The 97th radio program as part of the Center for Research and Security Studies’ (CRSS) counter-radicalization initiative Ulasi Taroon (Social Cohesion) was aired on December 06, 2019, on the topic of “Youth Development and Critical Thinking”. The guests were of the view that developing critical thinking skills of youth is the fundamental requirement for their role in the national development. The first guest on show, Mr. Amjad Hussain, Lecturer, Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Peshawar opined that critical thinking is such a skill through which we can distinguish between good and bad and have an informed opinion. It is the most important skill that the young people can ever have as it allows them to deal with formidable real life challenges; having been capable of complex problem solving. The educational institutions should be cognizant of this critical need and inculcate in their teaching methods as well, to create a critical mass of youth. Lack of critical thinking is poisonous to the system and highly conducive to conflicts and disintegration. Our students should be encouraged to ask questions going beyond the ‘what’ aspect of the issues; asking and analyzing through ‘how’ and ‘why’ aspects. The learning resulting from this process will help them develop critical thinking skills and deal with the complex problems in real life situations. Critical thinking is one of the most misunderstood concepts and it should not be confused with criticism. We should also promote the culture of dialogue – embedded in the democratic values - in the society. The second guest on show, Ms. Umaima Zia, a student of International Relations from University of Peshawar, noted that critical thinking is as much an important soft skill as networking, communication, decision making, social intelligence and conflict management. Diversity is the beauty of any society that – if accepted and celebrated – nurtures critical thinking, whereas monotony in the society...

The 95th radio program as part of the Center for Research and Security Studies’ (CRSS) counter-radicalization initiative Ulasi Taroon (Social Cohesion) was aired on November 22, 2019, on the topic of “Values of Social Cohesion”. The first guest on show Mr. Umair Tayyab, from University of Peshawar said that social inclusion – one of the key values of social cohesion – means equal citizenry where every citizen feels to be an important member of the society and is given equal opportunities to participate in the decision making processes. Also everyone is entitled to equal fundamental rights – as enshrined in the constitution – without any discrimination at all. Marginalization of any group in the society makes them feel discouraged and disgraced which can lead to disastrous disintegration in the society. Inclusion demands that the differently abled people in the society are given ample opportunities to fully showcase and channelize their true potential. The state is responsible to provide job and equal education opportunities to all its citizens. Women empowerment is crucial for national development where the role of male counterparts is very critical; exhibiting more respect and understanding. Religious leaders are the vital actors to promote inclusion of disenfranchised groups in the society, he concluded. The second guest on show, Ms. Arzoo Khan, President, Transgender Community, termed social education of the society at large as the primary precondition for inclusion of marginalized segments in the society. The transgender community is deprived of their due rights which jeopardizes social cohesion. The exclusion of marginalized groups from the socio-political activities and decision making processes leads conflicts and only furthers polarization. The transgender community deserves equal opportunities for social mobility, progress and to contribute and participate in the development processes including democratic and political. There is a huge onus on the society...

The 94th radio program as part of the Center for Research and Security Studies’ (CRSS) counter-radicalization initiative Ulasi Taroon (Social Cohesion) was aired on November 15, 2019, on the topic of “Inclusive Democracy and Social Cohesion”. Inclusive democracy is an established system in all the developed and progressive countries of the world where the decision making processes are inclusive of the minority and majority opinions. Here, all the democratic institutions observe their respective constitutional limits. The first guest on show, Ms. Shagufta Malik, Member of Provincial Assembly, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, noted that woman parliamentarians should be taken on board in the legislative matters and be included in the decisions making processes as a matter of inclusive policy making. This is also important in terms of gender focused reforms where the female parliamentarians can highlight the issues that concern the female populace the most, in the upper and lower houses. The second guest on show, Dr. Amir Raza from Department of Political Science, University of Peshawar, noted that its only through inclusive democracy that the country can leverage its true social potential and strengthen social cohesion. It is extremely essential to give an equal importance to both the majority and minority opinions and foster unity. This also means that the members in minority in the parliament should have an equal opportunity to participate in the policy making processes. They should be able to represent and highlight the concerns of their constituents through equal participation in the legislation. The guest on phone, Ms. Naeema Kishwar noted that inclusive democracy is about the social inclusion of the disenfranchised groups of the society. About Ulasi Taroon Ulasi Taroon is a counter radicalization initiative of Center for Research and Security Studies that aims to address the radicalization challenges, extremist ideologies and foster social cohesion through a discourse...

The 93rd radio program as part of the Center for Research and Security Studies’ (CRSS) counter-radicalization initiative Ulasi Taroon (Social Cohesion) was aired on November 08, 2019, on the topic of “Critical Thinking and Allama Iqbal's Vision”. The guests were of the opinion that critical thinking is about objective understanding of reality and it is being taught as an important academic discipline in the developed countries across the world. Allama Muhammad Iqbal’s vision for youth had their role as critical thinkers as the basis of self-realization and enlightenment. The first guest on the show, Mr. Bakht Zaman Yousufzai from the Department of Journalism, University of Peshawar said that everyone has some unique qualities where it is the responsibility of parents and academia to hone the talents and potential of youth. This includes cultivating them in the critical thinking perspectives. He explained that critical thinking is a prism to view the world, not based on some stereotypical ideas and subjective understanding but in a dispassionate, logical and evidence based manner. Its increases the openness to new ideas through both learning and unlearning. Promoting critical thinking among youth requires deconstruction of and challenging pre-conceived notions with logical analysis without any personal biases. Allama Iqbal’s poetry motivated youth to pursue a prosperous future, remain hopeful and recognize the importance of small determined steps. We must encourage the culture of dialogue anchored in critical discourse. The second guest on show, Ms. Antal Zia from Urdu Department, Benazir Bhutto Women University, Peshawar, opined that human beings are superior to all the other creators on the basis of their thinking and analytical skills. These problem solving skills enable them to better deal with socio-cultural and whole range of other issues. Sympathy and empathy are the most essential qualities of a critical thinker. Lacking these virtues may lead to negative...