Speakers at a seminar here emphasised that youth is the most vibrant and vital component of every culture and their training and education is pivotal part of any nation-building exercise.
Considering the prevalent situation in the country in the wake of growing radicalisation and extremism, the Paigham-e-Pakistan Centre for Peace, Reconciliation and Reconstruction Studies, Islamic Research Institute and International Islamic University Islamabad organized a seminar titled ‘Advancing Inclusiveness among Youth through Training and Education’ at the Government College University, Faisalabad. Representatives of religious groups, educationists, legislators, media, relevant government officials and policy makers participated in the seminar. Punjab Education Minister Yasir Humayoun was the chief guest while Auqaf and Religious Affairs Minister Saeed ul Hassan, Quaid-e-Aazam Academy Director General Ahmad Khawar Shehzad, IRI DG Prof Zia ul Haq, and MNA Rai Murtaza Iqbal were the guests of honour. The seminar was presided over by GCUF Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Shahid Kamal while deans of different faculties welcomed the guests and the participants.
Speaking on the occasion, DG IRI Prof Zia ul Haq highlighted the need to disseminate the message of Paigham-e-Pakistan among the dominant and influential sections of the society, especially educationists, students, religious scholars, media representatives and government officials. Education Minister Yasir Humayoun threw light on the importance of training of youth at the grass-roots level and the need to invest in the collaborated energies of all the institutions. He stressed the need to develop a combined and integrated approach to promote the message of Paigham-e-Pakistan.
Side by side the seminar, a poster exhibition entitled ‘The Triple Malaise of Extremist Outlook in Pakistani Cultural Production’ was organised under an HEC research project by Dr Asma Aftab, assistant professor and principal investigator of the project, and her team. This poster exhibition was part of the larger initiative of Paighm-e-Pakistan as it closely shared the vital research objectives and goals of the state-owned initiative for the promotion of peace and social harmony in the society.
Separately, a seminar was organised at the Government College for Women University Faisalabad on Tuesday. The event titled ‘Role of Dukhtaran-e-Pakistan in Nation-building’ was attended by Punjab Minister for Women Development Ashifa Riaz Fatyana, former MNA and Islamic Ideology Council Member Dr Sameea Raheel Qazi, former ambassador Naila Chohan and wife of former chief justice of Pakistan Bina Jawad, besides women activists, civil society and faculty members and university students.
In their speeches, the speakers termed the women main ‘influencers’ and ‘change-makers’ in a society as well as an integral part of a sustainable nation-building exercise. They said the women constitute half of the population of the country and therefore have a significant role to play in the societal development.
The Dukhtaran-e-Pakistan initiative aims at providing a platform for women from all backgrounds, ethnicities and religions to connect with each other. The initiative is a peace-building forum that works to build narratives of peace by including voices of all segments of society and focuses on promoting peace through education as a channel for economic empowerment of women.