LAHORE: People across the city on Thursday marked the International Day of Peace with the message to spread love and harmony regardless of sect and religion. Each year the International Day of Peace is observed around the world on September 21. The UN General Assembly has declared this as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, both within and among all nations and people. The day’s theme for 2017 is “Together for Peace: Respect, Safety and Dignity for All”. Bargad, an organisation for youth development, organised events to engage the community under the Punjab Youth Peace Core – an initiative of the Department of Youth Affairs, Sports, Archaeology and Tourism, which is being implemented by Bargad. Social actions included seminars conducted under this year’s theme in 11 different union councils. Seminars were also organised in two churches with the Christian community’s participation. Most of these seminars were attended by the respective UC chairman and youth councillor. Students and faculty members of the Lahore College for Women University organised a walk in the campus to observe the day. The walk started from faculty hostel and ended at Ganga Ram Building where senior teachers expressed their views about the day. While talking to the students, faculty members said that everybody wants peace in the world and it was a challenge for all communities, as incidents of killing and violence were being increased day by day. They also emphasised on the need for structural changes and improvements in the university campuses in order to promote values of peace, tolerance, harmony and diversity among university youth. They added that peace was just a product and the process was the dialogue. They stressed the need for strengthening and encouraging the culture of dialogue and critical thinking among the students. The University of Veterinary and Animals Sciences (UVAS) Lahore also observed the day. Various activities, including a walk; releasing pigeons; speeches; special prayers for the martyrs in Pakistan, Burma, Kashmir and Palestine; one-minute silence; candle-lit vigil and a seminar, were arranged to mark the day for strengthening peace in the country and society. Prof Dr Muhammad Ashraf led the walk while Prof Dr Kamran Ashraf, Prof Dr Asim Aslam, Dr Muhammad Sarwar Siddique and a large number of students and faculty members participated. Later, in a seminar, Dr Muhammad Sarwar Siddique highlighted the importance of peace. Meanwhile, the World Council of Religions organised a seminar regarding World Day of Peace in Lahore, in which different scholars, religious figures and intellectuals of Muslim, Hindu, Christian and Sikh faiths were present. The participants shared their viewpoints on various reasons for misconduct in Pakistan and their solutions through peace. Tahir Mahmood Ashrafi, Maulana Mohammad Elias Ghuman, Allama Abdul Khabir Azad, Maulana Abdul Wahab Ropri, Political Adviser to Chief Minister Rana Arshad, Mian Marghoob Ahmed and Hafeezullah Niazi addressed the participants of the seminar. All the speakers stressed the need for cooperating with each other for sustainable peace in Pakistan and for promoting patriotism in the country instead of thinking just about the Muslims, Christians, Sikhs and Hindus. Minister for Human Rights and Minority Affairs Khalil Tahir Sandhu said in his speech that respect of humanity was promoted by every religion. “We should work together to eliminate all religious extremism in Pakistan.” He said that the World Council of Religions performed well and gathered all parties at a platform to resolve all issues through peace. The minister said that the day was being celebrated in the world and “we all should send a common message to the entire world, especially to the United Nations, to pay attention to the people of Burma and find a durable solution to the problem”. He said that only condemnation would not work, adding that everyone had to play their role for peace. At the end of the seminar, all the participants agreed on a joint resolution regarding peace and security in Pakistan. Published in Daily Times, September 22nd 2017.