Press Release

International Peace day 2016

Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Peshawar organized seminar today, 21^st September 2016 for the celebration of “International Peace Day”. The Peace day theme for 2016 is “The Sustainable Development Goals: Building Blocks for Peace”. Students from different departments of University of Peshawar including Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies showed their support by participating in the seminar. The importance of the day was highlighted by different speakers in their speeches for the promotion of peace and eradication of conflict through peaceful means. The day was dedicated to world peace in general and conflict affected regions of Pakistan in particular with the hope that the dream for sustainable peace in the world would be materialized in future.

The chief guest, Vice Chancellor of Peshawar University, Professor Dr. Rasul Jan highlighted the importance of “Peace Education for Sustainable Development” in his speech by stressing on how positive attitudes, skills and behaviors help to live in harmony with oneself and others, and can promote human dignity and human rights. He further addressed the students by stating that education for peace is essential for building a culture of peace, and for that ‘Peace Education’ should be promoted though educational institutions so it enables the youth to resolve disputes peacefully with a spirit of respect for human dignity and tolerance. 

Director, Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies, Dr. Jamil Ahmad Chitrali, shed light on the 2016’s theme for peace day by saying that ‘we are observing this day in a quest for peace, and one day we must come to see that peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but that it is a means by which we arrive at that goal. We must pursue peaceful ends through peaceful means.’ He further added how Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies is generating peace activists in the society through its academic programs, which would further promote peaceful and inclusive society, reduce inequality and unjust for sustainable development.

The seminar ended with a vote of thanks by the organizers and peace prayers for fostering love, humanity and tolerance and ending hatred and violence in our country and the world.