ISLAMABAD: Leaders and political workers must break through political, ethnic and regional divisions and unite to raise their voices against exploitation of natural resources in mountainous areas of the country along with social and livelihood challenges faced by people.
This was expressed by participants of a webinar who also urged the federal and provincial governments to use collective wisdom and develop a mechanism for social development.
The webinar, ‘Working Together to Empower Mountain Communities’ was organised by Development Communications Network (Devcom-Pakistan).
Being far away from the centres of decision-making, mountain communities, in totality, suffer from inadequate decision-making, they pointed out, adding that voices and concerns of people from the community along with other stakeholders must be taken into account while the government prepared plans for conservation and development.
Mountain communities remain underprivileged, say experts
Underline need to empower communities for sustainable development
February 08, 2021
ISLAMABAD:
There is a need to develop a mechanism to ensure the use of collective wisdom and a joint platform to work together for social development of mountain communities, speakers said at a webinar.
Though many people in mountainous regions remain deprived of access to health, education and many other civic amenities, women in particular lack equal rights as a person.
They said the mountain community leaders and political workers should come together beyond their political, ethnic and regional divide to voice against the exploitation of natural resources, social and livelihood challenges.
‘Keep winter fests eco-friendly’
PHOTO: AFP
ISLAMABAD:
Experts on Sunday urged for an inclusive and integrated winter sports strategy to attract tourism towards northern areas of the country.
Environment and climate change should remain the main concern while devising any sports events for the winter season, experts said at a webinar.
It is the hibernation and mating time for wildlife while massive human activities would disturb their lifecycle, they said at the webinar organised by the Development Communications Network (Devcom-Pakistan) and DTN to brainstorm on “Winter Sports – Scope, Opportunities and Challenges”.
The experts also showed their concerns on what they called was ‘the unwise decisions’ of the Gilgit-Baltistan government to open Deosai National Park for a sports festival in March this year.
Islamabad
January 26, 2021
Islamabad:The stakeholders speaking at a webinar suggested that the Covid-19 vaccine donors to strictly monitor the distribution and administration of free doses being donated to the Pakistan government. They feared that free vaccine doses might be grabbed by the sides of those in power and sold on high prices as it was done in the case of Covid-19 free testing-kits. They urged for controlled mechanisms for the Covid-19 vaccination to benefit the needy ones and the frontline workers and aged people.
They also urged the government to first develop an inclusive and integrated COVID-19 vaccination policy, followed by a strategic action plan. Just firefighting would not serve the purpose to take care of the peoples’ healthcare and preventive needs. The federal government and the provinces have to be on the same page in this regard
Speakers warn of free drugs being sold in markets
Covid-19 vaccine. PHOTO: REUTERS
ISLAMABAD:
The stakeholders speaking at a webinar have suggested the Covid-19 vaccine donors to strictly monitor the distribution and administration of free doses being donated to the government of Pakistan.
They alleged that free vaccine doses might be grabbed by unscrupulous elements having links in the government and sold on high prices as was done in the case of Covid-19 free testing-kits.
The trust deficit between the people and the government has widened, speakers said at the webinar was organised by the Development Communications Network (Devcom-Pakistan) and the DTN. They stressed the need for external monitoring and control mechanisms for the Covid-19 vaccination to be in place to benefit the genuinely needy ones and the frontline workers and aged people.