Latest report on the Afghan Workers Solidarity Campaign and appeal for practical support below fyi.
 [PakistanSolidarity] Help Now--Afghan Workers Solidarity Campaign

Date: 27/11/01

From:   farooqtariq@hotmail.com (farooq tariq)
Reply-to:   PakistanSolidarity@yahoogroups.com
 
 

Help Now--Afghan Workers Solidarity Campaign  needs you support on urgent basis

* new information about quick transmission of donations to Pakistan

Hundreds of ordinary people of Lahore have donated generously to the Afghan
Workers Solidarity Campaign. AWSC was launched last week by several
international working class organizations. LPP is a part of the Campaign and
its supporters across Pakistan are collecting cloths, blankets, quilts,
jumpers and other cloth items. They  are also collecting dry food items and
medicines as well. Camps were set up this Sunday at different part of Lahore
where hundreds of people have brought every day used items for the Afghan
workers. Announcements were made by the mosques appealing people to bring
their items in the camps. It is interesting to note that several religious
fanatics organizations have also set up camps but it seems that they do not
have the success in collecting items as LPP have done.

LPP have now engaged several families to press the cloths and pack them in
bags. They will be paid a very nominal cost for pressing over 5000
traditional suits so for collected. The 5000 target is already achieved and
many other areas than Lahore have just started collecting the used items.

We plan to send the first truck load of items before the Eid that is 14th of
December 2001. We want these items to be distributed before the Eid. So many
Afghan families of the workers could also celebrate the holy day of Eid.

What we need now

We need to buy the blankets and quilts that is most needed in winter. We
could not collect many, as many workers will have not any spare of these
items at homes. We can buy these from the second hand market of Lahore where
is available quit cheaply.

We plan to buy at least 4000 blankets, as we would be delivering clothes and
blanket to at least 5000 families. The 4000 would cost at least 250,000
Rupees. That is roughly $ 4200. Then we need another $ 800 for the transport
cost. So to deliver the items collected and the items we plan to buy need at
least $5000 more to be collected.
 

This is an appeal to all the affiliate organizations and supporters of this
campaign to send us immediately an amount possible to the campaign. All the
affiliates are expected to send at least $300 each immediately.

The total cost of items collected by LPP could reach to $2000 so for. LPP do
not have any cash in hand to send these items. Please raise the issue in
your organizations and take emergency measure as we have only 14 days to go.

Please hurry up,

In Solidarity,

Shoaib Bhatti,
Organizer AWSC

Original Appeal
 

Afghan Workers Solidarity Campaign launched
Become part of the campaign and sponsor it today

Labour Party Pakistan in close association with Afghan Labour Revolutionary
Organization has decided to launch Afghan Workers Solidarity Campaign.  The
idea to start this campaign was discussed during the visit of Alan Macomb of
Scottish Socialist Party. The SSP has already decided to actively support
this campaign.

LPP and ALRO are appealing to all the international Left and trade union
movement to support this campaign.

The main aim of this campaign is to help the Afghan workers in their
struggle to survive. It will bring material help for the Afghan workers
which will be distributed inside Afghanistan and also in refugees camp in
Pakistan. It will help to strengthen the progressive organizations of the
Afghan workers. It will collect and bring every day life necessities to the
Afghan workers on emergency basis.

The suppression by the religious fundamentalists of all the democratic and
human rights in Afghanistan over the years has left the organization of the
Left forces in absolute weak position. Many had lost lives for the cause of
Socialism in Afghanistan. Rest of them are spending their lives underground
even in exile. Their families have been tortured and sentenced to death by
the religious fundamentalist.

To help the Afghan left and progressive forces in their struggle to survive
and promote their organizations needs an active international support. LPP
has been active in promoting the Afghan Left and progressive for some years.
It has now a plan to produce a monthly paper in Pushto language to help the
afghan left in promotion of their ideas and strategy.

LPP has already started collecting cloths, medicine, blankets, shoes and
other every day food items to be distributed among Afghan refugees camp
through the ALRO and other afghan Left groups.

The LPP plan to send its first truck load of these items till 24th of
November.

What you can do?

Sponsor the AWSC formally by paying the initial amount of $ 300 for the
organizations and $100 FOR THE INDIVIDUALS.

Please help to build this campaign.

1- Collect every day items in your country and send the shipment to

Education Foundation
40 Abbot Road Lahore, Pakistan

Most of the second hand items like the blankets and cloths are available
cheaply in Pakistan. If you like, send us the money and we can buy these
items for you.

Volunteers

If you have time and money to travel, please come to Pakistan to help build
this campaign. We need volunteers from Abroad to help this campaign. Please
contact us immediately for this.
 

New Information about quick transmission of donations to Pakistan

Please send your donations to following bank account
Education Foundation Donation

Please forward this information to your bank for a quick transmission of
money
Standard Charted Bank NY
1 Evertrust Plaza, Suite 1101, 11th Floor, Jercy City 07302 USA
Swit Code SCBLUS33
TelexATXT 420117
Federal Reserve Bank Routing
No.(ABA) 026002561
CHIPS ABA 0256
For credit to
Standard Charted Grindlays Bank, Karachi AC 3582-024272-001
with them for final credit to A/C No. 01 7967128 90 of Education Foundation
Donations at Standard Charted Grindlays Bank Gulberg Branch Lahore, Pakistan

Comradely,

Shoaib Bhatti
Organizer, Afghan Workers Solidarity Campaign, (Central Chairman Labour
Party Pakistan)
Email:  labourparty@gmx.net
Website: www.labourpakistan.org
Tel: 92 42 6315162, 6301685
Fax” 92 42 6303808

Sponsors so for:

Socialist Initiative/Socialist League - Was Tun (Germany)
Workers Solidarity Pakistan (Germany)
Labour Party Pakistan
Scottish Socialist Party
Women Workers Help Line Lahore Pakistan
Afghan Labour Revolutionary Organization
All Pakistan Para Madical Staff Federation
Pakistan Printing and Graphic Workers Union
All Pakistan Bhatta Mazdoor Federation
Pakistan Railway Workers Union (democratic group)
Itehad Workers Union Carpet Industries Pakistan
Democratic Socialist Party of Australia
Labour Militant Voice of USA
Internationalism Editing Group Japan
Workers Democracy Network USA
Council of Human Needs USA
Workers International Unity (UIT), all the sections
affiliated with this
International also have decided to affiliate with
AWSC
ASAP Australia
Developing Countries Research Centre, Delhi University (India)

* Note: the Education Foundation is registered non-government organization set up
by the supporters of Labour Party Pakistan in 1993.