The three day workshop encouraged participants to explore how art and culture can be used to promote harmony. PHOTO: EXPRESS
The seminar, attended by participants from Quetta, Peshawar, Multan, Faisalabad and Hyderabad, came to an end on Sunday. The aim of the workshop was to understand and recognise art and culture to promote harmony in the country.
"The young blood has the potential to promote positive messages for peace and harmony through art," said Shahab Ahmed, a young writer from Peshawar. He added that the cultural exchanges are one of the effective tools to achieve this objective. Speakers believed that a lack of constructive and recreational activities for the youth can cause anti-social and extremist tendencies. They stressed the need for integrated development and ensuring human dignity for people in all the provinces to attain greater assimilation.
SCF executive Javed Soz talked about the need to get rid of the misconceptions and misgivings among people from various parts of Pakistan through frequent cultural exchanges. "The young generation can advance social cohesiveness in Pakistan," he said.
Madeeha Akram, an artist from Multan, found several similarities in her hometown's culture and in Sindh. Similarly, a student from Sindh University, Kanjee Meghwadh believed that Pakistan has many shared traditions. "The sufi poets are a common heritage for all the people of this country and we should cherish their legacy and spread the message of peace and equality," she said. While referring to the tribal culture of Balochistan, a participant of the workshop and an artist from Quetta, Banaha Yousufzai, emphasised the need for education of peace and tolerance to curb violent tendencies among people.
"The new generation, children and the youth should adapt to values and principles of peace and tolerance," said the young artist. The workshop also urged the government and educational institutions to arrange more cultural exchange programmes to promote harmony.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 1st, 2015.
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