HDF Convention in Chicago May 25-28 2007
HDF has been operating community-building programs in the most poverty-stricken areas of Pakistan for 10 years. We follow the Human Development philosophy of "helping people to help themselves." To that end, we have built and staffed health care facilities, opened and staffed schools for boys and girls, built dams and water pumps so entire villages could have fresh, safe drinking waster. Built roads to join communities and created micro-credit programs that allow individuals and communities to break the cycle of poverty and have a sustainable opportunity for self-sufficiency.
Here is the list of the speakers are schedule to attend this event.
*Karen Hunt Ahmed* is affiliated with the University of Chicago's Department of Human Development and will speak on Micro-Finance as a tool for poverty alleviation.
*Tariq Banuri* (Sitara-e-Imtiaz) is the Director of the Asia Center of the Stockholm Environment Institute. He has extensive experience in policy development through research and analysis, organizing and leading multi-stakeholder participation. In general, his work focuses on conceptual as well as practical issues in sustainable development. He has served on national as well as international policy development bodies and research networks. Dr. Banuri will provide an overview of current trends in Human Development.
*Arshed Bhatti* is a well-known journalist turned civil servant turned activist who will speak on educational policies in Pakistan as well as on the use of alternate media in human development.
*Nasir Ali Shah Bukhari* is the CEO of KAS Bukhari, the largest and most renowned brokerage company of Pakistan, where, among its other relationships, it represents the interests of Merrill Lynch. A compassionate capitalist, he will speak on using capital markets as a tool for raising capital for development.
*Ethan Casey* is a published author who has taught and lived in Pakistan. His empathetic book, "Alive and Well in Pakistan" captures the social transformation occurring in positive and activist terms. He will speak on the role of traditional media in propagating the message of human development.
*Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy *is a Stanford-trained journalist and filmmaker whose work has won multiple prestigious awards worldwide and has been commissioned by the New York Times. She will speak on the use of film media to project messages with a social conscience.**
*Nadeemul Haque* is an economist affiliated with Pakistan Institute for Development Economics and the International Monetary Fund. He is well-published in the areas of macroeconomic policy among others. He will speak on the pivotal role of macroeconomic policies within which development can occur.
*Pervez Hoodbhoy *has written and spoken extensively on education, science, and public policy and is one of the most articulate proponents of scientific rigor in social policy. His numerous awards are testimonial to his broad ranging talents and well reasoned views. He is a long-standing Professor of Nuclear Physics at Quaid-e-Azam University who combines academic analysis with the passion of activism. He is a frequently called upon by world media to analyze political and social developments in South Asia. Dr. Hoodbhoy will speak on political institution building in Pakistan.
*Syed Talat Hussain *is at present Director News and Current Affairs of AAJ Television. He writes for Newsline and Time and has worked with CNN and ABC as producer. He has done extensive reporting for Los Angeles Times and New York Times. He established ARY's Islamabad office and headed the team that launched PTV World News. He has held key positions of Director News & Current Affairs with Pakistan Television Corporation, Prime Television (UK) and Telebiz. He will speak on Media's role in building social consensus and advocacy.**
*Zubaida Jalal* is presently Minister of State for Social Welfare with the Government of Pakistan. Her accomplishments in the areas of gender policy and social welfare reflect her long-standing commitment to the issues where today she sets government policy. She will speak on the impact of gender-based issues on progress in development. She will also present a policy initiative of the government titled Social Protection Policy which aims at removing gender issues that hamper human development.
*Ahmed Bilal Mehboob* is an activist of high stature and longevity who has founded PILDAT, an organization dedicated to building political awareness and practical political thinking in Pakistani society. He organizes workshops; tours in Pakistan and elsewhere etc so that Pakistani parliamentarians can see the day-to-day workings of the democratic political process and learn the same. His extremely worthy goal is the building/strengthening of political awareness in Pakistan, among politicians and the general public they should serve. That will be the topic of his speech.
*Khalid Mirza* is presently head of the Competitiveness Commission in Pakistan with the broad-ranging task of making Pakistani businesses and entities more globally competitive. He is a former Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan. Prior to that, he was the senior manager at the World Bank, responsible for finance and private sector development in East Asia. Khalid Mirza will speak on financial institution building and policies to help development.
*Abdul Malik Mujahid* is the founder and CEO of Soundvision, a successful media company founded to further Islamic concepts in books, and audio, video and alternate media. He is extremely active in integrating Muslims into American society and promoting the worthy cause of unity among all sections of American society and among all Muslims in America. He will speak on Zakat and Development.
*Adil Najam* is an Associate Professor at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. He has published a glittering list of books and articles on human development, besides being a true renaissance man in the field of social sciences, sports, arts and culture. His latest book is on Philanthropy in the Pakistani-American Community, published by Harvard University Press. He will connect current thinking on human development as it relates to Pakistan.
*Faisal Nisar* is a Partner with the well-known New York-based private equity firm of Baker Mackenzie and is actively involved with making Pakistanin particular, friendly to investors. He will speak on how global investors view Pakistan and their role in building the economy and its indirect social impact.
*Sania Nishtar* (Sitara-e-Imtiaz) was recently named as the International Health Professional of the Year 2007 by the International Biographical Centre, Cambridge, Dr Sania Nishtar is known best for her cutting edge contributions to global health policy and planning. She left a lucrative cardiologists career eight years ago to form an NGO think tank, which today is the most powerful health policy voice in Pakistan and recognized as a model for replication in other developing countries. Her work has been extensively profiled in the media, and she is the recipient of many national and international awards. She will speak on the delivery of healthcare to the masses.
*Eboo Patel* is a much sought after speaker on issues of building advocacy networks, and was asked to deliver the keynote speech at the Nobel Peace Prize Forum with President Jimmy Carter. He earned his doctorate from Oxford University where he was a Rhodes Scholar. He is the founder and executive director of Interfaith Youth Core
*Beena Sarwar *is a journalist and documentary filmmaker. She is the former op-ed and features editor of The News International, former editor of the News on Sunday. Currently, she is Policy Fellow at the Kennedy School of Government