Building bridges of peace over rivers of hate – #IYCF2011

Today’s youth must utilize new technologies to reclaim ceded space and foster peace through tolerance in 21st century Muslim societies

The Friday Times: Published in November 4, 2011 edition under the title “Generation Next“

For valid and practical reasons, the youth is always the most vibrant, energetic and hopeful constituent of any society. It is the ripe fruit which is cultivated and nurtured by every nation year in year out. In today’s Pakistan, though one can feel old if not fatigued by the time they reach their twenties, the generations that follow do not shun the standards of innovation and understanding that our society must desperately adhere to in the times we live in. New, avant-garde platforms that are collectively labeled as ‘social media’ offer a necessary space for freedom of speech, of expression and of association – in both the personal and the formal spheres of life – and like physical space in the territory of Pakistan, it is receding vis-à-vis exhibition of tolerance; it is being ceded to extreme and radical mindsets because people choose silence and expediency over voice and responsibility. In this situation, social media provides a platform for dialogue beyond distances, and across structural barriers, free of cost. But indirect connectivity can only do so much.