News

A call for universities to lead peacebuilding efforts and embed forgiveness and reconciliation into education was at the heart of a powerful presentation delivered by Professor Bhai Sahib Mohinder Singh Ahluwalia, Chairman of the Gurunanak Nishkam Sevak Jatha, Birmingham, United Kingdom, at the University of Botswana (UB) on the 8th of August 2025.

Professor Ahluwalia underlined the critical role educational institutions must play in shaping future civil society leaders by developing participatory strategies and value-based toolkits that foster compassion, forgiveness and altruism. He urged universities to act as guiding institutions for governments in promoting a culture of peace that respects the sanctity of life and combats injustice through collaborative efforts involving both religious and secular actors.

Highlighting the urgency of addressing societal moral decay and violence, Professor Ahluwalia stressed that peacebuilding and reconciliation must become integral to education curricula and family values. He called for enhanced respect for the rights of marginalised groups including women, children, youth, migrants, refugees and displaced persons. He advocated for peaceful conflict resolution grounded in humility and rejection of hate and extremism.

The presentation, framed around the Peace Charter for Forgiveness and Reconciliation, resonated with attendees including Sikh Council Chairperson Botswana, Mr Ajit Singh Ahuja, who reaffirmed the commitment to eliminate Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and foster a more compassionate society.

Professor Ahluwalia concluded by urging active consultation with young people, the future leaders, to embed these values deeply in society through self-help, community participation and good governance, ultimately striving to alleviate poverty and build global solidarity by seeing humanity as one family.