Islamabad, November 14, 2018 (PPI-OT): The Embassy of the Argentine Republic, in connection with the International Students’ Day, organized today a Puppet Show at the premises of the Argentine Embassy in Islamabad. The show aimed at promoting respect for diversity and difference and offered an opportunity to bring together children from very poor, middle class and high-income backgrounds to respect one another and enjoy an art form that has a very long tradition in Pakistan.
The Argentine Embassy has been organizing every year an event in the Argentina Park- which is a symbol of friendship between the two countries- and this year the show was initially planned to take place there, but the rain made it impossible to proceed with the original plan. The nationally famous puppeteers of the Rafi Peer Theatre brought their show from Lahore and enthralled the audience with songs and improvised situations about the need for children to respect one another.
The children belonging to different backgrounds were invited to watch the show. Children were invited who would never have the opportunity to witness such kind of entertaining shows free of cost. Some of the state run, private and special education schools were also invited to make sure the message of solidarity reaches everyone. The Mayor of Islamabad, Sheikh Ansar Aziz, was the Chief Guest.
In his speech H.E. Ivan Ivanissevich underlined the idea that very often children and grown-ups reject those who are different because of ignorance regarding their abilities, beliefs, their different appearances, habits or traditions. This is a natural thing, but it is also something that can be overcome by talking to one another, listening and finding out what is it that we all share.
Rejection or bullying against those who are less well-off or different to us produces situations in which nobody wins; making an effort to understand one another, sharing games or helping one another will always make our lives so much more enjoyable, may develop our creativity and ensure a better future for everybody.
At the end of the show, the guests and the Ambassador of Argentina, H.E. Ivan Ivanissevich, mingled with the children and talked about the show and how they felt after enjoying it all together with children and adults of very different backgrounds. Thanks to the kind cooperation of Serena Hotels, the children were given lunch boxes, and through the sponsorship of Atlas Sports of Sialkot, each school received a bag with footballs and volley balls. The project was also supported by the Metropolitan Corporation of Islamabad and the United Nations.
For more information, contact:
National Information Officer
United Nations Information Centre (UNIC)
Islamabad, Pakistan
Tel: +92-51-8355720
Cell: +92-300-8553790
Email: ishrat.rizvi@unic.org