Provincial Minister for Human Rights and Minorities Affairs Khalil Tahir Sandhu said that peace and security were basic human rights and that social media was the most effective communication tool to foster positive change in society’s younger generations, engaging Pakistani interfaith communities and promoting sustainable peace and security in the country.
He stated this while addressing an introductory seminar on ‘Engaging Pakistani Interfaith Communities’, a joint project of the Formation Awareness and Community Empowerment Society (FACES) and Kingdom of the Netherlands to be launched next week and adopted by the Kinnaird College for Women (KCW).
KCW Principal Dr Rukhsana David, FACES President Javed William, Secretary General Elaine Alam, International Human Rights activists Rafia Alam and Aron Kumar, along with college students and teachers were present on the occasion.
The participants of the seminar expressed their grief over the death of the victims of recent terrorist attacks in the country and observed a minute of silence in their memory.
The minister said that social media networks including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube had empowered people to unite and fight corruption and other societal issues, including extremism and terrorism.
Sandhu said that the need for non-discriminatory and united efforts had increased in the present security situation. “Our youth is a powerful force for change and their activism in on the rise, communicating ideas aimed at catalysing positivity in society,” he added.
Principal Dr Rukhsana David said that Kinnaird College had worked on more than 400 social actions to help make people aware of their basic rights and that it was an honour for the college that the FACES’ project had been assigned to them.
FACES President Javed William said that EPIC has been designed to promote religious harmony, tolerance and peace through social media engagements along with street theatres to interact with laymen of different faiths.
The human rights activists Rafia Alam and Aron Kumar stressed upon the need to observe and implement UN resolutions and international laws to safeguard basic human rights in the country in line with articles 9 and 25 of Pakistan’s constitution.
