Creative Writing Workshop, March 18 – 22 2008

This workshop was planned by Pak Women Writers Forum, Peshawar financed by

Heinrich –Boell Foundation Germany and facilitated by university of peshawar and university of Erfurt Germany . A five days training workshop was held at the senate Hall of the peshawar University. It was attended by 35 participants.

Training workshops were in 8 sessions conducted by 8 prominent local, national and international trainers. Bushra Iqbal malik , Dr.Salma Masood ,Pro.Nazeer Tabasum ,Amjad Islam Amjad and Kishwar Naheed.

The trainer used a variety of teaching methods including lectures, group work, case studies, role play during the training. The details of the programme are attached. An evaluation was done at the end (results attached) and most participants were extremely pleased with the training and new techniques learnt for writing.

Three-year project

Three-year project 2012 ,2013 ,2014 “The changing role of social media in Muslim countries- Reviewing curricular trends of communication studies in Pakistan”.

This is a cooperation project in which the Chair of Islamic Studies at the University of Erfurt acts as a lead agency whereas Department of Journalism

ad mass Communication, University of Peshawar and

International  Islamic University Islamabad  acted as a partner institution.

This project has been envisioned in the wake of events that unfolded during the civil unrest in the Arab world during 2011. The mass civil protests in countries such as Yemen, Egypt or Tunisia have been complemented by heavy use of social media tools such as YouTube, Facebook or Twitter. Although social media became one of the important factors in public mobilization in the Arab world but new media as a part of communication science discipline has not attained a wider acceptance in the academic discourses especially in Pakistan.

This project is financed by the generous support of German Academic Exchange Council (DAAD) under their program ‘Dialogue with Universities in the Muslim World’. The basic aim of DAAD’s dialogue project is to develop strong relations between the universities in Germany and in the Muslim world.

More importantly, this project does not only emphasize on academic activities but it also focuses on developing relations with the civil society actors in the region of partner institution, in this case our Pakistan Women writers Forum along with its two branches

Young Women Writers (Peshawar Chapter) and Young Women Writers(Islamabad Chapter)  as representative of Pakistani civil society .

Speeches by Forum

Presented By: Bushra Iqbal-Malik in Erfurt University Germany at Social Media Workshop

Topic: The changing role of social media in Muslim countries: Reviewing curricular trends of communication studies in Pakistan

Dear participants,

I take this as an opportunity to be a part of Social Media Workshop and also the cooperation project as a whole. I am aware of the fact that this project has been envisioned in the wake of popular civil uprising in the Middle East last year in 2011. The images of a massive mobilization of public are still remembered by the world and particularly to the internet audience. It was fascinating to see that the countries such as Yemen, Egypt or Tunisia which were otherwise considered to be authoritative regimes had their public heavily relying on

the social media facilities such as YouTube, Facebook or Twitter which are

twenty four hours available to the public now.

As I understand from this project, that the Chair of Islamic Studies at the University of Erfurt wants to engage with the University of Peshawar for a number of activities. These include of course the review of the changing role of social media in Muslim countries, particularly focusing on Pakistan. So far, I am told that you have been concentrating on the curriculum development module. Today we want to extend this cooperation further to the next level of this activity which is a civil society partnership module.

I am extremely glad that the project partners especially the University of Erfurt would like to extend their cooperation with us, in fact, again. Again, because it will not be the first time that we, the women writers’ forum are interacting with the University of Erfurt.

But before I say a word or two about our previous collaboration, let me introduce

very briefly the idea and motivation behind women writers’ forum.

The idea of initiating the women writers’ forum lies in the literacy rate and general level of education in Pakistan and specifically in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where literacy rate and education is abysmally low (by the way I will be referring to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province as KP from now on). So, this low level of literacy is having a vicious effect on KP society leading to poverty, ignorance and exploitation of the rights of women and children. Historically speaking KP has been more male dominating and allow me to say more male chauvinistic than other provinces in Pakistan.

The cultural conditions are also not supportive and the overall environments for women emancipation had never been very conducive in Pakistani society. It is a common observation that a fairly good number of educated women who are now leading the lives as intellectually inactive housewives had been very active and intellectually creative and contributive in their student lives. But after getting married non supportive atmosphere regarding their intellectual or social development on one hand and absence of suitable platforms to support and encourage them continue their writing and creative expression on the other hand, had resulted in passive and ineffective women of our society.

Such a forum was felt since long. It is with this motivation that I together with my colleagues formally founded a women’s’ forum on 8th March 1994 particularly emphasizing their writing contributions. As I said Women participation in the economic, political and social activities had always been very limited. This little participation of a few open and like-minded women had never been valued and appreciated by the society. Slowly and gradually about twenty four more like-minded women gathered to further develop the purposes and objectives of the Forum. Promotion and publicity of the Forum went on for quite some time and received

a very positive and welcoming response from both women and men circles not only of the city but of the whole province and later country.

With a steady increase in the membership it was realized to organize it formally and to develop it logically. Now the forum has its constitution and proper election system.

Currently the forum has:

Regular monthly meetings to groom guide and enlighten women writers.

Celebration of National and International days through competitions seminars and “Mushairas” (or poetry gatherings) at local and national level.

Casual and frequent meetings and discussions to raise awareness about

women and social issues throughout the year.

Trainings, seminars and workshops to build capacity and to nurture upcoming

female writers to be able of bringing social change.

Facilitating publishing of books and organizing their launching ceremonies.

Holding competitions amongst Secondary schools, colleges and University students to identify their new aptitude and skills through script.

I am very happy to mention that the Forum has sustained throughout this period successfully and enjoys a very good status locally and nationally.

So that was a little bit about the women writers’ forum.

Here I want to refer back to our collaboration with the university of Erfurt. As I mentioned earlier, we had a unique opportunity of cooperating with the University of Erfurt and Peshawar University through the support of the German political organisation, Heinrich Boell Foundation on Peshawar University Campus back in 2008. In this collaboration the Forum organised a training workshop for five days which was held at the senate Hall of the Peshawar University. The workshop was attended by 35 participants. The training was divided in 8

sessions and conducted by 8 prominent local, national and international trainers.

The trainer used a variety of teaching methods including lectures, group work, case studies, and role play during the training. Participant were extremely pleased with the training and new techniques learnt for writing.We want to extend our already established platform to the University of Erfurt and University of Peshawar for the social media project.

In the last I want to share my expectation with the respected participants and organizers that what we are expecting from this workshop this year in October in Peshawar University to guide.

How our new and young female writers can, develop and improve their capacity through the use of Social Media.

How can they inspire the changing role of social media in Muslim countries in their prose and poetry?

More importantly, how can they start writing with this new approach?

How can we change the Static and selective topics for women presenting only in few popular choosy styles.

How this project can involve during the next three years to the women writers in Pakistan to promote the young women writers on a platform given by this project.

These are the few points that I wanted to put up to the workshop participants and before I close, let me extend my cordial thanks to the University of Erfurt and Prof. Jamal Malik and especially to Mr. Hasnain Bokhari from the cabinet and the members of the women writers forum.

Thank you and Now the floor is open for questions and comments which we would be very likely to listen to and answer.

PWWF GRAND MUSHAIRAS On Independance Day

 

14 August ,2014th National  Mushaira financed by Cultural Department KPK.

The Chief Organizer of the occasion was Ms. Bushra Farrukh who is a renowned poet of Pakistan and the Former President of PWWF.

14 August 2015th  Grand Mushaira of Poetesses

was organized by pwwf and ywwf, Peshawar in collaboration with Sight Savers International and National Forum for Women with Disabilities. The Chief Organizer of the occasion was Ms. Bushra Farrukh who is a renowned poet of Pakistan and the Former President of PWWF. Numerous extraordinary writers made their presence at the occasion.Ms. Salma Shaheen, head of Pashto academy and an esteemed Pashto Poet, was the Chief guest of the extravaganza. Dr. Salma Masood(Director LIMS, Peshawar), Ms. Samina Qadir who is a regarded Poet and Ms. Munazza Gillani, Country Director, Sight Savers, were the Guest of Honors. The theme of occasion was to advance Urdu Literature among the youth and to provide them a platform to perform before the known artists of Pakistan. Ms. Marina Mahsud(President YWWF 2015), Ms. Saima Feroz(Gen. Secretary YWWF, 2015), Ms. Sidra Amin(Press Secretary, YWWF) and Ms. Neelum Afridi(Stage Secretary, YWWF) were also a part of the organizing committee from YWWF. The occasion began with recitation of Quran, took after by naat. At that point Ms. Masood gave a brief introduction of PWWF and YWWF. After that Ms. Farrukh welcomed over the disabled talented poets to present their verses. These special poets thanked the gathering for issuing them an opportunity to present their musings and admired the forum’s initiative. Ms. Farrukh welcomed poets from Pakistan Women Writers Forum and Young Women Writers Forum to recite some of their verses from Urdu. Ms. Qadir, Ms. Salma Qasir, Dr. Shahida Sardar, Ms. Sarah Gillani, Ms. Farah Asad from PWWF while Ms. Mahsud and Ms. Taskeen Rehman from YWWF read their work and were applauded by the audience. At the end, Ms.Shaheen paid her gratitude to the gathering and admired the endeavours of YWWF to promote Urdu Literature.

14 August ,2016  National  Mushaira financed by Cultural Department KPK.

The Chief Organizer of the occasion was Ms. Bushra Farrukh who is a renowned poet of Pakistan and the Former President of PWWF.