The Insan Foundation Trust (IFT) in collaboration with Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) organised a competition of media products displaying messages on women rights, gender equality, peaceful coexistence and extremism at a local hotel on Saturday.
25 male and female students of media studies departments of five government universities in Punjab participated in the competition.
These universities include Lahore College for Women University (LCWU), Government College University (GCU) Faisalabad, University of Gujrat (UG), University of Sargodha (US) and Islamia University Bahawalpur (IUB). A penal of distinguished personalities representing national and international human rights and media organisations, civil society, rights activists, analysts and researchers earlier selected and finalised the products before their nomination for first, second and third prizes.
The first second and third prizes were in cash of Rs 50,000, 30,000 and 20,000 respectively. Media products presented in the competition were from among the categories of television commercials, public services messages, video documentaries, radio talk shows and drama skits. It was IUB that remained on the top while winning first prizes for categories including public service messages, radio talk shows and commercials. It also received also second prize drama skit and third prize for video documentary.
The LCWU was awarded with first prizes in drama and second prizes for TV commercial, radio talk show and video documentary, whereas GCU Faisalabad won first prize for video documentary and third prize for developing public service message in line with the above said theme and philosophy. Department of Media Studies University of Sargodha obtained third prize for radio talk show while this department in University of Gujrat won third prize in drama skits.
Departments of all the said universities were also awarded with shields and students with certificates of appreciations. The IFT, a national non-governmental organisation working with special focus on women and minorities rights and religious diversity, had launched a four-month campaign-based project “Informed Institutional Intervention” with all the said universities earlier in September 2011 for promoting peace, dignity, respect, equality, provide support and protect minorities and women in Pakistan.
Under the project 25 male and female students – five from each university -and one faculty member in a five-day training workshop were imparted with skills for developing productions that are not blind on women and minorities’ rights. Each of those universities was also given Rs 100,000 for developing those products.
The distinguished speakers, while expressing their views, urged the young generation particularly those from universities and colleges to strive hard for equal rights for all. They said the work of students was matchless particularly in terms of reminding them and making them realise the need of working together for elimination of anti women practices and religious intolerance in society.
Explaining the project, IFT Director Kishwar Sultana said it was to mainstream the universal values of gender equality and religious harmony in media studies departments, employing potential of youth in social transformation of skills and concepts of the values to sensitise communities for larger good specially religious tolerance and gender equality.
