This time last year, as part of our Faith and a Future campaign, we asked you to campaign with us on the issue of religious discrimination in Pakistan textbooks. Well, we\u2019re delighted to share some very pleasing results. We asked Joanne Collins, our Parliamentary Officer, to tell us more\u2026<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n
What\u2019s the issue CSW has been campaigning on?<\/b>Many textbooks in Pakistan include discrimination against religious minorities (for example, Hindus are described as \u2018enemies of Pakistan\u2019) which fuels intolerance and extremism. What\u2019s more, the contributions of religious minorities to Pakistan\u2019s history have been removed, which means that minority children grow up with the feeling that they\u2019ve done nothing for their country and do not belong.<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Our campaign calls on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the Department for International Development (DfID) to ensure that UK aid isn\u2019t used to fund biased textbooks that promote prejudice.<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n
What is the breakthrough?Over the last year our team steadily built pressure with the UK Parliament on this issue \u2013 through meetings with parliamentarians, parliamentary questions, a joint letter signed by 20 MPs, and of course our petition, which over 5,000 of you signed. This culminated in a meeting on the issue this January, between Siobhain McDonagh MP and Preet Gill MP, Lord Ahmad, Minister of State at the FCO and the Rt Hon Lord Bates, Minister of State at DfID. DfID representatives agreed to re-examine their position in light of the evidence brought to them by the Faith and a Future campaign, to ensure that no taxpayer money goes on funding discrimination or religious hatred. Over the next few months we\u2019ll work with MPs, DfID and the FCO to achieve this aim. Why is this important?<\/b>We rejoice when we see a prisoner freed as a result of our campaigning \u2013 and rightly so! But when we effect policy change, we can potentially change the lives of millions. It\u2019s a big step in our vision of a Pakistan where future generations are taught about our common humanity, rather than taught to hate.<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n
How should this change our thinking about campaigning?It\u2019s an inspiring reminder that effecting real change takes time and concerted pressure from advocacy and campaigning. It\u2019s all about the power of combining \u2018people power\u2019 (5,657 of you signed the petition and asked your friends to sign and write letters), with lobbying by CSW\u2019s specialist advocates. If anyone asks you \u2018What\u2019s the point in petitions?\u2019 remember this story!<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now join us in campaigning for change in Mexico In Mexico, children from religious minority communities are often excluded from school because of their faith or the faith of their parents. On 30 April 2019, Children\u2019s Day in Mexico, we\u2019ll be campaigning with affected communities there. At the same time, we\u2019re inviting churches throughout Latin America and all over the world to join us in \u2018solidarity parties\u2019. Here young people can enjoy traditional Children\u2019s Day festivities and also write letters to their local Mexican embassy, campaigning for all children in Mexico to receive an education, regardless of their religious beliefs.<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n