2006 will indeed take place !