Daily Times

Each year the International Day of Peace is observed around the world on September 21 for strengthening the ideals of peace among all nations and people. The theme of the International Day of Peace for 2016 is “The Sustainable Development Goals: Building Blocks for Peace.”

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were unanimously adopted by the 193 member states of the United Nations (UN) at a summit of the world’s leaders in September 2015. The new aspiring 2030 agenda calls on countries to undertake concrete steps to achieve these goals over the next 15 years through collaborative efforts. These goals aim to end poverty, injustice, inequalities and ensure prosperity for all. Experts consider the SDGs as an important means to achieving peace. According to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the 17 SDGs are a shared vision of humanity and a social contract between the world’s leaders and the people. Sustainability addresses the fundamental needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Modern challenges of poverty, hunger, diminishing natural resources, illiteracy, poor health conditions, water scarcity, social inequality, environmental degradation, diseases, corruption, racism and prejudice pose challenges for peace and create fertile grounds for conflict. Sustainable development contributes conclusively to eradication of these causes of conflict, and provides the basis for a long-lasting peace. Peace, meanwhile, reinforces the conditions for sustainable development and unshackles the resources needed for societies to advance and prosper.

Education is the key to uniting nations and bringing human beings together. It is important to recognise the crucial role of education in contributing to building a culture of peace and harmony and of tertiary education in building a knowledge economy. Being a hub of ideas, innovation and knowledge-creation, universities have a vital role to inculcate the values of responsible citizenship, peace, tolerance, harmony and co-existence among the youth. In this regard, inter-university experience-sharing within and outside Pakistan, promotion of extracurricular and sport activities, formation of student societies and effective university community linkage can also be greatly helpful.

In Pakistan, inclusion of topics in curriculum related to SDGs, peace, tolerance, fundamental rights and constitutionalism can strengthen the knowledge-base of students to actively play an important role for the betterment of society. Universities also need to encourage debate on these important topics through seminars and conferences besides holding short courses, workshops and speech competitions at university campuses. Provincial governments should also provide financial support in shape of research and travel grants to university faculty to promote a research culture of these important topics. Preference should be given to research projects related to resolution of local conflicts in various parts of the country.

Pakistan is facing multiple political, ethnic, religious, sectarian and environmental conflicts, which also require attention in research and teaching at Pakistani universities. Peace and conflict resolution are vital preconditions for sustainable economic growth, democracy and development. A very few Pakistani universities offer courses on understanding violence, extremism, terrorism and conflict resolution.

There is also an urgent need to build institutional frameworks and partnerships to support universities and research institutes towards contributing for development of individuals, groups and communities. These linkages ought to be predicated on an exchange of knowledge and experience with regard to conflict and conflict resolution.

The campus-based events should be organised to celebrate the International Peace Day during the month of September each year to raise awareness among university youth about importance of peace and their role in this regard. Universities should also effectively utilise the campus FM radio stations to broadcast special programmes and discussions to disseminate the message about peace building. Due to wider outreach, transmission by campus radio stations can also be an effective mode to target the nearby communities. Inclusion of experience asvolunteer in degree programmes as a compulsory ingredient can also be helpful in this regard. Moreover, universities may announce awards for students contributing extraordinarily in the field of peace and harmony. In addition, universities can train their youth to counter radicalism and extremism in society, particularly by discouraging elements promoting violence.

To accomplish this task, a roadmap on Strengthening Social Sciences has been prepared by the Inter University Consortium for Promotion for Social Sciences (IUCPSS), an autonomous alliance of 30 Pakistani universities. It also calls for promotion of social sciences, arts and humanities and inclusion of topics related to rights and duties of citizens and constitutional provisions on human rights and peaceful techniques of resolution of conflicts in curriculum. The implementation of this comprehensive roadmap and learning from best international practices in higher education sector can also be useful for enhancing the role of Pakistani universities in peace building.

A close interaction among academia, research organisations and policymakers is the need of the hour in order to resolve various socioeconomic problems in Pakistan. Policy makers and practitioners should also take the youth and academia of universities on board while making important strategies for peace on national and international level. As Pakistan is facing various conflicts, it has to rapidly forge new mechanisms and formulate new ways. A university, as a central hub of academic and intellectual activities, is the best place to start for promotion of peace, tolerance and harmony in society.

The writer is a freelance columnist associated with development and education sector. He can be reached at iucpss_pk@yahoo.com