[Reader-list] Launching Ceremony: Revival of research activities urged to educate youth about social movements

[Zulfiqar Shah]

Revival of research activities urged to educate youth about social movements 
 
Daily The News, Karachi
Sunday, April 10, 2011 
 
Karachi
 
There was a need to revive the culture of study circles and research activities and promote reading habit among the youth so that they may play a positive role on their part. These views were expressed by the speakers at a function organised jointly by the Institute for Social Movements (ISM) and Sami Foundation Pakistan in Hyderabad on Saturday.

The event was held to launch a short course on Social Movements Studies, Research and Analytical Journal, The Social Movements.

The participants said that since there was no concept of teaching indigenous social movements, majority of the youth was unaware about the history. They do not know about the major events occurred in the recent past, which impacted more on the society.

General Yousuf Leghari, Mohammed Tehseen of (SAP) Pakistan, Mustafa Baloch of Strengthening Participatory Organisation (SPO), Asif Baladi, General Secretary Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz, Dr Dodo Maheri of Sindu United Party, Jami Chandio of Centre for Peace and Civil Society (CPCS), Amar Sindhu of Women Action Forum (WAF), Fatima Naqvi, Oxfam Country Head, Zulfiqar Shah of ISM, senior journalist Mahesh Kumar, Mustafa Khoso and others spoke on the occasion.

Mustafa Khoso, the organiser of the short course, said that the 10-day residential course for the first batch had been started at Umerkot, where teachers would deliver lectures and learners would have access to the internet, library and modern research centre. The course includes the history of social movements in Pakistan and South Asian region. After that the participants of the course will be facilitated to visit Pakistan to discuss topics on history with people, who were struggling for long. In the last phase, these participants will be assigned a task to conduct research to know the achievements and challenges faced by the social movements. 

Former Sindh Advocate Yousuf Leghari appreciated the new move and assured the two organisations on behalf of the Mirpurkhas Law College that he would support them if they needed authentic certification through a professional institute. He said that a short course and a journal are being launched at an appropriate time as Sindh needs talented analysts to portray the real picture of society and guide politicians.

Mohammed Tehseen of South Asia Partnership (SAP) Pakistan said that at a time when the entire society was under the grip of extremism and anarchy, the social studies course and journal would prove helpful in brainwashing the youth. Recalling the past, he said that during the sixties the political parties had started study circles in different towns and villages, taking regular classes to brainwash their cadre. “We all are the production of such traditional institutes. For this, we should not need modern buildings and huge infrastructure and should start from a small place. It needs a political will and commitment which I hope these organisations have to make the dream come true,” he added. 

Mustafa Baloch of Strengthening Participatory Organisation (SPO) said that the youth in Sindh did not know about the Hur Movement, the campaign launched by Makhdoom Bilawal, Sufi Shah Inayat and in the recent past movements like Movement for Restoration of Democracy, Anti-One Unit Movement, students campaign, haris struggle and role of women in these struggles. He said that these movements should have been mentioned in the educational curriculum to teach the students. Due to the absence of such material, the youth was unaware about the past history.

Earlier, Zulfiqar Shah, Executive Director of ISM, told the audience that there were only four such institutions, which were teaching social movements in the world. He said that they had approached 32 renowned scholars from different countries to contribute to the unique journal and received positive response from them. 
 
Link: http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=40792&Cat=4&dt=4/10/2011