FLI supported Dameli language group, living in Karachi to get together for a cultural festival aiming to reconnect them with their language and culture. The event, ‘Jashn-e-Daman’, or the Festival of Dameli People was organized under the auspices of the Anjuman Taraqi Damyan (ATD), the newly established organization by the migrant Dameli speakers in the city. ATD has been founded to work for strengthening of their language as the Dameli speakers in Karachi are feared to break away from their language. More than 200 people attended the event. Earlier, a tournament of traditional games of Dameli culture was held at Secretariat Ground in Norther Nazimabad featuring native games like Khosal, Chemtaekh, Kelimastrang, Pilat, Shel, Danda Goli, etc. which were participated by almost age groups of the community, many of young Dameli speakers were participating in their traditional games for the first time in their life.

The participants were initially briefed about the importance of revitalization of their mother language while living out of their native place. Few speeches delivered in their language. They were also enlightened of the language development work and introduced to the publications developed so far in their language. At the end, a poetry session was organized which was the most liked and appreciated item of the festival. A dozen of Dameli poets who came from various parts of the city expressed themselves in their language and entertained the crowed. Although, all items of the festival were new to the participants in the metropolitan city but poetry session in Dameli was much loved by the audience.

The purpose of the event was to relink Dameli migrants in the city with their language and culture. FLI has been supporting this kind of initiatives as the migrant people are prone to language shift due to being influenced by the major languages and the community people being out of their native environment. We hope that the Dameli group would continue to engage in language and culture related activities in future and this event would not be the last one but would play a role of the starter.

FLI provided support to Shina Migrant community memebers living in Rawalpindi and Islamabad to come together and celebrate their culture last weekend. More than a thousand people, including families participated in the event. Participants danced to the tunes of their language. They spoke for revival of their language by using it at home while living out of their native place, they delivered speeches in their language.

The main objective of this event was to organize the migrant people of Shina community living in a urban areas and motivate them to maintain and continue their language and culture so that they stay connected with their identity.

FLI helped Shina Bayak, the newly formed organization aiming to revive Shina language in urban areas to organize this event. The participants were students, professionals, and elders of community. Youth from seven Shina-speaking districts in Gilgit-Baltistan received praise from the audience for their traditional songs and dances. The traditional dance chain started from Diamer district and ended by reaching Panyal Valley. The audience applauded all the performers heartily. The different segments the different speakers elaborated the importance of maintaining language and culture while residing out of their native place. The chief guest of the event, Major General (R) Naseem Baig applauded the cultural diversity of GB and praised the people to maintain their language and culture.

All the participants presented a joint cultural dance of GB. FLI and other organizers were appreciated for their support to organize such giant event. They also asked for such events to be held on annual basis.

A three day ‘Pakistan Mother Language Literature Festival concluded here on Sunday as it has become one of the important elements of Islamabad’s cultural and literary scene for the last eight years.

FLI partnered with the Indus Cultural Forum, a volunteer organisation comprising literary and cultural enthusiasts to arrange the festival in collaboration with Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) at its premises in Islamabad.

FLI, like always supported the festival this year too to provide exposure to the people from its target language communities from northern Pakistan. It made ten books; it had published in five indigenous languages in the calendar year of 2022 part of the festival and launched during the festival. The authors of the books were also part of the event who briefed the audience about their work. Nasir Mansoor launched five books in his language, Kataviri he had brought in the year. Razwal Kohistani from Shina Kohistani, Rozi Khan Burki from Ormuri, Hayat Muhammad from Dameli, and Mullah Adina from Gawarbati language unveiled their books FLI helped publish them.

Speaking at the concluding ceremony, Indus Cultural Forum Chairman Dr Manzoor Hussain Soomro thanked FLI’s contribution and partnership to organize the event. The festival was supported by several govt and private organizations. ICF General Secretary Ashfaq Hussain Chandio said that the festival is a great source of bringing people from all language communities together.

The festival is a great source to exchanges of ideas and creative works between writers, artists, poets, and activists during these three days are further cultivated across the year and these three days become the source of years-long bonding and collaborations between them.

FLI staffers and those from its target communities actively participated in the festival. Muhammad Zaman moderated two sessions on different days while Amir Haider was part of a panel discussion which focused on strengthening indigenous languages. Those who came to participate in the festival and took part in other sessions from FLI’s partner organizations include Shahid ur Rehman from Gojri, Muhammad Zubair and Aftab Ahmad from Torwali, Zahoor ul Haq Danish and Iqbal ud Din Sahar from Khowar, Javed Hayat Kakakhel from Khowar (Ghizer) and Dr. Mueezud Din from Burushaski.

Muhammad Irfan from Khowar language community was acknowledged with a life achievement award. FLI put its books on display throughout the festival. The Khowar language was also part of the musical night with the traditional music performance at the concluding session of the event.

Earlier in the day, the speakers called for an education policy that centered around the cognitive abilities of children to learn effectively in their mother language at the primary level and gradually move to other languages. Ameer Haider along with panelists called for revisiting current education policies and practices to pave the way for learning in the mother language.

FLI provided financial support to more than 300 households in six Union Councils (UCs) of Tehsil Bahrain, Swat. The initiative was carried out as part of its relief work under the Flood Relief Project (FRP). The Swat district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, one of FLI’s target areas was badly affected in the last year’s flash floods. Dozens of people died in addition to the infrastructure devastation wherein hundreds of people lost their homes, income sources and civic facilities.
This initiative benefitted more than 1800 people living in more than 300 households. A dozen of beneficiaries were also going through other difficulties in addition to the flood devastation. Scores of beneficiaries had various kinds of troubles including disabilities, illness, old age and unemployment. Though this relief endeavor was not sufficient in scale but still has contributed to relieve those who direly needed it.

Bazm e Elm wa Fun (BEF), a community-based organization working for the development and promotion of the Balti language organized a cultural event named ‘Jashn e Mayfung’ in Skardu city of Gilgit Baltistan. The festival comprised a variety of events involving many literary people including writers, poets, students, and researchers from the community. Poets of Balti language presented their work while traditional food was also put on display during the event.

The purpose of the event was to engage the literary people in the community in a language development activity and encourage them to work for strengthening their language and culture.

This event was based on the idea of Balti community members who thought the activity was needed to reactivate the literary fold within the community. FLI has been asking its target communities to come up with their own ideas of small but impactful activities in addition to those we plan and execute together with community researchers. Given that these events are proposed by the communities themselves, FLI attaches with them great importance. So far, we have supported 16 such events from 11 language communities from the northern Pakistan during last two years. We commit to continue the support and appreciate those communities who have plans to strengthen their languages and cultures through such events. We hope more communities will approach us with new ideas.