End Discrimination against the Disabled!

Pakistan's younger generation has developed a social conscience and, with the support of a private organization in Karachi, has taken the initiative to help disabled persons. Annette Meisters reports from Karachi

Female student in Pakistan (photo: AP)
In Pakistan, it is difficult to interest children in social involvement, but NGOs like HREP are tirelessly trying to shake people out of their apathy and make them more aware of social problems

​​The girls and boys have worked towards this day for weeks – talked with their classmates, had a look around locally, convinced family and friends, collected thousands of signatures.

Now a small delegation from their schools is sitting in the office of the chief editor of DAWN, one of the country's largest English-language newspapers. Still a little nervous, they tell him about their list of signatures and ask him to publish the demand attached to it in his newspaper during the next few days – end discrimination against the country's 16 million disabled persons!

By going to chief editor Abbas Nasir with their request, the teenagers are preaching to the converted. The 47-year-old Nasir himself walks with a limp as a result of polio. He immediately agrees to report on the situation in Pakistan.

The newspaper coverage is intended to put pressure on the government in Islamabad to sign the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Children change the world

"Of course, this petition is no more than a small step that must be followed by others, in order to improve the situation of disabled people in this country," concedes Zulfikar Ali from the organization Human Rights Education Programme (HREP) in Karachi.

"But it is a very important step, in which the children will learn a great deal. They should know that they do not have to change the world overnight. A small project like this is invaluable for developing a new awareness of the problems in our society."

And that is the point for Zulfikar Ali, who founded HREP twelve years ago in Karachi and organized the students' visit to the editor. In a society plagued by violence, crime, and intolerance, he wants to shape a new generation that demonstrates a social conscience and feels responsible for the future of its country.

The target group is school children from all social classes between the ages of six and eighteen. The HREP team develops teaching blocks on subjects like equal rights, environmental protection, or nuclear weapons and sends them to interested schools in the country.

The children first work out the details in their classes and organize outings, in order to get an idea of the situation on-site. Later, representatives from the participating schools meet in workshops, during which they present their results, exchange experiences, and bring their social concerns before the public.

Growing interest in others

During HREP's early years it was difficult to interest children in such social involvement, Zulfikar Ali recalls.

"In the schools and from their parents, the children learn to only be concerned about their own affairs and not interfere anywhere," says the 41-year-old Ali, explaining this reticence.

During the past few years, however, HREP has managed to allay these concerns for at least a few thousand children and their parents. Some of the pupils describe the projects as eye-opening.

"Before, I was not very aware of where the social problems were, much less what I as an individual could do about them," declares the 14-year-old Mahnoor. Zulfikar and his team showed her that she can make a significant difference.

The interactive form of instruction developed by HREP is a completely new experience, particularly for students at many state schools. Their teachers are often inadequately trained.

Altogether, the organization works with approximately 320 schools in the entire country – too few to change a society of 160 million people. Ali has no illusions about this.

Shake people out of their apathy

In order to reach more children, he is currently planning the construction of a Children's Museum for Peace and Human Rights, which will open in Karachi in 2009 – a destination for school outings that will offer a wide range of programs.

The goal is to shake people out of their apathy and make them more aware of social problems.

DAWN will undoubtedly cover the opening of the museum as well. For the moment, however, chief editor Abbas Nasir is concerned with the question of how he can keep his promise and report on discrimination against disabled persons.

The enthusiasm with which his young visitors advocated their cause made a deep impression on him. "Many Pakistanis have become cynical; they sit around and wait for other people to solve problems for them. Not these students – and I admire them for that."

Nasir hopes that, as a result of their commitment, the children will achieve influential positions in society and will continue to speak up as courageously for a better Pakistan then as they do now.

Annette Meisters

© Qantara.de 2007

Translated from the German by Phyllis Anderson

Qantara.de

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