ALAAP: Change through Arts

Alaap, a research based cultural organization, promotes creative cultural expressions for strengthening peace and harmony in the violence ridden society of Pakistan. Alaap engages potential young artists through different learning opportunities and connects them with established artists and peace activists. A membership based organization; Alaap is currently building an on-line database of the young and senior artists, journalists, academics, researchers and human rights activists.

Alaap believes that the common cultural heritage is the only force that can bring people close to each other in building a peaceful and democratic society in Pakistan.    

ALAAP aims at narrowing down the deep gulf which presently separates the various religious and cultural communities in Pakistan. We believe that bridges urgently need to be built, through a better understanding of each other’s ways of life, traditions and faith as well as of our common cultural heritage.

Knowledge and social interaction are the keys to open the doors of mutual understanding and tolerance. To achieve this, ALAAP team of researchers and social activists conduct focused research studies.

Goal

To contribute towards building a peaceful and democratic society in Pakistan.

Objectives

• To promote arts as peace building force in the society of Pakistan

• To strengthen pro-peace cultural expressions

• To enhance inter-cultural interaction  

Our Values

• ALAAP advocates the following values; 

• Human equality, i.e. Access to equal opportunities.

• Cultural tolerance

• Right to know

• Gender equality

• Democracy and social peace

• Freedom of thought and expression

Our Vision

ALAAP shares the following conviction;

• Truth is the only way of achieving “freedom from fear and want” (UN Declaration of Human Rights). Suppressing people’s right to know and right to express is the recipe for poverty and conflicts.

• The citizens of Pakistan, irrespective of their cast, creed, cult, faith, class or gender, have equal rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution of Pakistan.

• The common cultural heritage of Pakistan is intrinsically pro-peace. Strengthening and promoting it, through cultural and artistic expressions, amounts to peace activism in itself.

• Hate-based indoctrinations and resultant social “ghettoization” of religious and cultural communities of Pakistan could be reversed back through carefully designed positive interventions.

Our Methodology

Research and Documentation

1.      Developing online database of the young creative artists of Pakistan.

2.      Conducting research studies and building thematic compilations on the issues related to arts, cultural diversity and human rights.

3.      A monthly magazine dedicated to promote peace and arts

4.      Creating an on-line resource centre for young peace activists

Advocacy

1.      Discussions, dialogues, workshops and skill enhancement courses, for young creative artists, on issues related to peace and arts

2.      creating interfaith forums in youth groups

3.      Networking with the civil society organizations working on peace and human rights

Trainings

1.      Human rights training to the young artists at grassroots level

2.      Skill enhancement courses

3.      Arts Academy as a platform of learning for young artists and peace activists.