WASHINGTON, Oct 27: Several US and Middle East-based Pakistani professionals have joined hands to launch an initiative for conceptualizing cost-effective, indigenous and community-friendly quake-resistant community centres in northern areas of Pakistan.

The Jeevey Initiative was launched on Wednesday at a press conference here by Irshad Salim, president of Mamosa Solutions, a New Jersey-based firm.

“The initiative will not be a fund raising drive. It is a mental drive. If funds are needed to hire expertise and resources to implement the finalized concept, it will be addressed later,” said Mr Salim.

“The idea is to bring the Pakistani expatriates and their Western colleagues who are interested in this initiative on one platform,” he said. The initiative would allow geographically separated and remote platforms to dock electronically, through the website or correspondences, to develop and create the concept and design and identify ways to fund the cost-effective, quake-proof or quake-resistant community centres, he said.

These shelters could be self-contained and self-sufficient units with all medical and emergency supplies, including tents, the organizers said.

Mamosa Solutions, which is also organizing the Pakistan-US Expo 2006 trade show, will initially contribute all its advertisement revenues and up to five per cent of booth sales from the show towards the initiative.

The firm will carry quake and initiative related messages on all its future promotional items, banners and advertisements for the show. It is also offering to carry advertisements of other quake related agencies at half the cost.

Substantial discount on booth spaces for those non-governmental organizations and legitimate fund collecting organizations which want to participate in the show will be provided.

Space would be set aside at for quake awareness activities, seminars and photo exhibitions, it was announced.

The initiative will operate independently. It will have several country-specific coordinators with chief coordinator based in the United States.

Pakistani professionals in the US, Canada and the Middle East have been invited to join the initiative. Initially, the contact email address was jeeveyinitiative@mamosa.com, it was announced.