Diversity is a recipe to end disputes in society, workshop told

Speakers at a workshop on Friday said uniformity created conflicts while protecting and promoting diversity led to the solution of many problems in society by bringing an end to disputes among different groups, faiths and ethnicities.

They said there was a need to expand the scope of common values and move towards globalization, to give diversity strength. Experts belonging to the media and academia spoke at a two-day national workshop on ‘Building Bridges: Fostering Tolerance and Inclusivity among Youth’, held at a local hotel.

Students from local universities and seminaries participated in the event organized by the Islamabad-based think tank Pak Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS). Dr Khalid Masood, member of the Shariat Appellate Bench of the Supreme Court, said they should broaden common values and embrace globalization to empower diversity. Emphasizing on the importance of deliberations, he said, “We need to promote and hold deliberations to examine any problem to come to some common grounds”. He also talked about the importance of individual independence and liberties.

Scholar and academic Professor Dr Syed Jaffar Ahmed said it was diversity that led to the ending of different disputes in society. “The spirit of diversity is that people should accept and celebrate differences of opinion,” he said while taking part in the panel discussion. This behaviour is crucial for an individual’s personal growth, he added.

Journalist and writer Ghazi Salahuddin urged the youth to recognize that "a clash of ideas is everywhere," but they need to know where they stand – and highlighted that developing a reading habit played a crucial role in this regard. He said that improving knowledge by individuals helped in improving collective performance of society.

Columnist and anchorperson Wusat Ullah Khan discussed the phenomenon of fake news and its various forms that people encounter daily. “Falsehood has become a commodity and currency, which is the present-day challenge,” he added. He noted that censorship was not a solution to counter the problem of fake news because “the former also causes rumours to spread”. He called for the independence of the media for factual reporting to counter the fake news.

Veengas, journalist and founding editor ‘The Rise News’, in her session raised the issue of forced conversions in Sindh and said the state should review its attitude and policies to move forward.

“Our syllabus contains hatred material against religious minorities,” she said, calling on the federal and provincial governments to provide protection to vulnerable communities of Pakistan.

PIPS President Muhammad Amir Rana in the concluding session said critical thinking involved practice, analysis and refinement, and it helped navigating life’s challenges with insight and agility and breaking societal thought patterns. “Both common sense and critical thinking benefit in shaping worldview, which guides decisions, shapes identity and creates meaning,” he said, urging youth to expand their worldview.