Islamabad: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) and SAMAA TV held the first of a series of seminars on the project titled “Cultivating Hope” at the National University for Science and Technology (NUST) Islamabad, the seminars are part of the launch of Pakistan’s first national inter-university documentary competition on extremism, which is a joint initiative of HEC and SAMAA TV.
The seminar included the participation of prominent representatives from the Public Sector, ISPR, Academia and development organizations. More than 250 participants including students were part of the interactive Q&A session, which allowed the youth to ask questions, debate and analyze the current socio-political situation of Pakistan and conveyed the leaders on how the youth envisions its role and future.
Keynote speaker Syed Kamal Shah, Former Federal Secretary Interior, who was also the chief guest noted that “the actual challenge for us as a nation is how to treat the hearts and minds of these people who have been misguided and brainwashed into seeing the people of Pakistan as their enemy. We therefore need to focus on the real education of our people and provide them with the basic amenities so that they are not lured into these devious acts due to poverty, society pressures or lack of guidance”.
Mr. Shah strongly focused on the support for educational development in the region, and the importance of security in pursuing economic opportunities for individual citizens and the region.
The leading panel of guest speakers also included Brigadier Professor Mowadat Rana, Director, Centre for Trauma Research and Psychosocial Interventions, Armed Forces Institute of Mental Health, who on a daily basis deals with extreme behavior personalities and addressed the issue from a professional and human perspective. Brigadier Rana spoke on how the human mind is easily affected through visuals and constant brain storming on a selected topic, which enables the mind to think in only one perspective without realizing the negative aspects.
The project “Cultivating Hope” focus on empowering the youth to look into the measures, impact and results of extremism, which will not only strengthen their minds to take distance to such thinking and behavior but to also play a role in educating their peers and surroundings on the horror of terrorism. The Cultivating Hope initiative will also promote the visual and liberal arts in the country’s education sphere as a form of creative expression and ideas.
The seminar brought together various universities in the Capital City and Rawalpindi through the facility of video conferencing. All students eagerly participated in the Q&A Session and were very open in their thoughts about Pakistan’s alarming situation and the urgent need to encourage the public to keep their spirits high and carry out counter initiatives against extremism.
Speaking on the occasion Amir Jahangir, CEO of SAMAA TV said “the media’s role is to cultivate hope and the media, must play its part as the catalyst for change and address the menace of extremism and terrorism in our great country.
He further added, “All stakeholders need to come forward and help in creating employment opportunities to our youth to safeguard the future of the nation. By providing a healthy and competitive environment to our youth, we can help eliminate the increasing frustration among them and empower them to make a better and prosperous future for themselves and prevent them from becoming victims of a disillusioned religion and political game,”
Son of Late (Shaheed) Major General Bilal Omer, Arsalan Omer Khan also spoke on the brave acts of his father, who became one of the victims in the recent incident in a mosque in Rawalpindi on Friday 04 December 2009, where terrorists killed more than 40 people and injured 83. The victims included leading army officers and their children who were in the mosque for the Friday prayers. Arsalan encouraged all not to call these people terrorists but cowards and stay united and break down the environment in which these people breed.
In his concluding remarks the Engr Muhammad Asghar, Rector NUST said, “the youth has to play a pivotal role and bring the positive change, as all the religions promote education and innovation, and NUST ensures both. He acknowledged the efforts of HEC and SAMAA TV for Cultivating Hope.”
HEC and SAMAA TV have called out for documentaries on various themes of extremism through all HEC affiliated universities across Pakistan. According to the partnership, the top three winners of the documentary competition will be awarded prizes amounting to Rs. 1,000,000, Rs. 500,000 and Rs. 300,000. They will also be offered a one-year job contract with SAMAA TV after completing their academic degrees.
