Stepping towards Peace Building and Interfaith Harmony Final Activity Report January 2014 May 2014 Implemented by: In partnership with Report Submitted by: Rubina Massey Executive Director - ICDI
1. Organizational Information: Full legal name Integrated community Development Initiatives (ICDI) Date of Registration December 30,2005 Legal status Official address of Registration Registered under: Societies Act XXl of 1860 (Non Profitable/ Non Governmental) Street No-1,House No-4 near Buraq Education School system, Tambuwan Stop, University Road, Peshawar Contact person Ms. Rubina Massey ( Executive Director ) Telephone number: 091-5842744 Cell No: 0300-8590944 E-mail address icdirub@gmail.com rubinamssy@yahoo.com 2. Project Detail: Project Title Issue Stepping towards Peace Building and Interfaith Harmony The two main types of threats which endanger the stability of any state are internal and external threats. Internal threats in a country are far more fatal and serious. Pakistan is also menaced by such internal threats in shape of religious intolerance and extremism. Religious teachings have shaped the lives of people since prehistoric times as also played an important role in the development of different societies and life styles. Peshawar is a land of great diversity; communities with different cultural, ethnic and religious backgrounds had been living here with peace and understanding. However, events in the past two decades have badly affected this climate of tolerance and coexistence among its inhabitants of Peshawar. Terrorism in this region, persecution of groups in the name of faith, lack of political will and good governance; and arbitrary enforcement of laws have contributed towards escalation of biases and ultimately violence against vulnerable segments of the society, particularly against religious minorities. Sectarian violence in Pakistan refers to attacks against people and places motivated by antagonism toward their sect. According to the human rights group Human Rights Watch, Pakistan minority groups have been facing unprecedented insecurity and persecution in the country. Target killing of people because of their affiliation with a specific religion or sect has rapidly increased in last 10 years. Project Justification: Absence of interfaith harmony have badly affected this climate of tolerance
3. Target Area/ Communities(s): Targeted Areas and coexistence among its inhabitants in Peshawar; ongoing terrorism in the region, persecution of groups in the name of faith, lack of political will and good governance; and arbitrary enforcement of laws have contributed towards escalation of biases and ultimately violence against vulnerable segments of the society, particularly against religious minorities. The sectarian violence has badly affected the different aspects of social, ethical and economic life in Peshawar. The worst hit area is religion where a widescale intolerance has defaced the social order. Due to its deep-rooted religious intolerance in sectarianism, people are projecting each others religion as religion of violence, terror and fanaticism. Muslim (Sunni & Shia), Christian, Hindu & Sikh communities; 2. Different Schools in Peshawar where children belonging to different religions study together: 1. Elizabeth Girl High School, Peshawar; 2. Qadeems Lumiere School, Peshawar; 3. Pak United School 4. Edwardes High School & Edwardes Higher Secondary School 4. Overall Objective: To increase knowledge of the youth & communities of different religions in Peshawar by bringing them closer through awareness sessions and dialogue Initial meetings: Initial meeting with religious leaders & Scholars, Educationists, civil society members and media personnel(s); in order to get their consent and to have mutual understanding to carry out the activity; Consultation meeting: One day consultation meeting was arranged in which all major stakeholders participated and discussed the issues and threat that are being faced by the young generation in the society; and agreed to develop a message on Peace and Interfaith Harmony that was be disseminated among students and community at large; 1. Awareness sessions: 4 awareness sessions were organized in 5 different schools of Peshawar district. (Edwards High School & Edwards Higher Secondary School and adjacent; therefore both schools had a joint session); Drawing Competition: After receiving a positive response from the student; with consultation of the partner (SPO) a drawing competition was organized in which all the schools were provided the charts and necessary stationery and students were asked to make drawings on Peace in Pakistan as they see it; On day Seminar: A one day seminar was conducted at Elizabeth Girls School in which students from targeted school, teachers, Educationists, religious leaders& Scholar, members from and civil society and community(s) at large participated. In this seminar speaker from different religions and civil society addressed the participants, especially children on the importance of peace building and interfaith harmony. Prizes and shield were distributed among schools that had participated in awareness sessions and drawing competition.
5. Activities carried out
6. Activities, Output and Indicators: Activates Output Indicator 1. Initial Meetings with Community Elders 1. Initial meetings held with religious scholars,/ leaders/ elders/ community activists and Educationists in District Peshawar. Attendance sheet 2. Orientation of the project 3. Consultation meeting. 2. The stakeholders were given orientation on Project aims and objective to motivate them for participation in project. 3. With the consent of entire stakeholders a one day consultation was held; representatives from all the religions, civil society, schools and media unanimously agreed on preparing a message that is to be disseminated among students and communities at large. Community motivated and agree to initiate the activity List(s) of groups with participants & report 4. Preparation of Message/ IEC material; 4. With close coordination and liaison with the stakeholders, message on Peace and Interfaith harmony got finalized and printed (3000 broachers) 5. 4 Awareness session held at 5 school(s), i.e. 1. Elizabeth Girls High School 2. Qadeems Lumiere School 3. Pak United School, Copy of broacher attached 5. Awareness Sessions at Schools; 6. Drawing competition 4. Edwards High School & Edwards Higher Secondary School (both schools had a joint session) 5. After receiving a positive response from the schools, on request of the school administration, the school(s) students from class 6 th up till 10 th were provided with Charts and other stationery to make drawing on Peace and Interfaith harmony One day seminar on Need and Ways of Peace Building and Interfaith Harmony held at Elizabeth School Peshawar; Scholars, leaders and Attendance list of participants, pictures Detail of material provided, Drawing and picture
7. One day Seminar representatives of different religions groups and civil society delivered speeches on the topic. Consolation price and shields were given away among the schools that participated in the drawing activity on Peace and Interfaith harmony. Attendance sheet, pictures media coverage & report
7. Result: 1. After consultation meeting, a peace committee comprised of all the stakeholder established to develop a message on Peace and Interfaith Harmony; 2. Unanimously agreed message on Peace and Interfaith Harmony prepared; 3. 369 student and teachers participated in the awareness sessions; 4. 200 student from 4 different schools took part in drawing competition; 5. Around 130 people attended One Day Seminar and received knowledge on peace and interfaith from different religious leaders & scholars; 6. Message of Peace building and Interfaith harmony reached directly and indirectly to 3000 people through dissemination of IEC material and awareness sessions and seminar. Risks 8. Risks and Mitigation: Mitigation Reluctance from Educational Institution(s) Delay in awareness seminars Change in activity Initially some of the Schools were reluctant to participate in this activity; through proper orientation, later on they agreed to participate Due to final examinations in most of the school in February and March, the seminars had be conducted a bit ahead of the secluded time. Due to security constrains peace walk and press conference had to be cancelled; same budget was allocated to drawing competition with the consent of the concerned SPO representative 9. Findings: 1. It was surprising to know that large number of people wants to talk on peace and interfaith harmony but doesn t know how to implement that practically; 2. During awareness session in schools, many students realized that they were being somehow missing interfaith harmony in their class/ school; thus having different issues among the classmates or schoolmates; 3. Students showed a positive response towards peace building and interfaith harmony through their drawings. 4. The current security situation sometimes affects the planned activities as the participant were hesitant to take part in peace walk at Peshawar club; 10. Further Recommendations: 1. This initiative shouldn t be stopped; as it has been requested at large to carry out the same activities in other schools as well
2. A suggestion to establish an interfaith youth forum has request by the participant, so that our new generation should get closer to each another by respecting each other s religion and identity; 3. More events should be organized in which participates from all the religions and sects should get a chance to express their issues and threat they are facing; 4. More IEC material should be disseminated having peace and interfaith message, endorsed by all the religious scholars/ leaders.
Glimpse of the Project Activities Glimpse from Consultation Meeting One day Consultation Meeting was held on January 29, 2014 to develop a coordination mechanism among all the major stakeholders, i.e. Community, NGOs, Media and Educational institutes Glimpse from Awareness Sessions at Schools Awareness Sessions at Schools on Peace Building and Interfaith Harmony Awareness session at Qadeems Lumiere School Peshawar
Students are involved in activity during Awareness session at Pak United School, Peshawar
Students of Elizabeth Girls High School, Peshawar during Awareness session Students of Eldwardes Higher Secondary School and Edwards High School EM, Peshawar during Awareness session Glimpse from schools during drawing making at school Student presenting a bouquet to welcome Mr. Arsad Haroon, Regional Director - SPO Prof. Sardar Sabir Huassain is delivering his speech
Sardar Chiranjeet Singh is addressing the participants Participants from different religions Students are presenting a Tableau on Peace Judges looking at the drawing of students Mr. Arshad Haroon and Ms. Rubina giving away shields and prizes to the participants Mr. Arshad Haroon addressing the participants Drawings made by the students of different schools