CHINIOT - Stakeholders resolved to promote peace through dialogue, creative artwork and advocacy. An orientation session of stakeholders of society including youth representatives of teachers, students, media, lawyers, poets, traders, labourers and peasants was held to launch the project “Wasaib Aman Programme” organised by a National NGO Tangh Wasaib Organization (TWO).
Briefing the participants, Project Coordinator Mohammad Daim Iqbal said that the TWO had launched the three years programme aimed at promoting inter-religion and interfaith peace by a number of activities in four districts Chiniot, Khushab, Sargodha and Mandi Bahauddin. The already established groups of the stakeholders will be trained on conflict management, tolerance, peace-building, harmony though a series of training workshops, inter-district tours, visit to mausoleum of Sofia to benefit from their teachings on peace.
He said that the trained youth leaders would then form District Resource Group and mobilize communities for peace building while advocacy and awareness campaign would be carried out through media and political leaders, lawmakers would be involved in the process for effective legislation on peace and harmony through by bring an end discriminatory and hatred based laws.
The orientation workshop was also addressed by peasant leader Mukhtar Ahmad, Labour Leader Nasir Ali, Teachers Union representative Jaffar Hussain, student leader Farman Ali who highlighted the importance of peace in the district with special emphasis on sectarian tensions and intolerance in rural society.
It was resolved at the end that only dialogues, peaceful resolution of various types of conflicts; advocacy and education could lead to sustainable peace in the society.