Centenary of Edwardes College, Peshawar. (2000-4)

 

AD MAJOREM DE GLORIAM is the motto of Edwardes College, Peshawar, which means \"To the greater Glory of God\". Edwardes college began as a missionary foundation at the high watermark of British Rule in the sub-continent. Edwardes College was established in 1900 with the efforts of Sir Herbert Edwardes KCB GSCI, Commissioner of Peshawar in 1853. According to the annals of our college, the first classes were started on 1st May, 1900 and the founding principal was Rev. H.J. Hoare. During these years there were about 30 students in the college. In 1903 the Principal reported:

“...The college continues to do good work in a quiet way ... and will in the near future prove a very real force in the moral and social culture.”

Even in 1913 after the start of BA classes the total enrollment was mere 42. Hoare, however was a man of considerable determination. He had come to the frontier in 1890 and is remembered as a man completely dedicated to his work. It is said that he personally inspected every brick from the kiln and selected those which fully passed his inspection. On Friday, 7th January, 1910 the new College Building (the present famous Arts Block) was opened by the Rt. Reverend, the Bishop of Lahore. A plaque in the Shalimar Quad tells us that the hostel building was constructed with a \"generous gift from a member of the University of Oxford - Fellowship in Furtherance of the Gospel\'. The college was known at this stage as Edwardes Church Mission College and it was affiliated with the University of the Punjab. It was the only college in the frontier.

The college has the honour of being visited thrice by the founder of the nation, Quaid-e-Azam, Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Rev. Dalaya was the Principal at the time. During the same period, distinguished visitor to the college include Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru, Mahatma Ghandi, Khawaja Nazimuddin, Dr. khan Sahib, Liaquat Ali Khan and Sheikh Abdul Hamid, After the short - span principalship of Canon Hawkes and Rev K.W.S. Jardine, there came legendary Dr. Phil Edmonds as a principal in March 1955. During his 23 year tenure, Edwardes Students came to occupy high positions in government, civil service and other professions. After Dr. Edmonds, there came Dr. J.D. Murray, Rev. N. Green, Dr. T. Woolmer, Dr. RH. Pont and now Mr. P. Brooke Smith (since 1995). Mr. Brooke-Smith felt intensely the need to bring changes in the college to enable it to meet the challenges of 21st Century. He gave a comprehensive \'system and procedure\' to the entire administration, started construction (now complete) of the Centenary Building for Computer Science and Electronics Department, Seminar Rooms and Learning Resources Centre. Many other development projects are going on. Mr. Brooke Smith has an obsession to see Edwardes College an Educational Institution of international standards in near future and he is endeavouring for it.

The college has maintained such a unique character fort he last one hundred years that to be an \'Edwardian\" means an enviable status and a high quality and character. For the last one hundred years the college is proud to produce men of great integrity, intellect, loyalty and honour.

Contributed by: Principal Edwardes College, Peshawar.

Pakistan Post Office is also participating in the centenary celebrations by issuing a commemorative postage stamp of Ps. 2/- denomination on April 24, 2000.

Pakistan Convention on Human Rights and Human Dignity. (2000-3)

 

The recent report of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan for the year 1999 makes for very depressing reading. It confirms the well-known fact that during the last 10 years of democratic government in Pakistan, instead making the substantial improvements widely expected with the restoration of democracy after a decade of military rule, there has been continued deterioration in the country\'s human rights record.

The present military government has taken a highly unusual initiative to help rectify the situation. For the first time in the country\'s history a national convention is being held on the subject of human rights awareness and education. This is clearly the need of the hour. It appears quite unbelievable that there has never been any formal teaching of human rights in the entire education system of the country in the last 52 years of its history. Unless there is widespread awareness of the subject in the country, it is naive to expect any improvement in human rights abuse in the future.

There is the need to introduce the subject in the formal education system of the country, at various levels. To enable teachers to teach the subject in schools and colleges, they themselves have to first be taught through a comprehensive Teachers Training Program. On both these issues the Fazaldad Human Rights Institute has started work already. The measures being taken will surely have positive and very welcome results in the years ahead. But it is equally important, if indeed not more so, to do something about it immediately. The government and the Fazaldad Institute are both equally convinced that the entire population of the country today has to be reached and made aware of human rights and human dignity so that a better citizenry emerges in the land. To achieve this there is an urgent need for a mass awareness program as well.

MASS AWARENESS

During the convention it is intended to develop a comprehensive mass awareness program which will be launched on the very day of the Inaugural (21 at April) by the Chief Executive and will continue with full intensity till 31St December, 2000.

The media intended to be availed for the campaign will include, but not be limited to, the following:

Television

Radio

Print Media

Seminars

Street Theatre

Pakistan Post

The subjects that are likely to be covered in the mass media campaign will include spots on TV and radio, interviews of prominent persons and of victims; Group discussions; dramas; and theme song or songs & Postage stamps.

EDUCATION

On the subject of education it is intended during the convention to study two aspects in detail:

1.Curriculum. It is intended to make suggestions on amendments to the curriculum of the education system at appropriate levels to cover the teaching of human rights and human dignity. This will also require developing appropriate textbooks and other learning materials.

2.Teachers Training. As the subject has never before been taught in the educational institutions of the country, our teachers themselves have very limited knowledge on which they can base their teaching of the subject in schools and colleges. It is therefore imperative to develop and implement an effective program for the training of teachers as rapidly as possible. Courtesy: Chairman, Fazal Dad Human Rights Institute.

To Commemorate the occasion Pakistan Post Office is issuing a commemorative Postage stamp of Rs. 2/- denomination on April 21, 2000.

Centenary of International Cycling Union (UCI) (2000-2)

 

Once upon a time there was the International Cyclist Association. Until 14th April 1900. On that day, in Paris, seven men decided to change the history of world cycling.Once upon a time there was the International Cyclist Association. Until 14th April 1900. On that day, in Paris, seven men decided to change the history of world cycling.

After handing in their resignations to the ICA, these delegates, representing the National Federations of Belgium, France, the USA, Switzerland and Italy, Went on the found the Union Cycliste International.

The first minutes taken were finally signed by Mr. Emile de BEUKELAER, who was appointed President Mr. Alfred RIGUELLE and the Count de VILLERS, Mr. Victor BREYER, Mr. Paul ROUSSEAU and Mr. Mario BRUZZONE, the treasurer of the new Federation.

The long journey has thus begun, and the first UCI Congress took place at the Hotel de Russie in Paris on 11th August 1900, just before the World Championships.

Since the beginning of this century, cycling and the UCI have grown at a constant and equal rate, going through all the necessary stages of technical and structural evolution, resulting, in 1993, in the merger of the FIAC (International Federation of Amateur Cyclists) and FlCP (International Federation of Professional Cyclists). After Paris, the UCI\'s activities were divided up between Geneva, Rome and Luxembourg. Olympic Capital, was finally chosen as the site of the headquarters.

Today the Union Cycliste International is one of the biggest sports federations in the World, managed with the most modran criteria and techniques, still committed to its mission which is almost 100 years old: to support and promote cycling.

Courtesy:lnternational Cycling Union (UCI)

To celebrate the Centenary of International Cycling Union Pakistan Post Office is issuing one commemorative Postage stamp of Rs. 2/- denomination on April 14, 2000.

25TH ANNIVERSARY CHILDREN'S VILLAGES OF PAKISTAN SOS. March 12, 2000 (2000-1)

 

SOS Children's Villages of Pakistan was established in 1975 and in the year 2000 will celebrate its 25th Anniversary. From the pilot project opened in Lahore in 1977, it has grown to 22 projects in different parts of the country.

The SOS Children's movement is a unique system of child care. The special features of SOS Children's Villages is that they are not traditional orphanages, they provide homes for orphans and abandoned children with a warm family type environment. An SOS Village provides children with loving care and instills in them a sense of confidence so that they live normal lives and develop to their full potential. This approach to the problem of orphan care has proved so successful that today SOS is the largest social welfare organization in the world. Presently there are 1462 SOS facilities in 138 countries, a large number being situated in Asia, Africa and South America.

As is the pattern throughout the world SOS has established facilities for the countries in which they operate according to the need. To ensure that the children receive a good education and also integrate with other children, community schools are established in conjunction with every SOS Children's Village project. These are providing quality education at a reasonable cost to underprivileged children from the locality.

Four basic principles form the basis of all work and provide the children a life as normal as possible a mother, brothers and sisters, a home and the Village.

The Mother is the person with whom the ultimate responsibility rests for meeting the child's physical and emotional needs, and providing essential love and care. In the final analysis the quality of care provided by the mother determines the success of our efforts.

Brothers and Sisters are essential in any family pattern. Boys and girls are kept together in the family homes till the boys reach adolescence. Real brothers and sisters are always kept together and accommodated in the same house.

The Home is the focal point of the Village. Here a child finds security, a feeling of belonging and having this own place in this world. An SOS home is a self-contained unit and is as close as possible to a normal home in all respects.

The Village is the community in which the child lives and finds shelter and support from other members of this 'family'.

Extra curricular activities are also organized in which the children enthusiastically participate. Activity areas according to age groups are included in the Village facilities. They are periodically taken on trips outside the Village and take part in many community activities with other children. In short, they are provided every opportunity to develop into happy, confident and well-adjusted personalities.

A special feature of SOS Children's Villages is that the organization takes responsibility for the children in its care till they are able to support themselves. After matriculation children both boys and girls receive career counseling. Higher education is provided to those with merit and otherwise technical education. The boys are cared for till they are capable of earning their livelihood and girls till such time as they are married. So far almost 200 children have been settled outside and the marriages of 25

girls arranged.

SOS Children's Villages of Pakistan is financed through the support of private individuals, philanthropic foundations and the corporate sector. Fund raising is an essential part of the work and donations are solicited for the donation of family homes in the Villages and of classrooms for the schools.

To celebrate the 25th anniversary, six more SOS Children's Villages will be established in Multan, Sialkot, Peshawar, Hyderabad, Muzaffarabad and Mirpur.

The generous support of the community has made it possible to achieve so much in 25 years and future plans include setting up more facilities in all parts of the country.

Contributed: President, SOS Children's Villages of Pakistan.

To celebrate the "25th Anniversary of SOS Village Pakistan Post Office is issuing one commemorative Postage siamp of Rs. 2/- denomination on March 12, 2000.

Pakistan Conquest Of K-2 December 25, 1954.

 

The second highest mountain in the world K-2 was first scaled by Italian and Pakistani mountaineers on July 31, 1954.

The peak is 28,250 feet high and also known as Godwin Austen. The name 'K-2' is derived from Karakoram 'K' and '2' for being the second highest in the world.

A beautiful stamp was introduced on December 25,1954 to commemorate the event. Motif shows, of course, the majestic view of the mountain with inscription below it "CONQUEST OF K-2" in white panel. The date of adventure (1954) is printed in Urdu and English at upper corners. Denomination 2 anna and 'Pakistan Postage' are printed in a panel at bottom.