Faisalabad: May 25, 2014. (PCP) The Association of Women for Awareness and Motivation (AWAM) in collaboration with the Rights of Expression, Association, Assembly and Thought (REAT) organized a policy advocacy seminar entitled "Struggle for Human Rights in the Challenging Environment" held at Faisalabad, on 18 May 2014. The people must celebrate and value diversity for peaceful coexistence and treat members of different communities as human beings equal in respect, dignity, rights and freedoms. This was emphasized by the speakers during a policy advocacy seminar. This seminar was joined by 60 Muslim and Christian participants from different school of thoughts. Speaking on the occasion, the director of WISE, Bushra Khaliq said, “Pakistan has become intolerant society where difference of opinion is neither respected nor tolerated, therefore civil society groups receive threats of dire consequence by certain groups for using their rights to freedom of expression by highlighting issues of the marginalized groups and unveiling the responsible elements behind the human rights abuses.” “The human rights defenders must develop a cadre of like-minded people, and continue raising unified voice against human rights violations, and for the prevalence of culture of democracy and peace,” she added. The program director of the AWAM, Naseem Anthony said, “Human rights defenders face violence due to their fight for human rights, peace and truth, and many of them have already lost their lives pursuing their mission. The human rights defenders are determined to continue their struggle on the footsteps of their predecessors, therefore the government must protect them against certain groups wanting fulfillment of their vested interests in the country." The director of Mehrgarh, Maliha Hussain said, “There is a social injustice in Pakistan due to the discrimination existing among communities on the basis of ideology, class, ethnicity, faith and caste, which cause intolerance and violence in the society towards people different in any way, and produce two major groups where one is superior or oppressor and other one is inferior or oppressed.” “The peaceful coexistence is possible unless people celebrate and value diversity and treat members of different communities as human beings equal in respect and dignity, and entitled to equal rights and freedoms,” she added. A human rights activist, Abdul Khaliq said, “The curriculum plays a vital role in the progress or degradation of any nation. The distorted history and biased syllabus is imparted among students in educational institutes of Pakistan, which develops a mind-set of youth against sectarian and religious minority groups.” “The right to freedom of expression is restricted in Pakistan, civil society groups can talk about certain issues to some extent, but when they expose elements behind issues which are less debated or controversial in nature, then certain elements start threatening to stop them from telling a truth anymore,” he added