*This is a brief report of a webinar organized by Action for Impact, on May 17, 2025, titled “Peace Education for Interfaith Harmony: Moving beyond Policies.”
Islamabad (TDI): Action for Impact organized an impactful webinar titled “Peace Education for
Interfaith Harmony: Moving beyond Policies”, bringing together youth activists from Punjab and Sindh
to share their experiences, challenges, and innovative ideas for promoting peace and tolerance in
Pakistan.
The session underscored the critical need to embed peace education into all levels of society—far beyond traditional policymaking.
The event provided a platform for young change makers, who are actively advocating for peace in their
communities, to call for tangible reforms in education, curriculum development, teacher training, and
community engagement.
The discussion focused on actionable steps to eradicate hate, fear, and bias, and to foster a culture of mutual respect and understanding across faith-based communities.
Naimat-ur-Raheem, a youth activist, emphasized the need for a comprehensive curriculum overhaul, stating that current textbooks rarely teach concepts of peace, tolerance, or conflict resolution.
Read More: Peace – The New Path
“To build a peaceful society, we must start by removing hate content from educational materials and integrating values-based education from primary to higher levels,” she said.
Speakers highlighted that sensitizing teachers at all levels is essential to model and propagate messages
of peace. Educators must be equipped with the knowledge and skills to teach peace, tolerance, and
empathy in classrooms and beyond.
Participants stressed that peace education efforts must extend beyond mainstream schools. “Our
campaigns must include madrassas, missionary schools, and community spaces to ensure inclusive
outreach,” said one participant.
They emphasized that faith-based communities must be given their rightful place in dialogues surrounding education, healthcare, voting rights, and civic participation.
Another youth activist, Muhammad Naeem shared his personal journey from being educated in a madrassa to becoming a Hafiz-e-Quran, and how his worldview evolved through social work and interacting with people of diverse faiths during his college years.
Read More: Policy seminar to leverage Islamic financing for Pakistan’s SDGs
“Peacebuilding through joint ventures with other communities helped eliminate biases I didn’t even know I had,” he reflected.
Sameer Ali from Sindh called for the integration of experiential learning methods to instill empathy and
conflict-resolution skills among children and youth.
“Peace education must go beyond lectures—it must be lived and experienced,” he said. He also stressed the importance of involving Gen Z in policy design to ensure collective ownership of peace initiatives.
Saman Tariq emphasized that peace education must be nurtured within homes, neighborhoods, and
community spaces. “Policies alone cannot eliminate hatred and discrimination—we must embed peace in every layer of society,” she said, calling for community-driven conversations and interfaith collaboration.
All participants unanimously agreed that building a peaceful, inclusive Pakistan requires grassroots
commitment, educational transformation, and a long-term vision.
Read More: Peace and Occupation Cannot Co-exist: Pakistan on Gaza
The group pledged to initiate peacebuilding efforts from their homes, towns, villages, and cities and to work collaboratively to ensure interfaith harmony and social cohesion.
Action for Impact is a social enterprise dedicated to promoting social justice, inclusive education, and
peacebuilding across Pakistan.
Through training, advocacy, and grassroots mobilization, the organization
empowers young people to become agents of positive change in their communities.
The Diplomatic Insight is a digital and print magazine focusing on diplomacy, defense, and development publishing since 2009.
