Building Peace Project - Some Memories from 2014

Ajrak

Sweets at LUMS, Pakistan during Diwali

Sehr's drawing for Indo-Pak Peace

My Peace Partner from Lahore, Sehr Nisar

'India loves Pakistan' by Sehr Nisar

International Peace Day, 2014

International Day of Tolerance

Rangoli at LUMS, Pakistan

Pakistani Rangoli

My Peace Message on occasion of independence days of India and Pakistan, 2014

Indians and Pakistanis Cement Friendship through Peace Building Course

Although it may be hard to believe, the sight of Indians and Pakistanis talking to each other is not at all unusual. Despite the barbed wires that separate people of the two ‘enemy’ nations, one finds Indians and Pakistanis connecting beyond physical and mental barriers. With the help of virtual technologies, it is no longer an uphill task to connect with someone from across the border. While one-off interactions are quite common, an Indo-Pak peace building initiative recently introduced a peace building course that aimed to facilitate interaction between select individuals in an organized and structured manner for a longer duration of time.

Aaghaz-e-Dosti (AED), a civilian peace building initiative spearheaded by Mission Bhartiyam, a Delhi based non-profit and The Catalyst, based in Pakistan, working for normalization of relations between the two countries through people-to-people contact, introduced a novel peace building course called ‘Friends Beyond Borders’. For the first season of the course, which ran for eight weeks, AED received around 80 applications from different parts of India and Pakistan, small and big areas alike. This eight-week intense, interactive course, paired an Indian and a Pakistani through a mentor who was responsible for moderating interaction between them. The participants were designated as Indo-Pak E-Pals or Fellows. Devika Mittal, an AED convener, described the course as intending to “facilitate people-to-people communication, generate a culture of mutual respect and understanding, strengthen bonds of friendship, and develop a faculty of critical thinking for participants to be able to accept and move ahead with differences”. In her views, what South Asia requires at the moment is a celebration of differences to be able to counter extremist narratives of hate and violence.

Madeeha Dogar from Pakistan (Left) and Yashika Pahwa from India (Right)

As part of the course, twelve cross-border pairs interacted on several broad themes including politics, culture, religion, media, and society. Each week, the pairs were given discussion points, activities, and resources on a particular subject. They then explored the topic and worked on theme-based assignments as a pair. Participants spent the first five weeks learning about diversity in terms of religion, language, culture in India and Pakistan, common challenges faced by both countries, role of media in the Indo-Pak relationship, and a basic introduction to peace and conflict resolution.

I spoke to four participants and two mentors about their experience of participating in the course. Akshay Mankar, an undergraduate student at Hidayatullah National Law University, India, was paired with Salma Noureen, an educator from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. Akshay shared that his motivation to apply for the course was to contribute towards the noble goal of peace. “Before the course, my perception was that Pakistanis have a single identity; that as Muslims. It is from this course that I learnt of the diversity of identities in Pakistan, both Muslim and non-Muslim. I also used to blame Pakistan for all the problems in the Indo-Pak relationship. I have now realized that this is not correct. Both nations have their fair share of blame.” For Akshay’s project partner Salma Noureen, this was the second time she was involved in a cross-border peace building exchange. For Salma, no nationality teaches people to be prejudiced and biased. Hence, judging people based on their nationality is a narrow-minded exercise. Through her interaction with Indians so far, particularly in this course, Salma believes, “they are more concerned, aware of the changing world, and are able to see things in a broader perspective”. As a Pakistani, she feels that she has more to connect with on a common ground with Indians than disagree with them. During the course, Salma witnessed a glimpse of what she refers to as the ‘diversity of India’. She was ignorant of the many dimensions of India and the course helped her enrich her understanding of India. Akshay shares that Salma taught him to be optimistic for peace and strengthened his belief in humans striving for humanity on the other side of the border.

Yashika Pahwa and Madeeha Dogar, two young ladies from India and Pakistan respectively, was the other pair that I spoke with. Madeeha is a teacher's assistant with ACE International Academy, Islamabad. Yashika has a Masters Degree in Psychology. Yashika, who aspired for a more serious and deeper conversation than the occasional informal interactions that she’d had with Pakistanis earlier, was convinced about this course right from the beginning. Despite the considerable age gap between the two, Yashika and Madeeha broke the ice as soon as they began talking. Their common belief in being sensitive to alternate realities helped them through the course's journey. “Today, Madeeha is a good friend on whom I rely for advice, with whom I happily share my problems just like I would do with my friends here in India. I have learnt that Pakistan is a great country which has amazing talent with a potential to make impact at the global level”, Yashika recounts. Madeeha on the other hand recalled being inspired by her father’s interactions with Indians while he was studying. Her views of India came from Indian dramas, leading her to believe that Indians are mean, opportunistic, and can never be trusted. Her imagination of India was more ‘Hindu’ than a country that accommodates more religions and cultures than one can even imagine. Talking to Yashika, she says, changed all of that. They connected especially through their love for food and exchanged details of the kind of food that was popular on both sides. The pair, like others in the course, made an attempt to learn the other’s language as Madeeha wrote to Yashika in Hindi while Yashika tried doing the same in Urdu.

The mentoring process was facilitated by team members of Aaghaz-e-Dosti. The idea was not to instruct but to provide participants a flexible platform to help them build their interactions. Imrana Qasim from Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, who mentored Fatima Shah from Pakistan and Aasma Pratap Singh from India, spoke to me about how the friendship paradigm that this course brought forth attracted her to play the role of a mentor. She was all praise for the pair whom she credited to being open and patient to divergent views. “Through activities such as video sharing, media analysis, and sharing of cultural values, I experienced a growing friendship between the two as the course progressed. Thinking altered, misconceptions were resolved, perspectives were enhanced, and more support was built in for Indo-Pak friendship”, said Imrana. Madhulika Narasimhan, a researcher from Delhi, mentored two pairs for the course: Richard Salafia from India and Faisal Latif from Pakistan, and Jasmine Singh from India and Muhammad Saad Farooqi from Pakistan. Madhlika claims the experience allowed her to both contribute to the process of peace building, as well as gain individually from it. She said it was a challenge mentoring the pairs since they already had a defined mentality about the ‘other’. Being sensitive to their ideas and thoughts was what she deemed important. Although she denies experiencing a sense of euphoria or achievement for having interacted with Pakistanis, because of her regular conversations with people from across the border, the course did allow her to dwell in exploring the mystery that surrounds a common understanding of issues between India and Pakistan. “I felt the course gave a sense of space and freedom to the participants, allowing them room for discussion and disagreement, rather than burdening them with structured thought processes. What the participants documented, stemmed naturally from their experiences, believes Madhulika.

Friends Beyond Borders concluded in early August with fellows interacting with Dr. Meenakshi Chhabra of Lesley University, Cambridge, Dr. Dhananjay Tripathi of South Asian University, India, and Dr. Zahid Shahab Ahmed of National University of Sciences and Technology, Pakistan, through video conferencing. While sceptics continue to doubt the fruitfulness of people-to-people dialogue between Indians and Pakistanis, what a course like this demonstrates is that even if virtually, such initiatives can indeed have a potential long term impact on the way relations between India and Pakistan take shape in times to come. 

You can check out the Aaghaz-e-Dosti Facebook page and follow them on Twitter at @aaghazedosti.

Written by Nidhi Shendurnikar-Tere and published on 16-October-2015 on the Sarhadpaar campaign at Beyond Violence

Rabtt: Connecting for Change

Team Rabtt

In the chilly winter of 2010, two friends from the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), Pakistan, gave birth to a unique idea to revolutionize education in Pakistan. They were inspired by their experience of the LUMS National Outreach Programme – a community development initiative that trains exceptionally bright students from all over Pakistan – and the annual Seeds of Peace International Camp in the United States that brings together young people from South Asia and the Middle East to deconstruct stereotypes through dialogue.

These were the encounters that encouraged Imran Sarwar and Aneeq Ahmed Cheema, both of whom have been Fulbright scholars, to envision Rabtt – a social enterprise in Pakistan working to redefine the way mainstream education is imparted to school students. Though Rabtt began to take shape in Imran and Aneeq’s minds in 2010, it was formally founded in 2011. Since then, it has been a harbinger of positive transformation on Pakistan’s educational scene.

For a society that battles extremism, intolerance, violence almost on a daily basis, the young team at Rabtt (derived from the Urdu term ‘Rabta’ meaning connections) strives to build on the power of connections to carve a society that values four core competencies among young people – empathy, critical thinking, self-confidence and creativity.

How does Rabtt achieve this? By connecting with school students across public and private low cost schools in Pakistan to let education be a wholesome, creative and an experience unique to each student.

Learning is Fun!

It is through Rabtt’s summer camps and year-long workshops with a select set of students from schools in and around Lahore that a wide range of creative skills based on alternative learning techniques have been introduced to the traditional education system in Pakistan. Courses in English, mathematics, public speaking, world history, art and dramatics are taught at these summer camps, not in a traditional sense of classroom lecturing, but through cross-disciplinary learning, interaction, guest lectures, educational trips, and students putting up innovative performances. This facilitates exposure to different perspectives and lets them venture into the ‘real world’ through processes of experiential learning.

In seven summer camps organized through 2014, Rabtt managed to connect with 300 students who learnt about difference, empathy, team building, the concept of tolerance in the early Islamic period and non-violence in ways that stressed conceptual understanding, critical analysis, and open discussion. These were students who belonged to diverse age groups and socio-economic backgrounds.

While connecting with students on a personal level and fostering creativity, curiosity and the spirit of mutual learning, all of which sound exciting to undertake, are quite daunting in reality. The Rabtt team is supported by a pool of volunteers, also known as facilitators or ‘Rabtt Fellows’, who are typically university students selected through a multi-layered screening process. It is these Fellows who engage with students to creatively nurture them with a skill set that mainstream education processes do not equip them with. Prior to the summer camps, Fellows undergo intensive training in skill building and interactive team building, which they subsequently translate to learning spaces full of talented and hard-working students.

Fellows engaging creatively with students

In the process, Rabtt taps the energy and enthusiasm of two significant groups of people – school students and university students (Fellows) since this is the generation that can contribute most to Pakistan, with an emphasis on values such as mutual learning, respect for cultural diversity and empathy with the ‘other’. Harnessing their skills constructively is essential to overcome barriers that mar the traditional learning space. The attempt at Rabtt is thus not to dislodge the existing system but fill in gaps to achieve greater equity and quality in education.

The process of ‘learning to unlearn’ happens for students, Fellows, teachers, parents and school administrations in ways more than one. For students get a much deserved platform for showcasing individual talents, teachers and parents learn about hidden potentials, and Fellows are able to burst the bubble of coming from a sense of comfort and privilege.

Salma Chaudhry, Director, Operations and Human Resources, says, “When the first camp was organized in 2011, we had more facilitators than students. After much initial reluctance, schools have warmed up to our activities and now we receive an overwhelming number of requests from schools to conduct camps and workshops with their students. Last year, we connected with seven schools in Lahore. This year the number is ten, and in the near future we will move from strength to strength. Gradually, we are also trying to bring schools in rural areas within our fold.”

Making a Difference

The Rabtt team has developed a unique course curriculum that allies with core competencies to be achieved by students at various levels. Course packs, especially on English language proficiency and World History, have been developed with insights from experts, mentors and partner organizations. Over the years, Rabtt has done its best to evolve creative ways of engaging students, be it in the form of art work during summer 2013 or through a summer camp in collaboration with a Spanish non-profit organization ThinKids in 2014. Recently, Rabtt, along with other education-focused non-profits, was part of ‘Bridging Barriers’, a six month project meant to train underprivileged students in drama, general knowledge, and public speaking.

That Rabtt’s four years of existence have been momentous is evident from the huge number of applications they received for the teaching fellowship this year. Hammad Anwar, who is Director of Communications at Rabtt gushes, “These are super-talented kids that we work with, brilliant and hard-working, just in need of the right push! Most of them had never performed in front of huge audiences. Now, they do so with ease, with positivity and confidence. It is heartening to have them showcase their talents to large number of people, including their parents, who acknowledge they never knew about their kids’ talent.”

Interestingly, each batch of students graduates with a ceremony where they put up performances in front of well-known personalities from media, civil society, education and the development sector in Pakistan. The 2014 graduation ceremony had a mime performance by the girls of Government Comprehensive Girls High School, Wahdat Road, presenting the art of non-verbal communication learnt in the camp and a staged performance depicting the story of a girl marginalized by society by the City District Government Girls High School. I am told that both performances were received by thunderous applause from the audiences and tears of joy and pride among parents.

Rabtt is a humble attempt with grand plans for the future. Plans to collaborate with Indian educators are in the pipeline, and so are concerted efforts to reach out to more and more students, link with like-minded organizations, tread on the path to self-sustainability, and embark on an integrated approach to address issues facing education and society in Pakistan.

I ask Salma and Hammad about the current distressed scenario of strife and violence in Pakistan. How is it possible to stay motivated when extremist elements inflict brutal violence on educational institutions and even innocent children are not spared? Their reply leaves me spell bound. It is this extremism, intolerance and hatred they are fighting against, they assert. Attacks like the one that took place in Peshawar on December 16, 2014 have confirmed that it is only through education that society can be made to undertake the path of peaceful co-existence. No society, especially its young minds, is safe when violence and hateful ideas are left unchallenged. Rabtt lives for the dream of a free, safe and inclusive educational space in Pakistan which fosters acceptance, harmony and diversity! A space where children can be themselves, raise questions and seek answers on their own, where the window to life is always left open, for them to fly, to discover. Rabtt is that vision, Rabtt is that space for which Pakistan craves.

Published on The Bayside Journal - http://baysidejournal.com/wp/rabtt-connecting-for-change/

April 22nd, 2015

Making Media, Building Peace

Making Media, Building Peace

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Middle: Master of Communication Studies Student

Twenty four students and the idea of peace! In a world dominated by narratives of hate and violence, what happens when young minds are encouraged to engage with the idea and practice of peace? Peace, not as an illusory ideal to be achieved, but peace with oneself and those around us! Peace which is not as lofty as the goal of world peace! This and something more exciting happened at The Faculty of Journalism and Communication at the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda in Gujarat, India. Junior students of the Master of Communication Studies programme participated in a workshop on media and peace building. The workshop was facilitated and steered by Chintan Girish Modi, founder and pioneer of Friendships Across Borders: Aao Dosti Karein (FAB) , an innovative platform premised on fostering cross-border friendships between Indians and Pakistanis through story-telling, social media content generation & dissemination, and real-time interactions with people across both countries.

Spanning two days (10-11th March, 2015), Chintan visited the Faculty in Baroda, a small but culturally vibrant town in central Gujarat, known for being multicultural and cosmopolitan. The purpose was to sensitize budding media professionals about concepts like peace journalism, social media in peace building, and content creation through digital citizenship. Speaking about the significance of such an exposure for media students, Dr. Niti Chopra, Officiating Dean of the Faculty said, “It is relevant for media students to be able to engage intellectually with significant issues of their time. Indo-Pak relations have always borne a delicate edge. But journalists, with their power to negotiate change through ideations and projections in their writings and other media manifestations can effectively help to manage and change stereotypical mind sets. Interactive workshops such as these lead to eye- opening exposure which ultimately veers students’ towards alternative lines of thinking and realisations.” In her view, a global, digital and culturally intertwined future albeit with dangers of a strife torn scenario, would require these students to plug into their work in a major way, endeavours towards peace building.

Given the growing presence of new media tools and platforms and their role in information sharing, the workshop facilitated knowledge of important concepts through innovative on-field activities and transmitted requisite skills for students to pursue options quite different from those available in mainstream media.

So what did the students undertake as part of the workshop? Quite a varied and interesting set of activities that included:

• Learning about media’s role in creating and furthering stereotypes
• Conducting surveys about prevalent attitudes towards Pakistan among Indians
• Art activities and problem solving tasks devised around peace
• Preparing and presenting skits on peace building
• Watching short films on people to people contact in the Indo-Pak context
• Exploring existing social media peace initiatives between India and Pakistan

According to Chintan, “The growing interest in peace journalism comes from recognizing that media persons have, in many cases, created or instigated or exaggerated conflict instead of keeping their focus on reporting it. If media folks put their mind to it, they can be tremendously influential as peace builders. Journalists and other kinds of media makers need to radically rethink their priorities if they would like to be peace builders. For example, they will have to stop reporting on an India-Pakistan cricket match like a war. Or they will have to start reporting on India-Pakistan issues from a humanitarian perspective in addition to a national security perspective.”

During the workshop, students were shown films like Nina Sabnani’s ‘Mukand and Riaz’ and Supriyo Sen’s ‘Wagah’. They were also introduced to the work of other peace building initiatives between India and Pakistan such as Aman ki Asha, Aaghaz-e-Dosti, Building Peace Project and India loves Pakistan. What was important was students were allowed to explore different ideas of peace. Their learning, which otherwise may be dominated by classroom teaching, was let loose as they were sent out to explore ground realities by talking to people at the most common of places – railway stations, markets, cafes and the university campus.

Chintan shared that he enjoyed the workshop experience primarily because of the students’ enthusiasm to learn, to ask questions and to face challenges in the form of group tasks allotted to them. At the end of two days, they warmed up to the idea of peace journalism and were sensitized to thinking about how as future media practitioners they could do their bit for India-Pakistan peace.

The students had a similar story to tell. The workshop has set them thinking on many aspects of journalism, peace, Pakistan and their own perceptions about the ‘other’. All of them are abuzz with excitement about the projects they have undertaken post workshop.

For Kaushani Sen, the workshop was no less than a lifetime experience. She speaks with hope, “This workshop has changed me as a person, the way I perceived Pakistan, also the dynamics of media in respect to peace building or conflict resolution strategies. It made me a responsible citizen and somewhere enlightened the fire within me to visit Pakistan someday.” She affirms that the next time she hears anything negative about Pakistan, she will make an attempt to reason and talk to that person and let them know an alternative way of thought. Her friend Aparna Upadhyay felt it was interesting to talk to strangers about Pakistan and understand their point of views which in a way, have been shaped by the media over the years. As students are working on unique project proposals for promoting peace and friendship between the two countries, Aparna is excited about infusing this experience into the research project that she will be taking up in the next semester.

What Manish Yadav liked was the interactive nature of the workshop and that each one of them was participating through their original inputs. He now feels determined to not place blind belief on what media and other information sources tell him about Pakistan. Empathizing with his friends across the border, he says, “Pakistanis too are victims of terrorism. Instead of spewing hatred we should all be one in the fight against terror and violence perpetrated in the name of religion.” He wants to be a travel journalist, visit Pakistan, explore its natural beauty, talk to people, know more about their food, culture, life style, and bring forth the positive aspects of Pakistan. He also wants to run a Skype centre where people from India and Pakistan can talk to each other without restrictions to share their lives and build lasting friendships.

Aman Chhabra narrates a personal nostalgia since his maternal grandmother came from Lahore and had to leave the city during partition violence. “I have this wish of visiting Pakistan as my grandmother was just about five years old when her family had to leave Lahore and come to Delhi. I have read about the immense pain and agony that people underwent during the partition, and have always wondered why! In that sense, it was exhilarating to know that platforms such as friendshipsacrossborders.org are doing some wonderful work to promote peace between the two countries.” Though he himself doesn’t think negatively of Pakistanis, he knows many who do. That is why he feels it is essential to work to alter misconceptions and stereotypes about the ‘other’. His mother too, he says has a desire to visit Lahore, recalling a line from the movie Filmistaan (2014) – “Jine Lahore na dekhya ohne kuch na dekhya” (The one who hasn’t seen Lahore, hasn’t seen anything). 

The process of sensitization that has begun for students through this workshop will open them up to new and innovative thought processes. They have been given assignments to work with, on themes of ‘positive peace’, ‘negative peace’ and have submitted proposals with a scope to encompass different themes such as comparing the food, architecture, fashion and other cultural aspects of both countries. Project proposals include a range of ideas including use of mobile applications, tweeting about positive memories from the past, websites that promote friendship, a food blog and an online portal for games. Many among the students have also started pitching actively on FAB’s Facebook page and have shown a keen interest in contributing to other similar initiatives on social media. 

Dr. Chopra perhaps sums this entire experience in the best way, “There is no doubt about the fact that the deep imprint left on their minds and the internalisation of the spirit of “doing something” after going through the workshop will make these students remember and transfer to their work as professionals in the media - an inclusive approach - which would manifest in a positive way and help bridge and heal the divide and hurt between India and Pakistan.” What the students have indeed achieved through Making Media, Building Peace is not being guided to peace, but charting their own way to it. 

Nidhi Shendurnikar-Tere is an independent researcher with interests in politics, gender, peace and popular culture. She has been a former UGC fellow at The Dept. of Political Science, The M.S. University of Baroda, Gujarat. She has recently submitted a PhD thesis in Political Science and is a team member with Friendships Across Borders: Aao Dosti Karein
She blogs at http://www.68pagesofmylife.blogspot.com and tweets at @mailtonidhi

Written by Nidhi Shendurnikar-Tere and published on 15-April-2015 for the 'Sarhadpaar' campaign at Beyond Violence. 

Happy Birthday FAB

This little birthday note was written to celebrate the birthday of Friendships Across Borders: Aao Dosti Karein which completed an year of its existence on February 14, 2015. I have the privilege of associating with FAB as a core team member and volunteer. This is an outpour of my feelings for what I think is more than just a portal that uses stories to spread the power of friendship. Visit our newly launched website www.friendshipsacrossborders.org

Happy Birthday, FAB!

By Nidhi Shendurnikar

Celebrated FAB's birthday with a yummy strawberry cake

When I write Happy Birthday today ... On Valentines Day ... A day that is meant to celebrate the spirit of love, I wonder whom am I actually conveying this wish to. It is not to an individual, not to a group. It is my sincere and warm wish to an idea. To that idea of friendship, the seed for which was sown by a very dear friend and my brother Chintan Girish Modi in Mumbai on February 14 exactly a year ago. Why did he choose this particular day to gift this idea to the world? I think it was because more than mere love, this day symbolizes a feeling of wanting to develop new bonds, forge new connections and let go off one's prejudices that one often holds against people. It was a unique idea that was launched this day last year because it defied the boundaries set by conventional ideas of love ... The love between two enemy nations, love between people who find it difficult to cross the border to meet each other, love between people who probably have never met each other and know that it will be a difficult task to meet in this lifetime. It was on February 14 that Friendships Across Borders: Aao Dosti Karein FAB) was born and I have had the fortune of associating with it since its inception. Today, on FAB's birthday I feel beam with pride and my conviction in the cause of India-Pakistan peace stands strengthened.

There are so many groups working for India-Pakistan peace. So what is new and unique about FAB? I was attracted to FAB because it was built around the premise of sharing stories. Stories of friendship, love and bonding between Indians and Pakistanis. Before being introduced to the idea of peace between India and Pakistan, it was difficult for me to accept the fact that Indians and Pakistanis could ever be friends, that they could share something as special as a friendship. How can two perpetual enemies be friends? All stereotypes, misconceptions and prejudices were to be gradually shattered as FAB entered into my life. There was something so special about it that one could not resist visiting the page and read about simple, ordinary but moving tales of friendships between Indians and Pakistanis. The best thing about FAB is its innovative streak and the fact that it does not attempt to be preachy about issues of peace. What is put forward as content is so delightful that reading it is an interesting exercise even for those who may be are not convinced about the idea of Indo-Pak friendship. Throughout the year, I have keenly followed all stories published on FAB and have seen the friendship community grow from strength to strength. Every time, I open up the FAB page, it inspires me through its novel approach to the idea of friendship. There is so much more to explore and learn each time, that I keep wanting more!

A simple idea, a simple thought can transform into something so productive and substantive with immense power for transformation. This is what FAB has done in the first year of its life. So much in love with FAB, I wrote a story about my friendship with my lifetime partner in peace ... Sehr Nisar, from Pakistan. This story has been read and appreciated by many, has been translated into Gujarati and Marathi and is waiting to be translated into many other languages. I felt there could be no apt forum to let the world know of my friendship with Sehr, than FAB. FAB will always remain special to me for many reasons, one being that I wrote my heart out about a friendship that I cherish.

While, personally I got to connect with FAB, academically as part of my doctoral thesis, I made an attempt to study its activities and content. Apart from being engaged in dissemination of friendship stories, FAB is also carrying out many on ground activities to address stereotypes. prejudices and hostilities. Any initiative can deliver results only if it is taken to people on the ground. FAB is doing exactly that and in the coming year, I dearly wish that its message spreads far and wide. 

With stories at the centre, the idea of user generated content is also exciting and will take a unique shape in times to come as more and more people join FAB and are actively contributing to its evolution. The personal and emotional connect that FAB offers is what makes it stand out. It encompasses personal, heart touching experiences which would be common place for people who have friends across the border. Forums like FAB are best for the younger lot in both countries seeking to engage with each other in ways apart from those offered by media, history text books and nationalist discourses. 

On this birthday, I wish for more and more young people to join this wonderful initiative, spread the power and love of friendship and share their stories on this forum. There is nothing more important than building and cherishing friendships in a world full of hostility and violence. Friendships are close to the heart. You feel you can lean back on them when you are drained, tired, distraught and dejected. I feel like I can lean back on FAB whenever I feel down and disillusioned by the hate, enmity and conflicts around me. I can drown myself in the power of friendship, be consumed by it and also inspire others to be a part of this process.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY FAB, wish you many more to come. Prosper, celebrate, flourish and spread peace :)

Nidhi and Sehr - Friendship Story on FAB in Gujarati

FAB Story #11: The Dawn of a Special Friendship (Gujarati)

નવી મિત્રતાનું પ્રભાત

ફેબ્રુઆરી ૨૦૧૪ની આ વાત છે. મને રેડ એલિફન્ટ ફાઉંડેશન તરફથી કીર્તિ જયકુમારની એક ઈ-મેઈલ મળી અને મારા આનંદનો પાર ન રહ્યો. તે ઈ-મેઈલમાં ૨૦૧૪-૧૫ દરમિયાન ભારત અને પાકિસ્તાન વચ્ચે યોજાનારા ‘બિલ્ડીંગ પિસ પ્રોજેક્ટ’ (શાંતિ સ્થાપના પ્રોજેક્ટ) માટે મારી પસંદગી કરવામાં આવી હોવાનું જણાવવામાં આવ્યું હતું. નવા સંચાર માધ્યમોના ઉપયોગ દ્વારા આ બંને દેશોના લોકોને એકબીજા સાથે જોડવાના નવતર પ્રયોગની આ એક શરૂઆત હતી. મેં મારા પી.એચ.ડી. થિસિસ માટે  જ્યારથી ભારત-પાકિસ્તાન વચ્ચેના વિખવાદ અને તેમાં મીડિયાની ભૂમિકા અંગેના વિષય પર અભ્યાસ કરવાનું શરૂ કર્યું હતું, ત્યારથી જ હું સીમા પારના ઘણા લોકો સાથે સંપર્કમાં હતી અને મને ત્યારથી જ આ સીમા પારની મૈત્રીની હૂંફ અને ઉદારતાનો અનુભવ થવા લાગ્યો હતો. આમ છતાં, જે મને ખરા અર્થમાં પાકિસ્તાનનો પરિચય કરાવી શકે અને પાકિસ્તાન વિશે મેં ક્યારેય ન જાણ્યું હોય, તેવી માહિતી આપી શકે, તેવી કોઈ વ્યક્તિ સાથે સતત લાંબા સહવાસ અને સંપર્કની મને જરૂર વર્તાતી હતી. મારા રોજના શૈક્ષણિક કાર્યક્ષેત્ર અને બૌદ્ધિક દાયરામાંથી બહાર આવીને મારે કંઈક અલગ કરવું હતું અને શાંતિ અંગેના મારા વિચારો સાથે તાલમેળ ધરાવતા હોય, તેવા જ વિચારોવાળી કોઈ વ્યક્તિ સાથે દોસ્તીનો એક સુંદર અનુભવ લેવો હતો. કીર્તિએ જયારે મને જણાવ્યું કે શાંતિ સ્થાપવાના આ પ્રોજેક્ટમાં મારી પાર્ટનર સેહર નિસાર છે, ત્યારે હું ખૂબ ખુશ થઈ ગઈ. આ પ્રોજેક્ટ અંતર્ગત અમારે બંનેએ શાંતિ સ્થાપન માટેના કામમાં પ્રવૃત્ત રહેવાનું હતું.

સેહર એ લાહોર યુનીવર્સીટી ઓફ મેનેજમેન્ટ સાયન્સિઝ (LUMS)ની વિદ્યાર્થિની છે. આ પ્રોજેક્ટની શરૂઆતથી જ તેણે મારા હૃદયમાં એક વિશેષ સ્થાન બનાવી લીધું છે. તેની સાથે ઓળખાણ થયા બાદ મારો એક પણ દિવસ એવો નથી ગયો, જે દિવસે મેં તેને ભાવથી યાદ ન કરી હોય. આજ દિન સુધી અમે રૂબરૂ એકબીજાને ક્યારેય મળ્યાં નથી, તેમ છતાં, આ પ્રોજેક્ટના લીધે અમારા સતતના સંપર્ક, ફેસબુક પરની વાતચીત અને સ્કાઈપ પરના વિડીયો ચેટિંગ સેશન્સના કારણે સેહર મારી જિંદગીનો એક મહત્વનો હિસ્સો બની ગઈ છે અને અમને બંનેને વિશ્વાસ છે કે અમારી આ મિત્રતા જીવનભર ટકશે. એકબીજાના શત્રુ તરીકે ઓળખાતા દેશોની બે વ્યક્તિ જાણે શાંતિના બીજ રોપવા નીકળી હોય, તે પ્રકારે અમારી વચ્ચે વાતચીતની શરૂઆત થઈ હતી. જે દિવસે અમે અમારા પ્રોજેક્ટ માટે એકબીજા સાથે ઔપચારિક વાતચીત શરૂ કરી, તે દિવસે જ સેહરે મને જણાવી દીધું હતું કે તે મને ‘આપા’(બહેન) કહીને સંબોધશે. હું હોંશે હોંશે તેની આ વાત સાથે સંમત થઈ ગઈ, કારણકે આજ દિન સુધી મને ‘દીદી’, ‘તાઈ’ કે ‘બહેન’ (હિન્દી, મરાઠી અને ગુજરાતી ભાષામાં ‘બહેન’ કહેવા માટે વપરાતા શબ્દો) કહેનારાં તો ઘણાં મળ્યાં હતાં, પણ ‘આપા’ (ઉર્દૂ ભાષામાં) કહેનારું કોઈ નહોતું. અલગઅલગ ભાષામાં ‘બહેન’ તરીકે સૌ મને જે પ્રેમથી બોલાવતાં, તે જોતાં આ ‘આપા’ શબ્દ પણ જાણે મારા માટે ખાસ બનાવવામાં આવ્યો હોય, તેમ મને લાગ્યું. બસ, તે દિવસથી હું સેહર માટે તેની ‘નિધિ આપા’ બની ગઈ છું.

‘સેહર’નો અર્થ થાય છે પ્રભાત. આમ જુઓ, તો આ સેહરે મને જીવનમાં દોસ્તી અને હૂંફાળા સંબંધોનો નવો અર્થ સમજાવ્યો છે. બંને દેશોના વિવાદાસ્પદ સંબંધો અંગે અને તેમની વચ્ચે શાંતિ સ્થપાય, તેવી શક્યતાઓ અંગે અમે વાતો કરવા બેસીએ, ત્યારે તેનો કદી અંત આવતો નથી. આ બે દેશ વચ્ચેની દુશ્મનાવટ અને વિવાદના આ વાતાવરણમાં અમે બંને કઈ રીતે શાંતિ અને સુમેળભર્યું વાતાવરણ ઊભું કરવામાં કંઈક યોગદાન આપી શકીએ, તેના વિવિધ ઉપાયો વિશે ક્યારેક અમે ચર્ચા કરી છે. વળી, ક્યારેક અમારી પોતાની વ્યક્તિગત ઇચ્છાઓ વિશે પણ એકબીજાને જણાવ્યું છે. ભલે કોઈ તેને વર્ચ્યુઅલ કે આભાસી કહે, પણ એ હકીકત છે કે આજે અમે ઈન્ટરનેટ દ્વારા એકબીજાની જિંદગીનો હિસ્સો બની ચૂક્યાં છીએ. તેનું પરિણામ એ આવ્યું છે કે આજે અમને બંનેને એ વાત સમજાઈ ગઈ છે કે સાચી દોસ્તીમાં કંઈ બે દેશ વચ્ચેની સીમા નડતરરૂપ બનતી નથી. ક્યારેક ટેકનોલોજીકલ તકલીફના કારણે તો ક્યારેક સમયના અભાવ કે અન્ય જવાબદારીઓના કારણે અમારા સંવાદમાં અડચણો પણ આવતી રહી છે. આમ છતાં, ભારત અને પાકિસ્તાન બંનેને સ્પર્શતા હોય, તેવા દરેક મુદ્દાઓ પર અમે અમારા વિચારો એકબીજાને જણાવવાનું ક્યારેય ચૂકતાં નથી. બંને દેશ વચ્ચેના વિવાદ અને શાંતિને સ્પર્શતા અમારા વિચારોની આ આપ-લે  હવે તો એક અર્થપૂર્ણ વાર્તાલાપમાં પરિવર્તિત થઈ ચૂકી છે અને શાંતિમય વાતાવરણ વિકસાવવાના પ્રયાસોના આ સમયગાળા દરમિયાન અમે જે બ્લોગ (www.nidhiandsehr.blogspot.com) લખતાં રહ્યાં, તે બ્લોગમાં એક મહત્વપૂર્ણ દસ્તાવેજ બનીને સચવાઈ ગઈ છે. અમે બંને એ વાતનો ખાસ ખ્યાલ રાખીએ છીએ કે અમે બંને દેશો સાથે સંકળાયેલા દરેક સળગતા મુદ્દા પર એકબીજાનો દ્રષ્ટિકોણ જાણતાં રહીએ અને જેની પર સામસામી ચર્ચાઓ કરી શકાય, તેવા મુદ્દાઓ પર તો ખાસ વાદ-સંવાદ સાધીએ, જેથી અમે ખરેખર શાંતિભર્યું વાતાવરણ ઊભું કરવાની દિશામાં એક કદમ આગળ વધી શકીએ.

ઘણી વાર એવું પણ બન્યું છે કે મારી આ દોસ્ત સાથેની મારી આ વર્ચ્યુઅલ દોસ્તીને ઈન્ટરનેટના માધ્યમમાંથી બહાર કાઢીને ઓફ લાઈન દોસ્તી સુધી આગળ વધારવાની મને તાતી જરૂર વર્તાઈ હોય. હું તીવ્રપણે ઈચ્છું છું કે ભવિષ્યમાં હું તેમ કરી શકું. ઘરમાં કોઈ તહેવાર ઉજવાતો હોય, ‘ઝી ઝિંદગી’  નામની ચેનલ પર પાકિસ્તાની નાટક રજૂ થતું હોય, ત્યારે અને ખાસ તો મેં ‘ફિલ્મીસ્તાન’ ફિલ્મ જોઈ, ત્યારે તો મને સતત એવી લાગણી થતી રહી છે કે કાશ, હું અને સેહર આ બધા સમયે સાથે હોત, તો અમારી દોસ્તીને ખરા અર્થમાં માણી શકત અને દુનિયાની સમક્ષ એક દાખલો બેસાડત કે કઈ રીતે અલગઅલગ દેશની બે વ્યક્તિઓ તેમના દેશની સીમારેખાઓને બાજુ પર રાખીને ખરી દોસ્તી નિભાવી શકે છે. અમારી આ દોસ્તી હવે એટલી ગાઢ બની ગઈ છે કે હું જે પણ કરું, -કંઈક લખું, કંઈક નવું અનુભવું, કોઈ નવી ફિલ્મ જોઉં કે ક્યાંક ડિનર લેવા જતી હોઉં,- પહેલાં તો હું દોડીને સેહરને આ બધું જણાવવા માટે વોઈસ નોટ મોકલવા બેસી જાઉં છું. તેની પાછળનું કારણ એ છે કે તે મારા જીવનમાં કેટલી મહત્વની વ્યક્તિ બની ગઈ છે, તે તેને જણાવવા હું ખૂબ આતુર રહું છું!

ભારત અને પાકિસ્તાન વિશે એકબીજા સાથે વાતો કરતાં અમને બંનેને એક વાત સમજાઈ ગઈ છે કે મિત્રતાભર્યા સંબંધો કેળવવા માટે એ જરૂરી નથી કે અમે બંને સાવ સરખી જ વિચારસરણી ધરાવતાં હોઈએ. જરૂર તો માત્ર એ જ છે કે અમે એકબીજાની વાતને ધ્યાનપૂર્વક સાંભળીએ. આ એક સિધ્ધાંતના પાયા પર જ અમે અમારી વાતચીત કરતાં રહ્યાં છીએ. સેહર મને પાકિસ્તાન વિશે, ત્યાંના અઢળક કુદરતી સૌંદર્ય વિશે, તેનાં કુટુંબ, યુનીવર્સીટી અને તેની ભવિષ્ય અંગેની યોજનાઓ વિશે જે પણ જણાવવા ઇચ્છે, તે સાંભળવામાં હું ખાસ રસ લઉં છું. તેના હાથનાં હુન્નર અને કળા મને ખૂબ પસંદ આવ્યાં છે અને હું હંમેશાં તેનાં વખાણ કરતી રહું છું. આટલી નાની ઉંમરે તે જે પરિપક્વતા બતાવે છે અને મારા અને તેના વિચારો તદ્દન વિરુદ્ધ હોય, ત્યારે પણ મારી વાતને ધ્યાનપૂર્વક સાંભળવાની જે ધીરજ બતાવે છે, તે પણ મને ખૂબ પ્રશંસનીય બાબત લાગે છે.

વળી, ભારત વિશે વધુને વધુ માહિતી મેળવવાની તેની જિજ્ઞાસાથી મને ક્યારેક આશ્ચર્ય થાય છે, પણ તેની આ જિજ્ઞાસાના કારણે હું પણ મારા દેશને વધુ સારી રીતે ઓળખવા લાગી છું. શિક્ષણ, રાજકારણ, લોકશાહી અને ધર્મ વિશે એકબીજાના વિચારો જાણ્યા બાદ આ મને બધા જટિલ મુદ્દાઓ અંગેના મારા વિચારો પર ફેરવિચારણા કરવાની આવશ્યકતા જણાય છે. હું જાણું છું કે હું તો મારું હૈયું ઉલેચીને મારા બધા જ વિચારો તેને કહી શકીશ અને તે મારી વાત સાથે સંમત નહીં હોય, તો પણ મારી વાત સાંભળવા સામે તે કોઈ વાંધો-વિરોધ નહીં ઉઠાવે. તે મને ધીરજપૂર્વક સાંભળશે જ અને પાકિસ્તાન વિશે હું તેને સતત સવાલો કરતી રહું, તો તે બધા સવાલોના જવાબ આપતી રહેશે.

હું અગાઉ પાકિસ્તાન વિશે ખાસ જાણકારી ધરાવતી નહોતી, પણ સેહરે મને પાકિસ્તાનના ઐતિહાસિક અને સાંસ્કૃતિક વારસાનો સુંદર પરિચય આપ્યો છે. હવે ક્યારેક મને તેના વતન લારકના જવાની ઇચ્છા થાય છે અને ક્યારેક હું જ્યાં રહું છું, તે વડોદરા શહેરમાં તેને બોલાવવાની ઇચ્છા થાય છે. હું એવું પણ ઝંખું છું કે હું તેની સાથે અહીં કોઈક ફિલ્મ જોવા જાઉં અથવા તો તેને ગુજરાતી વાનગીઓની મજા ચખાડું. બસ, ત્યારે અમારી વચ્ચે બે દુશ્મન દેશોની દુશ્મનીનો કોઈ બોજ નહીં હોય. અમને બંનેને એકબીજાની નજીક લાવનાર તો આ શાંતિ સ્થાપનાનો પ્રોજેક્ટ જ છે અને આ પ્રોજેક્ટ પ્રત્યેની અમારી સમર્પિતતા પર જ આવનારા દિવસોમાં અમારી દોસ્તી કયા માર્ગે આગળ જશે, તેનો આધાર રહેલો છે. સેહર મને હંમેશાં કહે છે કે તને જે ગમે, તે મને પણ ગમે. બંને દેશો શાંતિની મંઝિલ સુધી પહોંચે, તે માટે અમે જે યાત્રા આદરી છે, તેમાં અમારી દોસ્તીનું રોજ એક નવું પ્રકરણ ઉમેરાતું રહે છે અને હું માનું છું કે જીવનપર્યંત ટકે, તેવી મજબૂત દોસ્તીની આ તો માત્ર શરૂઆત છે.

લેખક વિશે બે શબ્દો: નિધિ શેન્દૂર્નીકર-તેરે ભારતની વડોદરાસ્થિત મહારાજા સયાજીરાવ યુનીવર્સીટીના પોલિટીકલ સાયન્સ ડીપાર્ટમેન્ટ પી.એચ.ડી. કરી રહેલાં વિદ્યાર્થિની છે. ભારત-પાકિસ્તાન વચ્ચેના વિવાદમાં અંગ્રેજી પ્રેસ અને નવાં સંચાર માધ્યમોની ભૂમિકા - તે તેમના સંશોધન અંગેનો વિષય છે.

About the Translator:

Mrs. Khyati Keyur Kharod is an experienced translator and has worked with various faculties of M S University, India and Wisconsin University, US. Her inclination towards languages made her choose translation as her profession. She has also been working with R R Sheth Publishers for the last three years. Moreover, she is also a part of the think tank called Spark Academy, in Surat, which works for the multifaceted development of children.

Teenage Indo-Pak Peace Agents

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Khushboo Danish and Arsh Arora: "We believe peace is possible"

A pair of teenagers from India and Pakistan talk about a project that began when they realised the commonalities and resolved to work out differences
By Nidhi Shendurnikar-Tere

“We believe peace is possible,” say Arsh Arora and Khushboo Danish when asked about India-Pakistan relations. The two teenage students study at St. Mark’s Senior Secondary Public school in Delhi, India and The City School Bhit Shah (TCSB), Sindh, Pakistan respectively. Having been a part of Aman ki Asha, as their Facebook page notes, they are pioneering collaborators for a new initiative called the Indo-Pak Peace Project (IPP) launched in September 2014 (email: indopakpeaceproject@gmail.com). Here, they share their vision for the project and ideas for a peaceful future between India and Pakistan.

How did the Indo-Pak peace project commence? How did you connect with each other?

Arsh Arora (AA): I connected with Khushboo on the Face To Faith online community platform. Initially, we argued more than we chatted. It took time to realize that this was not serving any purpose. Someone had to take the initiative to stop arguing. This is when I thought I should take the lead in talking about promoting peace between the two nations. Khushboo agreed and this is how the Indo-Pak peace project started.

Khushboo Danish (KD): Having started our interaction at an online community platform that had students from across the globe, myself and Arsh discussed issues and crisis faced by both countries. We realised that the issues were common, the thinking process was like-minded. I saw it as a great opportunity to collaborate for peace. I did not wish to let this go as another Indo-Pak argument over who is superior. The project started the moment we paid attention to commonalities and resolved to work out our differences.

Why only India-Pakistan and why peace? What got you motivated?

India Pakistan Peace Project: students participate in a video conference

AA: Whenever I watched news channels, read newspapers and surfed social networking websites, statements like “Ceasefire violations are taking place on the border, India cancels talks with Pakistan, Pakistan warns India of a nuclear war” disturbed me. How can two countries that share much more than a border … share religion, culture, festivals, values and people’s aspirations, not live and let live in peace? I questioned the rationale of connecting with the entire world, while letting hostility flourish with one’s neighbour. That is when I decided to work for peace.

KD: I experienced an inner passion and enthusiasm for peace. Despite the division of the Indian sub-continent into India and Pakistan, look at what we share. So much! Our history, culture and moreover our people! I was amazed to learn from my grandparents how during the partition people helped and saved each other’s lives. I realised peace is still possible. However, much of the young population in both countries is engrossed in negativity and hatred. This negative atmosphere is an obstacle in the way of our progress. I wanted to work with young peace makers because I believe they can change the fate of the two nations. That is why I am in the project.

Tell us about your project activities. How do you manage to work for peace during trying circumstances?

AA: Since the project launch we have been fortunate to receive support from both the schools. We are also being supported by peace organizations such as One Life Alliance, World Peace through Pilgrimages, Life Talkies and Peaceful Earth Foundation. Well-known peace activists like Chintan Girish Modi and Yogesh Ravindra Mathuria have also whole-heartedly supported IPP. After the project launch, we celebrated peace day and UN week. In November 2014, e conducted a video conference between school students from both sides. We also organized an event in remembrance of the victims of Peshawar attack to express our solidarity with Pakistan.

KD: We have organized activities like Pen for Peace, Art for Peace, Music for Peace, slogan competition in our school. During the video conference, we had Pakistani students singing songs and Indian students reciting poems. Our peace events were shortlisted in the category of ‘Best Dialogue With Difference’ in the Peace One Day competition. We remain unshaken during trying circumstances. Our faith in the project and its aims only strengthens with support from those who encourage us.

What are your plans to involve more students and young people from India and Pakistan in the project?

Pakistani students: sharing views on FM radio

AA: We have an impressive presence on social media (Facebook and Twitter). The Face to Faith online community enables us to connect with students from across the globe. To get more people involved, we aim to network with more schools in both countries and raise awareness about the project through increased on ground activities. We are also looking forward to an exchange visit between students of St. Mark’s and TCSB in the near future to deepen existing bonds of friendship.

KD: Credit for the project’s initial success lies totally with our schools and our teachers … Geeta Rajan and Danish Jatoi. They have led us with immense faith. I also wish to commend the students who enthusiastically participated in our activities. This shows that educational institutions in both countries have potential to promote peace. We plan to build and shape student teams from our schools as well as other schools in India and Pakistan. The idea is to take peace to local communities through education.

Do you visualize the project as part of a larger peace effort?

AA: Definitely. Apart from our respective schools, we have received support letters from many peace organizations. Eventually, I see IPP scaling up to take the shape of a larger peace movement. I feel delighted when students come to me and ask how they can contribute to the project. This is the change that I wish to see.

KD: We are in the process of connecting with peace activists, youth groups and NGOs from both sides. We want to bring India and Pakistan closer and anyone who shares this aspiration is warmly welcome to be a part of IPP.

What difficulties did you encounter while working on the project? Is peace achievable in the near future?

IPPP: Music for peace

AA: I was advised by many to stall this project as it could be dangerous for me. I was questioned about favouring Pakistan. My only response was that nothing can ever be gained by reinforcing negativity. I am hopeful about peace. I have faith that the youth of both countries will make it easier to achieve peace.

KD: Many times, I have been surrounded by negative and discouraging comments. There have also been concerns of safety due to political issues and constant tensions between the two nations. But that has not stopped me from my work in IPP.

How does your family, school and community view your role as peace makers?

AA: My family is proud of my role as a change maker. When I discuss positive aspects of Indo-Pak relations with them, they beam with hope. In school, my classmates call me the ‘Indo-Pak Peace Agent’. The support from school teachers and the principal throughout has been invaluable. It is something that other schools can emulate.

KD: I am overwhelmed with the support I received from my family, my father and school. My school mates have been extremely cooperative in project events. Their supportive reflections and continued enthusiasm is a major force behind the project’s endeavours.

Your message to peace builders in India and Pakistan

AA: Let’s dream of a world where there is no destruction, no loss of lives and no bloodshed. Let there be prosperity in South Asia. This is possible only through India-Pakistan peace and cooperation.

KD: Do not be scared. Be strong. We have to counter challenges and achieve milestones together. We are together in the long cherished dream of harnessing the talent, intellect, spirit and dedication of the people of India and Pakistan for a peaceful South Asia.

The writer recently submitted a PhD Thesis in Political Science at the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda. She is a Peace-Building Fellow with The Red Elephant Foundation. Email:mailtonidhi12@gmail.com