I’ve been teaching for a few years, and having taught in some less than ideal situations, I figured I had seen a fair share of what was troubling and traumatic in schools today. I taught 6th graders sentence structure as gangs engaged in a shootout outside the classroom, and I had been to two student funerals before I had the pleasure of attending a single graduation. But I had never been to a government school in Karachi. I knew this would be a difficult experience; I had heard conflicting reports from friends and colleagues who had been part of organizations committed to bettering the state of education in Pakistan and so I prepared myself. Yet, as I drove back from my first day at Shah Faisal Colony Summer Camp, I felt unable to articulate the awful gnawing sensation inside of me.  My first day left me overwhelmed, saddened, disheartened, but most of all, humbled.
The Karachi heat was characteristically oppressive, and bore down on us incessantly in the small rooms that were filled beyond capacity with bright eyes and curious minds. But more than the heat, it was the realization of the almost impossible nature of the task at hand that bore down on me like a leaden blanket and wore me out both mentally and physically.  Of course I had known all my life the state of government schools in Karachi, but something about being there made it hit home hard.  How would this ever change? How were we as a nation going to take on the task of educating our masses through a government education system that was practically non-existent? To say there was a lack of resources would be too generous; there was a complete and utter absence of resources. No desks, no chairs, no books, no paper, no pencils.  But if the absence of resources were the only issue, it would be cause to celebrate. Unfortunately lack of resources is only one problem among a myriad of ills that plagues any effort to educate our nation’s children.
But even though the obstacles are many, so are the efforts to overcome them, and that offers some respite.  And as the children of Shah Faisal Colony Summer Camp sat mesmerized by the light of the projector on the screen, I sat there mesmerized by their spirits: the little girl who wore her sparkly new shoes to school because she was so excited to be there. The little chatterbox who carefully guarded his broken color pencils, but decided to share them with his friends as they collaborated on their class work. The cheeky young lad who pretended to know all the answers and ferociously ticked multiple-choice boxes to hide the fact that he couldn’t read. The ten year old who stayed back after all her friends left so she could ask me how to do question number nine. Seeing them so happy to have a chance to be in a classroom with an unassuming resolve to learn left me inspired, and most humbled.
When it was time to leave, I didn’t know how to feel. I was sad to leave because I felt I really hadn’t made much of a difference, yet at he same time I was relieved because the experience had been so exacting and painful.
It takes strength to be there, and strength to leave the children there. But most of all, it takes strength to return there, day after day standing by the children and holding their hands as they fight insurmountable odds to gain an education.

I came all the way from New York University to document the Citizens Archive of Pakistan’s (CAP) School Outreach Tour, which sees the organisation work with less-privileged schools to teach tolerance, awareness, and critical thinking. Needless to say, having come so far to take part in this, I was filming anything and everything on my first day at the Rana Liaqat school in Korangi, where CAP is running a summer camp. One boy (who I now call director saab) chastised me for not being more judicious in what I decide to shoot; he joked that I would even “film a kid drinking water” (which coincidentally I later did end up doing). I was so engrossed in fact, that I hadn’t fully grasped the magnitude of what I was filming.
One of the CAP volunteers asked me to guess how many students were in the room I was filming. I estimated, 30, 40? He informed me that the number was closer to 100. I was shocked that my guess was so far off, but soon understood why. The fact that the children seemed so at ease, so happy, despite having no desks or facilities, made me think that their situation was better than it was. In fact, they have to put up with a lot and make a lot of sacrifices to learn, one of which is to be cramped into a small room with 100 other children in the middle of summer. Their eagerness puts more responsibility on our shoulders, and gives all the CAP employees working at the school added incentives to give the children the greatest experience that we can over this summer program.

Personally, my job is to document the summer camp from beginning to end, and to capture the progression of the students over the period. Ultimately, it will be the evidence that can be used to assess whether or not we have been successful in our aims to increase tolerance, awareness, and critical thinking. Before the program began, some of the senior employees at CAP told me that I didn’t have to go everyday, and that I could skip the days that wouldn’t be as visually appealing or relevant to my film. For instance, they didn’t see the point of me filming on a day where the class would just be watching an Urdu version of The Lion King. Strangely, going on that day was the greatest experience I’ve had in my trip so far. I myself became interested in film as a result of watching Disney movies countless times at a very young age. I remember how much they meant to me, so I can only imagine the value they would have to these children, some of which might have not even seen a projector before. The children were transfixed on the screen for the duration of the film. They gasped at the magnitude of the antelope stampede, laughed when Timon and Pumbaa first made their appearance, and cried when Simba lost his father. As I saw one girl quietly wiping away her tears, I wondered what this tragic moment of violence in the film would mean for a child brought up in an environment where suicide bombings and target killings are regular occurrences. I thought it was a beautiful testament to the universality of film, and a reminder that we all should not take such luxuries for granted.

However, as much as I would love to show the children the entire Disney collection, the primary emphasis of the course is to teach the children facts and skills that help explain their environment. The first day we gave a presentation on the creation of Pakistan, and the players from both sides of the border who were involved. I was filming interviews with the children simultaneously to our lessons, and some of the answers were concerning. Many seemed to think that Quaid-e-Azam only wanted Pakistan to be for Muslims, despite not being able to pinpoint where exactly they had heard this information. One boy even recognized that the white of the national flag represents minorities, but still made the claim that minorities aren’t true Pakistanis. Thus, it is clear that these children are perfectly capable of retaining information, and have a desire to learn, but there is a lack of critical thinking/ putting the pieces together to make educated conclusions. Some of their views are still informed by outdated textbooks, hearsay, urban myths etc, and this is something that we are trying to remedy. At the very least, we want to make the children critically assess the information that they will hear in the future, so that they can make their own decisions having heard all the arguments.

I’ve had a look at the lesson plans for the weeks ahead, and I’m confident that the children are really going to enjoy the things we have in store for them. (I saw someone in the office watching an Urdu dubbing of Finding Nemo… this bodes well!) So far it has completely lived up to the expectations I had before coming here, and the more time I spend at the school, the more I want to go back and live up to the children’s’ expectations of CAP. Hopefully the video I ultimately end up making will be able to inspire others to do the work we’re doing here, as it is clear to me that although education might not be readily supplied to the masses, there is a lot of demand.

After going for the School Outreach Tour and taking part in the Dialogue with Pakistan campaign, I pondered over the experiences I had in the schools where we went to teach. It didn’t take long for me to connect the dots and realize how our dismal primary public education system with a lack of proper infrastructure, a curriculum emphasizing rote learning and archaic teaching methods favoring corporal punishment were clearing contributing to the menace of violence in the society. 

While the school that we went to seemed fully functional, there still exist thousands of ghost schools in Pakistan. The government has long neglected primary education and efforts in that direction have largely been half-hearted. While primary education is technically both free and provided by the state, the reality of crushing poverty compelling children to work, ghost schools and other inefficiencies insure that roughly a little less than half of kids are out of school.

The school we went to had running water and electricity. However, it was severely lacking in IT infrastructure, which was unfortunately because all the children seemed excited about and receptive to the multimedia presentations that we made or the videos that we screened. This might have been out of sheer curiosity since many of them might never have seen computers before. However, they were clearly more engaged with the same information being portrayed on the projection screen instead of being read out. This also highlighted the problem with the standard methods of monotonous lectures and rote learning which ultimately translate into high dropout rates. It was exciting to see the children pick up things such as dates, maps and other details of historical events much more quickly when they were presented to them in a graphical form.

After our efforts at controlling the class were being hindered by a few unruly boys, their schoolteacher took charge and took them outside. What followed was a disheartening display of violence that makes one wonder about the lessons these young impressionable lads derive from such episodes. One wonders if the desensitization of people to violence in the society has a link with the way government schools give teachers a Carte Blanche. While the teacher’s efforts at disciplining the unruly children seems to be working, one must wonder if the long term costs of such tutelage are justifiable especially considering the fact that many of these children thought of school as an escape from what they experience at home. Violence in school might have lead many to think of violence as a way of life that is dreadful. Understandably, responses to cases of mass violence in history were rather muted and barely any child expressed feelings of strong disgust. Their interactions in the classroom were also a little physical with especially the boys resorting to hitting each other a little too often, reassuring me in a playful way that they meant no harm. I wondered if that would remain the case once these children grew up.

We taught the kids about Bangladesh, Kashmir and the 1965 war. Many were caught unaware of the fact that Bangladesh was once part of Pakistan and when informed that it was, failed to locate it on a map. The province of Bengal in Pakistan from 1947 to 1971 seemed like an anomaly and piqued their curiosity. Many were used to seeing the map of only West Pakistan, even in the context of 1947. The details of the 1971 war was similarly sketchy in the minds of the children. Kashmir was an issue that many held dear to heart but unfortunately weren’t able to locate it on the map. There was little discussion amongst the children about the lesson and nobody questioned what we were teaching them in a critical way. War was perceived in a rather glamorous way and the children did not seem to appreciate the great toll on human life in a war. War was also seen as a much more effective tool for reaching political agreements than diplomacy. Most historical events were seen through the lens of racial, ethnic or religious groups with a rigidity rarely allowing for the perspectives of groups other than the ones the children belonged to. The curriculum used in many of these schools was problematic because it encouraged rote learning and hindered critical thinking. History textbooks were filled with biased accounts of historical events, which were readily accepted by the children. It was evident that the children weren’t used to questioning their teachers and an eerie silence spread the room once we asked if anybody had any questions. The one speaking up was usually the target of derision and ridicule instead of support and encouragement.

It was abundantly clear that many of the children came from backgrounds where their exposure to violence and hate was slowly shaping their worldview.  From their own accounts, most had witnessed violence and few seemed to have any moral qualms with the idea of settling scores with an eye for an eye.  The qualities of tolerance and compassion, while understood, were not appreciated for what they were worth because of the scarring experiences that many of the children had. It was clear that many of these children saw school as the gateway to a better future and were there to learn. However, the school seemed to be failing them miserably. Most were uninspired by the teachers, not enthusiastic about the way they were being taught and exposed to violence on a daily basis which they abhorred. No wonder then that the enrollment rate is low, dropout rate is high and many children simply while away their time in school. It is high time we wake up as a society and take action to not fail our youngsters in school.

The School Outreach Tour is a great step towards that end.  All of the lessons were filled with multimedia presentations that kept the children engaged. We tried to counter the stereotypes that most of the children had grown up with and helped them think critically by challenging them. Most importantly, the lessons were designed to be interactive so that the children enjoyed them. Priority was given to meaningful activities that empowered the children and did not treat them like passive drones designed to absorb hour-long monotonous lectures. Participation rates were high and most of the children were visibly excited about lessons that employed multimedia and gave them a chance to contribute towards the discussion.

The problem with being asked to describe two hours with the greatest man in Pakistan is that it is a bit impossible to do justice to. I was initially excited about the prospect of writing about my interview with Abdul Sattar Edhi. During our session, I made mental notes of all his inspiring quotes and decided I would focus on those alone. About ten minutes in I realized that picking just a few inspiring things he said would be even more difficult than describing him. So here is my sloppy attempt to explain what happened today.

We just walked into the Edhi office in Mithadar. We had no precise address and no phone number we could reach easily, but this didn’t turn out to be a problem at all. Every single person we stopped in the congested streets knew where Edhi sahib’s office was and they were able to direct us so accurately we arrived twenty minutes early. Nobody asked us why we were early or how long we planned to stay. We were ushered into a room decorated with posters from campaigns for a drug free Pakistan, a tolerant Pakistan, a compassionate Pakistan. Several honorary degrees were displayed under the glass top of a table we sat on (a table we learned was “older than this country”). A large red sticker was on the door behind me. “LOVE HUMANITY,” it proclaimed in gaudy yellow lettering. I wondered at the man who had stuffed honorary PhDs under a glass top and chosen to frame and display a sticker like that. That’s all you can do with Edhi. Wonder.

I was nervous about meeting him. I’ve wanted to meet him since I was eight years old. I doubt there is a single man alive who commands as much respect, trust and gratitude as Abdul Sattar Edhi. Beggars, dacoits, philanthropists and society aunties alike feel safe depositing their zakat, their sadqas, their khairat, their earnings, their bread into his fund, knowing that it will reach whoever needs it most. Personally, I am not an especially spiritual person, but when I think of prayer I recall being nine years old and trying very hard to send blessings to the mysterious Edhi who seems to be keeping our country afloat singlehandedly. I don’t know what I expected of him today, but I did not expect him to walk into the room while we were all setting up our equipment and hearing him say “Assalam Alaikum” unassumingly, as if he wasn’t Edhi himself but simply a random person strolling into the room.

Once I had recovered from being tongue tied and begun the interview, I learned many things I didn’t know about Edhi, but many more I hadn’t realized about society. I learned that he describes himself as a Sheikh Chilli who never dreams small. I learned that he despises maulanas who choose Islamism over humanity, but equally disparages those who despise criminals without understanding their motives. I learned that his inspiration for placing a cradle outside every welfare center was his experience of picking maggot-ridden babies out of the trash and seeing an illegitimate infant stoned outside a mosque. I learned that he deeply loves his wife, doesn’t understand why people don’t choose to adopt daughters and employs mostly women because he believes they do God’s work better than men. I learned that he has met Gandhi and befriended Bacha Khan in his youth. More than anything, I learned that nothing disgusts him more than people who see humans as anything but humans. “Insaniyat” is the only religion, he told us. I asked him what inspired him to start working for all of us the way he does. “I am a Muslim and I do what God has asked me to do. The only message of religion is that humanity is one. Nowadays, the world has become so big that we find ways to divide it up, but that’s what destroys us-divisions, divisions, divisions.”

I don’t think any of us knew that Edhi has worked for humane causes in no less than 73 countries. I don’t think any of us expected him to well up with sadness when he told us that India, the country of his birth, is one of the only two countries in the world that has denied him a visa for his work. That alone speaks volumes about who and what we are today. A world which denies the champion of transcending divisions a visa to cross the border.

I’m not sure what exactly it was that Edhi radiated in that room as we all sat and listened to him spellbound (until he woke me up with “Ask me more questions, are you tired already?”). It was something like a sense of boundless possibility. If a man of almost ninety who started with nothing can start and run the world’s largest volunteer ambulance organization, rescue 36,000 abandoned babies, feed the hungry every day, give every unclaimed body a decent burial, convince the most bloodthirsty amongst us to choose love over arms and build shelters where injured animals and birds are cared for, he can probably do anything. His humanity doesn’t know any bounds and in the face of all he has done, the photograph of a rather pompous ex-prime minister handing Edhi a little medal made me want to laugh. It was so grotesquely inadequate.

While even the most well-meaning of us execute our vision for humanity cynically-by crying ourselves hoarse about misgovernance, angrily criticizing the idiots who don’t do a better job and howling with fury at the corruption and crime we face daily, there are others in Pakistan who achieve greatness with complete trust that people will choose to do the right thing.

Edhi recounted a time when he was accosted by bandits on his way to Quetta. They recognized him for who he was, safely escorted him to his destination and on his arrival, presented him with two crore rupees. Other hardened criminals have been known to put down their guns in the middle of street battles when the Edhi ambulance arrived on the scene. Beggars who spend their days collecting ten rupees at a time have dropped five hundred rupee notes into Edhi collection boxes. What is it about his personality that makes us want to keep on giving? “You call these people bandits, dacoits, thieves. But think about the society that has produced a system where some remain wealthy forever while others have to shoot for bread and then tell me who is wrong. If you’re letting this happen, tell me who the thief is.”

I suppose that’s the answer to my question. Here is a man who will give us everything-who has already given us everything-simply because we are all human, whether we are criminals of one kind or another. It would be a challenge to find a single person in Pakistan who hasn’t been connected with the Edhi Foundation in some way. Everybody knows someone who has donated their money, called an ambulance, adopted a baby or had their Eid meat distributed by Edhi. There is a reason his number is pre-saved in the most basic models of cell phones under “Emergency contacts.” The truth is that the only emergency threatening to destroy us is that we can’t distinguish this common thread of humanity-and need-that runs in all of us. We all give to and take from the Edhi Foundation. We all need his services and yet our principal activity is pointing fingers at who landed us in this mess. Divisions, divisions, divisions.

Abdul Sattar Edhi was interviewed as part of CAP’s Oral History Project.

The Citizens Archive of Pakistan’s Karachi office is currently welcoming applicants for its summer internship cycle and we might be just the niche you’ve been looking for! If you’re interested in history, journalism, social work, animation or graphic design, or are looking for a way to get involved in our country and community, then CAP is the place for you.

As an intern, you will be involved with the Oral History Project (OHP), 1971 Project, Animation or Design.

Oral History Project:
The Oral History Project taps into our nation’s rich story-telling culture. The voice of a generation that is fast leaving us is preserved and made accessible for generations of Pakistanis to come through detailed interviews about the partition of 1947, migration and entertainment and culture in the 50’s and 60’s. As an intern, you will be trained to conduct interviews, operate archival recording equipment and learn the transcribing and logging process. You will also learn how to manage a vast database (our photography archive alone contains more than 50,000 images!). Check out www.citizensarchive.org for one of our clips.

1971 Project:
CAP’s 1971 Project is collecting and archiving material on the 1970-1 period, to commemorate the fortieth anniversary of the creation of Bangladesh. As an intern, you will help conduct oral history interviews, scan documents and newspapers at libraries and research centers and work on our archive to sort the materials that are collected. You will also learn a great deal about a forgotten period in our history, acquiring valuable research skills along the way.

Dialogue with Pakistan:
This project seeks to explore how violence has affected the emotional and cognitive processes of individuals and communities across the country, through an awareness campaign and multimedia exhibition. Interns will have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in the fields of journalism, film, photography, curating, public art, social media and design.

Animation:
Animated videos and games are an important component of CAP’s educational programs for children, such as the School Outreach Tour and the Kids’ Corner on the website. As an animation intern, you will work with the team on software such as Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, After Effect and Premiere. You will also work with 3-D programs, such as 3-D Max, Maya and Z-brush. Interns may also help with editing and story boarding clips for our Oral History Project. To see some of the work our animators and editors do, visit our youtube channel at www.youtube.com/citizensarchive.

Design:
Design interns will work with CAP’s Graphic Design Manager on designing all brochures, written lesson plans, booklets, pamphlets and promotional materials, using software such as Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign. Interns will also be required to have design sense and a knowledge of photography and photo editing, for taking portraits of Oral History Project candidates.

Details:
The first internship cycle begins on May 15th and ends on July 15th. The second cycle begins on July 1st and ends on September 1st. All internships run from Monday to Friday, from 9am to 6pm.

We are looking for students who are currently enrolled in college and are passionate about learning about our rich heritage! Please note that we are a not-for-profit society. All internship positions are unpaid. You will gain valuable experience and receive a letter of recommendation at the end of the internship.

It is difficult not to respond to the violence and trauma which
is engulfing Pakistanis on a daily basis today. Its impact on an
individual level is more real than ever, yet there are few healthy
outlets being promoted to channel the fears and concerns of

Pakistanis regarding their own wellbeing and that of the country.
The aim of CAP’s “This is my Story: Dialogue with Pakistan”
multimedia exhibit is to address these very concerns through
creative channels as a collective memory bank of Pakistanis’
experiences with violence and trauma. It is a privilege to be
working on a project which can utilise the creative strands of
the country’s fiber to address a common problem, if only for my
belief in the power of art as a means of catharsis and social
cohesion.

For the first time in Pakistan, an exhibition and awareness
campaign will address issues pertaining to violence,
displacement and reconciliation. CAP hopes to explore the
human experience of Pakistanis through film, the spoken word
and photography, the results of which will culminate in a public
multimedia exhibition as well as an electronic and social media
campaign to maximise our outreach. “This is my story: Dialogue
with Pakistan” will feature 30 artists from all over Pakistan in two
multi-media exhibitions in Karachi and Lahore.

Selected artists will be led through a series of collaborative
workshops spearheaded by members of the CAP board of
directors- Filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy, Photographer
Amean J., and Creative Designer Ali Mumtaz – which will
guide them through the process of documentation and means
of conflict-resolution. They will then commence work on
independent projects for a month, exploring how conflict has
impacted arts and culture, families and communities on an

individual as well as societal level in Pakistan. Photographers,
Videographers and New Media Artists will recreate impact
zones and experiences, which we hope will engage the
public emotionally and elicit responses relating to conflict-
resolution. We want to initiate dialogue through these personal
portraits, and build a collective memory of untold suffering
and compassion. The exhibits, which will be held in Karachi
and Lahore between 15th-30th August, will catalogue real life
experiences and include installations portraying how our current
situation can be compared to other scenarios in Pakistan’s
history.

I will be following the project through its various phases and
writing about its progress as it unfolds. The prospect of having
the opportunity to observe some of the country’s leading new
media artists at work is exciting, and I look immensely forward to
coordinating with participants and following up on their projects.
The exhibit, like so many of CAP’s previous events, is bound to
be inspiring and insightful.

CAP is currently looking for artists to participate in the exhibition.
Photographers, Videographers and New Media Artists are
encouraged to apply. We look forward to hearing from you!

For more information, please visit http://www.facebook.com/
event.php?eid=137999876270005&ref=ts

The Citizens Archive of Pakistan (CAP) is searching for a Project Director for Exchange for Change and other Special Projects.

Exchange for Change is CAP’s initiative between Pakistan and India. It is connecting 10 schools across Delhi, Mumbai, Karachi and Lahore. The project consists of 4 phases: Letters to the Past, Postcard Series, Photography Series and Oral Histories. The first phase is now over and letters have been successfully exchanged between Pakistani and Indian students. Postcards, photographs and Oral histories will be exchanged via a phased exchange throughout the rest of the year.

The director will be responsible for special projects like festivals and interactive exhibitions for children and adults (Eg: Birth of Pakistan, Dekho Pakistan etc)& Shanaakht – our biennial festival.

As Project Director at CAP, you will perform the following responsibilities:

PROJECT RELATED COMPETENCIES

Management

• Providing leadership to project within designated area of responsibility – Karachi

• Developing, implementing, and maintaining project goals and objectives.

• Creating, curating, managing and directing festivals, exhibitions and other CAP

events.

• Coming up with creative ways to exhibit our existing archive material and finding

new material to exhibit

• Attracting media, participants and spectators to the events

CORE COMPETENCIES ACHIEVED

Business Development

• Providing leadership and guidance in all aspects of the project cycle

• Taking a lead role in monitoring the identification and development of strategic

project partners

• Involving, as appropriate, the team in order to achieve project goals

• Growing long-term relationships with clients and capitalized on partnership

opportunities.

Communication

• Ensuring team and external partners are well informed, at all times, of changes

and news worthy events relating to the project.

• Effectively communicating relevant project information to superiors.

• Handling difficult personnel/partner situations directly, using appropriate

discretion, superiors advice, and respect for the individual.

• Promoting project through press and media engagements

Technical Understanding

• Evaluating on a timely basis and redesigned project offerings and details

• Understanding the implications of different technical choices and was able to

project with the best solution in each situation

• Having a creative eye and a good understanding of colors, themes and spaces

PROFESSIONAL QUALITIES

Leadership

• Achieving excellence in all areas of project direction

• Championing change and effectively managing implementation of new ideas.

Teamwork

• Reinforcing team approach throughout project tenure and guiding team through

difficult times

• Supporting and soliciting input from team members, specialists such as legal and

technical desk and supervisors within the organization.

• Ensuring team is always motivated and ready to meet deadlines and project goals

Client Management

• Communicating effectively with project partners to identify needs and evaluate

alternative solutions and strategies.

• Continually defining ways to improve network strength and deepen partner

relationships.

• Addressing issues faced by partners and resolving their queries

GENERAL ORGANIZATIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• Ensuring the team is well equipped to manage tasks allotted

• Managing the internships programs, volunteers etc

• Facilitation between departments

• Creating job descriptions for vacancies

• Creating and managing orientation kits for interns and employees

• Coordinating internally with board

Please send a cover letters and your resume to jobsatcap@gmail.com . Deadline is April 1st 2011. For inquiries please call 0332-2541272

One of the wonderful things about working at CAP is its active involvement with the community and commitment to bringing history alive for the public. Our latest exhibition, titled “Dekho Pakistan,” was not only fun for the team to create, it has also been acclaimed by visitors who enjoyed its interactive nature and beautiful venue.

On 8th March 2011, The Citizens Archive of Pakistan reopened Frere Hall, a national heritage site which has been closed to the public for six years. In collaboration with Hamara Karachi, CAP curated an exhibition in the Sadequain Gallery, famed for the mural on its ceiling which the great artist was still working on when he died in 1987. “Dekho Pakistan” offered visitors a chance to appreciate the gallery along with the photography, installations and collages we put together.

The photography exhibit includes four sections of pictures grouped by theme. There are rare photographs of Jinnah before and after the creation of Pakistan, images of Karachi in the 1950s and 1960s and a section featuring extraordinary women who contributed to the country. Several visitors appreciated the special place accorded to women’s achievements on the opening of our event, which coincided with International Women’s Day.

The interactive section of our exhibition was a great success as far as our younger visitors and their parents were concerned. A three-dimensional map of Karachi, painstakingly created by CAP staff and volunteers, was used to quiz and inform school children who were excited by the birds-eye view of their city. Others enjoyed the animated clips about history and geography, developed especially for our School Outreach Tour. The section also had an embryonic collage about the history and genesis of the Urdu language. Visitors added their thoughts to it and by the end of the first day, the collage was already decorated with facts, opinions and the names of people who enjoyed the exhibit. A similar number of notes were tacked onto another board to which people added their hopes for Pakistan, their pride in our achievements as a nation or their admiration for the founding fathers. Younger children enjoyed our informative puzzles about the Lahore Resolution and Pakistan’s military history and absolutely everyone enjoyed trying on hats in our photo booth featuring the kind of caps worn across the country! The final section of the exhibit was devoted to rare maps from our archive, displayed for the first time. Geography buffs, students and parents eager to acquaint their children with the rest of Pakistan enjoyed the walk through the hall of maps, situated in a beautiful corridor overlooking the gardens outside Frere Hall.

For the CAP team, the best part of the exhibition was probably the response to it. Journalists, parents, educationists, oral history candidates and people who had simply wandered into the space told us how much they enjoyed the chance to engage with their heritage. “Dekho Pakistan” gives us a chance to use the material in our growing archive and share it with the public. If you haven’t visited yet, it’s up until 8th April 2011-do come and see it for yourself!

Conducting research in order to understand and interpret the past is a job that is challenging, frustrating and rewarding in equal measure. For several weeks, I have been collecting information about 1971, as part of CAP’s project to mark the 40^th anniversary of the civil war and subsequent creation of Bangladesh. My journey is far from over-in fact it has really only begun-and already, the learning curve is steep. With every hurdle I have faced, my conviction that 1971 must be understood and taught has grown.

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After arriving Karachi, I found that Karachi was beyond my imagination. The roads were well built, the place where I lived was really nice and comfortable and the place where I worked was so roomy and favorable. However, I found the gap between rich and poor was large. So many people dressed in rags, so many people live by selling flowers or tissues, so many people are not that well educated that they are not able to speak English. I remember clearly that one night Haya drove us out, a little girl stood outside our car and asked me to buy her tissue in sign language. I didn’t carry money with me and I said sorry to her. She looked into my eyes and her face was filled with sadness. I was really sad. I asked myself, what could I do to help them?

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