ISLAMABAD: The Citizens Archive of Pakistan (CAP), in collaboration with Routes2Roots (R2R), has successfully completed the 18-month project ‘Exchange for Change: Pakistan India 2013 - 2015’. The largest exchange programme of its kind, the work of 5,000 students from 31 schools from across India and Pakistan was showcased at the National Art Gallery.

The project is based on the idea that students on both sides of the border have similar stories which are worth sharing with the general public to dispel misconceptions about the other. The CAP and R2R presented ‘Exchange for Change: Crossing Borders’ as the story of Namrita and Qasim who began their journey 18 months ago with a letter that changed hearts and minds. They challenged perceptions, crossed borders and became friends.

Upon the completion of the Exchange for Change cycle, the CAP is holding exhibitions to showcase correspondence by students over the course of the exchange.

‘Crossing Borders’ is a multimedia exhibition that allows visitors to share the journey of a little boy from Pakistan and a little girl in India who met through Exchange for Change.

The largest student exchange programme between India and Pakistan completes third cycle

The exhibition takes the form of a giant interactive storybook, and features letters, collages, postcards and oral histories that were exchanged as part of the programme. The exhibition invites visitors to explore the friendships made and the adventures embarked upon by participants of the EFC 2013–2015 cycle.

The CAP executive director, Swaleha Alam Shahzada, said: “We had 30 students from Pakistan, 15 teachers and five members of the CAP team, so it was a delegation of 50. The kids were selected from various schools of Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi and Islamabad.”

Lubna Nisar, vice principal of Ehsaas Foundation School, said: “This was a wonderful opportunity for my students and me. Among the private schools the fact that our foundation’s school for street children was selected is a great honour for us.”

She added, “It was an excellent project and words are insufficient to express my experiences and feelings. You have to go to India to realise what the Indian experience is. When we reached India we did not find any difference – the same faces and the same friendly attitude as Pakistan. On the last day we did not want to leave. I learnt a lot which I hope to share with students at my school.”

A visitor, Humaid Merchant, said: “The CAP does things nobody else has done. The Exchange for Change project was unique because it was an 18-month project which involved cross border logistics. When you talk to the teachers and the students who participated they have great stories to share about their experience.”

Shehryar Tabassum, a student who went to India in the exchange programme, said: “I really enjoyed India. I learnt that we have to remain at peace – we cannot fight with each other. We are not different, our food is the same, our appearances are the same except for some differences in clothing such as some people wearing turbans.”

The Exchange for Change is the first of its kind between Pakistan and India as no sustained cultural exchange programme of this scale and nature has been developed between the two countries, in the past.

The project seeks to help students in the two countries realise that a sustained dialogue is possible. It is now the largest student oral history exchange programme in the world and the largest Track II diplomacy effort between Pakistan and India.

The CAP collaborated with Routes 2 Roots for the project, a registered non-profit charitable organisation, which aims to bring together people, cultures and values across Saarc countries, in particular India and Pakistan.

Published in Dawn, February 24th, 2015

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