By Rati Saxena
Dear Coordinator General Poet Fernando. Dear Coordinators of different countries and supporting and technical team, media persons,
Friends, I am very glad to be part of this historical event the world Congress of poets, where we poets from different continents got opportunity to communicate face to face, to share our different views in favour to humanity and nature. The so called becoming cultured has given a few good things but make us more selfish and self-centred. War is not new to us, but modern kinds of weapons are capable of wiping out the human trace of human race from the earth.
Let me talk about WPM, Asia chapter, as we all know that continent Asia is biggest continent with diversity in language and culture, mostly our philosophy support the peace and Humanity. Our history shows love and hate relationship among us. Most of the Asian Countries have a kind of connection from ancient time. That is why there is natural brotherhood or sisterhood. So when National Coordinators of 32 Asian countries started working for WPM, in no time we started getting friendly to each other.
As WPM‘s Moto is to work with poetry for life, dignity, justice, and world peace, Asian countries took care for such emotions and organized events. Some of the coordinators are active from the starting-and some are still waiting and planning. Being the subsidiary branch of central WPM, We try to follow the footprints of WPM, International.
I will like to present the report of the Asian continent-
- Organizing committees
Organizing comities in home chapter is very important – In India, we have already appointed committee according to languages and state, In India, languages play special role, though English is known to many, still going to roots , giving important to language is important. In north East region, where a number of tribal languages are there, Jamuna Bini, an eminent young poet is in charge, From Odisha- Kedar Misra, From Gujarat Kamal Vora, From Maharashtra Prithiraj Taur. From Rajasthan Uma, from central India Brajesh Sigh and Ranu are in change. In coming years, we will open some more chapters,
In Malayasia, coordinator Shivani has made a team according to work given to poets-like
- Poet Spotlight — highlighting established poets in the country
- Emerging Poet—highlighting new poets in the country
- Poem Translations—we have five poets working on translations in Malay and Mandarin
- Featured Poem—a poem is featured in which relevant social/political issues are highlighted
- Book Reviews—important poetry collections are reviewed by the Review Team
- Poet Interviews—interviews are conducted with various poets
In Turkey we have our one of founder member Ataol, and Nurduran Duman. I am sure they are a big supporter of WPM, we could meet some of them in Turkey, and they are not only active on literary front but also taking the lead socially and politically.
In Russia, from where our active partner poet Vadim is coordinator, we have organized serval reading already by Svetlana Makarova (Krasnodar Territory, Krasnodar), Leonid Sever (Rostov Region, Taganrog), Ilya Vinogradov (Murmansk Region, Murmansk), Marina Akhmedova (Republic of Dagestan, Makhachkala), Lidiya Davydenko (Kaliningrad Region, Kaliningrad), Natalia Kharlampyeva (Republic of Yakutia, Yakutsk) and Elena Mashukova (Oryol region, Orel), Alexander Kerdan (Yekaterinburg), Eldar Akhadov Krasnoyarsk),Valentina Tverskaya (Omsk region, Omsk). And I suppose they are the regional in charge.
- Social Media page in Face book and Instagram-
Most of the Asian country have own face book page, where Facebook, Instagram is allowed,
This helps in automatically spreading the news of WPM. There are a few countries, like Russia, China, and Iran, the facebook pages are banned, now onwards we try to solve this problem by asking them to start pages in their permitted sites
- Poetry Reading and Festivals-
This is the event where all poets are interested;we have several poetry reading and a kind of festival in most of the countries. We are witness of a beautiful poetry even in Istanbul.
In Russia , comrade Vadim reported almost 8 poetry reading activities in Krasnodar Territory, Krasnodar, Rostov Region, Taganrog, Murmansk Region, Murmansk, Republic of Dagestan, Makhachkala, Kaliningrad Region, Kaliningrad, Republic of Yakutia, And Oryol region, Orel, Yekaterinburg, Krasnoyarsk, Omsk region, Omsk.
We have started Moving poetry, for which our idea was that we continue poetry reading for a few days in different countries of Asia. This was the first event, and in this Malaysia, India, Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan. We hope that more countries will be participating next in this moving poetry event.
Cyprus WPM organized two international poetry festivals. Fikret Demirağ Poetry Festival and Nicosia Poetry days. Both festivals last three days. Fikret Demirağ Festival takes place at the hometown of the poet where we have established a poetry room for his memory.
To support WPM Congress 14 countries of Asia are organizing almost 25 poetry readings. they are India 9 readings, Iran two, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, Tajikistani, Sri lanka, Russia, China-3, Bangladesh, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Lebanon
Many countries are planning of world Poetry movement’s poetry festival, In Malaysia there will be virtual poetry festival in December, in which 20 countries poets will read poetry.
I am sure, we will have more poetry readings in future, and in Future we will able to organize an international poetry festival.
- Translation and Publication Projects-
Translation is the best way to know each other. Keshab from Nepal has started a project in which every coordinator will submit five classic poets poetry of own country in Translation, so other countries of the world will be familiar to Asia ‘a classic poets. We already have translations submitted by Tajikistan, Palestine, Azerbaijan, India, and Malaysia etc. We are sure that we will have wonderful publication,
From India, our team is translating Russian poetry and Spanish poetry in Indian languages.
In Malaysia there is a project to translate Malay, Mandarin and Tamil poetry in to English. From China, Uzbekistan, UAE, poems of some WPM members already been translated. Cyprus also publishes books, anthologies and the magazine IZM once a year.
Altinay from Kirgizstan has already started poetry Translation project for the web site.
- Poetry for Children and students
There is no doubt that we must prepare youth from very young age to use poetry for human development, In India, we find that most of the children are not taking any interest in art and literature, their aim is only technology, which converts them in money making machine. In a way, we are preparing a emotionless generation, that is why it is most important to start training in poetry reading and understanding from very young age,
A few countries are doing so well in this area, Altynay, from Kirgizstan in her country, organizes events for children in which poetry, dance and serious discussion are taking place. I got such information from Cyprus and
We are also astonished to see, how Festival Medellin has involved children for such activity. In fact Colombia and Venezuela are organizing many such events.
Abdukakhor Kosim from Tazakistan has also mentioned similar activities.
We have to work with more vigour in this area; I hope by the end of the year, we will come with better project.
- Poetry Against the war and for the peace-
The main moto of WPM is to advocate peace, try for justice and love for all. In fact, this is the main aim of poetry, especially in modern time, when we have fear of nuclear war.
We all keep in this in mind; No doubt that there is political enmity in different Asian Countries, but as poetry lovers, we are friends. Our literature, our philosophy and our culture have some kind of similarity, which doesn’t allow to hate as human from distance past. But political powers have different ideas,
With poetry, we want that those walls created by political mentality should fall down,
We have future plan for make anthologies for poetry from peace and poetry against war. We will try to add poetry from each and every country of Asia,
Hope, we will have many more activates and work together.
At the end, I thank you Comrade Fernando for organizing such a congress, where we think, plan and go forward together for the betterment of the earth, humanity and nature.
