Kashmir Outreach is a grouping of people who within their limited capacity are trying to address humanitarian issues in the Indian administered state of Jammu and Kashmir. Our endeavor is to initiate projects that will have a positive impact on people of the state, reaching out to the most disadvantaged section of our society, especially children. We are a grouping of people who either hail from Kashmir or are associated with Kashmir in some form, personal or otherwise, and have agreed on reaching out to the weaker section of our society, irrespective of our politics and ideology, which in a conflict zone can become a deterrent to coming together and solving day-to-day problems in the lives of our beleaguered people.
Project Books! is an initiation of a vision that aims at introducing children to critical, creative, enjoyable and sustained engagement with books, especially those who don't have other venues for such engagement. We believe that insightful and creative engagement with books helps develop children into thinking, creative, inquisitive and empathetic members of society. It is especially important to encourage such endeavors in conflict zones where the maintenance of public libraries, venues and opportunities for such engagement often take a backstage in the backdrop of violence and conflict. We would, therefore agree with the following:
" I would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves"
Anna Quindlen, "Enough Bookshelves," New York Times, 7 August 1991
The following members have taken the responsibility of fund-raising for this project:
Shazlia Qureshi works as a developmental practitioner in Srinagar, Kashmir.
She holds a Masters Degree in Social Work, and has worked in the developmental sector, both as an internee and a volunteer with several non-profit organizations. She has worked in different organizations in Kashmir on long term rehabilitation projects including Action Aid, Save The Children, Mercy Corps and Conciliation Resources. Working closely with communities in Kashmir for the last three years, she is excited to be associated with Kashmir Outreach as Field Coordinator of Project Books! . She is also co-founder of South Kashmir Social Service Society (SSSS), which is an educational initiative for underprivileged children in some remote areas of Jammu&Kashmir.
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Darakhshan Mir, is a graduate student in the department
of Computer Science at Rutgers University. She likes teaching and is interested in education issues and the challenges that disadvantaged sections of the society face in achieving a worthy education (especially science education) both in the United States and in her native Kashmir. She is excited to be part of a group that among other things, seeks to supplement children's educational experience in a creative and sustained fashion. She may be reached at lastname.firstname (at) gmail.com
Bhawna Kak
