The Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) conducted the ninth two-day PACE Collaborative workshops and debates for university students, on October 13-14, 2020, in Chitral. The workshop was held at University of Chitral, Chitral. This was the first physical event that was organized after the reopening of educational institutions in Pakistan. The event was organized under the umbrella of the Pakistan Center of Excellence (PACE), a counter-radicalization and pluralistic values’ focused project, in collaboration with the Dutch Government.
The participants included the students of the University of Chitral with a total participation of 130 students. The Project Director, Prof. Dr. Badshah Munir Bukhari opened the session with a thank you note to PACE team and welcomed them in Chitral. He said that it is a great opportunity for the students to come together on a platform like this and take part in learning new things and unlearning preconceived notions. The program provides for an environment suitable for critical thinking and being a student you should be confident enough to question your teachers and elders instead of accepting whatever they pass on to you.
A total of four sessions were conducted on different thematic areas. On day 1, Ms. Shagufta Gul spoke on ‘Fundamental of Human Rights’; Ms. Sameena Imtiaz shared her views on ‘Encouraging Tolerance and Social Cohesion’; and Mr. Saddam Hussein delivered a session on ‘Leadership and Motivation’. On day 2, Ms. Shagufta Gul had another session on ‘Peace Building and Conflict Resolution. The students attended all the session and appreciated the knowledge imparted during the sessions. They were of the view that such sessions should be considered more often because it encourages them to come up with the questions they cannot ask or inquire about in normal routine.
A case study video of Ms. Uzma Sher (a former PACE participant) was also recorded in which she shared her experience of attending the workshops organized by PACE and how it impacted her life. She also shared that after joining teaching, she also tries to share the knowledge with her students acquired during PACE workshops.
A focused group discussion (FGD) was held with students to know about their concerns and requirements being youth. Various themes were discussed during the session and students shared their views and needs in terms of trainings and seminars.
