Kalabagh Dam and International Day of action against Dams on March 14, 2005

[Ishaq Tunio <itunio@HOTMAIL.COM>]

Dear friend of the River Indus ,


Here is the  information about the one day event on March 14th, 2005 ,   
Friends of the River Indus  are going to organize to get recognition form 
International organization and be the part of worldwide mainstream struggle 
and campaigns  against the dams.

W are  seeking help from  different political and environmental and human 
rights groups and individuals  in this regard.. Let us know  how you and 
your group  can help us to achieve our united goal.

Our Motive is  to  organize  the International  event bringing different 
groups struggling for same cause on one united platform coordinating  the 
efforts  of all groups  and show the  sign of unity and strength  of  people 
of Sindh to the world. Make sure that we will  give due recognition to all 
participating groups and political parties.

About us:

We have formed a group  called Friends of The River Indus and most leaders 
and activists from  all North American and world Sindhi   Organizations  
like World Sindhi Congress WSI and SANA are part of it . Saghir Shaikh 
Munawar Legahri Kahlid Hashmani ,  Ali Nawaz Memon, Suraiya Makhdoom , 
Nadeem Jamali  and Said Omar Khan of Pakhtoon Jirga  and I are the members.  
  I have been given responsibility to organize  and coordinate.

We  have positive response and   success  recognizing  Kalabagh Dam issue  
with the International organizations and we are  part of the worldwide 
campaign against Dams  in different part of the world.

      http://www.irn.org/dayofaction/index.asp?id=2005/sasia.html

A web site is under construction   www.kalabaghdam.org  and we are also  
preparing Kalabagh Dam case for International organizations as per their 
standards and demands.

IRN( International River Network )  is going to observe 14th March 2005  the 
International Day of Action  for Rivers and against Dams and our Group 
Friends of the River Indus ( FOTRI ) is part of that international campaign. 
  We are going to   organize   protests on  the Day of action on 14th  March 
2005 in  Sindh,  Pakistan,  at Sukkur Hyderabad and  Karachi,  in London UK 
,  Loss Angeles and Washington DC in USA.

We want your help to call and organize and participate in  such events  at 
Sukkur, Hyderabad,  Karachi, UK, USA, Canada   or at any  appropriate place, 
   where either  people can  march towards the Indus River  or pray for the 
long life of the river by reciting Quraan, Geeta , Bible and Shah s poetry, 
observe  token hunger strike or take out protest rally or  organize 
conference.

I hope you will cooperate fully  on this international day to get help from 
world community and get it recognize in the world. Hope you people will 
understand the importance of the event

We are seeking help from  political, environmental  social  and human rights 
organization / parties and  groups in Sindh  and abroad  and our main  
object is to show the world and Pakistani Establishment that we are united 
against such projects which will bring no progress  but  destruction  and we 
are ready to fight together against anti- Sindh and anti-people projects. 
Hope you people will cooperate us in this regard .

Program:

1. On March 14th 2005,(  noon )Friends of The River Indus ( FOTRIs) will 
march towards  the River Indus near Hyderabad , and Sukkur
2. Observe token  hunger strike on the River Indus.

3.   Blessing ceremonies:  ( reciting Quran , Geeta , Bible and poetry of  
Shah  Lateef  )  for the long life of  the Indus River ,

4. In the evening conferences at Hyderabad ,  Karachi  and Sukkur
We may include more locations if we will get commitment  from friends in 
different part of the world or from  Sindh s other towns  or other 
provinces.

5. In USA protest rallies,  photo exhibits and distribution of the 
literature in  Washington DC  and  Loss Angeles and submitting memorandum to 
the  world Bank and other authorities and Embassies.


6. In UK ( London )  hunger strike, protest rally photo exhibits and 
distribution of the literature.

We invite you to join the growing ranks of  one day s celebrants as an 
individual and organization and take a stand for healthy rivers worldwide 
and action against  construction of Kalabagh Dam and other Mega  dams on The 
River Indus,  including Greater Thal canal  on Indus River.

After March 14th , 2005 , we will launch a  signature campaign  for the 
petition to be submitted to the  International Court of Justice, World Bank 
, Asian Development Bank , Islamic Bank and other funding agencies.

This March 14 marks the eighth annual International Day of Action for 
Rivers. Last year, thousands of people from around the world took action to 
protect living rivers and protest projects that would harm them. They 
marched to dam sites, held river blessing ceremonies, organized conferences 
and photo exhibits, and participated in hunger strikes.

Last year in the US, at California’s Shasta Dam site, the Winnemem Wintu 
tribe performed their "War Dance" for the first time in over 100 years, 
fasting, dancing and praying for the protection of sacred and historical 
sites threatened by the proposed raising of the dam. The message the tribe 
wants the world to hear is that their history and culture is intrinsically 
linked to the river. Also in California, the Hoopa Valley and Yurok tribes 
celebrated a long awaited victory in their effort to restore the Trinity 
River and their ancestral fisheries when a federal appeals court ordered 
implementation of the 2000 Trinity River restoration plan, which would 
increase the river’s flow.

In Guatemala, after a thousand Mayan villagers displaced by the Chixoy Dam 
occupied the dam’s hydroelectric facility, the government agreed to 
reparations talks.

A group of experts on social impact assessment and resettlement found that 
there is an urgent need to provide reparations to the communities affected 
by the dam, as well as for the World Bank and the Inter–American Development 
Bank to honor their obligations by participating in the negotiation process 
that began recently. The courage demonstrated by these people serves as 
inspiration for communities around the world fighting to protect their 
livelihoods from the devastation wrought by poor planning and damaging river 
infrastructure projects.
Information about the River Indus and Kalabagh Dam is available at         
www.saveindus.org

For Information please contact
Ishaq Tunio
Friends of  The River Indus
Fotri_org@yahoo.com
Itunio@hotmail.com