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January 2006

Pakistani President Speaks with WPO and YPOers on PAN Global Conference Call

In a November 16 Global Conference Call organized by the PAN Chapters of WPO and YPO, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf briefed WPO and YPO members about the situation in his country following last month's earthquake. 

 
The earthquake has been a devastating experience for millions of people in Pakistan.  With over 80,000 people killed and 3-1/2 million people displaced, there is now a race against time to save lives in rugged terrain against the harsh approaching winter.  In terms of scale, compared to Hurricane Katrina which was absolutely horrific, Pakistan is looking at 50 to 100 times the loss of life, numbers that will escalate dramatically in the cold Himalayan winter if immediate action is not taken. 

President Musharraf outlined efforts being undertaken by the Pakistan government to meet this daunting challenge.  President Musharraf described his government’s rescue and relief efforts, as well as Pakistan’s needs as it enters the reconstruction and rehabilitation phase.  Rebuilding housing, schools and hospitals will require much greater financial resources and support from overseas, and he described the President’s Reconstruction Initiative (PRI) to lead that effort.

The panel also included Ahsan Saleem, WPO member from Pakistan, who is the Chairperson of The Citizen’s Foundation (TCF).  TCF runs 225 schools across Pakistan for underprivileged children.  TCF has set up relief camps in the affected areas for over 20,000 people.  They are also working on rehabilitating earthquake victims and developing earthquake-proof, low-cost housing for the survivors. 

Ali Jameel, a YPOer from the Pakistan Chapter who works with the Omar Azghar Khan Foundation, was also a panelist and described the magnitude of the situation based on his personal experiences visiting the earthquake zone. 

Nancy Aossey, a YPOer from the Bel Air Chapter and a PAN Founding Member, provided her perspective as CEO of an NGO active on the ground in relief efforts.  Nancy heads International Medical Corps (IMC), a global relief organization that has been very active in Pakistan after the earthquake disaster, providing medical relief to the victims.
The call was co-moderated by two of PAN’s Founding Members: Amin Hashwani (YPO, Pakistan, Founder of PAN’s Indo-Pak Peace Forum) and Dick Simon (WPO, New England, WPO PAN Chapter Chair).

A recording of this important Global Conference Call is now available via streaming audio for interested WPOers and YPOers.  To listen to the recording, simply click here, input the requested information in the login screen, and press “Enter” on your keyboard.  For a transcript, click here.
 

For more information about relief efforts in Pakistan being led by WPO and YPOers and how you can get involved, click here or go to www.pannetwork.org.
 

Remembering Mousab Khorma

A fellow YPOer, Mousab Khorma, was a victim of the horrific terrorist bombings in Amman. 

In addition to the tragic loss of a friend, Mousab was a true rising star of the Jordanian and Palestinian people.  He also took courageous leadership as a founding member of the YPO Peace Action Network's Middle East Forum, dedicated to building understanding and communication between members on opposite 'sides' of that conflict, and a founder through PAN of the Palestine Chapter.

He will be sorely missed on a personal level by his friends, family and those who were privileged to know him, and his impact will be missed by his people and the world. 

To read some of the many beautiful things that have been written about Mousab in his memory on MyYPO, please click here.   

Join PAN Members on Two "Making a Difference" Experiences in 2006

Nepal / Bhutan:  March 31 - April 7, 2006

New "Education for the Disadvantaged" Action Forum to Meet in DC March 6-8

PAN is now launching an "Education for the Disadvantaged" Action Forum (“ED Forum”) focused on catalyzing education-related programs championed by YPO/WPOers. 

ED Forum’s first meeting will take place in Washington DC at the Hay-Adams Hotel, starting at 12pm Monday March 6 and wrapping up at 12pm Wednesday March 8.    

ED Forum is envisioned to have 10-12 YPO/WPO members and spouses of PAN who are passionate about this arena. This forum will meet 2 times a year for 2 days each time in a confidential YPO/WPO Forum-style environment to create better disadvantaged children's education through education and idea exchange.

Goals for the first meeting will include learning about each member’s own education-related initiatives and interests, building a strong Forum-style environment, and creating an action plan for ED Forum moving forward.  There will also be a meeting with top White House advisors on education policy on March 7 to pursue collaboration.

For more information about ED Forum or to register for the March meeting, please contact Mohnish Pabrai at mpabrai@pabraifunds.com. 

New Action Forum Being Formed on Women & Children's Health Issues in the Developing World

We are exploring starting an Action Forum focused on women and children’s health issues in the developing world. Whether we are talking about preventing the transmission of the AIDS virus from pregnant woman to her unborn child in Africa; distribution of folic acid to prevent birth defects in South America; vaccinating children for polio or preventing malaria; we can make a difference.

If you would be interested in participating in this forum or just learning more about the issues, please contact Linda Benge at ltbenge@yahoo.com.  
  

PAN Environment Forum Is Looking for Committed Members

The founders of PAN’s Environment Forum are looking for fellow WPO/YPO members and/or spouses who are concerned about our global environment.  The Environment Forum’s goals are:

• To serve as a focal point within WPO and YPO for ideas, support, resources and action related to environmental issues;
• To help each other with our own environment-related initiatives through sharing, advice, brainstorming and contacts/resources;
• To work together and learn from each other better environmental practices that lead to better businesses, better communities, a better quality of life and greater wealth for everyone;
• To tackle a few projects together as a forum, applying market principles in ways that leverage the uniqueness of the WPO/YPO network;
• To find ways in which the incredible brainpower, purchasing power and marketing muscle of WPO/YPOers can positively impact our global environment and, ultimately, ourselves, our families and our communities.

If you have any questions about the Environment Forum or would like to get involved, please contact Robert Sherriff at robert.sherriff@item.com.hk.