June 11, 2018: The fourteenth radio program as part of Center for Research and Security Studies’ (CRSS) counter-radicalization initiative Ulasi Taroon (Social Cohesion) was aired on April 13, 2018, on the topic of “Importance of Cross-Cultural Dialogue for Social Cohesion”.
The initiative of Ulasi Taroon is itself a platform for cross cultural interactions as it provides an opportunity to the students from different universities across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) for dialogue in the centrality of discourse embedded in the universally acknowledged democratic values.
The first guest on show, Prof. Dr. Khurshid from International Relations Department, University of Peshawar noted that the core ingredient of cross cultural dialogue is the interaction among diverse cultures to build understanding and address misunderstandings. In a country like Pakistan with rich cultural diversity, frequent interactions between people from different cultures especially youth can lead to more understanding, acceptance, respect and tolerance in the society. The cross cultural interactions as part of summer camps and exchange programs at the national and international levels can help sharing perspectives and ideas on common challenges, devising joint solutions and undertaking concerted efforts for social cohesion. Both state and civil society ought to collaborate to promote cross-cultural dialogue to cultivate the ideals of tolerance and cohesion and promote mutual respect and understanding.
The second guest on show, Mr. Shams Momand from CRSS said that one of the biggest challenges in cross-cultural dialogue is actually individual’s closed mindset and reluctance to accept change and differences. People with a closed mindset are only open to the information that supports their views, and as a result, they easily distort the information. Thus there is a dire need to expose such individuals to diverse ideas through cross cultural dialogues. He suggested that academia should promote cross cultural dialogue and interaction while media should also extend all out support to such efforts.
“We really appreciate the efforts of CRSS and the selection of topics for their radio shows as it is playing a vital role in social cohesion”, a text message by a listener from Laki Marwat, KP.
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 anchored in the core constitutional values which are fundamentally essential prerequisites for social peace and harmony. The endeavor aims to cultivate and sensitize the people of KP and FATA in the core values in the Pakistani constitution and our social contract. It’s an attempt to highlight the criticality of abiding by these ideals – such as adherence to rule of law, primacy and sanctity of constitution, equal citizenry, responsible citizenship, respect for fundamental human rights, tolerance for diversity and different opinions, inclusive democracy and good governance – as a measure of fostering social cohesion and peaceful co-existence.