By Special Correspondent
New Delhi: The youth-led voluntary peacebuilding movement Aaghaz-e-Dosti released a peace calendar created collaboratively by Indian and Pakistani school children via an internet platform. The Indo-Pak Peace Calendar is an initiative of Aaghaz-e-Dosti, which cooperated with Kick for Tolerance and the Pakistan-based organisation Sudhaar for this year’s calendar.
A discussion titled ‘Sharing of Hopes for a Peaceful Co-existence’ was held in addition to the calendar launch, with guest speakers Prof. Tauseef Ahmad (noted Pakistani activist, member of Pakistan’s Human Rights Commission), Salima Hashmi (artist, activist, daughter of Faiz Ahmad Faiz), Rita Manchanda (Research Director at the South Asia Forum for Human Rights), and renowned social activist Medha Patkar.
Sidra, an Aaghaz-e-Dosti member, introduced the panel members. The session drew a huge number of school pupils, instructors, activists, and young people. This calendar has paintings on the theme of “India-Pakistan Friendship,” in which over 500 kids from both nations participated from various schools, and six paintings from each side were chosen for the calendar.
Ms. Rita Manchanda, who spoke at the event, remarked that recent news that wheat from India is being transported to Afghanistan via Pakistan gives optimism that civil society’s regular calls and activities for peace and cooperation are effective.
Prof. Tauseef Ahmad talked about the importance of increasing the number of linkages between the two sides. In an emotive tone, he said that he was now getting older that seeing today’s young students from both sides in this meeting overwhelmed him and made him feel that peace is possible.
Medha Patkar underlined the significance of these ties between the two sides because it allows people to get to know each other in a more direct way than what is taught in our media and textbooks. She also spoke extensively, stating that, in today’s world, social media is morphing into anti-social media, and that military budgets and militarism are on the rise. She stated that people on all sides must see the need of defending their own unity, equality, and equity, as well as working together to conserve natural resources and the environment.
Salima Hashmi, who praised Aaghaz-e-Dosti for being consistent over the last ten years in bringing younger generations together and breaking stereotypes, said that while we may see young student artwork as ordinary, as an artist and academician, she understands how intense and full of messages these works are.
Himanshu Khatri, an Indian artist, gave a cultural performance. He performed Baba Bulleh Shah and Kabir sufi kalams.
Ilma Iqbal, the coordinator of Aaghaz-e-Dosti, moderated the event. Devika Mittal, the convener of Aaghaz-e-Dosti, explained that the organisation has been conducting various events such as classroom connect programmes, Aman chaupal sessions, and social media campaigns to develop people-to-people relationships for the past ten years.
Aaghaz-e-Dosti founder Ravi Nitesh said the peace calendar is dedicated to twelve peace activists: Asma Jahangir, I A Rehman, Dr Mubasshir Hasan, B M Kutty, Awais Sheikh, Dr S N Subbarao, Maulana Wahiduddin Khan, Swami Agnivesh, Kamla Bhasin, Rahul Jalali, Sadia Dehlvi, and Kuldip Nayar. Pakistani peace activists Sharafat Ali and Dr. Mehdi Hasan, who died yesterday, were also honoured..
Students whose paintings are selected this year are Aadhyaa Ayodhikaa (DAV Public School, Cuttack), Aarya Prasad Sahu (Gyan Mandir Public School, Delhi), Dhunn (Police DAV Public School, Ludhiana), Gauri Vijay Ghanwat (Kamala Nimbkar Balbhavan, Sitara, Maharashtra), Mehakjot Kaur (BCM Arya Model Sr Sec School, Shastri Nagar, Ludhiana) and Zeba Yusuf Patel (Matoshri English Medium School, Pune) from India and Ayesha Iftikhar (Lahore Grammar School I – Shah Jamal Lahore), Haniya Waseem (Ismail Academy, Karachi), Mauhib Ghulam Murtaza (The AMI School, Karachi), Rida Siddique (Jamshed Memorial School, Karachi), Subbuh Shafiq (DMC East Govt Girls Secondary School, Karachi) and Umm-e-Maryam Ameen (Ismail Academy, Karachi) from Pakistan.
Himanshu Sekhar Parida, an Indian sand artist, designed this year’s calendar. “The calendar with the artwork of an innocent and apolitical mind will remind us that attitudes have been built,” Devika Mittal, convener of Aaghaz-e-Dosti, said of the value of this calendar. The Calendar includes words from persons who have been actively striving to nourish the dreams of the young and innocent, in addition to the beautiful dreams of the young and innocent. This calendar is a compilation of peace and friendship aspirations that have been shared by many people. It acts as a beacon of hope for others who, like us, are bound by habit and struggle. The hope will be revived with the turn of the pages to begin a new month.”