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SINDH EXPLORATION & ADVENTURE SOCIETY
SEAS – PAKISTAN
The Sindh Exploration & Adventure Society (SEAS, Pakistan) is registered with Government of Sindh (Directorate of Social Welfare), under No.847, DW-(S)-847 of 1991, with special interest in the safeguarding the heritage of the country. The organization operates on no profit bases, its funds are generated mostly by the donations from its members; the sources of the Society are dedicated to the society and its objectives. The affairs are managed by the Executive Committee of the Society.
The Society organizes trips and activities with in country, designed to expand frontiers of knowledge in the field on material culture.
کا تعارف SEAS سندہ ایکسپلوریشن اینڈ ایڈونچر سوسائٹی اس حقیقت کو جانتی ہے کہ پاکستانی عوام اپنے ھزاروں برس کے ثقافتی ورثہ کے امین ہیں ، یہی وجہ ہے کہ وہ اس ورثہ کی حفاظت کیلئے کو شاں ھے ۔ یہ سوسائٹی سیز پاکستان کے نام سے جانی جاتی ہے ۔ سیز پاکستان نے اپنا تعارف دریاۓ سندھ کے دلچسپ ایڈونچر (Expedition Indus 1989) سے کروایا ، اور تین عشروں سے وہ تاریخ، ثقافت، قدیم آثاروں کی حفاظت اور اپنی روایتوں کی ترویج وتدوین کے لۓسرگرمِ عمل ہے۔ سیز پاکستان باہمی دلچسپی کی بنیاد پر کئی اداروں کی منصوبہ بندی میں شامل رہی اور اس کی مدد سے کچھ اداروں کی داغ بیل ڈالی گئی ، جن میں سکھر ہسٹاریکل سوسائٹی، اور حکومتِ سندھ کا قدیم ورثہ کا محکمہ بھی شامل ہے۔ ثقافتی ورثہ سے متعلق علوم اور فنون میں نوجوانوں کی تربیت بھی سیز کے منشور کا حصہ رہا، کیونکہ ان تربیتی پروگراموں کے بہت ہی حوصلہ افزا نتائج حاصل ہوئے، اس کے ساتھ ساتھ نئ نسل میں خود اعتمادی کو فروغ ملآ ۔ سیز پاکستان کا مرکزی کیمپس کورنگی کراسنگ کے پاس دارالسلام سوسائٹی میں واقع ہے۔ جہاں پر بیش بہا کتب پر مشتمل لائبریری، کنزرویشن لیبارٹری اور بہت سی سہولیات موجود ھیں۔ اس سوسائٹی کا ہر میمبرحتی المقدور اپنے ورثہ اور اپنی قومی قدروں کی حفاظت کے لئے کام کرنا اپنا فرض سمجھتا ہے۔ سیز پاکستان کی رکنیت حاصل کرنا نہایت ہی آسان ہے، جس کے لئے آن لائن فارم بھرنے سے رابطہ کی ابتداء ہو سکتی ہے۔ سیز پاکستان کام اور باھم مشاورت پر یقین رکھتی ہے اور پاکستان اس کا پلیٹ فارم ہے۔ اس سوسائٹی کے ارکان ہر شعبہ زندگی سے تعلق رکھتے ہیں، اور ان میں سے کئی ایک جانے پہچانے نام ہیں، جن کی خدمات کا دائرہ نہایت ہی وسیع ہے۔ تمام تر ارکان اپنے جذبہ اور کام کی لگن کی
وجہ سے لائق صد احترام ہیں۔02
SISTER ORGANIZATION
CENTRE FOR ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
SEAS – PAKISTAN
The Center for Archaeological and Environmental Research is multidisciplinary research institution, focusing on analytical studies of art and archaeological material, improving existing, and developing new conservation methods, for different mediums and objects. It is emphasizing the need of documentation of material culture and developing international liaison in related activities.
Through its collaborative activities the Center aims at developing wider base for assistance, to the similar public sector or privately owned institutions and organizations in related fields.
The national legislations have required and put almost unmanageable burden of protecting and preserving physical heritage, on the public sector management, which has been further hit by financial cuts, as well as lack of human resource development means/program.
The Center for Archaeological and Environmental Research is meant to help in fulfilling some of the pressing needs in management of our rich but often neglected cultural heritage, through its programs in research, conservations, trainings, seminars, exhibitions and publications.
The Center is supported mainly by SEAS, a volunteer citizen organization, which is working since 1989, aiming at and with a moto of ‘preserve heritage’, a much applauded slogan, but very complicated when it comes to practice. As is known to every one, conservation is technical activity involving huge expenditures.
The Center has a Regents Committee, that offers advices for its plans and projects, and it is run by the Board of Directors, two of which are Permanent, responsible for its management and activities.
It is housed in a permanent Campus of its own, not far from the centre of city, offering many occasions of interaction and activity.
The Center is committed to preservation of physical heritage, and long term care of collections. It is nucleus, which takes care to promote co-operation among the practitioners in the diverse fields, such as building material, environmental studies, deterioration, conservation techniques, salvage practices, forensic methods in architecture and archaeology etc.
Resultantly the better methods, addressing the need of various issues, rising in conservation work come up for application.
The Center seeks technical advise, and assistance in its conservation plans and execution from similar organizations, at home and abroad.
The conservation research is supported by the Laboratory of the Center, which is developing its technical sections for diverse research work.
The Center did conservation of a 17th century stone carved graveyard, Conservation & Rehabilitation of Shri Varundev Mandir quite recently, and also has done preservation of nineteenth century rare political letters, correspondence between rulers of native states and the British Governor of Sindh.
TRAINING
In furtherance of its objectives the Center organizes extensive program of trainings independently and in collaboration with other institutions, in the field of archaeological exploration & excavations, conservation of architectural heritage, paper treatment, reprographical means, displays and curatorial responsibilities, archives management etc. etc.
It also offers chances of on project practical training to promising individuals and also to the people working in the related fields, thus affording greater interaction, promising application of international conventions and helping in avoiding general pitfalls of conservation.
Workshops too are organized for the benefit of general public, school students, as well as those desiring more detailed exposure to the issues relative to physical culture and its preservation and promotion of heritage as well as eco tourism.
Starting with single day activity to two week intensified involvement, these courses primarily aim at enabling individual to understand issues of cultural heritage. The objectives are to inculcate analytical approach to management and technical issues in maintaining and conservation on site.
PUBLICATION
The Center supports an extensive activity, through its sister organizations, these working at District level involve its members as well as invite intelligentia to participate in contributing to the research on assigned areas. The co9llected papers are published normally through these organizations.
Old manuscripts, best complimented with the translations. Form part of the publications, alongwith the monographs in result of given assignments.
The Archaeological Review is a regular publication, reporting generally the activities of the members of SEAS, work of the Center and Archaeological projects related to the region.
EXHIBITION
The Center organizes small scale focused exhibitions, at its campus, as well as outside it, to address the targeted audience. The exhibitions are meant to broaden the public awareness of heritage and help educate in understanding the issues to its preservation. Organizing these events the Center draws material for its collections, but also borrows the exhibits from public sector collections as well as from individuals.
SEMINARS
The Seminars are considered an instrument to bring about occasions of formal interaction, among the more learned individuals, working in the same field.
This interaction generates a dialogue that helps in identifications of possible avenues of projected target. Resultant debate & identification of certain areas of consensus, though not desired to be incorporated in charter, help nevertheless in clarifying long standing mis-givings in the academic or specialized circles. Resolutions thus passed can work as guidelines, for related sectors.
Thus the Center in accordance with its wide program help in bringing about Seminars and publish proceedings. These are often collaborated events, where like-minded organizations are coming forward, in order to have wider base.