Pakistan Religious Education Enhancement
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For the past seven years, Azhar Hussain has partnered
with leaders of Pakistan's madrasas (private religious schools) in order
to improve the scope and quality of education for Pakistan's youth.
Through his work at the International Center for Religion and Diplomacy
(ICRD), Hussain has trained over 2700 madrasa leaders throughout
Pakistan. This training seeks to enhance education by working with the
current leadership of these religious schools, as well as to help
madrasa leaders enhance their contributions to peacebuilding in
Pakistan.
His work primarily focuses on encouraging the broadening of madrasas
curriculum by including scientific and social disciplines, promoting
critical thinking skills, teaching conflict resolution management, and
providing teachers with necessary skills and knowledge to successfully
perform their duties.
A major part of Hussain's goals is to help students develop religious tolerance and gain knowledge on the topic of human rights.
Please join Azhar Hussain, alongside Christopher Candland,
a professor from Wellesley College and expert on madrasa education, for
a fascinating discussion on the promotion of peace and tolerance in
Pakistan through religious education enhancement.
Azhar Hussain is Senior Vice President for Preventive
Diplomacy at the International Center for Religion & Diplomacy
(ICRD). Hussain currently heads ICRD's Pakistan Madrasa Project. He has worked in cooperation with the US Institute of Peace, provided
educational and intercultural consulting services for numerous
multi-national organizations, delivered presentations to such
organizations as the UN Alliance of Civilizations and the US Commission
on International Religious Freedom, conducted training and development
initiatives around the world. Hussain is the winner of the 2006
Peacemakers in Action Award from the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious
Understanding. He previously served as Senior Consultant to the
Mexican Ministry of Education and adjunct professor at the Tecnológico
de Monterrey. Hussain has a Masters degree in International and
Intercultural Management.
Christopher Candland is an Associate Professor of
Political Science and the founding Director of the South Asia Studies
Program at Wellesley College. After graduating from Haverford College,
he worked with refugees in India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. He earned his
PhD. from Columbia University in 1996 and taught at the University of
California Berkeley before joining Wellesley College in 1999. He has
published widely on Pakistani madaris and madaris reform. He is now
working on a book project related to Muslim philanthropy and human
security in Pakistan.
Event Details
Asia Society Washington, The Cinnabar Room, Whittemore House, 2nd Flr., 1526 New Hampshire Ave, NW