Secondary students have emphasized on the need for instilling values from home. Schools must also continue to promote peace and values education from the very early years. They talked on how degradation of values in the society are interlinked with the peace in the society which is turn affects the overall social harmony, human rights and democracy. Growing intolerance is an outcome of materialism and radicalism.

The students added Peace and Values Education are the prerequisite for developing a healthy social environment. Moral lessons must begin from family level but unfortunately many parents cannot dedicate adequate time for their children due to their high level of engagement in economic activities. Lack of family bonding, inadequate efforts through schools to promote values, result in youths becoming vulnerable to religious misinterpretation and evil designs of a section of people the youth started in a consultation on Peace and Values Education held in Sylhet on 05 January 2017.

IDEA and CAMPE jointly organized the Consultation on Peace and Values Education in Police Lines High School Auditorium, Sylhet on 05 January 2017 to help students, teachers & guardians including concerned community to develop a positive attitude towards the importance of life. The programme was sponsored by CSEF project of CAMPE.

Rasheda K. Choudhury, Executive Director of CAMPE and Former Adviser to the Caretaker Government in her address, pointed on the importance of Peace and Values Education and the ability to cope with life’s diverse challenges without harming anyone. She emphasized on the importance of integrating Peace and Values Education in academic and co-curricular activities of the schools and colleges. She also emphasized that the youth groups must unite and use their positive energy for turning Bangladesh into a safe and clean habitat.

Muhammed Zafar Iqbal, Professor of Computer Science and Engineering at Shahjalal University pointed out that inadequate attention of parents, increasing competitions materialism and intolerance have negatively impacted on the youth. The gradual disillusion has led them to opt for radicalism. To overcome the current situation, he referred to the rule of online education system, social security particularly for girls, and also raised voice in favor of Peace and Values Education to meet the future challenges in Bangladesh.

Many distinguished educationists’, learners, parents and teachers attended the program. The session was moderated by Rasheda K. Choudhury, Executive Director of CAMPE