the peace within. Mercifully the peace process with its neighbours is on a firm
footing and the healing may have begun with concrete confidence building measures
and people to people exchanges. However, within the country the initiatives for such
healing are few but the problems that create misunderstandings, lack of trust, low
acceptance of heterogeneity, violence, terrorism, negative conflict, unbridled greed
for materialism/ wealth, corruption, violations of human dignity and human rights are
multiplying. The essence of all religions as charters of human rights is to promote
peace and tolerance is being undermined and the future of generations is at stake in
Pakistan, with erosion of possibilities for a potentially humanistic society that values
peace, democracy and citizenship.
Can we address this complex problem by engaging with schools as a vibrant
platform to work with young students and teachers? This is the starting point of our
current initiative called. Reclaiming Cultural and Social Diversity: Mobilizing
youth for national harmony and peace.
Pakistan is a country best described as one with multiple sub- cultures, languages,
identities and histories. With a population of 165 million people, Pakistan, accounts
for 50% of its population, below 18 years of age. These young people will inherit a
heritage which is over 10,000 years (Mehargarh 8000 BC ). To what extent are the
students aware of what it means to inherit 10,000 years of civilization? To what
extent are our young aware about the diverse people who settled and created
civilizations such as Mehargarh, Mohenjadaro, Harrapa, Taxilla. These survived and
are preserved precisely due to a high level of respect for knowledge, understanding
of, and promotion of human tolerance, progressive values and openness to
experimentation and new ways of production and exchange.
The Constitution of Pakistan (1973) in its Preamble and Principles of Policy lays
down the fundamentals for a society that is to be protected by the State, which are
high on non-discrimination, protection, tolerance and human development for a
diverse society. However, many of these principles are being violated due to various
reasons that need to be reclaimed. A movement of young people is required to
remind our leaders, politicians, teachers and family members about the value of
diversity in geography, habitats, faith, gender and local cultures as a way of
enriching nations rather than depleting them. The best place for engaging with the
young is at schools targeting grades VIII to X or even up to XII in higher secondary
schools.
Schools are meant to be a place for knowledge creation, analysis, reflection and a
quest for positive alternatives towards individual and collective sharing, healing, well
being and citizenship development. Schools are certainly not a place for tyranny of
competition in achievement scores, violence against children for
discipline/regimentation, a focus on differences, exclusion and discrimination. In
times of social crisis, schools have the potential to become islands of sustainable Reclaiming Cultural and Social Diversity: Mobilizing Youth for National Harmony and Peace: the Search for Resources Within
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human development through conversations and actions on valuing diversity, nondiscrimination, tolerance, peace and striving for new standards for citizenship. In
such acts of courage the teachers become saviors of a generation/s who in turn
would lead societies to holistic and humanistic survival and development in the 21
st
Century.
The quest in this project is precisely to begin a process of dialogues and
development of texts across provinces with students of Grades VIII-X to uncover
notions of what we/they mean by diversity, tolerance conflicts and citizenship, It will
enable them to appreciate provincial variations and histories in a multifaceted
manner seeking areas of common understanding, for national integration and depth.
The ability to live and develop through multiple identities without feeling guilty and or
disloyal in ‘our land of the pure’. This will also lead to work with teachers closely
so that new pedagogies may be explored that will create shifts in teachers classroom
interactions, giving them the courage to question and transform attitudes towards
positive inclusions in classrooms and schools irrespective of biradaris, religion,
gender, disabilities and class. This is the only way to peace as the fundamental
pillar to citizenship for democracy and social change.
Finally our strategic aim is to explore the possibility of generating powerful messages
and texts that can be considered for the upcoming curriculum textbooks according
to the new National Curriculum 2007 guidelines as well as supplementary readers.
The most exciting aspect of this work would be working and enabling students to
become authors of new textbooks on critical healing across provinces and schools,
through revisiting concepts of diversity, tolerance and citizenship.
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