PIPS workshop with teachers and educationists-I Teachers shape societies; a good teacher should be receptive to inclusive opinions. But teachers, influenced by one or other political consideration, end up distorting society, towards parochialism. This was shared in the one-day training program on “The role of teachers in social and religious harmony”, arranged by Pak Institute … Read more
PIPS workshop with teachers and educationists-I For a teacher to be relevant in today’s time, he or she must pay attention to critical intellectual challenges of the country and stay updated with the usage of modern technologies. Only then can they respond to the needs of the students, swaying them away from extremism. These thoughts … Read more
Punjab’s cultural diversity is regarded as shield against the extremist views, but violence has been eroding that pluralism. Even the rich cultural events have been overtaken by narrow events along sectarian lines in otherwise inclusive towns of Punjab. These views were expressed by participants of the first provincial-level consultation on countering violent extremism. The consultation, … Read more
CVE Consultation-10 A consolidated internal security policy be devised, which articulates the roadmap towards addressing those challenges. Only then can violent extremism of all shades be extirpated from the society. These thoughts came in the working group session on “Internal security and challenges”, the tenth in a series of sessions aimed at countering violent extremism, … Read more
The emerging scenario in region around Pakistan is bereft with differences, rivalry, and insecuriy, a situation likely to exacerbate under Trump administration. Even CPEC gets played in those differences. But with right set of policies, Pakistan can achieve the CPEC, with an added outcome of bridging divides. These were some of the key thoughts that … Read more
A functional SAARC is a viable option for regional cooperation and progress for the South Asian belt. And will provide a stronger “bargaining power” for the member countries against non-member states while forging new relations. These were some of the views shared by Dr. Yuburaj Sangroula, a Nepalese scholar on international law visiting Pakistan, at … Read more
Teachers should encourage critical thinking in classrooms so that students can ask questions about the world around them. The state, too, should invest in social sciences. These will, in the long run, help nurture an inclusive narrative in the country. These were some of the key points discussed at the launch of the study by … Read more
Participants at an international conference called for substantial reform of the law and practice of media regulation, asking for bringing them in line with relevant constitutional and international human rights standards. They also called for strong protection of freedom of expression, underscoring how media underpins democracy and fights corruption. These demands were part of the … Read more
To counter the discourse sympathetic to extremism, there is a need for an alternative discourse built on informed debate, research, and realities grounded in present-day. There were some of the common points discussed by leading national experts, at launch of two studies of Pak Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS), an Islamabad-based think-tank. One of the … Read more
On 23 June 2016, members of a dialogue group discussed the contours of a new national narrative, which, once absorbed by the people of Pakistan, could greatly help dispel the space gained by extremists. They argued that the prevailing national narrative is often sympathetic to extremisms, to the distress of both state and society. The … Read more