Media Foundation 360, in collaboration with UNESCO, held a one-day training workshop on 16 January 2025 at Islamia University Bahawalpur to promote media and information literacy.
Mubasher Bukhari, President of Media Foundation 360, was among the senior journalists who served as master trainers. Prof. Dr. Savera Mujib Shami, Chairperson of the Department of Digital Media, University of Punjab, was the Project Lead of the workshop. The event aimed to align national priorities with the Digital Pakistan Policy and the National Education Policy and to enable teachers and researchers to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals: Goal 4, Quality Education, and Goal 16, Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions, wherein senior journalists including Noshad Ali and Communication and Cultural Heritage Strategist Amina Ali were the master trainers. Prof. Dr. Robina Bhatti, Dean Faculty of Social Sciences, presided over the event while Prof. Dr. Asif Naveed Ranjha, Director Board of Advance Studies, Dr. Jam Sajjad Hussain Director Centre for Media, Society and Democracy, Tariq Ismail Director Information Bahawalpur, Mian Atique Ahmad Director Arts Council Bahawalpur, Dr. Shahzad Ahmed Khalid Director Media and Public Relations, Dr. Nasir Hameed, Dr. Bushra Siddique, Dr. Alia Nazir, Dr. Sarfraz Batool, Dr. Kalsoom Akhtar, Dr. Khalil Ahmad, Uzair Chaudhry, Amin Abbasi, Rashid Aziz Hashmi, Zeshan Latif, Sammar Qureshi, Jamshaid Iqbal, students, and members of civil society attended the workshop. While addressing this occasion, speakers said UNESCO in Pakistan has been actively engaging stakeholders, particularly youth and civil society, in the promotion of Media and Information Literacy. In recent years, through collaboration with the Information for All Programme National Committee, Media and Information Literacy has been identified as a critical tool to combat violent extremism, hate speech, and disinformation in the country. A key recommendation from these efforts was the need to address the policy framework to ensure the integration of Media and Information Literacy across various national policies. Engaging policymakers, duty bearers, academia, civil society, and other relevant stakeholders is essential to building consensus on institutionalizing Media and Information Literacy in Pakistan, Prof. Dr. Robina Bhatti said. Prof. Dr. Asif Naveed Ranjha said we need to highlight the importance of Media and Information Literacy and explore how it can be integrated into educational curricula and professional practices to foster critical thinking and promote responsible media consumption. Prof. Dr. Savera Shami, Project Lead UNESCO, expressed her gratitude for Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Muhammad Kamran for providing such positive opportunity in the Islamia University of Bahawalpur for organizing such interactive session leading toward devising a comprehensive policy framework for legislation and implementation for wellbeing of Pakistani society.
