G M Syed Memorial Committee (GMC) and the World Sindhi Congress (WSC) invite nominations for the Saeen G M Syed Memorial 2008 award. This award has been established to honor the memory of Mr. Syed and encourage those who share his dreams of freedom of Sindh and other oppressed nations in Pakistan. Each year, this award is granted to 1-3 activists or scholars who have made exceptional contributions to peace and justice in Sindh or to knowledge about Sindh. Each recipient receives a certificate and a cash award (currently US $250).
Since 2004, several renowned scholars and leaders such as: Mr Keerat Babani of Mumbai, India, Mr. Ibrahim Joyo of Jamshoro, Sindh, Pakistan and Dr. Motilal Jotwani of Delhi, India, Mr. Sobho Gianchandani of Larkano, Sindh, Azad Qazi of Karachi, Sindh, Mr. Mohan Gehani of Bhopal India, Mr. Khadim Soomro or Sehwan, Sindh, Dr. Ghanshyam Parkash Hotumalani of Dehli, India and Dr. Safdar Sarki of Texas, USA, were conferred with this prestigious award, in recognition “to their exceptional contributions to Sindhi culture, identity and Sindhi rights movement.”
All persons who have been active in Sindhi rights movement may be nominated for the award; their contribution to the movement may have been through writing speaking, lobbying, or other activities to promote the movement. The individual may belong to any organization; however, current office bearers of WSC, GMC and members of the Selection Committee are ineligible.
For nominations please send (1) brief biography, (2) personal information (name, address, phone, email, and organizational affiliations) , (3) details about activities that led to the nomination, (4) list of published works if any. Please limit nomination materials to five pages. They may be written in any language. Nominators should also provide brief information about themselves. Self-nominations are also accepted.
The awards will be presented at the Annual General Body Meeting of WSC to be held in Fall 2008 in London.
About Saeen G M Syed, a visionary leader who pioneered the Sindhi freedom movement, remains a beacon of the Sindhi people’s struggle for national self-determination. He was repeatedly detained and imprisoned by Pakistani authorities, spending more than thirty years without trial or ever being charged. He died in custody in 1995. The Amnesty International adopted him as a Prisoner of Conscience. Mr. Syed wrote extensively on Sindhi identity, history, and political conditions in Sindh. His views continue to inspire Sindhi writers, poets, political and civic leaders, and social and religious activists. He is widely respected for his forthrightness, courage, simplicity, and insightfulness.
About the World Sindhi Congress is a human rights advocacy organization based in the UK and USA. It aims to create a better understanding among the international community about the disadvantaged status of Sindhis in Pakistan and about Sindhi people’s struggles for their human rights, including the right to self-determination. In addition, WSC strives to create an association of Sindhis around the world. WSC is a registered company in England and Wales, UK and California, USA, organized to carry out non-profit activities only. Saeen G M Syed served as the Chairman of the World Sindhi Congress 1994-95.
About the G M Syed Memorial Committee is a non-profit group organized to educate the international community about G. M. Syed’s message of non-violence, democracy, secularism, and the right to self-determination for Sindhis and other oppressed nations through the publication of reports, books, research articles, and other works, and the dissemination of these works on a website. It also seeks to establish G. M. Syed Memorial Centers around the world.