The 83rd radio program as part of the Center for Research and Security Studies’ (CRSS) counter-radicalization initiative Ulasi Taroon (Social Cohesion) was aired on August 30, 2019, on the theme of “Soft Skills Development Among Youth”. The endeavor aimed to discuss how the education with some core values of humanity at the core can be the most inclusive form of education ever. The guests opined that there is a whole range of soft skills development options through formal, informal and even non-formal education and trainings opportunities. The first guest on show, Mr. Khalid Mehmood, one of the Ulasi Taroon Youth Capacity Building Workshop’s alumni and a student from the Department of Social Work, University of Peshawar, explained that a responsible citizen is one who is well aware of not only one’s own rights and responsibilities but also the law of the land; especially constitution and its core values of social peace. The key to successful conflict resolution is dialogue which has a proven problem solving potency no matter how big the issue. As a party to dialogue for conflict resolution, you must have the virtues of patience, tolerance and empathy and be able to understand and respect others opinions. We can change our story by celebrating our diversity and focusing on commonalities instead of letting differences deter our cohesion and collective vision. Also important is the propagation of positive messaging to delegitimize the extremist ideologies. The second guest on show, Ms. Ayesha Yousufzai, a student from the Department of Journalism, University of Peshawar, said that soft skills are an extremely essential contemporary requirement for our human capital development and these include but not limited to communication skills, problem solving, teamwork, gratitude, tolerance, leadership etc. Soft skills development is also very important for responsible citizenship and to expect all members of the society to play their role in national development and...

The 82nd radio program as part of the Center for Research and Security Studies’ (CRSS) counter-radicalization initiative Ulasi Taroon (Social Cohesion) was aired on August 23, 2019, on the theme of “Values-based Education and Social Cohesion”. The endeavor aimed to discuss how the education with some core values of humanity at the core can be the most inclusive form of education ever. The guests on show were of the view that there should be an extended focus on the development of social; values based education as well as provision of unified educational system irrespective of any differences of class, gender, age and culture as a key to promote social cohesion and national integration. The first guest on show, Mr. Jahangir Adil, Senior Instructor at Provincial Institute of Teachers Education (PITE), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, opined that the very basic purpose of education is to enable an individual to the extent where one can distinguish between good and bad as well as nourish all the critical aspects of personality. According to article 25A of the Constitution of Pakistan, basic education is a fundamental right of every citizen which the state is bound to fulfill, irrespective of color, caste or creed and that too free of cost. He explained that there is an essential need is to inculcate and introduce an ethics and values based unified educational system because the purpose of education is not only earning a degree but also to prepare harbingers of peace; individuals who further develop the society. Inclusive curriculum requires consideration of the emotional and soft skills development needs. The educational curriculum development process has to be inclusive of the social development needs and not just the market needs. It must embed the values key to social peace, coexistence and cohesion. Periodic review of educational policies can also serve as a significant hallmark to achieve this outcome. He concluded that our policies are effective but they should be...

The 80th radio program as part of the Center for Research and Security Studies’ (CRSS) counter-radicalization initiative Ulasi Taroon (Social Cohesion) was aired on August 09, 2019, on the theme of “Ulasi Taroon at a Glance”. The first guest on show Mr. Malik Mustafa, Manager Programs, CRSS shared that the Center has been consciously striving to promote fundamental democratic values critical to peace and social cohesion since its inception and recognizes its drive for social changes as its core mandate as a think tank, training and advocacy center. As part its advocacy for a just and equal society, it has undertaken a counter-radicalization initiative Ulasi Taroon (Social Cohesion) that aims to cultivate the youth leaders and the society at large in the core constitutional ideals of respect, diversity, acceptance and rule of law; all those democratic ethos that nurture social cohesion. Research based evidence suggests that many socio-political problems in the country can be easily attributed to the lack of social and political education; especially constitutional education. Human rights education can easily prevent human rights abuses. There is a tendency among youth to discuss the contemporary problems and make criticisms without being able to identify their critical roles to ameliorate these issues. Ulasi Taroon aims to prompt them think critically of the notion of the better future where they not only just keep complaining of what is missing, demanding what needs to happen but also fathom that an equal onus lies on them for the Pakistan they desire and the responsibilities that they need to undertake for a connected and cohesive future. Pakistani youth is immensely talented; it only needs opportunities to channelize their infinite potential into national development and Ulasi Taroon aims to precisely hone the skillset required in this regard. Youth across the globe are highly receptive to the diverse ideas which underpins the importance of youth development...

The 79th radio program as part of the Center for Research and Security Studies’ (CRSS) counter-radicalization initiative Ulasi Taroon (Social Cohesion) was aired on August 02, 2019, on the theme of “Shared Values Among Faiths and Social Cohesion”. The idea was to discuss these core values shared by the different religions and how these shared beliefs can be leveraged to counter extremism, foster cohesion and resolve conflicts. The first guest on show, Mr. Shakeel Waheed Ullah, a columnist, and writer by profession, said that there are various common grounds among all the religions including the shared ideals like tolerance, peace and the message of love and these shared values can be leveraged to foster interfaith harmony and peaceful coexistence of the people and communities of different faiths. It must be understood in its true essence that every religion teaches the lesson of peace and discourages extremism. A culturally, religiously and ethnically diverse society demands respect for and acceptance of differences to counter hatred and intolerance. The diversity of sects within Muslims direly demands the cultivation of tolerance perspectives. In this regard, educational curricula have to be utilized critically, devoid of the content based on hatred and promote peace and respect; both interfaith and intrafaith. The religious leaders of different faiths have a huge peacebuilding responsibility and must teach and promote the virtues of humanity. The citizens must also participate in the religious festivals of other religions to be able to understand each other better. Youth, as the biggest part of overall population can make a huge impact by promoting unity and respect for diversity. The second guest on show, Ms. Salma Khattak a lawyer and social activist by profession said that all the religions share some fundamental ethos of love, acceptance, consideration, empathy and tolerance which offer an exceptional opportunity to foster social cohesion. Humans are bound...