SPELT moot ends with clarion call against violence

Karachi
The two-day ‘Teach For Peace’ conference organised by the Society of Pakistan English Language Teachers (SPELT) came to an end on Sunday with an insightful panel discussion titled ‘How can peace be nurtured in our society?’.
The panel discussion was moderated by Prof Zakia Sarwar and comprised Sabrina Dawood, Wajiha Naqvi, journalist Amir Zia, vocalist Tina Sani, Khaled Ahmed and renowned psychiatrist Dr Haroon.
Analysing the problem of violence in depth, Dr Haroon, among other things, listed extremism and militancy in search of an identity. He said in such a setup, elements whose motto was hate and frenzy began to hold sway.
As a likely remedy, he called for a radical reform in the curricula, curricula that preached empathy and tolerance. He also said teachers must get their due in the form of remunerations and respect so that may be more dedicated in their calling and take more interest in the personality development of the pupils and in inculcating noble values in them.
He called for stepped up extracurricular activity, restoration of student unions and setting up an educational television channel.
Tina Sani also called for a radical revamping of the curricula. Teachers, she said, had the power to sway the children’s minds and they must be motivated to do so to inculcate a healthy, peaceful mindset among them.
Calling Karachi the Wild West, Khaled Ahmed said it would be delusional to think that we’re living in democracy. He said democracy ensured provision of basic rights to the people, which was not the case in our society. He said what was called for was tracing the roots of violence. He was of the view that it was not individuals who were inherently violent but organised gangs, mafias and groups. It was these groups, he said, that the government had to counter.
Amir Zia said terrorists resorted to leaning on the crutch of extremism and militancy. He said one of the reasons violence flourished was because of delayed justice, adding that terrorists must be hanged.
Sabrina Dawood said children, a symbol of peace and angelic innocence, were turned into weapons of destruction, adding that one of the reasons for this state of affairs was because our curricula were being tampered with. Citing the Peshawar tragedy, she said it was terrifying incidents like this that motivated barricading school campuses, raising walls and the presence of armed guards. “How can the process of learning flourish amid such a charged atmosphere?”
Wajiha Naqvi said teachers had to motivate pupils to inculcate the habit of dialogue rather than violent disagreement or foisting of opinions. “Instead of being discouraged to indulge in arguments, they should be encouraged to do so.”