Editorial by Pritam K. Rohila, Ph.D.
India and Pakistan, face far greater danger from within than from outside their borders.
The danger stems from the rapidly growing extremism, intolerance and violence. These menaces seriously threaten the security of these nations and wellbeing of their citizens.
In this context, creating a culture of peace in India and Pakistan is very important. Promotion of tolerance, coexistence, harmony and peace in our families and neighborhoods is essential.
We will have to start with children and youth, who will determine the future of India and Pakistan. We will need to teach them, how to live in harmony with those who are different from them; how to disagree with others without being disagreeable; and how to resolve conflicts through dialog, discussion, and empathy. We will have to show them how to be responsible members of their families, schools, and neighborhoods. We should involve them in action-oriented and practical conflict-resolution and peacemaking activities, which they can incorporate their daily life.
More importantly, we need to inculcate in our children and youth a hope for a happy, prosperous and peaceful future for themselves and for their nations. Without hope, our children and youth become easy fodder for the machines of extremism, intolerance and violence, and our nations lose their future.
With these objectives in mind, we, at the Association for Communal Harmony in Asia (ACHA), have initiated planning for a pilot project to be implemented in a couple of schools in Pakistan. Based on our experiences in these schools, we will gradually expand the project to other schools in Pakistan as well as India.
Some ACHA members in Pakistan have agreed to work on the pilot project. One member will spearhead the effort to design suitable curriculum. Another member has agreed to explore the possibility of involving a progressive theater group to design and stage short-duration plays for school children. We will also seek help from other ACHA members in Pakistan, who have received formal training in conflict resolution and peacemaking, as well those who have skills and experience in designing peace and harmony activities in schools.
Further, we have sought guidance from some members of the Peace Psychology Division of the American Psychological Association in designing suitable curriculum for this project.
And, we will definitely need financial support and help of volunteers to successfully implement this project. Please direct your suggestions, and offers of help to me at asiapeace@comcast.net.
ACHA is a small, U.S.-based, non-profit organization, which is dedicated to promote peace in South Asia and harmony among South Asians everywhere. More information about us can be found at our two websites www.asiapeace.org and www.indiapakistanpeace.org