As the UN General Assembly unanimously passed a resolution to observe the World Interfaith Harmony Week annually during the first week of February. During the 1st week of February 2014 the world celebrated 4th world interfaith harmony week throughout the world. Pakistan Council for Social Welfare & Human Rights (PCSW&HR) also actively participated to celebrate the world interfaith harmony week. To celebrate this week PCSW&HR organized various awareness activities as per detail given below.
PCSW&HR Administration and Field Staff Meeting
On 1st February 2014 the meeting of PCSW&HR administration and field staff was held at the head office Sialkot. The purpose of that meeting was to draw the plan of activities and elaborate the activities in detail will be launched to observe the WIHW 2014. During the meeting various activities were planned to celebrate the WIHW. During the meeting its was also decided that all executives, admin, field staff members and volunteers will play their role to organize the all of activities planned to celebrate the WIHW and responsibilities were given to each executive, admin, staff member and volunteer etc.
Media Briefing & Orientation on WIHW by PCSW&HR
On 2nd February 2014 as per the plan PCSW&HR Chairman Mr. Muhammad Ijaz Noori held meeting with the President of Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists Mr. Afzal Butt and briefed him about the celebration of WIHW in the perspective of UN resolution and requested him that in the present scenario when world especially Pakistan is facing severe extremism and terrorism the interfaith & intercultural harmony, understanding, dialogues etc has become need of hour and has very crucial importance. He was requested to play his important role as a president of Pakistan Union of Journalist to motivate the media both print & electronics to highlight the importance of interfaith & intercultural harmony, understanding and dialogues to create a culture of peace, social justice and sustainable development.
A media briefing was also organized by the PCSW&HR in which large number of media representatives from print and electronic media participated. Mr. Muhammad Ijaz Noori Chairman PCSW&HR briefed the media representatives about the importance of WIHW and the activities will be organized by the PCSW&HR to celebrate this week 2014. It was requested to media representatives to highlight the importance of interfaith & intercultural through articles, advertisements, talk shows etc.
Meeting with District Government Administration
On 2nd February 2014 PCSW&HR team met with the representatives of District Government Sialkot and informed them about the celebration of WIHW by PCSW&HR at Sialkot level and requested them to facilitate the PCSW&HR to celebrate the WIHW this year 2014 with the
Meeting with Education Department
district level paraphernalia. District Government was also requested to aware the all department working under the jurisdiction of district government Sialkot regarding the concept and importance of interfaith & intercultural harmony and resolution of UN regarding the celebration of WIHW in the first week of February of each year in written through circular.
PCSW&HR representatives also held meeting with the Executive District Officer education and its team members and informed them about the celebration of WIHW by the PCSW&HR from 3-9 February 2014 through out Sialkot District with the collaboration of District Government Sialkot. Education department was requested to issue circular to the head of all Government schools to aware the students, teachers, parents regarding the importance of interfaith & intercultural harmony till 9th February in the assembly sessions, parents teachers meetings, school councils meetings and also organize awareness walks at school, village, Mohallah levels to aware the general public, parents regarding the importance of interfaith harmony week.
Meeting with Private Schools Association
Meeting with private schools associations was also held by the representatives of PCSW&HR, association was aware about the celebration of WIHW by PCSW&HR throughout the Sialkot and requested that association facilitate and support the PCSW&HR to celebrate this very important week and issue necessary instructions to all private schools to organize special activities at the all schools during the assembly sessions, parent teachers meetings and also organize the speech competition on the importance of interfaith & intercultural harmony at school level and inter school level.
To celebrate the WIHW in more than 1800 government and private schools (male & female) situated at Sialkot district from 4 -9 February 2014 during the assembly session at each school special activities were arranged to aware the students, teachers regarding the concept and importance of interfaith & intercultural harmony and more than 300,000 students and teachers were aware about the importance of interfaith harmony
Orientation Sessions for CSOs and Female Teachers
In connection with to celebrate the World Interfaith Harmony Week PCSW&HR also organized orientation session for the civil society organizations on 3rd February 2014. The purpose of this orientation session of CSOs was to build the capacity of CSOs on the issue of interfaith & intercultural harmony, understanding and dialogues and also motivate the CSOs to play their role to aware the general public of Sialkot district regarding the importance of interfaith & intercultural harmony.
On 3rd February 2014 PCSW&HR also held orientation session of female teachers working at the vocational training centres of PCSW&HR and build their capacity about the concept of interfaith & intercultural harmony.
Public Forum “On Interfaith Harmony is Key for Sustainable Development”
On 12th February 2014 PCSW&HR also organized a public forum on Interfaith Harmony Week is key for Sustainable Development” Mr. Mansoor Ahmed Executive Director PCSW&HR welcomed the all participants of seminar and highlighted the perspective of celebration of world interfaith harmony week throughout the world in detail.
He said that in his point of view in the present scenario terrorism is burning issue of the world and we can only tackle terrorism with the promoting of inter-faith harmony, mutual understanding, and religious tolerance and inter religious dialogue. He further said that goal of celebration of interfaith harmony week is to recognize the crucial need for dialogue among different faiths and religions in enhancing mutual understanding harmony and cooperation among people. We should learn to live together in mutual trust and peace.
While addressing during the seminar Mr. Noori said that he has been emphasizing at all of forums that we should promote the educational programmes on interfaith harmony & peace in schools, colleges, universities and among the general public as well as among the religious leaders. He said that programmes to enhance conflict resolution skills should be introduced in order to effectively resolve regional and national conflicts. He added that it is good opportunity for us when we are observing the world interfaith harmony week with international community to aware the general public regarding the importance of inter religious & intercultural harmony and dialogues. Islam and all other religions give the message of peace, mutual respect, understanding, protection of fundamental human rights and as part of a globalization of culture,
these truths of all religions should be highlighted and put into a wider and more existing social context. He further added that Islam and Christianity share several teachings which are enough for a harmonious co-existence and Peace can only prevail where people from different communities and cultures live together without harming each other. He also said that the recent wave of terrorism in Pakistan is part of well-planned conspiracy to destabilize Pakistan and in the present scenario promotion of interfaith harmony is the only tool that could end sectarian and ethnic strife in the country. Mr. Noori also said that all religions teach peace, brotherhood, protection of others’ rights and promote tolerance. There should be dialogue, understanding, cooperation, harmony to remove misunderstanding among different faiths.
He also briefed the participants about the PCSW&HR’s initiatives as cooperation circle of United Religion Initiative for the promotion of interfaith & intercultural harmony, conflict resolution mutual respect, peace and justice etc at grass root level.
While addressing during the public forum speakers appreciated the efforts of PCSW&HR to celebrate the world interfaith harmony week since 2011 and organizing a wonderful public forum to aware the people regarding the importance of interfaith & intercultural harmony. They said that it is also moral obligation of religious & political leaders and government officials to play their role to end prejudice and stop religious violence in their individual and collective capacity. Religious and intercultural harmony and dialogues is need of hour, no doubt dialogue can bring us mutual improvement and help us overcome prejudices passed on to us by previous generations.
They also lauded the efforts and commitments of Pakistan Council for Social Welfare & Human Rights to produce a culture of harmony among peoples of various religious faiths, civilizations and cultural backgrounds as well as promotion of intercultural and inter-civilizational understanding and mutual respect for diversity in Pakistan.
Speakers of Public Forum also said that Christian are living in a huge numbers and through the platform of Pakistan Council for Social Welfare & Human Rights we all are jointly trying for the promotion of interfaith & intercultural harmony and protection of minorities rights since long time and due to sincere efforts of PCSW&HR there is no concept of majority or minorities in Sialkot area, religious & cultural relations between Muslims & Christian are growing deeper and deeper which is unique example of interfaith & intercultural harmony. We will also try our best to create such kind of religious & intercultural harmony in the other parts of Pakistan where Christian and others minorities are living. All speakers also urged for inter-religious harmony & dialogues. All participants of public forum also pledged that they will play their role in their individual as well as collective capacity to create inter- religious and intercultural harmony and peace and will support the PCSWHR’s efforts for peace.
Distribution & Display of IEC Material, Banners, regarding the importance of interfaith harmony and celebration of WIHW 2014
Pakistan Council for Social Welfare & Human Rights also distributed the Information, Education and Communication (IEC) material regarding importance of interfaith & intercultural harmony and our moral obligation of Civil Society Organizations, teachers, local community, politicians, religious leaders etc to create a culture of peace, tolerance, sustainable development through interfaith harmony, understanding and dialogues among the general public, all line departments of District Government Sialkot, private schools, CSOs etc. Banners having the messages regarding the importance of interfaith harmony were also hanged by the PCSW&HR at the prominent places of Sialkot district to aware the general public regarding the WIHW.
Outcomes of activities arranged by Pakistan Council for Social Welfare & Human Rights to celebrate the World Interfaith Harmony Week 2014
- To celebrate the WIHW in more than 1800 government and private schools (male & female) situated at Sialkot district from 4 -9 February 2014 during the assembly session at each school special activities were arranged to aware the students, teachers regarding the concept and importance of interfaith & intercultural harmony and more than 300,000 students and teachers were aware about the importance of interfaith harmony.
- On 7th February 2014 approximately at 500 high level schools and colleges parent’s teachers meeting were convened and parents were aware about the importance of interfaith & intercultural harmony. Message of interfaith & intercultural harmony was disseminated among more than 100,000 parents (both male & female)
- Capacity of 25 CBOs working at grass root level was built about the promotion of interfaith & intercultural harmony through the orientation session for CBOs and these CBOs during the WIHW further aware the general public in their area of work and influence.
- Involvement of the 120 CBOs (community based organizations) were directly and indirectly involved in the process of social mobilization on the issues of interfaith harmony, peace and sustainable development.
- Capacity building of 1800 school management committees on issue of interfaith harmony and their involvement to aware the general public regarding interfaith harmony, peace, justice and tolerance.
- Capacity of 60 female teachers was build on interfaith & intercultural harmony and these teachers were trained to further disseminate the information about the importance of interfaith & intercultural harmony among the women during the home to home visit
- During the WIHW 60 female teachers of PCSW&HR visited more than 30,000 homes and aware the more than 75,000 women about the importance of interfaith & intercultural harmony, understanding and dialogues etc and also informed the women regarding the celebration of WIHW at world level during the first week of February each year.
- About 1.5 million populations were aware through the electronic and print media, cable network systems, IEC material, peace message through the students to their parents and families, school managements committees and CBOs regarding the celebration of WIHW and importance of interfaith & intercultural harmony.
- To celebrate the WIHW throughout district Sialkot more than 500 schools organized awareness walks in which students, teachers and others people participated.
10. All line departments like health, education, police, agriculture, social welfare, child & women welfare etc issues circular to their employees and aware them about the WIHW and importance of religious harmony, social tolerance to secure the peace.
11. On 12th February 2014 through public forum on “Interfaith Harmony is key for sustainable development & Peace” about 250 people (male & female) from all walks of life belonging from all religions based here in Pakistan participated and their capacity was build on the interfaith harmony, understanding, dialogues. All participated took pledge that they will work for the promotion of interfaith & intercultural harmony, religious & social tolerance, peace, justice etc at their collective and individual level. IEC material about the WIHW was also distributed among the participants of public forum.
With the strong motivation of PCSW&HR print media also published special articles regarding the celebration of WIHW, importance of interfaith & intercultural harmony, peace, and tolerance especially in the present scenario here in Pakistan. The electronic media also disseminated the special messages regarding the WIHW.
