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Forum on ‘Peace education in Schools: a Panacea for tolerant and Pluralistic communities in Pakistan’

PAIMAN Trust conducted a Forum on  ‘Peace education in Schools: a Panacea for tolerant and Pluralistic communities in Pakistan’ at Marriott hotel Islamabad on 12th March, 2020. Forum was attended by chairman Council of Islamic Ideology, Vice Chancellor of Quaid e Azam University, Educationist, Parliamentarians, diplomats and member of civil society organizations.

PAIMAN Trust introduced Inclusive Peace Curriculum in selected private schools and Madaris in Peshawar in 2009 to promote the value of appreciation of and respect for diversity, commitment to social justice, equity and nonviolence and equality. PAIMAN has been successfully carrying out the activities both within the target institutions as well communities since then. The unique feature of this inclusive peace education curriculum is bringing students of two different and distinct streams of education systems to learn and act together for resolving conflicts and building social cohesion within their institutions and communities with the support of parents and teachers.

In Pakistan hate, intolerance and biases have divided our society and a culture of violence has become pervasive within institutions and communities. As the UN Security Council in Resolutions 2178  and 2250, notably highlighted the need for “quality education for peace that equips youth with the ability to engage constructively in civic structures and inclusive political processes”, PAIMAN introduced inclusive peace curriculum to develop the capacity of students and teachers in promoting social cohesion, overcoming biases and cooperating with each other inside and outside class ensuring their positive role as active citizen.

PAIMAN believes that Peace education is important for promoting the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values needed to bring about behavior changes that will enable children, youth and adults to prevent conflict and violence, both overt and structural;  to resolve conflict peacefully; and to create the condition conducive to peace, whether at an interpersonal, interpersonal, inter-group,  national or international level.

PAIMAN’s Peace education program has fostered and developed understanding amongst students  regarding human rights, inter-faith and inter-communal harmony, tolerance and value of peace through experiential learning and creative work. The capacity of teachers is built so they can play several roles in solving various social problems, bring in transformational change in their students and be effective  in positively shaping the mindset of the future generation. We have a moral responsibility to bequeath to future generation a culture of peace and tolerance and this can be effectively done through introducing peace education in all education institution in Pakistan at all level.