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CBA Presidency Acceptance Speech

Moneeza Hashmi, President, CBA and General Manager International Relations, HUM TV / Download PDF (42kb)

I stand before you today my friends and colleagues from so many Commonwealth countries to take on my new responsibility as President of CBA.

Please allow me a few moments of self indulgence as I speak from the heart.

My association with CBA goes back to well over a decade.

I have worked with the organization in co producing many international TV programmes.I have assisted them in their training programmes in Pakistan and elsewhere in the world. From doing an internship programme of the Charles Wallace Foundation at the CBA secretariat to speaking and chairing several conferences on their behalf my relationship with the CBA has developed from a more formal relationship to personal friendship which has over the years helped shape my own professional standing and outlook. I have seen firsthand the immense potential and diversity of CBA which has grown stronger and bigger every day.

To say that I could have considered myself fortunate enough to be standing here before you today as President. Not true.

To say that I have aspired and worked for this moment. True.

I take on this new responsibility most willingly.

I take it on with a vision and hope of taking CBA to greater heights, inshahAllah.

I hope to take it further to other countries and also hope to building more lasting relationships and linkages across the world.

In the words of Martin Luther King I too have a dream. A dream for a safe and peaceful world-for my children-for your children-for our children and our grand children. This dream can and will come true if we all work together and make it happen.

In the words of another great American John F Kennedy I ask you to think what you can do for CBA alongside what CBA can do for you.

This will all become a reality if we join hands across seas, across mountains, across deserts and reach for the sky where every child of the world would be educated especially the girl child and every human being will be born free and be able to exercise that freedom and his/her human rights.

I hope to build bridges across nations, beyond religious divides bonding all Commonwealth nations as one fraternity.

Lastly there are a few thank you that must be laid out up front.

First and foremost to my friend, guide and mentor Elizabeth Smith. I will continue to look to her for advice and support.

My predecessor Abu Bakar who will be tough act to follow be it on the dance floor or as President. He has been a huge support to me these past 4 years in helping me shape my mind and vision.

Ken Clarke and Mano whose friendship I value beyond words. I thank you.

Friends in the CBA secretariat and all CBA members who have always been kind and encouraging for as long as I have known them. I thank you.

I would not be here if the management of HUM TV had not been fully behind me, at times bullying me to take on this huge assignment. President HUM TV Ms.Sultana Siddiqui who is a personal friend has been my closest supporter. I thank her.

Mr.Duraid Quereshi, CEO HUM TV who has accompanied me here to share this honour.I thank him most gratefully.

And lastly my friends and family who have lived with me these past few months as I have discussed this moment at great lengths with them so many times and who are waiting to hear from me ASAP, I thank them all.

To all my friends, family and colleagues here is South Africa I say you are so right.

I do feel it.

It is here!!