ISLAMABAD, Oct 27: Curricula should be purged of all prejudices and designed to inculcate respect for humanity, commitment to social justice, equality, non-violence as well as concern for the environment, said scholars here on Monday at the launching of “Education for Peace”, a manual in Pushto and Dari languages.

A joint effort of Unesco and UNCHR, “Education for Peace”, was formally presented to the Ambassador of Afghanistan, Dr Tarzi and Ambassador of Norway, Janis Bjorn Kanavin.

The manual, comprising seven chapters, provides the basic concepts of conflict, violence and peace and their importance for the rehabilitation of Afghanistan.

The Afghan ambassador said Afghanistan, which produced personalities like Maulana Romi and Bu Ali Seena, was subjected to violence and destruction for two decades and now it needed peace.

“My country was subjected to the most heinous crimes and one of these was ban on education for girls in the name of religion, which emphasized knowledge.”

He expressed his gratitude to Unesco for its efforts to spread education. Dr Tarzi also thanked Pakistan for providing five million textbooks for Afghan children.

Prof Ahmad Ali Khan said in many parts of the world, people remained alienated from each other due to their ethnic or religious rivalries.

He said the Unesco approached the government of Pakistan to reform its curricula and introduce peace education in schools as a signatory to various international conventions on the subject.

He recalled that the Peshawar University’s interaction with the University of Oslo, which resulted in the establishment of Human Rights Studies Centre and Human Rights Educational and Research institution.

These faculties offered diploma and certificate courses. The university now has planned to start Master’s degree programme.