The Friends of Democratic Pakistan (FoDP) meeting, which was convened in Tokyo on April 17, has been deemed satisfactory by the Pakistan Foreign Minister; Mr Shah Mehmood Qureshi expressing that it would prove to be a milestone for stability and economic progress of Pakistan. In a telephonic interview to a private television channel, the minister stated that President Asif Ali Zardari has presented Pakistan's case such convincingly that participants were impressed to the core of their heart. He said a pledge worth $5.28 billion was made by the FoDP which would translate into reality during the next two years. The question is, with our begging bowl getting bigger, is it a matter of satisfaction or one of distress? Friends of Democratic Pakistan, if indeed they are our friends, should be helping us stand on our own feet rather than throwing crumbs at us with strings attached. At the inaugural session of the FoDP in New York, last September, the theme was "Teaching Pakistan how to fish" The age-old clich goes: "Give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day; teach a man to fish and he'll eat for a lifetime." It appeared very noble at that juncture that the world is seriously taking into consideration, getting Pakistan to help itself. During the next two sessions, the FoDP Forum defined parameters and set priorities for facilitating Pakistan in overcoming its financial problems. The meeting made it clear that a framework for promising any kind of cash aid would come only after a thorough assessment of Pakistan's reform programme. At Tokyo Pakistan sought cooperation in the field of alternate and renewable energy sources, petroleum and oil exploring industry, heavy mechanical industry, electronics, E-governance and E-commerce, oceanography, biotechnology and information technology and telecommunication. The FoDP session at Tokyo evolved five clusters where the economic assistance from the friendly countries would be utilised by Pakistan. The clusters include energy, economic development, poverty alleviation, finance and trade, education health and agriculture. It sounds very noble on paper, but coming back to the earlier clich of "teaching how to fish..." Pakistan would have been better served if it was provided trade opportunities. Let us take the case of Free Trade Agreement (FTA); Pakistan has been asking for an FTA with USA for over a decade. Jordan and Egypt enjoy FTA or their equivalents with America. Pakistan's FTA has reportedly been blocked by the Textile growing states of the USA. Despite being "the most allied non-NATO ally", this kind of discrimination is disparaging. Waiving tariffs on Pakistani products would be of greater help, both economically as well as politically. Employment opportunities would be enhanced for the unemployed youth, who are being attracted by the harbingers of doom and gloom and being morphed into terrorists and potential suicide bombers. If the "Friends" of Pakistan are really well-wishers, they would endeavour to stress upon skill development for the average Pakistanis. The political government at the helm of affairs is a people's government and its political allies too are secular parties with links at the grassroot level. They can easily identify which groups of households require industrial skills, which require agricultural skills and which in the field of education. The key to economic revival as well as eradication of poverty and deprivation is education. Setting up more schools, colleges and universities is not the real answer. The solution lies in producing a much better class of educationists, imbibed with the zeal of teaching, equipped with the latest techniques of enlightening their wards and pupils, not just the syllabus but producing better citizens. Churning out a new group of students, who are willing, eager and keen to shoulder the responsibilities of becoming conscientious Pakistanis; not the frustrated, disgruntled motley crowd we presently witness, becoming cannon fodder to extremist groups. "Teaching the trainer" should be the new paradigm. Laying greater emphasis on the educator's programme will pay rich dividends and be a real investment in the human resource programme of Pakistan. Capacity building is a buzz-word. In the case of training the trainer, it has a very specific implication. Many people believe that simply by virtue of their being skilled and knowledgeable in something, they're implicitly qualified to communicate, mentor, teach, or train that proficiency. It devalues the art of teaching to think that because one has been a student, one can teach well. That because they've experienced learning, they can craft a learning experience. There is a distinct difference in learning and teaching. Identifying the potential trainers and then endowing resources on making them better trainers may appear to be a tedious process, but one which is worth the endeavour. Trainers can be taught at the prestigious schools of learning abroad and then return home to teach other trainers. A candle burns itself and lights others. Thus "teaching to fish" should be taken beyond the clich and should become a philosophy, an attitude, a value if we want to save our future generations from want and craving to eke out an existence. The writer is a political and defence analyst