25th November - International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women

“Who’s Offence”

Ahmed, as a male has all the right to date with a girl but puts all restrictions on his sister. One day, when she is going out to fetch water, Ahmed warns her not to talk to anyone otherwise she had to face the repercussions. While on her way back, she stops to tell the way to a stranger. One of the villagers happens to see that and informs it to Ahmed by distorting all the facts. Infuriated at that, Ahmed attacks his sister and kills her in the name of ‘honour’.

Story and Art by Asim Sindhi, Pakistan.

Coming up...COMICS FOR CHANGE - a grassroots comics workshop in Kashmir

"Finally he found the way"

NEWSLETTER WITH COMICS
"Tolaram's" comics published in recent issue of Indus Institute of Research and Education quaterly newsletter. Comics titled "Finally he found the way" depicts the food security issue in more dramatic manner. He lives in Mirpurkhas, Sindh region of Pakistan.

Coming up.....Tolaram's Story from Mirpurkhas, Delhi Workshop and lots more.Thanks for visiting

World Environment Day 2009

An exhibition of comics on environment was organised on 5th June at Wetland centre of Karachi to mark the World Environment Day 2009.Exhibition was organized by WWF –Pakistan and World Comics with the help of students and teachers. Wallposter Comics were displayed on the event which was originally made out of photocopy on A-3 size paper. These comics were produced by students and teachers during a three day Comics workshop. Certificates were distributed to the participants by HSBC CEO and Director WWF – Pakistan

Catching the stories in fishermen's village

World Comics and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF - Pakistan) organized a 3 day Comics workshop from 19-21 May 2009 at Wetland Centre, Karachi. The workshop was conducted by Nida Shams, representing World Comics in Pakistan.

Participants were from various walks of life like students, teachers and community mobilizers of Kakapeer community schools (Kakapeer is a fishermen village located at Sandspit beach in Karachi). These nineteen participants came up with wonderful stories on their day-to-day life problems like water, electricity, bomb blasts and strikes. Most of the children made comics on their real life stories. Teachers took keen interest in the training and found this tool useful for teaching purposes. Now children are planning to train their friends in summer vacations!

Kathmundu Youth Groups got the Comics Power!

World Comics and Children-Women in Social Service and Human Rights (CWISH) organized a Training of trainers (ToT) workshop for the Youth Groups of Kathmundu, Nepal. It was a three-day workshop, participants learned to use comics skills as a development tool. During the workshop Resource Persons shared their experience of using Grassroots Comics in India and Pakistan. On last day participants put up their comics exhibition in the city market and got a chance to show their comics to passerby and collect their instant feedback. 

Most of the workshop participants later organized Comics workshops in Kathmundu for Schools and youth groups. CWISH set up the Comics network and participants like Robin Niruala attended ToT organized by World Comics India and Pravah in Delhi, India.

“It is amazing how one A3 size paper can give as much knowledge as a book!” Ganga Rai

For more on this read Nepal Report.

Celebration of International Women’s Day with Comics

Indus Institute for Research and Education organized one-day exhibition of Grassroots Comics to mark the International Women’s Day on March 8, 2009 at Sindh Language Authority in Hyderabad,Pakistan. Apart from Pakistan there were comics from India, SriLanka and Nepal drawn by common people of these countries. More than 150 people participated from all walks of life. The seminar was organized to create awareness among people regarding women rights and pay tribute to the common women of our society who fought and tried to get their rights. Apart from Grassroots Comics, speeches, skit, poetry, songs and theater performance was prepared for the guests.

Comics Creator without Borders: A Pakistan Saga

Article contributed by Nida Shams to World Comics Bulletin “ Comics For All” 2008 edition.

Comics For All is an annual bulletin. This twelve-paged bulletin comprises of stories and activities undertaken by World Comics in different parts of the world. Articles inviting views on wide arrays of issues and cultures have been presented though comics as an innovative mode of communication. 

Download bulletin here

Sindh experienced first Comics Workshop in Hyderabad (2008)

A three day workshop on ‘Capacity Building in Comics Skill’ was held in Hyderabad, Sindh from 14-16 November 2008. It was organized by Indus Institute of Research and Education (IIRE) in collaboration with World Comics. The workshop was first of its kind in sindh region. Fourteen participants from different rural background attended the workshop including activists, community mobilizers and interactive theater artists. Participants were associated with various local organizations i.e. PVDP Sindh, IIRE, Bhandar Hari Sangat, SSEWA-Pak, Caritas Pakistan, Hayat-e-Nau and SAFWCO.

Wallposter comics format was introduced during the workshop. 

Meera working on her visual script.

One of the participants Yousaf Dominic, a theater artist sharing his experience

I have learnt a lot about comics specially sketching, story writing, inking, speech balloons etc. The training methodology was very good. This tool will be very helpful for my project and I would like to use this tool for gender training and also introduce it in our magazine. Read Sindh Report

People’s Comics Workshop – Lahore 2006

World Comics India and Insan Foundation organized 3 day Comics workshop from 27 – 29 December 2006. 16 grassroots comics were produced by the local activist and students from different part of Pakistan. This was the first Comics Workshop on the soil of Pakistan although World Comics India already trained a number of activists from Pakistan in Kathmandu (Nepal), Colombo (Sri Lanka) and Manchester (UK). 

Sharad Sharma (Resource Person) with participants.

Let’s read the reflections of participants on the workshop…..

“In this workshop I got a new medium which could be adopted to bring fore the issues. Illiteracy has emerged as a big problem. Also now I use comics and I am sure, no one will mind. I have tried to raise the problem of eve teasing.” Urooj (Student)

For more views and feedback of our participants and to know about our Team, Click here

Exhibition 2007

Bolti Lakeerain (Talking Lines)

Indo Pak People’s Comics

Comics Exhibition was held in Islamabad at Civil Junction on 4^th January 2007. World Comics India organized this exhibition and press conference for locals and around 30 activists visited the exhibition. Event was covered by local TV News Channels and Newspapers. Exhibition was appreciated a lot by the visitors.

The exhibition was interestingly divided into four categories.

• People’s Comics Pakistan- Comics produced in Lahore Workshop
• People’s Comics India- Comics produced in various workshops in India
• Campaign Comics Posters- Comics posters on Girl Child Right Campaign
• Cricket for Peace-Comics developed by underprivileged children from Pakistan during visit to India 2005                 

Same Exhibition was held in Lahore as well on 9th January 2007 at Bakhtiyar Labour Hall.

For news clippings you can click here