| Edhi receives global accolades, as UN rightly awards top prize for non-violence |
Abdul Sattar Edhi of Pakistan and a Belgian human rights defender were Tuesday awarded a prestigious United Nations prize for their work in promoting tolerance and non-violence.
Edhi, the philanthropist, and Franois Houtart of Belgium were awarded the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)-Madanjeet Singh Prize on the unanimous recommendation of an international jury to UNESCO Director-General Koochiro Matsuura, according to an announcement in Paris.
They will share the $100,000 prize money and receive the award on November 16, the International Day for Tolerance.
Dedicated to advancing tolerance in the arts, education, culture, science and communications, the prize was created in 1995 on the 125th anniversary of the birth of Mahatma Gandhi, with the help of Indian writer and diplomat Madanjeet Singh, who is also a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador. It is awarded every two years to individuals or institutions for outstanding contributions towards its goals.
Edhi, one of the most active philanthropists in Pakistan through his Edhi Foundation, a non-profit social welfare programme with over 300 centres, received the accolade for life-long efforts to improve the conditions of the most disadvantaged groups in Pakistan and South Asia, and promote human dignity, human rights, mutual respect and tolerance, according to UNESCO press release.
His foundation provides the needy with medical aid, family planning, emergency assistance and education, and sets up maternity homes, mental asylums, homes for the physically handicapped, blood banks and orphanages, among other services.
Houtart, an promoter of North-South cooperation and founder of the Tri-Continental Centre (CETRI), a non-governmental organization (NGO) renowned for its work on development issues, was honoured for his life-long devotion to world peace, intercultural dialogue, human rights and promotion of tolerance.
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[29] Comments | Post Comments | Send to a Friend ! |
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| Edhi is pride for all Pakistan. We love him and respect a lot, of his great achievement for the country and his people. He is a brand ambassador for all pakistanis. He did a lot for the mankind. |
| Ashraf Khetran [Islambad / Barkhan] |
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| Tolerance and non-violence!! We ourselves along with other Pakistanis need to start promoting news like this so that we realize our duties to our beloved country. Many congratulations to Abdul Sattar Edhi for this great accomplishment. Hope this news gets a lot of television coverage too and for once media channels show something good other than dishonest serials and shows that are just ruining the youth and society from the root. |
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| Congratulation Mr. edhi for this award. He is the living legend of our country and nation needs such kind of person. He is doing such a graet job not only in Pakistan, but all over the world, and he is giving services for humanity for a long time. I think he is the only man who is not working for the sake of earning money and publicity and also it is an honor for our nation. |
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| Hazrat Edhi Baba e watan rightfully got the prize, but his due award still awaits by the world and that is NOBLE PEACE Prize. |
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| Frankly, candidly & lucidly....it's neccessary for our 'holier than thou politicians' to read and absorb the expressions of acknowledgement and recognition being globally heaped on Mr. Edhi, the redoubtable. When will they learn? When the west starts suffering from AID FATIGUE. |
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| Mr. Edhi is a great man serving the humanity with open heart and open mind and without any greed or discrimination. I admire him, I respect him and I salute him. Our popular political leaders sitting in their expensive palaces or riding in bullet proof cars keep repeating how much they love the poor people of Pakistan and they are just dying to help them. It is very simple they can all go and work with Mr. Edhi to help the people. But surprisingly all of them want Prime Minister or President's chair to serve people. These leaders are all bunch of crooks and self-serving cheaters who keep fooling people of Pakistan since last 60 years. |
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| It is great to know that Mr. Abdus Sattat Edhi has won this achievement, it is now high time that he should return the honorary PhD. degree given to him by the Institute of Business Admnistration, Karachi as he has now risen above these degrees. Moreover, no such department or faculty of Social Services Management ever existed at IBA, Karachi. |
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| Mr. Edhi is above all Awards. He is Angel sent by Allah, especially for us who are after each others necks. We must and must give all support, which is humanly possible to this person. May God Give him good health and long life. We need him. |
| aftab kenneth wilson [Karachi] |
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| Abdul sattar edhi is a sympathy man. Who helps to needy and conservative people. Nowadays nobody helps to poor people because evey one wants to get own benefit. Do you know humanity? Humanity does not mean own benefit. It means think about another benefit by yourself. So please humanity by yourself...thats it. |
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| A Great and a noble man with a great mission. Long live Edhi. |
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| I congratulate Mr. Abdul Sttar Edhi for their great achievements for mankind, no doubt Edhi does deserve for this award, Mr Edhi devoted himself to help needy people of Pakistan. Almighty ALLAH blessed him with good heath and may he live long. |
| Qazi Muhammad Naseem [Lahore] |
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| Abdul Sattar Edhi is a name which is known for a selfless and dedicated human services to the most needy and down trodden people of the society. The Award does not decorate him, but he decorates the award. Pakistan is honored because he is a Pakistani citizen and lives in Pakistan. Pakistani leaders and politicians must learn a lesson from him. Mr. Edhi has never aspired for a plot of land in posh colony of Islamabad, he never wished a Mercedes or Rolls Royce car to show his status in the society. He did not even wish that his son should go to U.S. for studies. He never desired that he should own a house in Dubai or in U.S. or in England or to put his illegally earned money in Swiss Bank. The only ambition of his life was to help and serve those who are helpless and no body is caring for them like abandon dead bodies lying on the road for burial or a person dying without any medical help. He built up a great network of ambulances, helicopters and medical aids to serve these types of people. We don't know how many helpless people who got another life due to his timely help were praying for him. He is a true Muslim and a true Pakistani and a good human being, who stands for the service to humanity, which is the core teaching of Islam. Our Salute and Salam to him. |
| SHAMSHAD HASSAN KAZMI [U.K.] |
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| It is the honour for our nation that there are some people like Baba Edhi who is actually serving our country. Every nation needs such people. He dedicated his whole life in serving the humanity. I think he is not among on those people who serve the coutry for the sake of publicity and just for earning money. He is an honest man. I congratulate him on receiving international award. May ALLAH give him long life and courage to serve the nation. |
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| Well, its a great news for all our countrymates. I'm proud of him. He deserved what he got. He also deserves the noble award for his selfless services for helpless people. He is a man of honour and a great, nice and humble person. He should be given noble prize as well. |
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| As they say there are 313 pious people on the earth anytime & w/o them it will doom. I have honour to meet him personally 15 years back & watch carrying dead body. Driving open Honda pickup himself. No glamour no show. God bless this great but simple and humble man and other 312 like him. |
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| As per my research one main reason behind the down fall of Ummah is the lack of charity in Muslim societies, than the west. And why Allah bless West power is mentioned by great poet before 200 years SHREAYAT KEA JOU HUM NEA PAYMAN THODEA-- WHO LEA JA KEA AHAL MUGREB NEA JOUDEA. We prefer to enjoy luxuries or to go to perform Haj, then to share with deserving neighbor or relative. Tough Islam teaches to give priority to be with solution for others. I have mentioned in some articles, letters even via discussion with some leading Islamic scholars like Dr. Israr to issue Fatwa against luxury items like expensive vehicles in societies like Pakistan, India…where some are compeled to seek their meals in dust bins. Here let me mention the reason of accepting Islam by a non-Muslim lady was the only one sentence said by origin of wisdom MUHAMMAD peace be upon Him” Whatever you like for yourself, wish same thing for others”. |
| Eng.Mehmood(Kashmir Study Circle) [Lahore] |
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| He deserves a Nobel Prize for Peace! Easily the most self-less person I know. God bless you baba Edhi. We are all proud of you. |
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| Well deserved. |
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| A prestigious award from the UN: Pakistan is proud of Mr Edhi, the philanthropist, who along with Franois Houtart of Belgium, would receive global accolades from (UNESCO) for promoting tolerance and non-violence. The gentlemen will share the cash prize of US $100,000 and receive the award on the “International Day for Tolerance” on November 16, 2009. Edhi, the founder of a non-profit social welfare organization with over 300 centres in Pakistan, would receive the accolade for his ‘life-long dedicated work.’ Edhi Foundation has been improving the poor conditions of the helpless people in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Kashmir, Bosnia Iraq, Burma, Nepal, Bangladesh, Somalia and Uganda. ‘Edhi Foundation’ is well known for providing the needy with emergency assistance, field and air ambulance service, medical aid, family planning, and education. The foundation also sets up maternity homes, homes for the physically and mentally retarded, blood banks and orphanages, funeral and burial services for the unclaimed bodies, cancer research hostel Karachi as well as marine and costal service, prisoners’ aid, refugees’ assistance, recovering drowned bodies, ping of food from the helicopter to the stuck up ships at Arabian coast, establishment of watch towers with life jackets and inflatable rescue services in rivers, lakes, dams, and advanced warning signals for tourists in coastal areas, evacuating of serious casualties from the sites of accidents, riots and calamity affected areas, transporting doctors to remote areas, transporting blood and human vital organs, performing ‘search and rescue operations’ in deserts, mountains, floods and coastal areas. Keeping in view the larger interest of the people, Edhi Foundation has been supporting the governmental and non-governmental organizations in carrying out exploration/research in remote areas of the country, geological surveys of underground water in Thar, Chohistan and Utthal. Born in 1928 in Bantwa , Gujarat, India -Mr. Edhi became involved with welfare organizations, and soon started his own dispensary providing medical aid to the poor. He bought his first ambulance, an old van which he called the “poor man’s van.” The Edhi Foundation runs 8 hospitals providing free medical care, eye hospitals, diabetic centers, surgical units, “a four-bed cancer hospital” and mobile dispensaries. His accomplishments: 20,000 abandoned babies have been saved, 40,000 qualified nurses have been trained, 50,000 orphans have been housed in Edhi Homes, 1 million babies have been delivered in Edhi Maternity Centers.—He contributed a lot in October 8th, 2005 earthquake in northern Pakistan and Kashmir area. Awards: Ramon Magsaysay Award " for public service from Philippines , 1986. Paul Harris Fellow " from Rotary International Foundation 1993.-- Peace Prize from USSR (former) "for services in the Armenian earth-quake disaster in 1988.- Nishan-e-Imtiaz "from Government of Pakistan 1989, Human Rights Award " by Pakistan Human Rights Society, Khidmat Award " by Pakistan Academy of Medical Sciences, Shield of Honour " by Pakistan Army, Silver Jubilee Shield " by College of Physicians and Surgeons, Pakistan.(1962-1987), Recognition of meritorious services to oppressed humanity during eighties " (1989) by Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Government of Pakistan, 45 Years Of Selfless Service, The Social Worker of Sub-Continent - 1989 " by Government of Sindh, Pakistan Civic Award 1992 by Pakistan Civic Society. Mr. Edhi leads a very simple lifestyle, lives on the income from government securities that he bought many years ago. He has been encouraging and practically promoting human rights, mutual respect, tolerance, uplifting the dignity of the ‘have nots.’ His love for the mankind is a blessing from Allah SWT indeed. Hence, he is a role model for the entire world. |
| Tariq Mian [Mississauga, Canada] |
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| The man with the golden hands...proud edhi to pakisatn and to the world. I am very proud feeling that the one man, who is humman rights worker. |
| talha al khair [hub balochistan] |
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