In times of posturing, Pakistani youth to donate blood at Indian camp

Chandigarh, Sep 8: The strained relations between nuclear-armed neighbours India and Pakistan in recent months notwithstanding, blood from across the border could come in handy for patients in this country. A group of Pakistani youth is likely to donate blood at a camp to be held here on October 1 on the eve of the 146th birth anniversary of Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi. The group of 20-25 youth delegates from Pakistan will be part of over 250 international youth volunteers who are arriving here this month-end to be part of the 10th Global Youth Peace Fest (GYPF-2015) to be organized here from September 29 to October 2. "We have been confirmed participation from Pakistan, other SAARC countries and nearly 25 other countries. The Pakistan youth delegation has confirmed that they will donate blood at the blood donation camp here," Pramod Sharma, the coordinator for NGO Yuvsatta, which has been organising the festival here for the past decade, told IANS. The 'One World-One Blood' camp will be held on the evening of October 1 at the plaza of Chandigarh's Sector 17 shopping and commercial hub. The local health authorities will collect the donated blood. "We are holding the blood donation camp in the evening so that more people come to donate blood and join this noble cause. It will help to strengthen the message of unity of mankind and Indian ethos of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' (the whole world is one family)," Sharma said. "Participants for the GYPF are coming from as far away as Venezuela and other parts of the world, including almost from all South Asian, ASEAN and some African countries, as also from Russia, Kazakhstan and the US," Sharma pointed out. Yuvsatta's GYPF has established itself as an international festival for the youth.