By Rimsha Ali Shah.

A footballer, an interfaith harmony expert, an artist, a banker, a corporate trainer, an author and a blogger all sat together on a table.  While one was from Sindh, the other was from Dhaka.  One understood numbers and the other words.  Seemingly disparate in every manner, what pulled them together as a group?  Peace!

Exploring avenues of peace-building in all walks of life is what 160 participants from across Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, India and Bangladesh set out to do over the three-day Pakistan-U.S. Alumni Network (PUAN) International Conference: Peace and Conflict Resolution held in Islamabad from November 27 – 29, 2015.  Through a series of panel discussions, break-out sessions, energizers, success stories and community outreach projects, participants learned effective methods and promotion of the peace-building process.

Peace Communicators

Chief Guest of the event, Senator Sherry Rehman, Chairperson of the Jinnah Institute and herself a Salzburg 1995 alumna, emphasized the importance of dialogue over distrust; “You are all communicators in today’s age of dialogue”.

Deputy Chief of Mission for the U.S. Embassy, Jonathan Pratt echoed Senator Rehman’s comments and applauded PUAN and its commitment to build a peaceful Pakistan through conferences and community service engagements.

Seasoned peace activists from India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Nepal and Pakistan gathered together in their unified quest for a better and peaceful tomorrow within the region.  Ayesha Riaz, an alumna of the 2015 Teaching Excellence Award, said “The key takeaway from the regional panel was that for us to develop nationally and regionally, peace is the cornerstone of that development.”

The regional panelists spoke on peace research, diplomacy, and social activism for peace promotion and regional economic integration to advance peace efforts.  Thulasi Muttulingam, founder of the Humans of Northern Sri Lanka said,

“The power of public opinion can be greatly shaped by the media, especially social media.  Using the platform of Facebook, I am able to share a peaceful image of Northern Sri Lanka with the rest of the world.”

Interactive Skill-Building Sessions: Shaping Peace Activism

“Pass the pen to the person on your left.  No, wait!  Pass the pen to the person not wearing red.  Wait, pass the pen to the person not wearing red on your left with your own left hand,” commanded Sana Mahmud, Fulbright Scholar and former Captain of the National Women’s Football team.

This “Sports Diplomacy” exercise was one activity during the skill-buildings sessions that gave participants a real taste of conflict and conflict resolution. Sana’s activity emphasized the importance of order, system, and clear rules play in helping mitigate conflict.

The sessions not only addressed ways to deal with external conflict, but as in Dr. Feriyal Amal Aslam’s session, participants connected with the “peace within.”

“Her name is Hira and for her peace is tolerance, respect and harmony”

During the interfaith harmony session, led by Rubina Feroz Bhatti, IVLP alumna and recipient of the Woman of Courage Award 2011, participants introduced themselves and presented their definition of peace.

Peace Through Performance & Creativity:

Donned in a beige shalwar kameez, SafeerUllah, an IVLP alumnus, took the stage to recite an excerpt from the Voices of Partition play, “This Stained Dawn”, based on the real-life stories of partition survivors.  His performance highlighted the loss and the pain of the partition survivors.  SafeerUllah spoke on the power of performance art,

“Theater ingrains the emotions and images in the minds of the viewer; they can empathize and relate to it.”

The Pakistan National Council of Arts dance group presented a lively performance showcasing the cultural vibrancy and diversity of Pakistan. Later in the conference, Center Stage alumnus and Sufi musician, Arieb Azhar, mesmerized the audience with a soulful performance of verses by humanist Sufi peace-seeker Bulleh Shah.

The conference also highlighted work of 12 Alumni from across Pakistan who had actively worked on peace promotion through a range of creative activities including novels, outreach sessions, workshops, arts and crafts and social media.

Speaking on creativity and peace through “edutainment,” Haroon the creator of the popular Pakistani comic “Burqa Avenger” said,

“Through ‘Burqa Avenger’ we have created a role model, a peace activist fighting for the children’s right to education.  Such fictional characters help enlighten the young impressionable minds to complex concepts, in an engaging and entertaining manner.”

Community Service Projects: Transforming Words in to Action

The community service projects took place on the final day of the conference and were designed to activate and implement the skills taught at the conference over the past two days.  Participants engaged in various activities with different organizations including thePakistan Boy Scouts Association, Pakistan Sweet Homes (Orphanage center), the Mashal Model School, Young Rising Star Women Football Club and Edhi Centers (welfare Centers for widowed/divorced women, orphans and disabled persons). Together they worked as teams to promote peace through sports, film, interfaith dialogue, arts and disaster management.

“The visit to the Edhi Center was such a refreshing experience for me.  I really enjoyed connecting with the children”

said Henna Karamat, a 2015 English Language Teacher (ELT) Administrator Exchange fellow from Peshawar.

Final Thoughts from Alumni:

“I did not quite know what to expect when I applied for the conference,  but the breakout sessions have been so helpful, especially since conflict resolution is a key element of my degree”, said Zainab Gohar, a Global Undergraduate Semester Exchange Program (UGRAD) 2015 alumna, and a student of business.

Zahid Chaudary, a Fulbright alum from Bangladesh, commented, “I really appreciate how the conference addressed climate change and disaster control.  I’m Chairman of the Department of Peace and Conflict Studies at Dhaka University and the views here have been very helpful”. Regarding his visit to Pakistan, he said,“I did not feel like I was away at home.  The peace conference gave me the chance to connect with all of Pakistan.  I feel like I have been to all four provinces!”

Check out pictures from the conference by visiting our facebook page.