Wherever there are political, economic, and social crises: regardless, can practice his own freedom of expression and religion. Regardless of tensions within the nation – the right to roam around in a state as a free rider. One has his social rights.

Regardless of governance in Pakistan, the individual, the free rider can practice his own freedom of expression, religion and so on. This article is a narrative rather than a guide for Persons with Disabilities, about the unjust treatment of disabled people.

The right of education

Education is a right for all defined by the UN and other international agencies such as UNICEF. The global average intake of school pupils is 5 to 16, an early part of Childhood moving into Adulthood. The biological changes that take place during this period are for most, if not all, children. Regrettably a disabled child is not allowed to particpate in schooling as it will affect the norms of society. In areas like GB and KPK where tribalism exists, this is more so of the case.

Right to healthcare

Healthcare facilities are not disabled-friendly. Wherever there is a chance, healthcare professionals ignore Persons with Disabilities. In Gilgit, where there is a smaller community as compared to Islamabad or Lahore, healthcare is not being standardised for the disabled community. For instance a key part of our work, is data entry but most of the time, we do not have the accurate information of CNICs and whatnot. This is a public health failure.

Housing

The famous Pakistani People’s Party Slogan ‘ Give bread, clothes and a state-controlled or autonomous. is one of many that BB’s party gave. For more than 70 years, whether state controlled or autonomus, governments have been selling these slogans. Why? There was a famous social prottection policy being implemented in GB? What has been done about that?

Other Rights

Even a decent walk in the park or the JamatKhana or the mosque is not permissible by the social norms values of Pakistani society. This has to change. People have to stop playing GOD in Society

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While the Goodwill Movement has provided facts and figures, these are very basic and, to an extent, known. The last article, Society and Disability, mentioned how a disabled person’s circumstances (his family) could influence him and his community (friends, peers, etc.). However, that does not justify, in other words, adding value judgment until the self is appeased, which can lead to issues like mental health.

The disabled self

Not that one should obsess about the self, but in Pakistani, breathing rumors is freer than breathing air. Rumors often remarked at early childhood levels like: Who is he? What have they done to deserve him? This parent has done so many sins that one should expect him. [1] So one begs to differ: where is this hatred coming from? One factor is language and culture. Culture needs no further explanation, but language does. For instance, in the native language of Hunza, laagan, which has connotations of being mentally retarded is used widely in Hunza. That being said, not negatively, but words can have effects that one should know about.

We came across a story whereby a disabled person was not willing to accept their condition for a long period of their life because it would freak others out. This idea that a disabled person cannot be politically correct needs to change very rapidly as it would affect one’s mental health, cognitively, emotionally, and socially.

Way forward.

There are initiatives and incentives for mental health prevention and  other schemes, include disabled people in the conversation! Otherwise negative consequences will be felt by the disabled community!

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[1] * Him is used to describe an experience that most disabled men have, which is more representative of the Goodwill organization. There is no sexism intended.

Gilgit Baltistan’s Goodwill Movement – GBGM had a productive meeting with DG SCO Major General Umar Shah. Thank you for your warm hospitality and valuable time. Together, we’re committed to making a positive impact for persons with disabilities in Gilgit Baltistan. #Inclusivity #collaboration

DG SCO and President Farhan Baig discussed the most engaging issues around persons with disabilities in Gilgit Baltistan including

1. Skills development
2. Education & Employement opporunities
3. Social issues around PWDs.

Gilgit Baltistan is the home of 1.5 million citizens, from Hunza to Gilgit, from Skradu to Kharamang. Gilgit Baltistan is the home of the students which have studied from the MIT’s, Harvard’s, Oxford’s but still there is a lack of social and human development.

Discussion

To limit to the disability cause, one would envisage that a scholar or a well-educate person would have by now opened further education institutes for disabled people. Not in the sense of competing with Quaid-E-Azam or NUST but an effort like the Gilgit Baltistan’s Goodwill Movement for higher educational needs. Ofcourse, there is the Mehnaz Fatima Foundation but not for older PWDs.

There is the argument that many people may not have personal experience with disabilities or may not be educated about the challenges disabled individuals face, and Some people may view disabled individuals as overly dependent or burdensome, which can lead to negative attitudes and mistreatment. Then, by that logic, the UK or the US should not have adopted the ADA Act or the Equality Act 2012 : we would all have been violating political rights then of disabled people.

It is how awareness is constructed within the family. Since Gilgit Baltistan has a traditional family mindset, culturally that is acceptable: the conclusions of Sociologist Talcott Parsons (1969) fit in trying to explain this phenomenon. He claims that human personalities are made and not born. They are created through the process of socialisation. The main agent of primary socialisation is the family. 

Conclusion.

If one sticks to Parsons ‘ theory, the idea of youths being lost or disconnected boils down to the family structure. For organisations like the Gilgit Baltistan’s Goodwill Movement, it is a matter of how much we can interfere in the family system which portays disabled people in a wrongly manner.

The question of awareness is limited by this major factor.

The introduction of AI in Education and on the internet has helped individuals like myself to get some clarity. Though AI has its harms, I think it can help disabled people further their goals and spend less time worrying about things that can be resolved. To kick off this series we asked ChatGPT reasons why people do not donate to causes such as Goodwill.

From a 3rd person, one can see on our website that we help disabled people in Gilgit Baltistan through Skills Development, Advocacy Projects, or Raising Awareness. That being said, since we are reviewing analytics and trends. We regularly needed clarification on why these trends do not translate into donations on our website. Therefore, using ChatGPT is a good tool to have some clarity and, hopefully communicate it to our audience.

Findings

As per ChatGPT it states :

There are various reasons why donors may choose not to donate to charities, and it’s important to remember that individual motivations can differ. Some common reasons include:

1. Financial constraints: Many people may have limited financial resources and may not be in a position to donate to charities . Donors might prioritize their own basic needs and financial stability over charitable donations.
2. Lack of awareness: Some individuals may not be aware of the charitable organizations and causes that exist. They may not know where or how to donate, or they may not fully understand the impact of their donations.
3. Distrust of charities: There have been instances of unethical or inefficient use of funds by certain charitable organizations, which can lead to distrust among potential donors. People may be concerned that their money won’t be used effectively or for the intended purpose.
4. Skepticism about impact: Some individuals may question the effectiveness of charitable giving and wonder if their donations will actually make a difference. They may be unsure if their money will be used to address the root causes of a problem or merely provide temporary relief.
5. Personal priorities: People have diverse priorities, and some may prioritize other financial goals, such as saving for education, retirement, or personal expenses, over donating to charities.
6. Compassion fatigue: Constant exposure to charitable appeals and the suffering of others can lead to a sense of helplessness or compassion fatigue, making people less inclined to donate.
7. Political or ideological differences: Some individuals may choose not to donate to charities because they disagree with the mission, values, or policies of certain organizations. They may prefer to support causes that align more closely with their beliefs.
8. Lack of connection: People often feel more motivated to donate to causes or organizations with which they have a personal connection or experience. If they don’t have a direct connection to a particular cause, they may be less likely to donate.
9. Fear of scams: There is a concern about fraudulent or deceptive charities that may exploit people’s goodwill. Some individuals may avoid donating out of fear of falling victim to a scam.
10. Donor fatigue: Frequent requests for donations, especially during natural disasters or major fundraising campaigns, can lead to donor fatigue, causing people to become desensitized or overwhelmed by the sheer volume of requests.

To encourage more people to donate to charities, charitable organizations need to be essentially transparent about their operations, demonstrate the impact of their work, and build trust with potential donors. Additionally, efforts to raise awareness, educate the public, and create a connection between donors and the causes they support can help increase charitable giving.

Statement in favour of Goodwill

While ChatGPT raises issues such as Financial constraints and the Lack of Awareness, I would like to focus on the fear of Scams, Lack of Connection and Distrust Of Charities as all this is interlinked.

Nothing that has been said is wrong; one should have due diligence. Nevertheless, it is about communication skills for a charity. The website is a good starting point; our Facebook page has up-to-date posts, and our Linkedin account has up-to-date reports, what more can one need?

On top of that we are all contactable on our social media feeds.

As far as the distrust of Charities and the Fear of Scams, one would know if that was the case in our opinion we have nothing to hide. And if thats not all

Our interactive webinars show the public of what are our conditions like, and who we are as individuals?

Conclusion

ChatGPT as an tool is really useful for disabled people. Such applications clear our thoughts and how we communicate towards donors. Not every charity in Pakistan is misused.

On the 15th of October, International White Cane Day, Gilgit Baltistan’s Goodwill Movement conducted a webinar for People with Visual Impairments moderated by Mehwish Sarwar.

Joining us tonight are :

1. IsrarUddin Israr – Regional Coordinator at Human Rights Commssion of Pakistan
2. Farhan Baig, President Gilgit Baltistan’s Goodwill Movement
3. Ghulam Muhammad Baig, CEO/Founder Gilgit Baltistan’s Goodwill Movement.
4. Mustafa Kamal – Senior Member, Gilgit Baltistan Goodwill Movement
5. Tahira Alam Khan – Parent of Fawad Alam Khan

Fawad Alam Khan, a young gentleman with visual impairments, plays the Rubab ( Dam Ham Dam Ali Ali – Fawad). Born in the region of Gilgit Baltistan, musicians like Fawad are ignored due to their disabilities. Goodwill Movement took earlier steps like these schemes teaching people like Fawad but classes had to be downsized as no secure funding due to a lack of funds. Earlier music lessons.

Rationale of cancelling it

As this is a disabled-led organization, we were confident that this would improve communication skills, as Weiss states; however, due to the economic situation, a tough decision had been made to postpone it, further delaying progress in this field.

As a community organization, we were thoroughly disappointed by our actions, but when there was no government support to ensure consistency, the tough decisions had to be made.

On Sunday, the 15^{th of} October 2023, the world will celebrate White Cane Safety Day.

What is White Cane Safety Day?

President Johnson initiated White Cane Safety Day to remember the contributions of blind people, the visually impaired.  As Lubna Hashmat rightfully points out, there are more physical disabilities, one of which is visually impaired; we must raise some awareness of these communities.

Description of the Visually Impaired

Though Gilgit Baltistan’s Goodwill Movement interacts with all forms of disabilities, our primary cohort of students has been the visually impaired, people with sight issues: why?  Because we believe that the pen is mightier than the sword.  Whether one has sight or not, one’s intellect is more important than this.  What is the evidence: we have seen how our ableist governments, regimes, and institutions develop unequal societies, specifically in Pakistan.

Conclusion

Is this not a Human rights issue?

Many times in developing countries, we hear from Pakistan and other nations that for further development, our GDP has to be at 10%, the inflation rate has to be at 2% or something, and political victimization has to be stopped.  Really? What about the constant persecution of the visually impaired – who could have been your economic asset  Summary Review of PWDs & job market.

There are two main types of communication causes like ours use: verbal and non-verbal. Verbal communication involves using words to share information with other people define. It can, therefore, include both spoken and written communication Articles. But there comes a time within a case when we have to dissect information, evaluate, and make policies on different issues. However, when it comes to engagement, sometimes we have to be patient, but it should go the same way.

Individual engagement and disabled people

Since individuals have less time to contribute to talk to causes such as ours and are busy, we always try to accommodate them, regardless of day or night. In my experience, the causes of disabled people can be many worldwide. Still, at the same time, one should respect that when a disabled person reaches out to any individual, they are also taking time out from their studies professional or personal engagements to engage and inform you about their cause.

It’s you!

The famous World War One Quote, ‘ Your country needs you is hilarious to some, while at the same time, the overemphasis of YOU is so different for a disabled person versus a non-disabled person. Because individuals may be familiar with associating themselves in the 3^rd person, disabled individuals tend to blame themselves if, because of the YOU factor, causes are let down, or individuals do not want to engage.

Simply saying that it’s you scares disabled people, sometimes you need to explain more.

Human emotions are different.

Due to this YOU principle, disabled people, if not scared, tend to isolate themselves, which is not suitable for their mental health.

Conclusion

Individuals should try and be a bit more mindful towards disabled people. Giving them a more straightforward explanation often works better than not giving them any notice or explanation.

Yesterday, in front of millions of people who knowingly or unknowingly saw how a victim of domestic abuse  was pushed to  the ground by his family member ( who looked like his elder sibling), footage

Government response

Eventually, the man was arrested due to the power of social media and activist voices Amjad’s post.  But what sort of a people are we that the governing body has not yet commented on the issue publicly?  Nothing in the Urdu Print Media was printed, or be it that matter, the English Press apart from the Markhor Times, where the issue was first highlighted.

We shared this with a minister and high-end officials; the least we expected was their press statement.  Indeed, that would be the sane thing to do!  All I was expecting was a circular notification that said something along the lines of ‘ The Government of Gilgit Baltistan condemns this incident  and this preparator would get a lifetime imprisonment or something along these lines,  to the  extent that the government knowingly supports us (the disabled community)

Concluding Remarks

 We are disappointed with how the government just was hushed about this.  There’s a need to see more robust measures regarding persons with disabilities in Gilgit Baltistan.  Many such cases go unreported, even on social media.  There’s no excuse for not issuing a circular notification to at least show some unity with the disabled community in terms of protecting them against domesticated abuse or violence