Prof. Dr. Nasir, Dean Faeulty of Arts & Humanities, Dr.

Shuja,
Chairman Department of Philosophy & the Projeet Direetor,
Project team, Distinguished guests my dear Fellows,Ladies &
Gentleman Assalam-o Alaikom and Good Morning
It is my great pleasure to address this inaugural session of
Fellowship Program on Promoting Peaceful Coexistence and
future leaders and peace changers from across the province
and I am proud that the mother institute of the province took
lead again to address the issues of extremism and give young
leaders to the society who will be peace agents in the society.
Inshallah
Pertaining to this ongoing peace Fellowship program i will
quote Roosevelt here He says ;
“It isn’t enough to talk about peace. One must believe in it.
And it isn’t enough to believe in it. One must work at it.”
This Fellowship is not but a Replica of the aforementioned
quote where- fortunately we have participants from different
Educational and geographical backgrounds- and they will work
and be trained under this program for Peace promotion and
peace building in their respective societies. The interesting
scope of this program lies in diversity of its participants ,where
not only students of University of Peshawar are given
representation but we also have fellows from different
universities,and sectors and this is what this mother university
shall contribute.
Dear Students
Our society bore many devastating impacts of the 1980s
capitalists and communists High tension proxy war on the land
of Afghanistan. It totally changed the socio-political and socio-
economic situation of our society and turned it into the picture
of stone age. Our educational institutions were blasted,our
seminaries attacked, our Bazaars prone to suicide bombers and
to cut it short our valuable lives succumbed to the terrorist
imposed attacks in large number.
My Young Fellows
We also have seen start of terrorism, its rise and its effects in
shape of massive Internal displacements. We have fought War
on terror and have given sacrifices of lives and wealth We have
seen bombing on our land, due to which our society went to
extremism, internal and external peace got ruined and peace
were achieved after So many sácrifices. But what peace actually
is, we have to do more to achieve peace.
I am happy to know that objectives of the fellowship program
are aligned with the envisioned role of the University of
Peshawar to spread the rays of knowledge,enlightenment and
peace not only in this part of the country but across the border
to Afghanistan and Central Asia.
There happens many events and conferences but what is
important, that is its practical implications of the project and I
hope that this will unlikely bring some change through our
fellows and will not be for event. This will be a way forward
towards Sustainable Development Goals as Peace is one among
the 18 SDGS of the united nation.
Dear Students
I hope this program will enable our youth to counter extremist
mindset and practices through a multifaceted approach
beginning with clear understanding of the social,political and
economic underpinnings of conflicts, which shape our identities
and the use of language, arguments and media in both
promoting and preventing Conflicts.
What l like in this Program is the student-initiated magazine,
The Mirror of Society which have and will provide a platform
for our youth to convey their Sentiments. Pen is the most
powerful tool we can use to change the world rightly said by
Malala (our pride and Noble laureate) and I hope you will write
your thoughts other than fellowship related which will be
conveyed to the world by our students.
At the end I appreciate the project team and thanks them for
their efforts which enabled this event and I expect from them
to capacitate more youth with intellectual social, philosophical
and psychological values, they will find myself and office
standing beside them in all their relevant endavours.
I shall not take much of your time because I shall like my
fellows and faculty to listen directly from their resource
persons.
May Allah Bless us.