Who we are?
Aaghaz-e-Dosti is a team of volunteers who are working in India and Pakistan to spread peace mostly through peace education programs. Aaghaz-e-Dosti (lit. beginning of Friendship) seeks to enhance people-to-people relations. It seeks to become the medium to discover and recognise the misrepresented reality on the other side of the border.
Gallery
Our Initiatives
Indo Pak Peace Calenders
Every year, Aaghaz-e-Dosti launches an Indo-Pak Peace Calendar that includes selected paintings from students from both sides of the border. The importance of this calendar is that Read More….
Aman Chaupals
To most of us, who desire and support Indo-Pak friendship or realise the power of peace, friendship between the two nations matter. If it doesn’t matter, it should because Read More….
Peace Workshops
With the aim to create a culture of mutual respect and understanding, Aaghaz-e-Dosti, conducts peace building workshops in India and Pakistan to facilitate Read More….
Open Mic
Culture connects us and when it comes to music, people of both countries love to listen each other and share an amazing love to music, be it classical, sufi or other components. Through Read More…
Peace Blogs
Many people, particularly youths on both sides have so much to share. They have stories of their friendships on other sides, their dreams to visit and imagination, their Read More…
Classroom Connect Program
Classroom connect program is an innovative program where ICT is being utilised for peace-building, to build a culture of mutual peace and understanding in Read More…
Letters and Cards Exchange Program
Festivals are social celebrations, encouraging us to reach out to others, create new or consolidate existing bonds and celebrate joy collectively. We believe this objective Read More…
Peace Resources
Aaghaz-e-Dosti compiles list of important books, movies, videos, short films and documentaries etc on Indo-Pak issues and it comes under this section. Anyone who want to know about Read More…
Youth Delegation Visits
Aaghaz-e-Dosti believes that meeting of people, particularly youths of both sides can help a lot in building everlasting peace. People of both sides must get more opportunities to Read More….
Advocacy
Aaghaz-e-Dosti believes in better people to people connections and dialogues and condemns violence. Time to time, Aaghaz-e-Dosti issues appeals to advocate peace. Many Read More…
Peace Internships
Aaghaz-e-Dosti invites people to learn, understand and contribute in peacebuilding through internships with Aaghaz-e-Dosti. These internships are being offered in Read More…
Certificate in Peace and Conflict course
With the aim to facilitate people-to-people communication and create a culture of mutual respect and understanding, Aaghaz-e-Dosti runs Friends Beyond Read More…
In Media
Testimonials
“Former PM Vajpayee had once declared about India and Pakistan that you can change history but not geography. He was wrong: history, once it has occurred, cannot be changed. The time has come, instead, for the victims of geography to make history — by building a shared peace.”
“I am hopeful of the day when India and Pakistan will be at peace. All nations are learning – albeit very slowly in some cases – to treat people with respect, both inside and outside their national borders.”
In times when we are being divided in the name of religion, caste, class, gender, and nationality, it is up to us to be aware of our own prejudices and fight the divisive forces with compassion and understanding. To achieve peace and and justice for all, on both sides of the border, we must not building walls but bridges. My heartiest congratulations to Aaghaz-e-Dosti Initiative for helping many of us spread the message.”
The partition of 1947 should not have divided the people of the subcontinent. Today they look divided because Pakistan and India have been denying the logic of geography, history and shared culture. This policy is harming the vital interests of the people. Both need peace, democratic governance, and respect for pluralism. They must establish cordial relations and exploit all possible means of cooperation for mutual good. The choice is simple: friendship or mutual suicide.
Awards
Aaghaz-e-Dosti won the Social Media Empowerment Award 2015 hosted by Digital Empowerment Foundation India (DEF India)
Aaghaz-e-Dosti was felicitated at the Global Peace Initiative 2015 hosted by Welingkar Institute of Management Development and Research (Mumbai, India)
Aaghaz-e-Dosti was finalist at the 3rd eNGO South Asia Challenge 2014 under categories of “Advocacy” and “Use of Social Media”