The Pamir Institute is an activist research and publications group which aims at empowering the autochnous populations of “Bam e Dunya”, the “Roof of the World”. Its area of concern embraces the Pamirs from Afghanistan, China, Pakistan and Tajikistan.
Pamir has been, for a long time, a remote and a neglected High Asia region. However, its inhabitants are now facing fast and traumatic upheavals due to terrorist threat, Taliban submersion, Chinese expansionism and Pakistan external interferences.
This enforces the need for a transnational vision.
News
Taliban-samtaler i Oslo
Vestlige land må samarbeide med Taliban til tross for deres hatefulle og voldelige ideologi. Akkurat nå er Taliban nøkkelen, dersom vi skal lykkes med å nå frem til isolerte områder og folk som har et desperat behov for hjelp. Det er dette Thomas Lund fra Norge mener er plikt.
Keep readingTaliban Talks in Oslo
Western countries need to coordinate with Taliban, regardless what their ideology of hatred and violence inspire them. For the time being, Taliban are the key if we want our support being brought to the Afghan isolated populations in desperate need of help. This is what Thomas Lund, from Norway, presents us as a human duty,…
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Afghan Wakhan corridor: no Taliban violences but fragile survival and worries for the future
On December 13, 2021, we had a conversation with an Afghan citizen living in the middle of the Wakhan corridor. He says the situation under Taliban order is calm and safe. But he also describes the difficulties encountered due to degraded livelihood conditions. He shares his anxiety about the fact the current context does not…
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Tackling Trash Atop Mountains: Sustainable Mountain Tourism
The Everest is not spared from the plastic menace and littering. Many humans may not have conquered the world’s highest peak but their trash sure has dominated the previously pristine and sacred peak. That’s the case of most peaks that are being scaled.
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Rowrung primary school in Afghan Wakhan needs help
Asad Wakhi, an Afghan young man, introduced to Pamir Institute a project about a primary school, 1 to 3 level. It needs support in one of the coldest places of Afghanistan. He transmitted us pictures that he took during last week of October 2021. Asad answered some questions from us. In this article, we will try…
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Hard time for Pamiri guide/translators and fixers in the Wakhan Corridor of Afghanistan.
In Europe, it is heard about foreign army translators, sport people, especially sport women, musicians, dancers, etc. being under threats or being killed by Taliban. But there is also a category whose existence is compromised. It is the one of the guides who took care of foreign visitors.
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Research Papers
Portraits, Wakhi in relation with other people of their areas
The origin of the less than 100,000 Wakhi people is Wakhan corridor from where they emigrated but also where they, sometimes, partly came back. Their movements are explained by religion changes (Zoroastrian, Buddhism, Islam), trade, pastoralism, wars (Chinese, Tibetan, Arabs…), oppressions from local rulers (Wakhan Mirs), or more distant ones (Badakhshan Emirs, Bukhara Emirs, Yarkand…
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How past and present religions built a tradition palimpsest in a high valley of northern Pakistan
Chapursan Valley, Pakistan, between Hindu Kush, Pamir and Karakoram ranges is mostly inhabited by Wakhi people, a small minority living in China and in Afghan or Tajik Wakhan. Not surpringly this population share a same faith and same religious traditions regardless the recent (on an historical point of view) borders.
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Pamir mountain houses of Zoodkhun in Chapursan Valley, northern Pakistan
Even though it experiences a, sometimes temporary, exodus to the big cities of southern Pakistan, Zoodkhun Village (also spelled Zuwudkhoon) is still well alive. Nowadays, numerous houses are being built or being enlarged. It is possible to observe a Pamiri layout dating back from Atash-Parast (Fire worshippers, Zoroastrians).
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Other Publications
Should foreign travelers hide part of their Pakistan experience, in the interest of local populations?
In no country you can be asked so frequently a question like “What do you think about Pakistan?”. It is not an open question. The expectation is to hear the positive message you will deliver. But real life and real countries are more complicated. Particularly, when you have to talk about a state led by…
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Futher discussion about how travel media present Pakistan
On August 21, 2020, Zark Masood commented on my article: “Can we believe in what travelers say about Pakistan? Are they accurate, fair and independent?”. His local feed-back brings relevant points requiring additional explanations. This is the purpose of the following discussion.
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Can we believe in what travelers say about Pakistan? Are they accurate, fair and independent?
Pakistan is a new eldorado for Vloggers and Instagrammers, especially young attractive ladies, who enjoy a support they could not find in other countries. Authorities and national companies find, here, an efficient PR tool in their attemp for creating a country new image. On their side, these travelers can enjoy a mass of followers they…
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“Chid” the Pamiri Traditional house Aryan Cultural Heritage
Chid (Pamiri house) embodies the philosophical оutlook of the Pamir Aryans. We are proud that our home is the kind of book copied from the divine Nature book, which was handed down from our ancestors. Today, this “Book” impresses us with deep philosophical content. It took more than two and a half thousand years since…
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Pamir Institute audience evaluation, January, 2022.
As of January 12, 2022, Pamir Institute audience on Facebook is mostly composed of male citizens from Northern Pakistan while the biggest audience for the Website is in France . On Pinterest, Pamir Institute reaches, first, female users from the Indian subcontinent (Pakistan and India). Pamir Institute Twitter account owns and outstanding engagement ratio, but…
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Wakhi people and Pamir life ex-libris
In this Ex-Libris are some selected readings about history, traditions, religion, way of life and geographical locations of Wakhi people in High Asia. It was prepared for the travelers who intend to visit the Gojal Valley (Upper Hunza, Pakistan) or Wakhan Corridor (Tajikistan & Afghanistan). It could, also, be a post-travel tool to organise ground…
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Suscribe Pamir Institute
About Us
A transnational group of independant activists & researchers not affiliated to any party or government.
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Pamir Institute 