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India and Pakistan relations: Destination Peace


Destination Peace – “aman ki asha” is a commitment by the Jang Group of Newspapers, Geo, and The Times of India Group to create an environment that brings the people of Pakistan and India closer together, contributing to genuine and durable peace with honour between the two countries.

The News, Islamabad, on Wednesday November 30, 2011, published a full one-page promoting the “aman ki asha” initiative. It reported on the visit of the Mumbai Press Club (from India) to the Karachi Press Club in Pakistan and a delegation of Pakistani youth visiting Mumbai for a seminar on “Breaking down barriers to cross-border dialogue.”

The Pakistani university student delegation to Mumbai – women from Lahore and Islamabad – organized by Mumbai University’s sociology department focused on discussions about youth in Pakistan and India speaking against violent extremism. The delegation is from Sisters against Violent Extremism (SAVE), an organization for terror victims, especially women, who have lost family members in terror attacks to narrate their experiences.

The Press Clubs from Mumbai and Karachi aimed to promote dialogue between journalists from both India and Pakistan. Increased cultural exchange is promoted through conferences, workshops and meetings between journalists and political leaders. A memorandum of understanding was signed between Karachi Press Club and the Press Club of Mumbai pledging to use acceptable language when reporting events regarding each other’s country to eliminate words which propagate hate and create mistrust among the adjacent countries.

The presidents of both press clubs advocated for improved cooperation between journalists of both countries in the form of exchange programs, internships, and the exchange of literature to strengthen their cultural ties. The visit to Pakistan was not merely about meetings and discussions with each other, but also an opportunity for the Indian media to experience the life and culture of people in Karachi and to meet the business community and the people in the street. They also had the opportunity to visit the National Museum in Karachi, the beach, and travel to Hyderabad to meet the Hyderabad Press Club. For many of the Indian media from the Mumbai Press Club it was their first visit to Pakistan.

As one journalist reported in The News, “I think the visit helped the Mumbai journalists to understand Pakistani society better, and how common people think about the socio-economic-political scenario prevailing in their society and region. The common people are clearly for enduring peace.”

(http://amankiasha.com)

Martina Nicolls is the author of "Kashmir on a Knife-Edge" and is currently in Pakistan
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