Sept 11 , 2015
News
UN wall campaign to share messages of peace, tolerance
UN’s campaign makes reference to wall chalking tradition
APP
ISLAMABAD – United Nations in Pakistan on Friday launched a campaign to celebrate its 70th anniversary by sharing messages of peace and tolerance on walls of schools.
The campaign was officially launched here at Roots College International Millennium Campus where students painted on a prominent wall of the school powerful messages such as boys and girls are equal, we want a corruption-free society and children should be in school, not at work.
The campaign makes reference to tradition of wall chalking in Pakistan and aims at engaging young people from all over the country to disseminate key values of the UN focused on education, gender equality, peace and tolerance, health among others.
UN Information Centre Director Vittorio Cammarota and Roots Millennium School CEO and founder Chaudhry Faisal Mushtaq welcomed guests as officials from the public and private sector attended the ceremony. On the occasion, Cammarota said that youth empowerment was a key priority of the UN and in a country like Pakistan with a very large young population, their involvement was instrumental.
“Today is only the first step and we aim at bringing on board a very large number of educational institutions all over Pakistan,” he said, adding that development and progress were in the hands of youth and “we want to ensure that every day, when they go to school, they remember of peace, tolerance and other key values.”
Mushtaq said that the idea of the UN campaign helps raise awareness about some of the key issues faced by society. "It also gives the students an opportunity to contribute to the work of the United Nations. I feel great that the students are highlighting messages related to gender equality, climate change and education to express solidarity and support for this cause," he added.
"I want to tell the world that we are a peace loving country. I am glad that I am a part of this amazing effort to spread messages of tolerance and peace through art. We all are uniting for a common cause, a peaceful world, a peaceful Pakistan," said Harris Malik, a student from the school.
The campaign is an initiative of the UN and funded by the Swiss Development Cooperation and the UN Population Fund (UNFPA).
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk