Inter-school competition on peace, harmony in South Asia held in Hyderabad

By A Representative
A Peace Now and Forever Campaign, Sambandh 2018, an annual event, was organized by the Confederation of Voluntary Associations (COVA) for students in Hyderabad to remembrance of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki nuclear holocaust. The event took place on August 9, 2018 at Jawahar Bal Bhavan, Hyderabad, on the theme, "Can humanity survive the increasing violence in the world?"
In all 1,399 students from 26 schools and five colleges participated in essay writing, debate, declamation, one act plays, slogan and poster making and quiz.

The topics were: War and peace; who are refugees and how they can be helped?, is nuclear energy safe?; conflicts in India and South Asia; effects of conflicts and wars on the common man, social and economic costs of conflicts and wars; and life of a family on the borders during conflicts and wars.
COVA collaborated with Indian Children’s Action Network (ICAN), Youth TRAC; Coalition for Nuclear Disarmament and Peace; Centre for People’s Foreign Policy in South Asia and others has been organizing Sambamdh Programme to organize the event. "The objective of this annual event is to sensitize students and youth to the issues of war, violence, and promotion of peace all over the world in general and in the sub-continent in particular", said a COVA communique.
Inaugurating the event, Sanjay Kapoor, secretary-general, Federation of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry ( FTAPCCI), said, “I appreciate the concept and spirit behind the program and I urge students to become more connected with social issues and take responsibility as citizens”.

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