Reaching out: TOLANA’s peace efforts discussed at workshop

Organisation sensitises locals on impacts of extremism

PESHAWAR: A workshop was organised at a hotel in the city on Sunday to assess the efforts made by members of Tolana, a local government organisation. The event was organised by Paiman Alumni Trust.

Speaking on the occasion, Paiman Executive Director Mosarrat Qadim said Tolana works at the community level to create awareness regarding extremism and interfaith harmony.

“It seeks to make efforts to build social cohesion through dialogue,” she said. “The organisation works with the social welfare, home, local government and police departments as well as the levies forces in various spheres.”



She added the fundamental aim of the organisation is to counter extremism in society.

“Since 2009, the programme has so far sensitised 250,000 community members through 1,000 sessions in K-P and Fata,” Qadim said. “Tolana has also played an instrumental role in preventing hundreds of young people from going towards radicalism.”

She added, “So far, our team members have reached out to 35,000 men and 11,500 women in different parts of K-P and Fata.”

MPA Syed Jaffar Shah, who was also present on the occasion, presented a series of suggestions to expand Tolana’s reach at the grass-roots level. He urged Qadim to arrange a briefing for parliamentarians to speak about the organisation’s future endeavours.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 7^th,  2015.