The Citizens Archive of Pakistan in collaboration with Routes2Roots present Exchange for Change Pakistan India 2013 - 2015

The Citizens Archive of Pakistan in collaboration with Routes2Roots present Exchange for Change Pakistan India 2013 - 2015. The Citizens Archive of Pakistan (CAP), in collaboration with Routes2Roots (R2R), an Indian non-profit organisation working for peace and dialogue between Pakistan and India, launched Exchange for Change 2013 – 2015 between 5,000 school children aged 10-14 years from schools across Karachi, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Delhi, Dehradun and Mumbai. The project aims to help students in both countries realize that a sustained dialogue is possible and encourage them to form their own opinions. During the life of this project, a sustained exchange of written, visual and oral histories will take place between the students.
The press conference for the launch of Exchange for Change 2013 – 2015 was presided over by CAP President Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy and featured acclaimed musician Atif Aslam and Routes2Roots Founders Tina Vachani and Rakesh Gupta. CAP Board Members Amean J., Swaleha Alam Shahzada, Ali Reza Mumtaz, Adnan Malik, Ahsan Bilgrami and Sayem Ali were also a part of the proceedings.
During the press conference Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy apprised the audience on CAP and its different projects, while Executive Director Swaleha Alam Shahzada shared details regarding the Exchange for Change 2013-2015 programme. Routes2Roots Founder Tina Vachani had travelled from India to attend the event and briefed the audience on Indian perspectives of Pakistan and how a majority of Indians were eager to form bonds of friendship with their Pakistani neighbours. Renowned musician Atif Aslam regaled the audience with stories of his experiences in India and appreciated the efforts of CAP and Routes2Roots to bring both nations closer together. Former Speaker of the National Assembly Illahi Bukhsh Soomro was also present on occasion and appreciated the efforts of CAP and Routes2Roots.
Exchange for Change was launched in September 2010 between 2,400 school children from 10 schools in Karachi, Lahore, Delhi and Mumbai. After its spectacular success the project was expanded in 2012 to 3,500 school children from 17 schools in Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Delhi, Chandigarh and Mumbai. During the fourteen-month life of the project, a sustained exchange of written, visual and oral histories linked school children aged 10-14 years across the six cities.
Exchange for Change is an initiative by CAP that aims at improving relationships between school students in different countries. Through cross-culture communication it has been observed that students can develop a clearer understanding of their history, culture and lifestyles. CAP believes that such interaction will in turn lead to a positive change and eliminate cultural misconceptions and inter-generational conflict.

Speaking about this initiative, Swaleha Alam Shahzada, Executive Director and Governing Board Member of CAP said:

“The growth of the project from 2,400 students in 2010 to 5,000 students in 2013 has created a bridge that can no longer be ignored. These students from across Pakistan and India have taught us a very important lesson – a lesson of tolerance and appreciation of each other. Now it is up to the society to support this bridge and these students in their mission to sustain and strengthen the relationships created through EFC.”

Tina Vachani, Founder of Routes2Roots said:

“EFC is not an ordinary programme or just an extracurricular activity for children. It is the value we see in the connect between India and Pakistan, which we want to grow with in terms of culture, festivities, lifestyle and sustaining togetherness. The leaders of tomorrow, our children from both countries share the realities for their glorious future.”

AboutCAP:
The Citizens Archive of Pakistan (CAP) is a non-profit organization dedicated to cultural and historic preservation, operating in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad. We seek to educate the community, foster an awareness of our nations history and instil pride in Pakistani citizens about their heritage. Our organization has three main goals; to preserve and provide access to the archive, to build and support educational programmes and to develop educational products based on the testimonies collected. Our vision is to develop CAP as the foremost museum and heritage centre of Pakistani history, photography, culture, literature and historical documentation demonstrating the strength and spirit of Pakistan from the perspective of a citizen.
About Routes2Roots:
Routes2Roots is a registered non-profit charitable organisation, which endeavours to bring together people, cultures and values across the SAARC countries, in particular India and Pakistan. Routes2Roots has organized numerous programs across the country from artists from Pakistan and other SAARC countries and have sent Indian Artists to these countries in a move to enhance people to people understanding and make this region a peaceful place. Routes2Roots has been actively engaged with ICCR, Delhi Tourism, Rajasthan Tourism, J&K Tourism and other government and non-government organizations. Routes2Roots are also a member of World Association of NGO’s New York USA.

More information about CAP: http://www.facebook.com/citizensarchivepk www.citizensarchive.org https://twitter.com/citizensarchive

More information about R2R: http://www.routes2roots.com https://www.facebook.com/pages/Routes-2-Roots-NGO

Physical Exchange between Pakistani and Indian students

The Citizens Archive of Pakistan (CAP), in collaboration with Routes2Roots (R2R), an Indian non-profit organisation working for peace and dialogue between Pakistan and India, have successfully completed a physical exchange between Pakistani and Indian students as a culmination of the fourteen month project, ‘Exchange for Change’.
To mark the successful completion of the project, a thirty-three member Indian delegation came to Pakistan on the 2^nd of September 2013 to visit Lahore, Islamabad and Rawalpindi. While a similar thirty-six member Pakistani delegation travelled to India to visit Delhi and Agra on the 10^th of September 2013, crossing over the Wagah - Attari border by foot. CAP and R2R believe that such interactions will further build upon the relationships developed over the life of the project, leading to a positive change in restructuring cultural misconceptions and inter-generational conflict. It is believed that youth interaction and direct communication will in time lead to a more informed and fundamental understanding of each other. During their one-week stay, students and teachers from the participating schools visited partnering schools, engaged with their counterparts and visited historical and cultural sites across the five cities.

Exchange for Change is an exciting initiative by CAP that aims at improving relationships between school students in different countries. The program seeks to help students across borders realize that dialogue is possible and sustainable. Through cross-culture communication we have realized that students can have a clearer understanding of their history, culture and life styles. CAP believes that such interaction will in turn lead to a positive change and eliminate cultural misconceptions and inter-generational conflict.

Exchange for Change was first launched in September 2010 between 2400 school children from 10 schools in Karachi, Lahore, Delhi and Mumbai. After its spectacular success the project was expanded in 2012 to 3500 school children from 17 schools in Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Delhi, Chandigarh and Mumbai. During the fourteen-month life of the project, a sustained exchange of written, visual and oral histories linked school children aged 10-14 years across the six cities. The selected schools from across six major cities ensured a holistic dialogue between students belonging to diverse socio-economic backgrounds.

The ‘Letters to the Past,’ series kicked off the project in September 2012 during which students engaged in letter writing activities, sharing their thoughts, values, hobbies and interests with each other. A special emphasis was laid upon discussing historical and cultural facts so that students were not only able to make friends across the border but also participate in information exchange. Between December 2012 and February 2013, the ‘Photography Series,’ involved students in making postcards, greeting cards and collages based on four themes: school life, food, festivals and marriages and historical monuments. This endeavour enabled students to familiarize each other with the history, culture and lifestyle. The ‘Oral History’ series was conducted between February to April 2013, adding an audio-based dimension to the project. Students interviewed their grandparents, collecting historical narratives about various cities across Pakistan and India as well as their recollections of the early years.

Speaking about this initiative, Swaleha Alam Shahzada, Executive Director and Governing Board Member of CAP said:

“As we crossed borders once again, we stand to have proven that by appreciating differences and celebrating similarities of the ‘other’ we can build bridges. The second round of Exchange for Change marks another giant leap in our shared history. Our stories are the same – we just need to share them!” 

Tina Vachani, Founder of Routes2Roots said:

“This program has been very close to my heart and has given me immense satisfaction to see the growing friendships between the children of the two countries. It is a great pleasure to see the growing understanding between the students and change in perceptions and biases which helps us to dream of a brighter future.”

Schools from Pakistan who participated in the project included Mama Parsi School, BVS Parsi High School, AMI School, School of Technical Sciences, The Trust School, The Citizens Foundation, Quality Schools Foundation, Quaid-e-Azam International School, White House School and Gulshan-e-Iqbal Public School. Indian participating schools are Gem Public School, Saupins School, The British School, Adarsh Vidalaya, Shree Amulakh Amichand Bhimji Vividlakshi Vidyalaya, Guru Harikrishnan School and Tagore International School.

‘Exchange for Change: Pakistan India 2012 - 2013 Exhibitions’

 The Citizens Archive of Pakistan (CAP), in collaboration with Routes2Roots (R2R), an Indian non-profit organisation working for peace and dialogue between Pakistan and India, have successfully completed their fourteen month project ‘Exchange for Change: Pakistan India 2012 - 2013’. 3,500 students from across Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Mumbai, Delhi and Chandigarh believe that their stories across the two nations are the same and are worth sharing with the general public to dispel misperceptions that prevail on both sides of the border. To this end, CAP held the first of a series of 3 exhibitions being held in Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad where participating students of the Exchange for Change project will share experiences and lessons learnt from the 14 month initiative. The Lahore exhibition was inaugurated amid fanfare and witnessed a heavy influx of traffic as members of the Indian delegation of students, NCA Principal Dr Murtaza Jaffri, Executive Director CAP Swaleha Alam Shahzada, faculty members from NCA and other invited guests visited the exhibition and interacted with the numerous audio-visual installations at the venue. Visitors observed actual letters, postcards and posters which Pakistani and Indian students had created and shared with each other. Guests also listened to actual accounts of students who shared stories of their experiences from the programme.

CAP and R2R believe that such exhibitions will further build upon the relationships developed over the life of the project, leading to a positive change in restructuring cultural misconceptions and inter-generational conflict. It is believed that youth interaction and direct communication will in time lead to a more informed and fundamental understanding of each other.

Exchange for Change is an exciting initiative by CAP that aims at improving relationships between school students in different countries. The program seeks to help students across borders realize that dialogue is possible and sustainable. Through cross-culture communication we have realized that students can have a clearer understanding of their history, culture and life styles. CAP believes that such interaction will in turn lead to a positive change and eliminate cultural misconceptions and inter-generational conflict.

Exchange for Change was first launched in September 2010 between 2400 school children from 10 schools in Karachi, Lahore, Delhi and Mumbai. After its spectacular success the project was expanded in 2012 to 3500 school children from 17 schools in Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Delhi, Chandigarh and Mumbai. During the fourteen-month life of the project, a sustained exchange of written, visual and oral histories linked school children aged 10-14 years across the six cities. The selected schools from across six major cities ensured a holistic dialogue between students belonging to diverse socio-economic backgrounds.

The ‘Letters to the Past,’ series kicked off the project in September 2012 during which students engaged in letter writing activities, sharing their thoughts, values, hobbies and interests with each other. A special emphasis was laid upon discussing historical and cultural facts so that students were not only able to make friends across the border but also participate in information exchange. Between December 2012 and February 2013, the ‘Photography Series,’ involved students in making postcards, greeting cards and collages based on four themes: school life, food, festivals and marriages and historical monuments. This endeavour enabled students to familiarize each other with the history, culture and lifestyle. The ‘Oral History’ series was conducted between February to April 2013, adding an audio-based dimension to the project. Students interviewed their grandparents, collecting historical narratives about various cities across Pakistan and India as well as their recollections of the early years.

Speaking about this initiative, Swaleha Alam Shahzada, Executive Director and Governing Board Member of CAP said:

 “As we have crossed borders through the stories of these children, we stand to have proven that by appreciating differences and celebrating similarities of the ‘other’ we can build bridges. The second round of Exchange for Change marks another giant leap in our shared history. Our stories are the same – we just need to share them!” 

Tina Vachani, Founder of Routes2Roots said:

“This program has been very close to my heart and has given me immense satisfaction to see the growing friendships between the children of the two countries. It is a great pleasure to see the growing understanding between the students and change in perceptions and biases which helps us to dream of a brighter future.”

Schools from Pakistan who participated in the project included Mama Parsi School, BVS Parsi High School, AMI School, School of Technical Sciences, The Trust School, The Citizens Foundation, Quality Schools Foundation, Quaid-e-Azam International School, White House School and Gulshan-e-Iqbal Public School. Indian participating schools are Gem Public School, Saupins School, The British School, Adarsh Vidalaya, Shree Amulakh Amichand Bhimji Vividlakshi Vidyalaya, Guru Harikrishnan School and Tagore International School.

The Citizens Archive of Pakistan in collaboration with Routes2Roots present ‘Exchange for Change: Pakistan India 2012 - 2013 Exhibitions’

The Citizens Archive of Pakistan (CAP), in collaboration with Routes2Roots (R2R), an Indian non-profit organisation working for peace and dialogue between Pakistan and India, have successfully completed a fourteen month project ‘Exchange for Change: Pakistan India 2012 - 2013’. 3,500 students from across Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Mumbai, Delhi and Chandigarh believe that their stories across the two nations are the same and are worth sharing with the general public to dispel misperceptions that prevail on both sides of the border. To this end, CAP is undertaking a series of 3 exhibitions in Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad where participating students of the Exchange for Change project will share experiences and

lessons learnt from the 14 month initiative.

CAP and R2R believe that such exhibitions will further build upon the relationships developed over the life of the project, leading to a positive change in restructuring cultural misconceptions and inter-generational conflict. It is believed that youth interaction and direct communication will in time lead to a more informed and fundamental understanding of each other.

Exchange for Change is an exciting initiative by CAP that aims at improving relationships between school students in different countries. The program seeks to help students across borders realize that dialogue is possible and sustainable. Through cross-culture communication we have realized that students can have a clearer understanding of their history, culture and life styles. CAP believes that such interaction will in turn lead to a positive change and eliminate cultural misconceptions and inter-generational conflict.

Exchange for Change was first launched in September 2010 between 2400 school children from 10 schools in Karachi, Lahore, Delhi and Mumbai. After its spectacular success the project was expanded in 2012 to 3500 school children from 17 schools in Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Delhi, Chandigarh and Mumbai. During the fourteen-month life of the project, a sustained exchange of written, visual and oral histories linked school children aged 10-14 years across the six cities. The selected schools from across six major cities ensured a holistic dialogue between students belonging to diverse socio-economic backgrounds.

The ‘Letters to the Past,’ series kicked off the project in September 2012 during which students engaged in letter writing activities, sharing their thoughts, values, hobbies and interests with each other. A special emphasis was laid upon discussing historical and cultural facts so that students were not only able to make friends across the border but also participate in information exchange. Between December 2012 and February 2013, the ‘Photography Series,’ involved students in making postcards, greeting cards and collages based on four themes: school life, food, festivals and marriages and historical monuments. This endeavour enabled students to familiarize each other with the history, culture and lifestyle. The ‘Oral History’ series was conducted between February to April 2013, adding an audio-based dimension to the project. Students interviewed their grandparents, collecting historical narratives about various cities across Pakistan and India as well as their recollections of the early years.

Speaking about this initiative, Swaleha Alam Shahzada, Executive Director and Governing Board Member of CAP said: “As we have crossed borders through the stories of these children, we stand to have proven that by appreciating differences and celebrating similarities of the ‘other’ we can build bridges. The second round of Exchange for Change marks another giant leap in our shared history. Our stories are the same – we just need to share them!” 

Tina Vachani, Founder of Routes2Roots said: “This program has been very close to my heart and has given me immense satisfaction to see the growing friendships between the children of the two countries. It is a great pleasure to see the growing understanding between the students and change in perceptions and biases which helps us to dream of a brighter future.”

Schools from Pakistan who participated in the project included Mama Parsi School, BVS Parsi High School, AMI School, School of Technical Sciences, The Trust School, The Citizens Foundation, Quality Schools Foundation, Quaid-e-Azam International School, White House School and Gulshan-e-Iqbal Public School. Indian participating schools are Gem Public School, Saupins School, The British School, Adarsh Vidalaya, Shree Amulakh Amichand Bhimji Vividlakshi Vidyalaya, Guru Harikrishnan School and Tagore International School.

About CAP:

The Citizens Archive of Pakistan (CAP) is a non-profit organization dedicated to cultural and historic preservation, operating in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad. We seek to educate the community, foster an awareness of our nations history and instil pride in Pakistani citizens about their heritage. Our organization has three main goals; to preserve and provide access to the archive, to build and support educational programs and to develop educational products based on the testimonies collected. Our vision is to develop CAP as the foremost museum and heritage centre of Pakistani history, photography, culture, literature and historical documentation demonstrating the strength and spirit of Pakistan from the perspective of a citizen.

About Routes2Roots:

Routes2Roots is a registered non-profit charitable organisation, which endeavours to bring together people, cultures and values across the SAARC countries, in particular India and Pakistan. Routes2Roots has organized numerous programs across the country from artists from Pakistan and other SAARC countries and have sent Indian Artists to these countries in a move to enhance people to people understanding and make this region a peaceful place. Routes2Roots has been actively engaged with ICCR, Delhi Tourism, Rajasthan Tourism, J&K Tourism and other government and non-government organizations. Routes2Roots are also a member of World Association of NGO’s New York USA.

More information about CAP: http://www.facebook.com/citizensarchivepk www.citizensarchive.org https://twitter.com/citizensarchive

More information about R2R: http://www.routes2roots.com https://www.facebook.com/pages/Routes-2-Roots-NGO  READ MORE