A 16-year old school girl from Pakistan reflects on the activity five years ago that started her on the path to the ‘Indo-Pak Peace Project’ she co-founded along with an Indian student
By Khushboo Danish
It was Aman ki Asha that showed the seed of harmony and friendship with Indians in my heart. Five years ago, The City School Bhit Shah, where I was a student, registered for an activity initiated by Aman ki Asha. It was called “Hankering for Peace”. The students at my school were excited because we were invited to participate in this activity along with some other well-known schools in Pakistan.
I was already talking to students from many countries including India through video-conferencing sessions but still it was a new aspect to work for peace through art. Students, including myself, were overjoyed at this initiative.
We were provided with blank white handkerchiefs to write our messages on. Students wrote what they felt (see some photos here). Though some messages were on conflict resolution and Kashmir, most were positive with a request for friendship.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t be the part of Queen’s Baton event where these handkerchiefs were passed over to students in India at Wagah border, at an activity called ‘Tug of Peace’ (see photos here). I really wished I could have been part of that.
Khusboo Danish, age 11, City School Bhit Shah, with her peace message for Aman ki Asha’s Peace Hankies project, 2010
Tug of peace: Students on the Indian side pulling over Pakistani children’s hankies and handing over theirs. Aman ki Asha, 2010. Photo: Beena Sarwar
‘The people of both countries desire the freedom to come and go (to visit each other),” was the message I wrote in Urdu on my hanky, wanting an end to visa restrictions so that people can visit each other.
Being a part of this activity totally changed my thoughts and perceptions. I started thinking beyond issues as being from India or Pakistan and tried to see the views on the other side of the coin too. I also started to read history, and I came to learn about so many different aspects of this Issue. This made me realise that both countries have made mistakes that we, the present generation, have to resolve.
Today, I’m the co-founder of the Indo-Pak Peace Project along with Arsh Arora from India. Arsh’s school, St.Mark’s School in Meera Bagh, India, had also participated in the Hankering for Peace activity. Today, I have so many friends from India, from north to south, belonging to different cultures.
Thank you, Aman ki Asha!
Khushboo Danish is a 16-year old student in Grade 12, Government College, Bhit Shah. NOTE: We invite other students who participated in this project to share their views on it, or other such experiences. Email us at Editor, Aman ki Asha [email protected] using the subject line: Hankering for Peace.
