Press for Peace (PFP) is a research, media and advocacy organization that strives to promote peace, tolerance, interfaith harmony and the protection of human rights in Kashmir and more broadly in South Asia.
Our Partners
Insight on Conflict
TransConflict
The International Peace Youth Group (IPYG)
Child Rights Movement
Vision
The PFP envisions a permanent peace, sustainable development and everlasting happiness for all people of the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Mission
PFP’s mission is to create a favorable environment for the establishment of permanent peace, secure livelihood and sustainable development in all parts of the state of Jammu and Kashmir by equipping individuals, groups and communities with needed knowledge, advocacy, research, and training.
Values
The humanitarian approach toward the communities PFP serves
An accountable and responsible approach
Transparent and efficient project management
Continuous collaboration with all stakeholders, sponsors, and donors
Impartiality and equality during resource utilization and skills generation.
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Press for Peace (PFP) supports reunion of divided Kashmiri families
The Press for Peace (PFP) has urged India and Pakistan to facilitate the reunion of divided families so that people can fulfill their shattered dreams of visiting birthplaces. In a statement issued here on Tuesday, Press for Peace (PFP) has appreciated divided Kashmiri families for sharing their experiences of partition on social media. It appreciated Ms. Sharma Poonchi and other activists who highlighted tragic stories of migrated people from different parts of separated State. The PFP said that governments of both parts of Jammu and Kashmir should consider human aspirations of people who migrated from Poonch, Bagh, and Muzaffarabad to Jammu or migrated from Karnah, Uri, and Poonch to various cities in Pakistan administrated Kashmir.
The statement mentioned that Prime Minister Farooq Haider who himself belongs to a migrated family should support migrated people to visit their places of origin in Muzaffarabad (POK). "The partition has been a tragic incident of history, hence, peace-loving people on both side of LOC should work together to heal the wounds of divided people."He asked authorities to facilitated pilgrims to visit the historical and religious place of Sharda in Neelum Valley in Pakistan administrated Kashmir. |
Posted Dec 17, 2018, 8:11 PM by PFP Admin
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How Tourism Can Promote Peace - Part 4
Mahboobeh Fahnadezh Saadi/// Mahboobeh is a Tehran-based writer and researcher. She is currently associated with Press for Peace (PFP). "How tourism can promote peace" is her 4-part series of articles on prospects of peace through tourism.
Intra-Kashmir Trade and Travel
India and Pakistan have already initiated a number of confidence-building measures in Kashmir, including the creation of a bus service and the limited expansion of trade across the Line of Control (LoC). Thee present cross-LoC confidence-building measures address primarily the divided families living on both sides of the LoC and thus are limited in scope and do not serve the entire region and all communities of Kashmir. It is imperative for India and Pakistan to expand cross-LoC confidence-building measures and add new initiatives that would address the imbalances in the existing interactions. Expanding tourism in Jammu and Kashmir and Azad Kashmir will result in economic development of the two sides. Cross-LoC tourism will be an important initiative in further expanding the present confidence building and will allow members of the broader civil society of Kashmir to visit and interact with each other. Cross-LoC tourism will expand the scope of interactions between the two sides, beyond the divided families, and include everyone in Kashmir. Cross-LoC tourism will also create constituencies of peace beyond the select group of divided families and businessmen who already benefit from the cross-LoC bus services and truck traffic.
The way forward
As a first step, India and Pakistan should develop a “package tourism” program that would include select destinations on both sides of the LoC. More important, both India and Pakistan should seriously consider further relaxing travel restrictions for people to travel across the LoC. Increase of commute between the two sides may have not dramatic impact, but certainly change the status of the conflict in this region. Tourism by its nature needs an atmosphere of peace and nonviolence. Tourism industry will replace industries like oil. Because oil industry is not renewable, but sustainable tourism is. As tourism can alleviate poverty, boost economy and empower women, all countries should use their tourism potentials to help the development of their own countries. Cross border peace will boost tourism and in turn will promote peace in neighboring countries. Countries like Pakistan and India that have conflict over Kashmir can use their tourism potential by promoting a tourism packages that include tourism attraction of both sides. They can also use sport event such as football to make the two nations closer. Indian and Pakistanis have many things in common and Kashmir is shared between them. Kashmir is called a heaven on the earth. With promotion of tourism in the region, both nations can help boosting their economic status and create job for their nations and improve the infrastructure of roads, hotels, transportations, etc. If governments care for their people, it is a must to forget old animosities and think of advancement of the region. War never make anything better, but peace do. For Comments & Suggestions : admin@pressforpeace.org.uk
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Posted Dec 17, 2018, 8:02 PM by PFP Admin
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Vocational Training for Rural Women
Rural communities are the heart of everything Press For Peace (PFP) does, mainly when it comes to women development and empowerment initiatives. Poverty, illiteracy, lack of opportunities, social and cultural adversities etc. are few factors which hamper women to play an equitable and progressive role in developing societies. Enhancing women abilities and raising their voice at the policy level is an essence of our ‘gender development project’ which revolves around social and economic development of women.
The aim of this project is to provide basic vocational training for women to improve their livelihood. The project encourages rural women to engage in social entrepreneurial activities, which boosts their confidence and enhances their business skills. Through this project, we also focus on educating women about good parenting practices and healthy lifestyles. A lot of activities around this project focus on the mobilization of rural women at the social, political and economic level.
The vocational training project in Bagh specializes in developing necessary skills for women from a disadvantaged background. The project activities are developed to equip them with social and professional skills to improve their lives. For instance, the project provides vocational training for women of rural communities by educating basic skills of tailoring, embroidery etc.
Press For Peace (PFP) has developed a 6-month training curriculum which develops women vocational skills and also incorporates civil rights education to raise awareness among women about healthy lifestyle, good parenting, conflict resolution, community cohesion, peacebuilding, and other concepts. Press for Peace (PFP) in collaboration of Hope for Life organization, has established a number of ‘Girls Vocational centers’ (GVCs) in far-flung areas of Bagh, Azad Kashmir.
A unique cost-effective and participatory approach has been adopted to execute this project where mobile vocational centers are set-up in various areas on a need basis. After the successful completion of the courses trainee women are encouraged and mentored to start their own businesses for their livelihood, thus, the project has transformed the lives of many needy but enthusiastic women of rural communities.
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Posted Dec 17, 2018, 7:26 PM by PFP Admin
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‘Vocational education Vital for Women Development’
Vocational education is very important for women to transform their lives. Skilled women can bring constructive changes in the socio-economic conditions of their families and in society. Civil society has played a pivotal role in raising awareness as well as upbringing status of women through various interventions. These views were expressed by various speakers during the certificate distribution ceremony at Women Vocational Centre organized by Press For Peace (PFP), which is a non-government development organization working for the betterment of rural communities. Under this project, women from marginalized groups are equipped with social and professional skills to improve their lives. The project provides vocational training for women of rural communities by educating basic skills of tailoring, embroidery etc.
Senior official Yousaf Kashmiri said that PFP has developed a the month training curriculum which develops women vocational skills and also incorporates civil rights education to raise awareness among women about healthy lifestyle, good parenting, peacebuilding, and other concepts. Imran Gillani District Coordinator said that the PFP in collaboration of Hope for Life organization has established a number of ‘Girls Vocational,’ (GVCs) in far-flung areas of Bagh, Azad Kashmir. He said that some trained women have started their businesses and contributing organization an increase in their family income. Social workers and community leaders Jannat peacebuildingShokat Tamore, Zahid Gillani, Rubina Naz and other spoke on this occasion and hoped that such measures would help in the upbringing of livelihood of rural women.
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Posted Dec 17, 2018, 7:34 PM by PFP Admin
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