Experience is a key source of learning. Voluntary services (VS) are one such experiential source to learn and grow from. The present case study used mixed methods (survey tools and in-depth interviews) to explore the perspectives of Ismaili youth on the meaning, value, and educative potentials of their voluntary services based in Karachi. The data was collected from Ismaili youth (18 to 23 years) belonging to three community sites in the city Karachi (Garden, Metroville and Clifton). The study’s data showed that the participants understand the meaning and value of voluntary services in myriad ways, starting from processes of benefiting the lives of the community members, to making a difference in some one’s life, to teaching academic/social subjects and skills to community. Khidmat to the religious leader and to their community appeared as key factors in their involvement in voluntary services. The participants were enrolled in various interconnected institutions and services established by their respective community sites. Even though the volunteers’ learning from their services is not purposefully structured, many participants actively and subtly learnt and developed skills, knowledge and attitudes such as communication, teaching, problem solving, critical thinking, reflecting, presenting, public speaking, time management, multi-tasking, people management, learning about diversity, respect towards others, patience, confidence in their ability, flexibility, leadership, and, most importantly, about justice and diversity. They expressed critical insights about instances of favoritism, nepotism, injustice and unfair treatment of the ‘other’ during their voluntary experiences. The link between academic/school subjects and voluntary experiences was limited to religious education. Overall the youth’s learning from their voluntary services showed the potentials for developing into successful leaders for their community and larger society, with broad vision and relevant skills and dispositions for 21st century. The youth appeared to have deeply thought suggestions, which make them natural partners to the community leaders in making VS more meaningful, relevant, and empowering. Dialogue with the youth can make the link between voluntary services and learning more robust, explicit and mutually beneficial. These transformative potentials can be tapped on, if the community leaders actively listen to their youth voices.
بجلی کے بحران پر قابو کیسے پایا جاسکتا ہے نہ چھوڑیں واپڈا والے اگر بجلی تو کیا غم ہے ’’یدِ بیضا لیے بیٹھے ہیں اپنی آستینوں میں‘‘ انسان گھر میں موجود ہے۔ گھر کا سارا نظام اس کی سر پرستی میں بحسن وخوبی رواں دواں ہے۔ دریں اثناء گھر کے آنگن میں خفتہ شیر خوار بچہ آواز کے ساتھ رورہا ہے اور اس کے رونے کی وجہ کوئی بیماری نہیں، کوئی اور خار جی عمل نہیں صرف اور صرف لوڈ شیڈنگ کے سبب شدت حرارت ہے جس نے معصوم کی نیند حرام کر دی ہے، اس کی اس بے چینی نے والدین کے قویٰ کومضمحل کر دیا ہے اور پورے گھر میں ایک بحران کی سی کیفیت ہوگئی ہے۔ اور اس قسم کے بحران صرف کسی خاص علاقے میں نہیں ہیں بلکہ ملک کی کثیر آبادی اس سے متاثر ہے۔ برقی رو کی کمی یا قلت سے ہر ایک متاثر ہوتا ہے۔ لائبریری میں کوئی پرسکون فضاء میں محو مطالعہ کتب ہو، یا ظرف ہائے طعام اُٹھائے موجود غلام گردش ہو، کوئی کوچہ بازار میں موجود ہو، یا کوئی گھر کی بالکونی میں قیام پذیر ہو، کوئی صنعتکاری کے میدان سے مربوط ہو، یا کوئی زراعت و کاشتکاری کے میدان سے وابستہ سب کے سب بجلی سے نبردآزما ہیں۔ اس بحران پر قابو پانے کے لیے اقلیم عقل و خرد کی فرمانروائی کے ساتھ نصرت الٰہی کا طلبگار ہونا ہو گا۔ اس مہیب سائے کواجالے میں بدلنے کے لیے ابتدائی طور پر کاشانۂ خویش کو سامنے رکھنا ہو گا۔ اصراف وتبذیر جیسی خصائل قبیحہ سے کنار کشی اختیار کرنی ہوگی ،کفایت شعاری جیسی خصلت صالحہ کو اوڑھنا بچھونا ہوگا۔ اگر ایک شخص فضول خرچی جیسی لعنت سے چھٹکارا حاصل نہ کرے اور دن رات اسی عادت سے وابستہ رہے تووہ بھی اپنے مقصد میں کامیاب نہیں ہو...
ABSTRACT: Extremism remains the main concern for global security after 9/11 event. Western countries consider the religious intolerance in Muslim countries as a source of prevailing extremism. Pakistani Madaris (seminaries) are considered as a place for indoctrination of extremism and intolerance. The questions need to be addressed that why and how religious students tended towards extremism. The evidence shows that in Pukhtoon Society; the traditional social institutions of Hujra (Community center) and Jumaat (Mosque) relationship is also affected in post Afghan Soviet war. Hujra (Pukhtoon Community centre) which is traditionally the main supporter and financer of Jumaat (Mosquereligious institution) ; now seems to be overpowered by the religious institutions after getting trained and motivated organized Taliban (students of Indigenous Islamic Education System) and financial freedom after Afghan Soviet war. In this paper the question of legal status given to Taliban and their education status by the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is discussed. For exploring to answer this question both primary and secondary sources of data are used. The study concluded that no properly defined legal status exists for the millions of Taliban graduates in the state; and the aspired streamlining efforts of Madaris with formal education are non productive and ineffective. Even the supreme court of Pakistan is unanswered about the legal status of these graduates. Legislators elected in 2002 National Election faced cases in Supreme Court of Pakistan of their ineligibility based on the in¬ equivalency of their Madaris Sanad (Degree) to the formal University Degree of Pakistan. Government of Pakistan tried to mainstream Madaris education with formal education system of Pakistan, through changing their curricula which is all time resisted by Madaris. It is concluded at the end of the study of integrating Madaris education with formal education system in vertical arrangement rather than in horizontal or lateral arrangement (change of curriculum and amalgamation of courses etc.) . The approach of Vertical arrangement acknowledge the importance and value of both systems and provide benefits to the stakeholders in large. Different modalities are discussed in this paper.
The research study, “comparative analysis of representation of religious minorities in Pakistani and Indian print media (1990 – 2010)”, was aimed to analyze the pattern of minority representation in Pakistani and Indian print media. It also investigated whether there are any biases with regard to the representation of religious minorities and specifically Indian Muslims and Pakistani Hindus in their respective print media considering the political relations between Pakistan and India in the selected time period. Furthermore, the study highlighted the included and excluded discourses related to minorities in the Pakistani and Indian print media. Content analysis and critical discourse analysis were applied to analyze the media text. Working under the theory of media hegemony the study concluded that there is an unequal and biased representation of religious minorities in Pakistani and Indian print media. Pakistani print media has been more silent with respect to Pakistani Hindus whereas Indian print media has given more negative representation to Indian Muslims. The nature of representation of Hindu and Muslim minority of both countries has not been found in relation with the broader political relations between Pakistan and India. Moreover, particular issues related to different religious minorities have been raised in both media.