Empowering Voices: Hope for the Voiceless in Our Communities

In a world where many individuals still face barriers to inclusion, a profound and thought-provoking article on Simerg titled “The Straight Path and the Disabled: Hope in the Voiceless Community” invites us to reflect on the challenges experienced by differently-abled individuals and our collective role in empowering them.

This article highlights how compassion, inclusivity, and understanding can transform lives, build unity, and foster hope for those who are often left unheard. As members of a global community, we share a responsibility to create environments where everyone—regardless of ability—can thrive.

📖 Read the full article here: https://t.ly/shortened-link

As we continue to advocate for inclusion and equality, this article serves as an inspiring reminder of the power of hope and collective action. Let us work together to make a difference—starting with awareness, dialogue, and empathy.

Join the Conversation

We’d love to hear your thoughts! How can we, as individuals and as a community, better support differently-abled individuals? Share your comments below or get in touch with us to collaborate on initiatives that foster inclusivity and empowerment.

📩 Contact Us: www.gbgoodwillmovement.com

📱 Follow Us on Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/GBGWM

As Eid 2024 draws near, the GB Goodwill Movement is filled with gratitude and appreciation for the generosity of our cherished donors. With heartfelt thanks, we extend our deepest gratitude to our existing donors, whose steadfast support has been the cornerstone of our mission’s success. Your unwavering commitment has enabled us to make a meaningful impact and bring hope to those in need.

We also extend a warm welcome to our new donors, whose commitment to our cause strengthens our resolve and broadens our reach. Your support, especially during this auspicious time, exemplifies the spirit of compassion and unity that defines our organization.

In light of Eid festives, we request that all remaining donors who wish to donate, please do it as soon as possbile so that we could reach as many disabled people, in helping them with food, clothing, shelter and future training of skills development

As we immerse ourselves in the joyous festivities of Eid, we humbly appeal to our remaining donors to consider extending their generosity as soon as possible. Your timely contributions are invaluable in enabling us to reach out to as many individuals with disabilities as possible, providing them with essential necessities such as food, clothing, and shelter, as well as empowering them through future skills development training.

Every donation, regardless of size, plays a significant role in making a positive difference in the lives of those in need. By acting swiftly, we can ensure that our efforts are maximized, and the impact is felt by those who require our assistance the most.

Your support is not only a reflection of your compassion but also a beacon of hope for those who are facing challenges. Together, let us continue to spread kindness and uplift the spirits of our fellow human beings, especially during this time of celebration and reflection.]

For donations in Pakistan click here.

For other donations click here

Thank you and we hope that you have a happy and Joyous Eid Period

Karachi 11.03.2024

On March 11, 2024, ICare Country Director Syed Hasan Ali and GB Goodwill Movement’s CEO Ghulam Muhammad Baig made a commitment to collaborate on supporting Persons with Disabilities throughout the holy month of Ramadan.

Director Hasan Ali expressed appreciation for GBGM’s efforts towards the differently abled members of society. He also affirmed that ICare Pakistan would provide support to GBGM’s operations on the ground wherever needed. This assistance would be facilitated through financial aid sourced from ICare’s donor network.

To support our cause through ICare, please click here

Collaboration is essential in society; without it, there would be no society. We hope that we can raise funds to benefit all disabled persons of Gilgit Baltistan.

What is Science? How can it be used as a tool?

If one were to say what Science is, one would define it as the study of objectivity. If one wanted an extended definition, one could add to be objective is to be impartial and report on their findings. Whether one is aligned with the natural sciences or the social sciences, Auguste Comte’s principle of positivism, which is if one can see, one can testify, predict & hypothesize. However, Science has been used by the worst of the worst, like those scientists serving the Nazi Regime of the 1940s and eugenicists like Hitler.

Nevertheless, why is there a lack of awareness about how people with disablities can be helpful in society: it is because eugenicists over the years have said that disability is a sickness. Terms like differently abled and disabled, though, might not be used offensively, but it still shows that society, through Science, justifies Ableism.

The Digital Revolution should have been a Disabled Revolution, but it can still happen now in Gilgit Baltistan for PWDs.

In areas like Gilgit Baltistan, where village/country life is possible, the digital revolution should have included Persons with Disablities. Rafi (2021) reports for the IMF, ‘ Their inclusion and empowerment is essential, as it benefits not only the person with disabilities but also family members, who are more likely to leave their jobs to care for relatives in this situation. ‘ Moreover in Gilgit Baltistan, if we assume that 50% of the population are villagers then if there could be a skills development initiative succeeding in India https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3jYVe1RGaU, why can not disabled people follow in this project in Gilgit Baltistan, https://gbgoodwillmovement.com.

Reinvesting in Gilgit Baltistan with an educational purpose

While individuals and businessmen have invested in the area of Gilgit Baltistan in areas of

1. Hotels
2. Lands
3. Other projects

The digital market still requires people from the region, and according to Rafi’s IMF report, Excluding people with disabilities from the workforce can lead to a loss in a country’s GDP of up to 7% https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrqlpY6nl-k&t=28s.

We want investors to reinvest in a more inclusive Gilgit Baltistan through our organization.

If we can not compete within the circle, why bother competing? Why should one get an opportunity if one can not strive to work hard? Something like that is similar to my story.

My name is Ghulam Muhammad Baig. Currently, I live in Glasgow, Scotland, with my family. Initially, I am from Hunza, Gilgit Baltistan. I am going into my final year at the University of Strathclyde Glasgow, hopefully graduating with a BA Honours Major in Politics and a Minor in History. I started my education in Pakistan and then moved with my family to Glasgow, Scotland, UK, at age seven in 2006.

Living in a Pakistani family setting with a disability is different than other cultures. Though even in Pakistan, we were living in a privileged household, with my father being an army doctor in the Pakistan armed forces: the lack of awareness within South Asian Households and especially within the military, as it deals with minor and significant injuries was quite surprising. Yes, you do have to realize that it is a part of society, but the fact that many men were injured in wars, you would expect some greater awareness within the military establishment. However, moving on, I went to Sesame school in Abbottabad, and then later on, when we moved to Rawalpindi, I attended the Umeed E Noor School in Islamabad, which the Hashoo Foundation, now a close ally of this organization (https://gbgoodwillmovement.com). Though not fully aware but by then, I had started being aware that I have got some disabilities in the form of difficulties in speaking, eating, walking, handwriting, and doing things with my hands.

Then when I came to the UK, I started to attend a special needs school called Kelbourne Primary, where I studied there for five years. Those five years were really important in improving my language and communication skills. The support I got there in the form of education, speech therapy, hydrotherapy, physiotherapy, and occupational therapy transformed some of my disabilities into abilities. After completing primary school, I went to a special needs secondary school named Ashcraig Secondary School where I spent six years. The years at Ashcraig were more challenging, mentally and physically. This school had students from different cultural backgrounds, and I had real difficulties coping with my peers. However, I learned from errors and mistakes and gained confidence by the sixth year, to the extent that I was able to speak on any issue in front of the whole school, and many of my teachers were happy with me. After acquiring the necessary qualifications set by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA), I was able to be enrolled in the social sciences course at the City Of Glasgow College where I graduated in 2021. I am interested in the social sciences because I want to investigate how society functions, what are the different attitudes within society, and what are the different hurdles/barriers in society

How did Goodwill Movement Begin?

During the time of the Coronavirus Pandemic, when we were all locked at home and had nothing else to do apart from watching TV and using social media, it was the time I decided that I should help and campaign for the disabled community of Gilgit Baltistan in whatever capacity I can and this is where the idea of creating the Goodwill movement came from.

When I look at the experiences of disabled persons in Pakistan and compare it to the UK, here, society treats its disabled community equally. As a disabled student studying at the City of Glasgow College, I can say that the disability issue in Gilgit Baltistan has remained a long-term neglected issue.
Initially, I did primary research on the disability issue in Gilgit Baltistan by contacting two well-renowned disabled rights activists, Irshad Kazmi and Amjad Nadeem who provided me with an insight into the disabled community of Gilgit Baltistan.
According to them, the government of Gilgit Baltistan has attempted to address this issue by involving Nadeem and Kazmi in the decision-making process, but we collectively feel that the issues faced by the disabled community cannot be solved solely by the government. I even supported Nadeem’s work and projects by creating a local volunteer team and funding them for their projects via Facebook fundraisers.

Where does Goodwill Now stand

Though the idea of fundraisers is very effective, I and a few other activists https://gbgoodwillmovement.com/about-us/ established the Goodwill Movement so that at the same time as persons with disabilities are receiving aid in terms of food, water, medicines, and shelter, PWDs can receive free training and more importantly it is the first IT centre for Adult PWDs, so that Persons with Disablities could gain the opportunities just like the opportunities that I gained in the UK.

To read more on it, please visit https://gbgoodwillmovement.com and to keep supporting our projects please visit https://gbgoodwillmovement.com/donate-us/.

Donation policies can be found here : https://gbgoodwillmovement.com/which-actors-play-a-role-in-inclusive-policymaking/

Thank You!

Now that we have defined what ethical governance should look like, I want to refocus on which actors, both state and nonstate, can play a part in inclusive policymaking for PWDs.

Donor Agencies

Gilgit Baltistan is a very remote region of Pakistan; some would even argue that it is smaller than Chitral as this is associated with KPK province and the government of Pakhtunkhwa. Nevertheless, GB has established institutions such as the Aga Khan Programmes under AKDN that could work on this issue, but due to a lack of resources and inclusive representation within AKDN, it can not achieve all its aims for the local communities.

Similarly, other local organizations work within their remit but can’t due to a lack of funding, and I would say for all organizations, including the GBGM, Government funding should be the top priority. As I said in an earlier article, all local (international disabled organizations) receive allotted funding from regular bodies. I used the example of the Glasgow Disablity Alliance,https://gbgoodwillmovement.com/growth-and-stability-for-persons-with-disabilities/, which highlights that GDA gets funding from the EHR commission, The community fund, and the Bank of Scotland: which are local governmental and private entities: should the 18 Lakh PKR in the recent budget not have included a subclause relating to the employment of PWDs? https://gbgoodwillmovement.com/the-recent-passage-of-the-budget-by-the-gilgit-baltistans-government/

Donors

After being in the NGO work for more than two years, I can now fully say that, like business partners, we need donors who can trust us and who can trust us with blind trust, and we can build that trust. Visiting Pakistan and traveling back and forth to the West, we imagine that not everything is legit in Pakistan, but the same thing can be said of the UK or US. Two examples that come to mind are the FDA’s crackdown on Shkreli drugs and Boris Johnson’s PartyGate scandal.

Though these examples seem far-fetched, nothing is 100% perfect, be that in the West. However, coming back to our NGO, donors must be assured that follow-ups about their donation will be met within 1 to 2 days of the donation. If people want to contribute in the short term, that is also fine. People can make queries about their donations. Our emails are checked daily so donors can follow up or specify where they want to spend their contribution or even for further information.

So please feel free to donate to our cause: https://gbgoodwillmovement.com/donate-us/

Paypal policies

Though Paypal is our preferred Payment option, this is an international standard as NPOs such as the Khan Academy even use PayPal.

Researchers/Academics or students

Or if anyone does not fit into these categories, they might want to advocate for GBGM using other methods. As they say, the Pen is mightier than the sword. Some may use the Pen to support GBGM. Academics who want to research this field or students should contact us as this topic is unique in the Gilgit Baltistan Context. We would help you with your primary source research or secondary source research.

In the name of Allah, the most beneficent, the most merciful. I wish everyone a happy Eid (wherever there are) and wish you and your family a blessed holiday (for those celebrating it in Pakistan). I will not take up much of your time, as many want to head out rather than read a long article. However, I digress and take up some of your time.

Like other festive periods such as Christmas or the New Year, Eid is a time of individual reflection. For example, am I heading in the right way? What changes do I need to make to ensure I reach my goals? For an organization, it is different: partly as it is a cause and partly due to one’s own experience. In my personal view, I think my trip to Gilgit was needed for the organization, and somewhat it helped me communicate and express myself but more importantly, it helped me realize what I was missing. For instance, you can see that my previous articles predating May 2023 were not as concise or were waffly, but now I think it is more straightforward. Speaking of Personal Awareness, one has to also reflect on organizational awareness.

As far as meeting the team and my very hard-working students, I think there is a need for better organizational awareness schemes which the government can introduce. When outlining my vision at Karakoram International University, for a split second or a minute or two, I was reminded of all the things I have experienced in the UK ( where I currently reside) and being in Pakistan that all humans are humans on this earth. It does not matter which color or race you are. So while I was stepping up to the podium to give my speech, I was thinking of Gilgit Baltistan (GB) in many ways easily: 1 – implement the 3% quota that was promised in the Gilgit Baltistan Disability Act 2019 and 2 – Intergate the PWD community in society.

I know that the second task is said easier than done, as in developed countries this is not even the case: however, we need to realize that this is the way forward for all PWDs, whether one lives in Gilgit, Ishokmen, Hunza, Nagar, Gupis or Yasin. Until one does not integrate PWDs, there will be an injustice as seen in the recent budget (https://gbgoodwillmovement.com/the-recent-passage-of-the-budget-by-the-gilgit-baltistans-government).

• So what are the solutions that we propose?
• Run more awareness programmes with the youth to focus on social inclusion
• Develop more skills development-based learning programmes so that Adult PWDs have the trait or skill to become more employable.
• Focus on their abilities rather than disablities.

The issues can be solved by these three initiatives, but the government is not willing to support any of these initiatives for the long term!

This Eid we require your support and donations more than ever to expand and sustain our projects.

Please donate today.