I AM KARACHI presented awards to various people to honour the contribution of the city’s dedicated and unrecognised heroes at Frere Hall on the occasion of second official I AM Karachi day on March 26, 2016.
The inaugural I AM KARACHI awards have established themselves as the only civic responsibility and diversity awards exclusively for residents of the city. I AM KARACHI awards recognise visionary individuals who have shown inspirational resilience, hope, pride and determination.
The award function was headlined by a spell binding rock-symphonic version of the national anthem by Sounds of Kolachi with the talented youth of Karachi. Award winning pop stars Sara Haider, Zoe Viccaji and traditional singers also showcased at the event.
I AM KARACHI President Jameel Yusuf SSt described I AM KARACHI day as a “celebration of the success of city’s resilient spirit” and announced that the awards would be given out throughout the year.
I AM KARACHI day ceremonies were hosted by Karachi icons Deepak Perwani and Atiya Khan who discussed the necessity of a diverse culture in a mega city like Karachi. This was followed by Vice President of Society for I AM KARACHI Amin Hashwani who announced the official launch of a city-wide I AM KARACHI sports festival that will begin next month. Founding member Rumana Hussain also announced the launch of a new wave of I AM KARACHI ‘Walls of Peace’ where young artists cover hateful graffiti with their artistic creations to reclaim public space.
In an unprecedented display of support academics, business leaders and celebrities attended the function to show their love for the city. Awards were distributed by notable figures including Ronak Lakhani, Zubaida Mustafa, Talat Hussain, Ishrat Hussain and Fuzon.
The event was a grand equaliser with citizens from all areas and strata uniting to mark the occasion as could be seen in a visualisation activity where residents of Karachi could mark their homes on a giant map.
Karachi Commissioner Asif Hyder Shah praised the spirit of citizenship. If the citizens of Karachi would stand united, only then there was a hope for a prosperous Sindh and eventually a flourishing Pakistan, he added.
The celebration follows a ‘Karachi Matters Week’ drive to boost citizen participation conducted across the city. Partners of IAK and volunteer groups had conducted over 30 workshops, art projects, and social innovation activities to encourage thoughtful dialogue for a unified social outlook in various neighborhoods.
I AM KARACHI days is a celebration of the city and part of a larger city-wide movement that aims to inculcate hope, pride and ownership in the citizens of Karachi by reclaiming public spaces through sports, arts, culture and dialogues. The event was managed and executed by Polaris with PR & Social Media by Mindmap Communications.