FRIENDS Profile

Introduction                                                               

Aims and Objectives                                                  

Organizational Structure and Functioning                     

Board of Governors                                                   

FRIENDS Centre, Rawalpindi                                    

Research Cooperation                                                

Research Activities                                                    

Foreign Visits                                                           

Publications                                                               

Chairman FRIENDS                                                  

Membership Form

Introduction

The Foundation for Research on International Environment, National Development and Security with acronym FRIENDS was established on August 21, 1991 at Rawalpindi, Pakistan.

The Foundation undertakes studies and research on global, regional as well as national issues for promoting peace, harmony, progress for the overall betterment of humanity. In order to realize the requisite objectives, it functions as an independent apolitical, non-governmental, and non-profit organisation.

The Foundation also undertakes various academic and field-oriented socio-economic developmental activities in collaboration with national as well as international organisations – governmental and non-governmental.

Aims and Objectives

        FRIENDS promotes independent and objective inquiries into issues having a bearing on national development and security, regional economic cooperation and for promoting global peace.

        In order to fulfill this aim, FRIENDS organizes national, regional and international seminars on pertinent issues and publishes Quarterly Journal, “National Development and Security”, containing well researched articles besides publications of books and monographs on important issues.

        We are cooperating with all relevant think tank organization within the country and abroad, to promote the objectives of peace and economic cooperation.

Organizational Structure and Functioning

Organizational Structure

The constitutive bodies of FRIENDS are: Board of Governors, Advisory Committee(s), Executive Committee, Managing Committees of the Chapters, Organizing Committees of the Branches.

Board of Governors

The Board of Governors exercises general supervision over the affairs of FRIENDS and provides the overall policy guidance for all its activities, functions and management including employment. The Board is also responsible to raise donations in cash and kind to meet the expenditure of FRIENDS and contribute towards achievement of its aims and objectives.

The Board in its meetings decides the annual programme of activities. The meetings of the Board are held periodically as and when deemed necessary. However, holding of at least one meeting in a year is obligatory. The Board of Governors is headed by the Chairman who is also responsible for the day to day functioning of FRIENDS within the framework authorized by the Board of Governors. See Annexure – A.

FRIENDS Centre, Rawalpindi (See Annexure – B)

Affiliation with the United Nations

The United Nations Secretariat Committee for non-governmental organisations has enrolled FRIENDS as an Associate of the Department of Public Information (DPI) since 1994. FRIENDS' representative(s) have attended UN functions at UN Headquarters in New York and Geneva.

Research Cooperation

FRIENDS maintains close collaboration with a number of academic institutions, think tanks and NGOs in Pakistan. It has also been cooperating with foreign organisations committed to similar goals and objectives. Some of these are listed In Annexure – C.

Research Activities

With a view to promoting its objective, FRIENDS has organised various International and National Seminars, Colloquia and Group Discussions. See Annexure – D

Foreign Visits by FRIENDS' Research Scholars

FRIENDS has been cooperating with foreign organization, committees to promote culture of peace and cooperation. See Annexure – E

Publications

   FRIENDS has been publishing a series of books, monthly journal, quarterly journal and monographs. See Annexure – F

Funding

FRIENDS' activities are funded through the following means:

Donations. Donations are accepted from the private sector. Donations are exempted from income tax which has been approved by the Government of Pakistan.

Membership Subscription. FRIENDS' members pay membership subscription as well as subscribe to FRIENDS Quarterly Journal.

Sale of FRIENDS' Publications. FRIENDS is a non-profit Foundation. As such FRIENDS' publication are sold to disseminate its research for general benefit. The money recovered through sale of publications only partially meets the cost of publications.

Collaboration with other Organisations. FRIENDS undertakes its research activities and publishing of research work in collaboration with international and national organisations. For the past five years significant cooperation has been in progress with Hanns Seidel Foundation, Munich, Germany. In addition FRIENDS also undertakes research projects on contract basis on terms and conditions as mutually agreed upon. UNESCO Sub-Regional Workshop on The Culture of Peace in Central South Asia (1995) and an International Seminar at Ashgabat in collaboration with UNESCO and Government of Turkmenistan on Central Asia: Regional Cooperation for Peace and Development (1997) can be quoted as an example.

FRIENDS acknowledges with thanks the Pakistan Government's approval classifying FRIENDS as a charitable institution and granting Income Tax exemption in terms of Section 47(1)(d) of the Income Tax Ordinance, 1979 read with Rule 41(2) of the Income Tax Rules, 1982, vide their letter No. SO.I.26(78) FRIENDS/92-93/ 5245, dated 6-5-1993.

Membership

The Foundation has the following categories of membership which cater for both the Pakistani nationals as well as foreigners:

Founder Members. Founder members are the members who signed the Memorandum of Association and Articles of FRIENDS and are signatory to its registration with the Government.

The Board of Governors may elect from time to time distinguished scholars and persons to become Patrons of FRIENDS.

Life Members. Distinguished intellectuals and scholars may be elected by the Board of Governors as Life Members. The life membership of FRIENDS shall be a coveted honour and shall be conferred only upon such persons who distinctly stand out at the national or international levels in the fields related to the aims and objectives of FRIENDS.

Honorary Members. Individuals with interest in the activities of FRIENDS and who can contribute or participate in furthering the aims and objectives of FRIENDS may be elected as honorary member by the Board of Governors.

Institutional Members. Any Foundation, Trust, Institution, Organisation, Agency, Authority, Corporation etc., which is interested in the Aims and Objectives of FRIENDS and is desirous of becoming its Member may be given Institutional Membership by the Board of Governors. The subscription, exchange of facilities, other terms and conditions etc. shall be decided from time to time and on case to case basis by the Board of Governors.

Regular Members. Research scholars; specialists; experts; writers; speakers; thinkers; veterans; parliamentarians; journalists; serving or retired bureaucrats; serving or retired officers of Pakistan Armed Forces; and other serving and retired government officials; etc., shall be eligible to apply for membership of FRIENDS and may be enrolled as Regular Members of FRIENDS by the Executive Committee. Regular Members shall be required to pay subscription as prescribed by FRIENDS from time to time. It shall be obligatory for Regular Members to subscribe to the FRIENDS Quarterly Journal titled National Development and Security. In case of serving government officers and Pakistan Armed Forces officers, a No Objection Certificate from their organisation is a pre-requisite for membership of FRIENDS.

Associate Members. Individuals who are interested in the activities of FRIENDS but are not yet fully qualified to become regular members may be enrolled as Associate Members. Associate members shall be required to pay subscription as prescribed by FRIENDS from time to time. It shall be obligatory for Associate Members to subscribe to the FRIENDS Quarterly Journal titled National Development and Security.

Participatory Members. This category of members includes scholars, professionals, journalists, experts, etc., who actively participate and contribute to FRIENDS research activities, such as seminars, group discussions and symposia etc. It is, however, not obligatory for this category to subscribe to FRIENDS Quarterly Journal which is mandatory for Regular and Associate members.

Foreign Affiliates. This category of members includes foreign scholars, professionals, researchers, experts etc who participate and contribute to FRIENDS research activities, such as seminars, group discussions, symposia and publications etc. The annual membership fee for Foreign Affiliates is US $100 or its equivalents in Pakistani Rupees, however, the Honorary Foreign Affiliates are exempted from membership fee. They, in collaboration with FRIENDS, will promote the objectives of peace, development and cooperation in the region. These members can also give suggestions/proposals relating to FRIENDS research work.

Annexure – A

Board of Governors

General Mirza Aslam Beg                      Patron-in-Chief & Chairman

Dr. S.M. Rahman                                     Secretary General and Acting Executive Vice Chairman

Fasahat H. Syed                                      Member

Air Marshal (R) Ayaz Ahmad Khan    Member

Dr. Pervez Iqbal Cheema                        Member

Brig (R) A.R. Siddiqui                             Member

Dr. Shireen M. Mazari                             Member

Dr. M.R. Khan                                          Member and President,                    Karachi Chapter

Prof. G.J. Pareshan Khattak                    Member

Mr. Ross Masood Hussain                    Member

Dr. Ali Muhammad                                   Member

Ms. Asifa Farooqi                                    Member

Syed Ali Akbar Rizvi                               Member

Dr. M. Sadiq Malik                                   Member

Dr. S.M. Koreshi                                      Member

Dr. Maqbool Ahmad Bhatty                   Member

Mr. Mushahid Hussain Syed                 Member

Dr. Ijaz Shafi Gillani                                  Member

Dr. Iffat Malik                                            Member

Brig. (R) Dr. Ahsanur Rahman Khan     Member

Dr. Maqsoodul Hassan Noori                Member

Dr. Wajid H. Pirzada                                 Member

Annexure - B

FRIENDS Centre, Rawalpindi

General Mirza Aslam Beg          Founding Patron-in-Chief and Chairman

Dr. S.M. Rahman                        Founding Secretary General

Ghazanfar Ali Grewal                  Research Associate

Sadiq Hussain                              PA to Chairman

Muhammad Nawaz                      Assistant Librarian

Zahoor Ahmad                             Senior Clerk (Admin)

Naeem Afzal                                Computer Operator

Annexure – C

Research Cooperation

Bangladesh

Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS), Dhaka, Bangladesh

China

Chinese People's Association for Peace and Disarmament (CPAPD), Beijing, China.

Chinese Institute for International Strategic Studies (CIISS), Beijing, China.

Egypt

Centre for Asian Studies, Faculty of Economics and Political Science, Cairo University, Egypt.

Germany

Hanns Seidel Foundation, Munich, Germany.

India

Institute for Defence Studies and Security Analysis, New Delhi, India.

The Forum for Strategic and Security Studies, New Delhi, India.

Department of Politics & Public Administration University of Pune, India.

Iran

Institute for Political and International Studies (IPIS), Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran.

Jordan

Royal Scientific Society, Amman, Hashmate Kingdom of Jordan.

Russia

Institute for Oriental Studies, Academy of Science, Moscow, Russia.

South Africa

Africa Institute of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa.

South African Institute of International Affairs, Johannesburg, South Africa.

Annexure – D

Research Activities

Regional Peace and Security

Kashmir Conflict

Governance and Domestic Politics

Education in Pakistan