ISLAMABAD: The Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) and Human Development Foundation (HDF) on Wednesday signed an MoU to explore the potential of carbon markets in the country.
The signing ceremony took place during a special session titled, “Celebrating a Legacy: HDF’s 25 years of Transforming Communities,” at the 26th Sustainable Development Conference being organised by the SDPI. A documentary was also played highlighting HDF’s achievements and future projects.
Mehboobul Haq, CEO HDF, during his opening remarks, stated, that they were gather not merely to celebrate a milestone but to reaffirm our commitment to the noble cause of human development in Pakistan. He said that the HDF stands united in our vision of Pakistan where every individual has the opportunity to reach their full potential, where poverty is eradicated, and where prosperity is shared equitably.
The event was informed that HDF has built six water conservation projects in the country and recently has completed the Afaf Dam in Soon Valley, District Khushab. Haq said that the Dam that HDF has built in Pakistan is unique in that it is part of an eco-system design that addresses the environment and multidimensional poverty simultaneously.
The success of the Afaf Dam was also greatly applauded by Senator Sherry Rehman, who inaugurated the expo and emphasised the need to replicate HDF’s model in other climate-vulnerable regions of Pakistan.
A riveting documentary showcased HDF’s remarkable journey, reflecting on decades of progress in education, healthcare, sustainable environment, WASH, livelihood, food security and social capital development. Emotions ran high as the documentary reflected on HDF’s enduring commitment to marginalised communities.
Dr Adil Najam, president of WWF International, said that hope must come from the efforts a person made and the ideas; sometimes our obsession with achievements overshadows our efforts, therefore, the journey of learning as what human development is, must continue. He said that in simplest terms, human development is the answer to the question: “How are you?” “The answer to the question would be in three categories, Health, Wealth and Knowledge. This is what human development is,” he said.
Dr Tariq Banuri from the University of Utah, US, said that human development provides us with a framework on how to resolve problems. He recalled his meeting with Dr Mohammad Younis and quoted him saying: “I never wanted to do it (microfinance); I just wanted to make people’s lives better.”
CEO of Human Development Foundation Mehboobul Haq said that he was not here merely to celebrate HDF’s 25th anniversary, rather to reaffirm their commitment to unwavering the cause of human development. “The past 25 years have been a journey of remarkable achievements. Still our work is far from finished, and we must continue to strive,” he said.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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