By Priya Parkash, YES 2014-2015, Pakistan, hosted by AFS in Camarillo, CA

“The only limit to your impact is your imagination and commitment.” -Tony Robbins

In October 2016, BUBW-Pakistan, a YES small grants-funded project, brought together 35 YES alumni from all over Pakistan to engage in a meaningful discussion on religion, plurality, diversity and tolerance. The conference, which included a panel discussion, Training of Trainers methods, visits to places of worship and group reflections, concluded with the participants vowing to actively work towards the promotion of interfaith harmony. Over the course of the last six months, the participants have engaged in a number of group projects, which have impacted hundreds of participants. Keep reading to learn more about the projects!

A group of four alumni, Rabiya Khan (YES 2012-2013, hosted by PAX in Anchorage, AK) Rudabah Khan (YES 2012-2013, hosted by AYA in Florence, SC), Tahreem Hassan (YES 2012-2013, hosted by AFS-USA in Los Angeles, CA) and Ebad Rizvi (YES 2011-2012, hosted by AFS-USA in Pittsburgh, PA) conducted an “INTERFAITH PEACE BUILDING WORKSHOP” at a local community organization that is run by the Christian community of Karachi, called the Dar-ul-Sukun. The organization shelters orphans, children with special needs, young girls and other underprivileged members of society from all faiths. Thus, learning about interfaith harmony really helped this community better communicate their ideas to others in the diverse group. It was also an exciting learning experience for the alumni, because in addition to imparting what they knew about plurality, religion and tolerance, they also learned from the residents of Dar-ul-Sukun. 

Tazeen Fatima (YES 2015-2016, hosted by AYUSA in Lakeland, FL), the only YES alumna from Thatta, made use of all that she had learned at BUBW-Pakistan and organized an interfaith workshop for her fellow classmates. About 100 students participated in the workshop, through which they participated in many activities, including designing interfaith maps. Since the project was conducted in the days following the Hindu festival of Diwali, the participants followed Diwali tradition and lit lamps and candles as a symbol of unity and respect for other faiths.

Qurat-ul-Ain (YES 2015-2016) of Hyderabad celebrated Diwali with underprivileged children and their parents at a Hindu temple. During the celebration, she taught them about the importance of listening openly to others' opinions and reflecting upon them. The alumna engaged the kids in ice-breakers that helped them learn about concepts like interfaith, intrafaith and diversity. The project concluded with lighting of lamps and firecrackers to celebrate the occasion of Diwali.

Maria Sajjad (YES 2004-2005, hosted in ASSE in Reno, NV) of Karachi organized a pre-Christmas celebration at her Vocational Training Centre. She invited underprivileged children to attend, as a way to begin teaching them about religious understanding, tolerance and love. The Christian kids introduced the others to Christmas rituals like singing carols and decorating the Christmas tree. The celebration concluded with a whole-group reflection about the day.

Hafsa Mehmood Alam (YES 2015-2016, hosted by AFS-USA in Hilliard, OH) and Hiba Shoaib (YES 2014-2015, hosted by YFU in Cotati, CA) of Karachi conducted a “Share a Bear” project. The alumni collected toys to provide Christmas presents to underprivileged children in the local Christian community. The alumni went from door-to-door distributing toys and educating the children about the importance of sharing and diversity. The project was a very satisfying experience for the alumni, as they were able to bring smiles across the faces of young kids.

While most BUBW-Pakistan participants have already completed their follow-up projects, others are still in the process of finalizing their plans. Having led BUBW-Pakistan, I feel so proud that BUBW pushed the participants in the right direction, motivating them to be “the change” - to spread smiles and to make the world a better place. 

Read more about BUBW-Pakistan!