PRESS RELEASE

San Jose, November 8^th, 2005

BEYOND BORDERS
JOINT INDO-PAK FUNDRAISER FOR EARTHQUAKE RELIEF

EKTA and Friends of South Asia, in coalition with an array of organizations including many groups of the South Asian diaspora are organizing a fundraiser that will benefit earthquake survivors on both sides of the border. The fundraiser will take place November 19th, 2005, at the Wheeler Auditorium on the UC Berkeley campus.

Today, on the first monthly anniversary of the quake we note with urgency that many survivors in remote areas are still in need of immediate treatment and evacuation. There is also a desperate need to provide shelter and a massive second wave of death is expected if efforts aren't stepped up to help the three million made homeless by the earthquake and who face the fierce Himalayan winter without any form of shelter. We hope to bring attention to the continuing need for assistance and solicit the support of the wider community in raising funds towards relief and rehabilitation.

We note with regret that the urgently needed co-operation between the Indian and Pakistani Governments continues to be compromised by their unwillingness to set the desperate need for relief and the well-being of the survivors above their mutual suspicion and political manoeuvring. In contrast, the organization of this event, where Indian and Pakistani groups are working together, illustrates how differences of national origin or religious affiliation can be rendered irrelevant in the face of a recognition of our common humanity. We hope that coalitions such as ours illustrate the will for peace that exists among the common peoples of India and Pakistan.

The benefit will feature performances by well-known Bay Area artists including Farah Shaikh (Kathak Dance), Shailja Patel (Spoken Word), Kamal Hyder & Nasir Syed (Sitar Duet), Rita Sahai (Hindustani Vocal), Vivek Anand & Ferhan Qureshi (Tabla), Arshad Syed (Santoor) Shabi Farooq (Tabla).

All proceeds will be split, (in proportion to the need), between the Association for the Development of Pakistan (http://www.developpakistan.org) and the Association for India's Development (http://www.aidindia.org) that are working with groups engaged in relief and rehabilitation efforts on the ground in Pakistan and India and are committed to an equal and just distribution of resources among marginalized and deprived communities, irrespective of biases of gender, class or religion. For more information about the event, including artist bios, co-sponsor information, to purchase tickets and to make donations visit: http://ektaonline.org/beyondborders/