June 24, 2008	Tuesday	Jamadi-us-Sani 19, 1429

ISLAMABAD, June 23: US Embassy Cultural Attache Constance Colding Jones here on Monday stressed the need for finding commonalities rather than focusing on superficial differences between various civilisations.

She was speaking at a workshop, organised for Pakistani educators by the Idara-e-Taleem-o-Agahi (ITA).

“If we understand each other better, and are prepared to treat each other with tolerance and mutual respect, the world will become the place of peace that we all truly desire and aim for,” Ms Jones told the workshop.

“You have a unique opportunity to enrich not only yourselves with this experience but also to be ambassadors for your country in the United States,” she said.

Twenty educators including secondary level teachers, head teachers and trainers from Fata, NWFP, Punjab, Islamabad, and Sindh will participate in a four-week ‘Pakistani Educators Leadership Institute (PELI) programme’ at Plymouth State University, New Hampshire.

The American diplomat hoped that the 100 teachers to be trained under this programme would have a potential to benefit more than 10,000 students each year.

“This programme will help them not only in their professional development but also broaden their personal view about our culture, our people, and our diversity,” Ms Jones remarked.