Due to PakistanÂ’s harsh natural catastrophes of nationwide floods, the Harvard College Pakistani Students Association has taken to dining halls and public meeting locations to create awareness and donations for flood victims.
So far, the students have gathered more than $32,000 in donations that have been distributed to five Pakistani NGOs that offer shelter, meals, sanitary items, and other necessities to victims. Besides, the campaign has also inspired other South Asian groups at Harvard and other universities to mobilize and deliver relief.
As per the sources, the initiative comes at a time when more than one-third of Pakistan is under water. Over 1,300 people have perished due to the flooding, and millions more have been affected.
The HCPSA created in 2011 has been tabling in HarvardÂ’s Smith Campus Center, distributing posters across campus, and publicly requesting other clubs to support its efforts. But, the groupÂ’s founders claim that the Harvard administration has been uncooperative with their effort.
“We’ve heard nothing from the administration during this entire fundraiser,”?stated Asmer Asrar Safi 23-’24, an HCPSA board member.?“It’s been upsetting and disillusioning on so many levels.”
Moreover, members of the organization asked that virtually every pair of Harvard faculty deans leading the CollegeÂ’s 12 upperclassman houses support their efforts by individually sending house-wide emails to raise awareness and cash.
Safi insisted HarvardÂ’s senior officials address the matter, saying that it is a double standard for the university to openly respond to the invasion of Ukraine but remain silent on calamities affecting people of color throughout the world.
“There’s a double standard,”?he highlighted.?“When anything happens in Ukraine or something that is aligned with the West’s or Harvard’s interests, everyone is on their feet, advocating, donating, and conducting conversations.”
“There are double standards in the Harvard community,”?Safi noted. “Our folks aren’t designed to decay.” That is not what we desire for our people, and it is not the notion we have been given.”