Islamabad
The “Heela Peace Festival” was concluded at National Institute of Folk and Traditional Heritage (NIFTH), Islamabad on Tuesday. The festival was organized to celebrate the art, music, and literature of the people of Waziristan, Bannu, and Dera Ismail Khan.
The festival included book inauguration of collected peace poetry, documentary screening on music and creative expression, Pashto poetry recitation (Mushaira), live music performance, and panel discussion with poets and musicians. The festival is in the continuity of HEELA’s mission of amplifying people’s voices for peace, coexistence, harmony, and development.
The book of over 51 poems with English translation contextualizes the struggle and aspiration for peace in a region often rendered invisible in public discourses.
The book’s inauguration with a scholarly overview by Gohar Wazir and Hayat Roghani followed by poetry recitation by the contemporary poets of the region moderated by Nadeem Takkar.
HEELA Institute supported musicians to produce music celebrating the culture of peace and harmony. Veteran singer Abdul Rahman Darpapkel enthralled the audience with folk melodies. Young and popular singers Shaukat Aziz and Maqsood Maseed presented popular melodies during the concert.
Eminent contemporary Pashto singers Naeem Turi and Javed Amirkhel in their short remarks stressed the need for such an initiative to support the arts and culture sector. Classical rubab player Waseem Sakhi presented different ragas while Asfandyar Khattak presented his dance performance.
The short documentary has highlighted the struggle of the poets and musicians during the conflict and unrest in the region.
The festival concluded with remarks from the director of the initiative Ashraf Kakar who thanked the artists and poets who participated and vowed to highlight the creative sectors of the peripheries.
The event was organized in collaboration with Lok Virsa with free public access to the public attended by hundreds of visitors during the daylong event.
HEELA Institute for Research and Development aims to promote and sustain peace by advocating for and supporting art, cultural and literary activities to initiate dialogue and discourse to create, preserve and promote a culture of tolerance, peace, and harmony.
