Human rights: ‘Make school curricula hatred-free’

Workshop participants discuss gender equality, interfaith harmony.

FAISALABAD:

School curricula must be free from all kinds of hate material and promote awareness of human rights, peace, equality, harmony, tolerance and desirable social values, Father Nisar Barkat, the NCJP director said on Friday.

Father Barkat was addressing a three-day workshop at the Centre for Peace and Harmony.

More than 40 teachers, students and representatives of non governmental organisations from Faisalabad, Toba Tek Singh, Okara, Sahiwal, Jhangs, Khushpur and Lahore participated in the workshop. Speakers included human rights activists from across the Punjab.
The speakers at the seminar titled: Education for Human Rights and Peace Building urged the government to abolish all forms of discrimination in the Constitution, laws, policies and school curricula against women and religious minorities. They also stressed a need for enforcement of laws for the protection of human rights.

Father Barkat said that it was the responsibly of community leaders to raise their voices against injustice and violations of human rights. The youth, he said, could play a crucial role in promotion of a culture of peace, gender equality and inter-faith harmony.

The speakers also urged the media not to allow advertisements that preach hatred and exclusions.

Ayub Sajid, one of the speakers, said that promotion of peace was the duty of all citizens just as access to justice was all citizens’ right. “Peace cannot prevail without ensuring justice and human rights to the marginalised groups,” he said.

Muzzammil Hussain Asad, another speaker, said the country was in a dire need of a leader, who could raise a voice against injustice and human rights violations.

Sunil Malik said that civil society, media and political parties had equally important roles to play when it came to campaigning for human rights.

Shahid Anwar talked about providing equal opportunities to every citizen irrespective of religion, sex, sect or mother language.

He said United Nations conventions must be respected for improvement in human rights situation.

Kiran Afzaal said the situation could not be improved until some “anti human rights” articles were removed from the Constitution. Shazia George said Pakistani women had little say when it came to decision making.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 11^th, 2012.