Japan Fest 2018
Toshikazu Isomura Consul General of Japan in Karachi organized “Japan Fest 2018” during the reported week which was largely attended by leading political, business, cultural and diplomatic figures.
At the opening of Japan Fest 2018, Isomura, showed appreciation towards cultural interaction between Japan and Pakistan and wished that the guests enjoyed various aspects of Japanese culture and traditions.
On this occasion various cultural exhibitions were presented including ikebana (Japanese art of floral arrangement), origami (Japanese art of folding paper into decorative shapes and figures) and ju-jitsu (Japanese form of martial arts).
The Japan Fest 2018 started with songs and a stage play by Karachi Grammar School students, dance performances and Japanese pop songs played by local Japanese cultural groups “Shonen Infinity,” cosplay contest, SoranBushi Dance by Karachi Japanese School, fashion show presented by Indus University students, etc. Various activity booths were also set-up to learn Japanese culture. The ambiance was exquisitely decorated with Japanese floral artifacts of ikebana displays, which were extremely appreciated by the audience.
The climax of the evening was the enthralling Koto and Shamisen performance by Japanese artist Ms. Sumie Kaneko, who is currently on a world tour for playing this unique Japanese traditional music. The audience was captivated by the fascinating diversity of Japanese traditional music and memorable fusion of Japanese and Pakistani compositions.
Ms. Sumie Kaneko is an accomplished Koto and Shamisen player, Jazz singer and songwriter who had studied at prestigious Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music then studied Jazz vocal at Berklee College of Music, she started playing Koto when she was five years old. She was the first Shamisen player who won Pulitzer Prize Paula Vogel’s “The Long Christmas Ride Home” and has collaborated with many of world instrumentalist.
10th Anniversary of LADIESFUND
Dawood Global Foundation organised 10th Anniversary of the LADIESFUND andWomen’s Awards for Pakistan 2018 at Sindh Governor House where four hundred of the most dynamic andinspiring women in Pakistan gathered to celebrate the strength and empowerment of women, as well asacknowledge the great economic contribution of Pakistani women who are not only job creators but all finalistsin Trailblazer and Momentum categories, were required to be tax-payers.
The Governor of Sindh, Imran Ismail was the Chief Guest for the event. LADIESFUND Lifetime Achievement Award winners, NasreenMahmud Kasuri& Tina Sani were Guests of Honour. Nasreen Mahmud Kasuri was the founder of one of thelargest privately-owned education systems in the world with branches in 8 countries, student body nearing300,000 and a staff of approx. 17,000, and flew from Lahore for the occasion.
Tina Sani is a Pakistani Ghazalsinger who also received the Pride of Performance award from the Government of Pakistan.Other winners include Idol winners KareemaJuma&SalihaBibi, as well as People’s Choice winners.
Trailblazer Sidra Nadeem, Momentum NailaNaqvi and Women of the Year KamilaShamsie. This year’s judges who finalized the slate of nominees included pastLADIESFUND winners AmeenaSaiyid (2012), Angie Marshall (2014), NiloferSaeed (2010) &YasmeenLari(2016).
Voting was viral via online, radio and television. Other pre-announced awards included Pakistani Karate champion NargisHameedullah (Pioneer), Pakistan’sfirst crane operators Faryal Anwar & UmamaSaleem, Special Kids educationist FauziaHussain (Angel), The
Garage School’s Shabina Mustafa (Angel) and a post-humous courage award human rights lawyer and socialactivist Asma Jahangir.Commendations were also presented in Natasha Ali Lakhani (Beauty), Emaan Mahmud (art), SophiaBalagamwala (art), SamyaArif (art), Dr. AftabMunir (medicine), Dr. AzraAhsan (medicine) and Dr. PushpaSrichand (medicine).
International Fellowship was awarded to SyedaHumairaAnwaar to travel to Germany for the World Business.
Dialogue with the presence of the German Consul General EugenWollfarth. They were joined on stage by pastinternational fellows RabiaRafiq (2013), SindhyaKirshan (2014), KomalGopi (2015), Naina Rani (2016) &Sonia Kamnani (2017).
Bachelors Scholarship to Iqra University were renewed for Maica Mary (who is the daughter of one of theGovernor’s staff), and for MariumHashmi. Tuition cheques were presented on stage to IU representative.One of the most emotional moments on stage was a special commemoration of the completion of the educationof 2500 deserving girls in Karachi, Lahore and Lagos (Nigeria). 5 of the top alumni shared their emotionalstory of success, and 1 news anchor Jaweria Ali, announced her donation of a 6th scholarship to help anothergirl just like the programme has changed her life.
Futurism Commerce in Pakistan
New World Concepts Organized its second annual International “Organizational Growth Summit on Futurism Commerce” in Pakistan during the week at a local hotel which provided access to global learning and highlighted the importance of digitization and its impact on business strategy for Pakistan’s business ecosystem. The key note speakers were Prof.Dr. Atta-ur-Rahman UNESCO Science Laureate,Amir Niazi Chair,Board of Advisers New World Concept,Sagheer Mufti,COO,HBL while the other Panelists are ZeeshanBukhari,DG,Ministry of IT and Telecom,M.AManan,CEO TCS Holdings,Qasif Effendi,CEO Reem Rice,NajeebAgarwala,CEO 1-Link,Maheen Rehman,CEO Alfalah GHP.