Jai Jagat activists call for ‘victory for all’

Nepalese delegation asks Pakistani activists to join global march's culmination in Geneva

KARACHI: Expressing gratitude towards Pakistani human rights and peace activists for welcoming them in Karachi and Hyderabad, the members of a Nepalese peace delegation invited local activists to join them at the culmination of their international march in Geneva later this year.

"Our team shares its sincere gratitude to the Pakistani government, civil society organisations, academics, students, professionals, human rights activists, political parties, the media and individuals for their friendly and very kind cooperation and support for our global peace march," said Jagat Basnet, the delegation leader, while addressing a press conference at the Karachi Press Club on Friday. He also thanked the Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (PILER) team.

According to Basnet, 'Jai Jagat,' which means 'victory for all,' emphasised a victory for common humanity, rather than for one nation or group.

He added that it aimed to help people refocus on an inclusive world based on principles of peace, justice and participatory democracy.

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The six-member Nepalese delegation invited Pakistani activists to join over 5,000 peace activists from across the world at the United Nations headquarters in Geneva on October 2, at the culmination of their year-long international march. The delegation included Geeta Pandit, Bhawani Ghimire, Lyam Bahadur Darjee, Somparsad Bhandari and Ghimire Bhabani.

Speaking at the occasion, PILER founding member Karamat Ali stated that the 'Global Peace Foot March' commenced from Rajghat in New Delhi, India, on October 2, 2019, led by a group consisting of youth, women, senior social activists, human rights activists, as well as promoters of inclusive growth and participatory democracy. He added that during the march, its participants would cover 12,000 kilometres, crossing ten countries, and are expected to be joined by 50,000 people on their way to Geneva, Switzerland.

Ali further explained that the themes of the global march were eradicating poverty, eliminating social exclusion and inequality, ameliorating the climate crisis, and ending conflict and violence.

He said that the march was an 'early step' in creating a better world for all and addressing the Sustainable Development Goal pledge on leaving no one behind

Mahnaz Rahman and Saeed Baloch of Joint Action Committee of civil society, also speaking at the occasion, asserted that there was a need to re-initiate people to people contact.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 22^nd, 2020.