By Ashfaque Hussain, Chapter Leader & Youth Activist, Children of the Earth, Sukkur Sindh, Pakistan Respected ladies, gentlemen’s and distinguished guests: I feel honored to have the chance to participate in this great forum on the Noospheric Ethical and Ecological Constitution for Mankind. Though I am not an expert nor specialized in such a constitution, I am deeply moved by the possibilities in it to bring humans together in to harmony away from our backward thinking and civilizations. The cosmic view that it encompasses will surely guide us in future times when we must think beyond the mere perspective of our beloved planet Earth. I’ve worked in community development for more than six years in my native Pakistan, I will go in to some specific projects during this presentation. I feel honored to share that under the continuous guidance and encouragement from Dr.Nina Meyerhof, President Children of the Earth, I’ve nurtured my spirituality and come to know my inner soul to better work for the welfare of all human beings.
In this same consciousness and related to Article 108 of the Constitution on Education and Upbringing; I have been working with the field of education for the past 6 years, working with the both formal and informal education that also includes adult and youth education. I play my part in advocating the human right of education; conducting local meetings with the villagers regarding educating their children and specially giving education to their girls. We have ver low literacy rates or girls in the rural areas of Pakistan. Currently I am working with 200 hundred teachers(male & female) to provide education to 14000 children that includes both girls and boys in most of the rural and remote areas of Sindh province. I work especially with those children who cannot pay normal school fees or do not have a primary school in their area.
Powerpoint of Projects
Pakistan a country where we have a complex system of tribes and conflicts between them is common. These conflicts can be passed down over generations, and can be iniated because of issues related to land/property, water/irrigation, honor killings, child marriage, etc. In relation to Article 125 of the constitution on Resolution of Disputes and Conflicts I have worked to form local committees to teach conflict resolution strategies and settle disputes between tribes in the districts of Sukkur, Shikarpur and Dadu.
This work is all deeply connected to my spirituality and especially my experience with meditation. I believe that meditation can play a very important role in nurturing our spiritual selves as well as our mental health. I was first explored meditation during my first gathering with COE and World Spirit Youth Council members in Thailand. We studied meditation among other things with Buddhist monks. Meditation gives certain kind of peace to your mind and soul, when it practiced genuinely. First I learned to bring peace of mind and sound health by practicing it regularly. Then when I returned to Pakistan, I taught the practice to members of my neighbourhood and local community. I was unable to lead these times of meditation for more than three months due to the nature of my work. Yet in only those three months, the people of my community noticed rapid changes; including more maturity in their personalities, improved personal relationships, and peace with themselves. The people I taught were all the males, and their children and wives often came to me to express gratitude for the change they had seen in the men. The depths of change that sustained spiritual practice can bring to our lives is hard to describe!