Umang ← Back to Programs

Poetry

Meedan is working to develop Umang, an innovative platform for poetic knowledge in South Asia and the Middle East with Pakistan as its initial focus. Umang is a dual Urdu/Hindi term, which means new hope, joy, and enthusiasm. It will embody the first custom-built web platform for poetic expression, performance, and dialogue, initially focused on Urdu/Hindi poetry and its translation into English but eventually extending to other South Asian and Middle Eastern contexts. It seeks to create a thriving, online community around translated poetry, complemented with on-the-ground initiatives for poetic learning and engagement.

Historical and contemporary poetry in Pakistan provides a powerful resource for wisdom and pluralism, and Umang seeks to use new media to preserve and amplify this tradition for strengthening humanistic values and civil society. The project is multi-lingual and multi-modal, with source poems and translations in text, audio, and video. The Umang intervention also seeks to strengthen cultural exchange between the US and Pakistan by enhancing American exposure to the diversity and thought of contemporary Pakistan.