Every teacher has a broad role modeling duty to inspire the future leaders and responsibility for passing on the sense of citizenry. Australia is one of the most diverse countries on earth and has many minorities from its indigenous people to smaller communities that have arrived over the period of extensive migration that Australia has experienced and has indeed welcomed. While engaging with fundamental issues, there also needs to reflect that every human being is equal regardless of the gender, background, culture, religion. Fundamental human rights are global rights. PACE – a key initiative of the CRSS – is cross cutting, disciplinary and national while engaging in the large global issues of today.
These remarks were made by Ms. Margaret Adamson, Australian High Commissioner to Pakistan during the closing ceremony of Pakistan Center of Excellence’s (PACE) first round of collaborative workshops; a five day residential training program from March 5-9, 2016.
PACE is a major CVE initiative launched by the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) – with the support from the government of Netherlands and in partnership with the COMSATS Institute of Information Technology – to promote democratic values, respect for diversity, fundamental human rights and virtues of tolerance as a measure of ensuring social peace and harmony for peaceful co-existence. It aims to facilitate a socio-political discourse – the Alternate Narrative on democratic rights and responsibilities anchored in the globally accepted and practiced concepts such as Rule of Law, Equal Citizenry, Secular Governance as a primary condition for social cohesion, and Tolerance for, and acceptance of cultural diversity.
The resource persons and public intellectuals who interacted with the participating university lecturers and professors from different universities across Pakistan included Dr. A.H. Nayyer, Ms. Afia Salam, Mr. Safiullah Gul, Mr. Piotr Blacerowicz, Mr. Jahangir Khattak, Ms. Gulmina Bilal, Mr. Rehman Azhar, Mr. Jibran Nasir, Mr. Zeeshan Salahuddin, Mr. Malik Mustafa. The discussion themes we primarily rule of law, tolerance, diversity, fundamental human rights, equal citizenry and democracy and governance.
Mr. Imtiaz Gul Executive Director CRSS said that the idea of counter-radicalization initiative PACE was to reach out to the potential opinion multipliers and induce them into critical thinking through a discourse anchored in fundamental global values such as socio-political diversity, acceptance of diversity, rule of law and equal citizenry.
Dr. S. M. Junaid Zaidi, H.I., S.I., Founder Rector of the COMSATS Institute of Information Technology (CIIT) assured full support to the initiative and said that they were happy to collaborate for the program and values and respect for peace.
Dr. Arshad Malik from COMSATS also stressed that the teachers should impart the fundamental global values among their students.