World Sindhi Institute

Mr. David Smith, Deputy Director of the Washington, DC Office of the United Nations since January 2004, has been a foreign correspondent, author and professor for about 30 years. He has 14 years experience of working with the Congress, as well as successive administrations from George Bush Senior to the present White House. At the same time, he has also worked regularly as a correspondent at the United Nations in New York. David Smith has lived & worked in Argentina during the "dirty war", when many people were "disappeared". After reporting from the world's major flashpoints; Africa, former Soviet Union, the Middle East, Latin America, and Asia for nearly 30 years, he brings first-hand experience of the events and leaders who have shaped our world. As a commentator, he has appeared on shows such as NBC's 'Meet the Press,' 'Hardball' and CNN International, and contributed to newspapers, such as 'The Observer,' 'The Sunday Telegraph,' 'The Guardian' and 'The Washington Post'. He has authored two books, one a biography of Robert Mugabe, the other a study of Israel's relationship with the Palestinians of the West Bank and Gaza. Educated at Oxford, he has taught at Universities in the United States, Britain and Russia as a visiting professor.

About Us:

The United Nations Association of the National Capital Area (UNA-NCA) and its members work with foreign policy makers, political decision makers, schools, colleges, and universities, and non-profit and other organizations in the National Capital Area to build knowledge, understanding, informed opinion, and new ideas, on the United Nations and its specialized agencies. The Young Professionals for International Cooperation's Asia Pacific Committee is committed to creating awareness between the diverse sub-regions of the Asian continent; to distinguishing between and creating dialogue about the rich cultural differences in the region, including religion, language, and traditions. Furthermore, the committee will identify issues critical to the region such as conflict, socio-economic disparities, population and disease, among others while proposing solutions through discussion and decisive action.

The World Sindhi Institute (WSI) is committed to achieving human rights for the people of Sindh in southeastern Pakistan through a nonviolent advocacy, activism, and academic campaign. WSI brings together Sindhis (people of Sindh) of all religious and geographical backgrounds and their supporters in a proactive, progressive movement whose purpose is to inform others of the human rights and environmental atrocities occurring in Sindh. WSI initiates and welcomes collaborative projects with other governmental and non-governmental organizations and individuals seeking positive, nonviolent change in South Asia and elsewhere.


		United Nations Association of the National Capital Area (UNA-NCA) and *The World Sindhi Institute* (WSI) Invite you to a SEMINAR on the occasion of United Nations "INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE DISAPPEARED" Date: August 30, 2007 Time: 3:00 to 5:00 pm Venue: 121 Cannon House Office Building 1st St. & Independence Ave., S.E., Washington, DC 20515 SPEAKERS: Mr. David Smith, Deputy Director of the Washington, DC Office of the United Nations since January 2004, has been a foreign correspondent, author and professor for about 30 years. He has 14 years experience of working with the Congress, as well as successive administrations from George Bush Senior to the present White House. At the same time, he has also worked regularly as a correspondent at the United Nations in New York. David Smith has lived & worked in Argentina during the "dirty war", when many people were "disappeared". After reporting from the world's major flashpoints; Africa, former Soviet Union, the Middle East, Latin America, and Asia for nearly 30 years, he brings first-hand experience of the events and leaders who have shaped our world. As a commentator, he has appeared on shows such as NBC's 'Meet the Press,' 'Hardball' and CNN International, and contributed to newspapers, such as 'The Observer,' 'The Sunday Telegraph,' 'The Guardian' and 'The Washington Post'. He has authored two books, one a biography of Robert Mugabe, the other a study of Israel's relationship with the Palestinians of the West Bank and Gaza. Educated at Oxford, he has taught at Universities in the United States, Britain and Russia as a visiting professor. Mr. T. Kumar is the Advocacy Director for Asia & Pacific for Amnesty International USA. He has worked in several Asian and African countries and served as a human rights monitor in many Asian countries as well as in Bosnia, Haiti, Guatemala, and South Africa. He has also served as Director of several refugee ships and refugee camps. Mr. Kumar has extensively researched and raised the issue of disappearance as a human rights violation and has contributed immensely in highlighting this issue as a priority for all. Kumar frequently lectures at the Foreign Service Institute where U.S. diplomats are trained and he often testifies before the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. He holds an advanced degree in law from the University Of Pennsylvania Law School. He also served as a Judge of Elections in Philadelphia. Mr. Manzoor Ahmed Meerani is a Professional Journalist from Sindh. He works for Daily 'Kawish', the largest circulated regional daily of Pakistan, as Editor for Opinion and Editorial Section. He has a vast experience of working with various Newspapers, Radio, Television and BBC Online. Meerani has written nearly 500 newspaper articles, numerous features and scripts for the Radio Pakistan Hyderabad and has written & narrated many documentaries for regional and network programs of Pakistan television on various political and social themes. During his career, he has also been associated with Daily Barsaat, Daily Sindh Tribune and Daily Frontier Post. In 1995, Manzoor Meerani was awarded the 'All Pakistan Newspapers Association' (APNS) Award for best regional feature writing. Coming straight from Sindh, Mr. Mirani will share the on-ground factual situation of disappearances and the condition of the missing activists' families there. MODERATOR: Ms. Humaira Rahman is the director of the World Sindhi Institute in Canada. She is an architect by profession and is a graduate of University of California at Berkeley. She is pursuing a post graduate program in Environmental Studies at York University, Toronto. Her life and work have at different times located her in Sindh Pakistan, Turkey, USA, UAE, Oman and Canada. She has a daughter of 24 and a son aged 21. Enforced Disappearances Enforced disappearance or extra-judicial arrest is a significant grave violation of human rights. As defined by the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, enforced disappearance occur when "persons are arrested, detained or abducted against their will or otherwise deprived of their liberty by officials of Government or by organized groups or private individuals acting on behalf of the Government, followed by a refusal to disclose the whereabouts of the persons concerned or a refusal to acknowledge the deprivation of their liberty". It is often a practice of oppressive regimes around the world, which use torture as a tool to control political and ideological opponents. This seminar highlights the issues surrounding enforced disappearances and the progression toward a resolution. Please come to join hands in solidarity against this brutality. Share your views and give the victims a voice. Your voice will make a difference! About Us: The United Nations Association of the National Capital Area (UNA-NCA) and its members work with foreign policy makers, political decision makers, schools, colleges, and universities, and non-profit and other organizations in the National Capital Area to build knowledge, understanding, informed opinion, and new ideas, on the United Nations and its specialized agencies. The Young Professionals for International Cooperation's Asia Pacific Committee is committed to creating awareness between the diverse sub-regions of the Asian continent; to distinguishing between and creating dialogue about the rich cultural differences in the region, including religion, language, and traditions. Furthermore, the committee will identify issues critical to the region such as conflict, socio-economic disparities, population and disease, among others while proposing solutions through discussion and decisive action. For more information, contact ypicasia@unanca.org, Or visit www.unanca.org The World Sindhi Institute (WSI) is committed to achieving human rights for the people of Sindh in southeastern Pakistan through a nonviolent advocacy, activism, and academic campaign. WSI brings together Sindhis (people of Sindh) of all religious and geographical backgrounds and their supporters in a proactive, progressive movement whose purpose is to inform others of the human rights and environmental atrocities occurring in Sindh. WSI initiates and welcomes collaborative projects with other governmental and non-governmental organizations and individuals seeking positive, nonviolent change in South Asia and elsewhere.