online discussion forum

Online Discussion Forum

Students Views

Expressed through the


May - August 2008

Facilitated by

Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi (ITA)

Sponsored by

United States Institute of Peace (USIP)


Students Views Expressed through the Online Discussion Forum

Discussion Topics • School Curriculum • Peace Education • Women's Status in our Society • Human Rights • Citizenship • Democracy

The period of online exchange was from May – August 2008. The workshops that took place in the Summer helped the students to be mobilized for the online discussion. Their skills were built to share their views openly and with logical arguments. The ITA team comprising Talha Shahzad, Muhammad Alam, and Razia Mughal helped with this process during the provincial workshops.


School Curriculum S. M. Raza Abbass

14 Male Karachi Fatimiya Education Network

Upon the school curriculum, I would like to say that it needs to be updated soon before its too late. You can see that, there is a huge difference in the knowledge level of a student passing from British board exams(O-level) & a student passing from Govt Board exams, so the curriculum needs to be updated in regard with modern needs of education. Regards, Raza Malik Jibran Tariq

13 Male Quetta Wilderness School

I also think that the curriculum needs to be updated and also adjusted in a way that we can force out "learning by rote". We need a curriculum where knowledge is gained and issues are understood not just memorized. Jibran K Ramsha Asif 15 Female Lahore Beaconhouse School

System - Johar Town Campus

The curriculum should include small projects that will encourage children to take interest in subjects. Abdullah Zafar 14 Male Lahore Beaconhouse School


The curriculum should be changed in the way that it promotes creativity in children and make them think. Just knowing the words can't help them in real life.


Re: Peace Education S. Ali Abbas 14 Male Karachi Fatimiya Education

Network In my opinion, Peace education can be given in schools to kids. workshops can be conducted monthly and students should be encouraged to participate. In this way, we can promote peace education. Ali Abbas Ramsha Asif 15 Female Lahore Beaconhouse School


Peace education will remove negative conflict between people. This will also remove negative behavior in kids and will teach them to get along from the early stages Shermeen Zehra

16 Female Karachi Fatimiya Education Network

Peace Education can be about teaching Islam in the objective light. The peaceful doctrine of Islam should be taught and religious extremism should be analyzed and corrected. The image that all Pakistanis are violent and extremists would be removed when we would understand these issues and would be able to communicate them in a manner which promotes peace and maturity. S. M. Raza Abbass


Peace education, is pretty essential but it shouldn't be practiced just with pen & paper but also with positive actions just as an author said “Education begins a gentleman, actions complete him". Regards, Raza, FBS


Ramsha Asif 15 Female Lahore Beaconhouse School


I completely agree with this. Maybe practical workshops can be added. Like children can be asked to do something constructive that promotes peace on a personal level and then write about it and share it with others in the workshop. This way, we can encourage children to put the knowledge in action. Ali Shah 16 Male Quetta Yazdan Khan

Government Model High School

In my point of view learning should be activity based. boz when student comes out of school or college their knowledge is far away from practical life.


Women's Status in our Society Ali Shah 16 Male Quetta Yazdan Khan


The Status of Women in Pakistan: "All citizens are equal before law and are entitled to equal protection of law. There shall be no discrimination on the basis of sex alone". "No citizen otherwise qualified for appointment in the service of Pakistan shall be discriminated against in respect of any such appointment on the ground only of…sex…" "Steps shall be taken to ensure full participation of women in all spheres of national life". The state shall protect the marriage, the family, the mother… "The state shall…[ensure] that…women are not employed in vocations unsuited to their sex alone…" Constitution of Pakistan Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of the person. Men and women of full age without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry or to have a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage and its dissolution. Marriage shall be entered in to only with the free and full consent of the attending spouses. The family is the natural and fundamental group, unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and state All these beautifully constructed sentences take a180 degrees turn while considering the status of specifically 'women' in Pakistan. Our women still seem to be living in the dark ages. It is a matter of deep sorrow that being Muslims we have completely forgotten the status of women given by Islam. Annie Bessant in her book, 'The Life and Teachings of Mohammad (P.B.U.H)' says, "I often think that women are more free in Islam than in Christianity. Women are more respected by Islam then by the faith which preaches monogamy." Islamic point of you: Islam was the first religion to recognize the equality of sexes and granted women rights unheard of 1400 years ago. Their other tragedy lies in the fact that what was highly progressive in those early days of Islam and which ought to have been kept in step with the changing of the realities of life through Ijtehad, was frozen in that position through retrogressive interpretation of religious edicts. In addition to that, male chauvinism and cultural taboos, some of them derived from the Hindu society have combined to keep our women down.


In Pakistan: In Pakistan the story of a woman's deprivations start even before her birth, because the girl-child is not a particularly 'wanted' child. Her life is a journey of subordination. When she is young her father decides for her on matters ranging from whether she will get any education, to the all important matters of whom she would marry. After marriage, her husband and her in-laws get hold of her reins and decide matters on her behalf; like shall she or shall she not have a child every year, or whether she would produce only boys, or whether she can seek independent employment and so on. Finally when she becomes old and her husband gets weak or may have gone already, it is her son or sons who decide her fate in the declining years of her life. As if this is not enough, the whole society acts as an oppressor, browbeating her in to obedience. Thus, the word 'woman' in Pakistan is synonymous with 'endurance'. She is simply forced to accept certain bare facts of life once she grows up to be a woman. Be it on streets, or for that matter in restaurants, a woman is first and foremost required to be alert. It is best to try and not notice, women are told. According to Hina Jilani, Lawyer and Human Rights Activist, "the right to life of women in Pakistan is conditional on their obeying social norms and traditions." Barkat Ali 17 Male Quetta Yazdan Khan


Women are equal to men in all sphere of life. Yes they equal but they are not considered to be equal , its still man dominant society Women as a neglected group in society yea they are What do you think is the role of women in society? i think women is playing vital role, when we talk interms of working Women they dont only work outside home but they also manging home as well. so they over burden but still fulfilling their duties with full devotion Are women in Pakistan facing any special problems? women are facing lots of problem countless


Hina Shah 14 Female Lahore Beaconhouse School


Women are facing a lot of problems in our country. It is good to raise voice for this cause but we can do something more productive as well. We can look towards our own homes to our mothers, sisters, daughters and make sure their rights are not being neglected. In this way we can bring about collective change. S. M. Raza Abbass


The status of women is pretty sacred in our religion but it really hurts to know that the status of women in our society is neglected & has no importance. Answering to the question Whats the women role in the society makes me more embarrassed because the life existing on this earth, is due to women so that means no woman, no life. They need to be respected & its quite cheering to see that we the young generation is so sincere to this problem existing in our society. Regards, RAza


Re: Human Rights What are human rights? Human rights are rights inherent to all human beings, whatever our nationality, place of residence, sex, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, language, or any other status. We are all equally entitled to our human rights without discrimination. These rights are all interrelated, interdependent and indivisible. Universal human rights are often expressed and guaranteed by law, in the forms of treaties, customary international law , general principles and other sources of international law. International human rights law lays down obligations of Governments to act in certain ways or to refrain from certain acts, in order to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms of individuals or groups. Marium Qadeer

13 Female Karachi Government Junior Model Pilot School

U know whts the trigidy with Pakistanis they are not treated like human at all. they are lacking in basic right as human and beingness comes later on. we dont have water to drink we dont have house to live we dont have 2 time food these are basic needs we have to addres these first then human right or wht we can call society laws and regulation. S. Ali Abbas 14 Male Karachi Fatimiya Education

Network Human rights in Pakistan are not protected at all. There are no laws for protection of certain rights and where there are, people dont follow them and no one is held accountable. Malik Jibran Tariq


Rights of poor people are neglected the most. because these people are weak and cannot ask for their rights. The rich are protected by law.


Re: Diversity M. Hassan Khan

15 Male Lahore Beaconhouse School System - Johar Town Campus

I think that firsly we should learn to appreciate diversty in our own surroundings only then can benefit from it on a grnder scale Mujtaba Ali Kazi


i think that this workshop is really a lessonable .i got much lesson and will try best to apply that all in life than diversity means a class between two communities or countries or proinces. thanks to sir. Muhammad Baqar


The difference between cultures and the different ways of living lives is known as social and cultural diversity.In my point of view language,colour,food and dressing can be given the name of culture.If the cultural diversity is taken positive it would lead to non-voilence but if it is taken negatively it leads to conflict and voilence which is dangerous for a developing country such as Pakistan. Ali Shah 16 Male Quetta Yazdan Khan


Our commitment to diversity is demonstrated through strategic initiatives aimed at providing training and awareness to employees, hiring people of diverse backgrounds at all levels in the organization and establishing guidelines for increasing dollars spent with minority suppliers. Diversity is not only Diversity of ethnic background and gender, but also age, sexual orientation and work and life experience Diversity and Inclusion Policy Diversity enhances Radisson's ability to serve others and strengthen the global economy for everyone's benefit. Radisson has a diversity and inclusion policy which guides the conduct of employees and managers pertaining to issues of diversity: to increase self awareness, to treat others with courtesy, dignity and


respect, to be sensitive to the interpretation and potential impact of communication and actions and to appreciate, value and celebrate differences. S. M. Raza Abbass


Hello, Well in a broader sense diversity is anything that is different from the other one, but when thinking about the point that "diversity is nation's strength", we know that we all are from diverse cultures & communities, but that all could help us strengthen our country/nation, for e.g different communities have different cultures that have different arts of making things, & if that diversity is used in a positive manner, for e.g exporting different objects made by different communities....Rali by Sindhis e.t.c & that in turn will surely help us strengthen our beloved country Pakistan. Regards, Raza Hina Shah 14 Female Lahore Beaconhouse School


I agree that "Diversity is a Nation's Strength". We need to appreciate diversity in culture and have patience with differences of others. We should not look down upon anyone just because they are different from us. Being more receptive to others can help in strengthening the nation.


Re: Citizenship Zaib Fatima Nanji

13 Female Karachi Fatimiya Education Network

The status of being a citizen, usually determined by law. In the republican tradition, qualifications for citizenship are associated with particular rights and duties of citizens, and a commitment to equality between citizens is compatible with considerable exclusivity in the qualifying conditions. For example, classical republics excluded slaves, women, and certain classes of workmen from citizenship. In general, qualifications for citizenship reflect a conception of the purposes of the political community and a view about which persons are able to contribute to, or enjoy the benefits of, the common good, or the freedom of the city. Although the concept of citizenship may refer to a status conferred by law, it may also be deployed to argue that persons have entitlements as a consequence of their position within a community or polity. This approach suggests that since individuals, as a matter of fact, participate in a common life, they have rights and duties as a consequence. Hence, it has been argued, we have moral obligations to one another because of that shared existence, whether what is shared be characterized as economic een the ideas of membership of a community and citizenship of a polity. Both membership and citizenship may be construed as conferred statuses qualification for citizenship; the common good may be seen as what gives value to both community and political organization. And both membership and citizenship may be valued partly because they are not universally available.

S. M. Raza Abbass


In my point of view citizen is not the one who has citizenship documents but the one who cares for the society & for the country he is living in & for its people. Citizenship is something really sacred for a nation & a nation couldn't prosper until its people practice citizenship. Regards, RAza


Re: Democracy Ali Shah 16 Male Quetta Yazdan Khan


Democracy is a system of government by which political sovereignty is retained by the people and either exercised directly by citizens or through their elected representatives.There are several varieties of democracy, some of which provide better representation and more freedoms for their citizens than others Known as Islamic democracy, two kinds of democratic states can be recognized in the Islamic countries. The basis of this distinction has to do with how comprehensively Islam is incorporated into the affairs of the state.

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