Indo-Pak Peace Calendar

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 the calendar with the paintings of an innocent and apolitical mind will remind us that mindsets have been constructed. Together with the beautiful dreams of the young and innocent, the Calendar also has messages from people who have been actively working to nurture these dreams.

This calendar is a collection of shared dreams of peace and friendship. It serves as a hope shared by people who are just like us, in habit and struggle. With the turn of the pages to start a new month, the hope shall be renewed.

The Calendar launch is followed by a discussion or a Sharing of Hopes for a Peaceful and Friendly Co-existence.

Till now, Aaghaz-e-Dosti has launched eleven calendars.

Download/View Report: 2021 Peace Calendar Report_compressed  

Indo-Pak Peace Calendar 2021

Indo-Pak Peace Calendar 2021 was the nineth calendar. We received paintings from students of several cities in India. This was first online event where calendar was launched virtually and people from both sides participated online. Ms Sheema Kermani from Pakistan and Prof Saleem Kidwai remained main speaker and many students, teachers and other eminent activists and educators like Dr Sayeeda Hameed, Lalita Ramdas, Admiral Ramdas, Baela Raza Jameel, Swati Parashar also participated and spoke about importance of peace. 

In 2021 Peace Calendar, Aaghaz-e-Dosti received messages from:

• Prof Romila Thapar (Renowned historian, author, Professor Emeritus- JNU)
• Tapan Bose (Peace and Human Rights activist, Documentary maker, Secretary General- SAFHR and founder member- PIPFPD)
• Rita Manchanda (Human Rights Activist, Author, Research Director- SAFHR)
• Shabnam Hashmi (Social Activist, Founder – ANHAD)
• Anuradha Bhasin (Journalist, Executive Editor- Kashmir Times)
• Prof Saleem Kidwai (Former Professor at JNU, Academic Advisor- George Washington University of Peace in DC)
• Munizae Jahangir (Journalist, Filmmaker, Human Rights Activist)
• M Ziauddin (Sr Journalist, Former President-SAFMA, Former Executive Editor- Express Tribune)
• Mh Hanif (British Pakistani writer, journalist)
• Dr Ammar Ali Jan (Historian, Academician, Activist)
• Anam Zakaria (Author, Oral Historian, Educator)
• Ms. Azra Abbas (Renowned Urdu poet)

Indo-Pak Peace Calendar 2020

Indo-Pak Peace Calendar 2020 was the eighth calendar. We received paintings from students of several cities in India. 

In 2020 Peace Calendar, Aaghaz-e-Dosti received messages from:

Ela Gandhi (Peace activist, granddaughter of Mahatma Gandhi), T. C. A. Raghavan (Former Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan), Swati Parashar (Professor in Peace and Development Studies in University of Gothenburg, Sweden), Fr. Jospeh Kalathil S. J. (Peace activist, better known as postman priest), Jayesh Patel (Peace activist), and Sagarika Ghose (Senior journalist) from India along with Azra Talat Sayeed (Activist, Chairperson-International Womens’ Alliance, Pakistan), Salman Rashid (Writer), Farhatullah Babar (Former senator and member of HRCP), Bushra Gohar (Human rights activist and former parliamentarian), Raoof Hasan (Founder and chief executive of Regional Peace Institute) and Nida Kirmani (Feminist, Faculty at LUMS) from Pakistan.

Indo-Pak Peace Calendar 2019 

Indo-Pak Peace Calendar 2019 was the seventh calendar. We received paintings from students of several cities in India. 

In 2019 Peace Calendar, Aaghaz-e-Dosti received messages from:

• Prof Ayesha Jalal (Historian, Prof. at Tuffts University. Grandniece of Saadat Hasan Manto)
• Nandita Das (Indian film actor and director, Activist)
• Amarnath Randhawa (Activist, President-Hindu Sudhar Sabha Pakistan)
• Rana Safvi (Historian, Renowned author)
• Hussain Naqi (Veteran Journalist and activist, Former Director- HRCP)
• V. Rajagopal (Renowned activist, Founder-Ekta Parishad)
• Mehmal Sarfaraz (Sr. Journalist, Dy. Sec. Gen. SAFMA, Jt. Gen Sec. at SAWM)
• Happymon Jacob (Prof. of International Relations at JNU, Author and Researcher)
• Rukhsana David (Principal- Kinnaird College, Lahore)
• Maulana Wahiduddin Khan (Islamic Spiritual Scholar, Peace Activist)
• Gen. T.K.Kaul PVSM AVSM VSM (Former Army Officer,Executive President- IPSI)
• Ashok Kumar (Sindhi Poet and Prof. at Punjab University, Lahore)

Indo-Pak Peace Calendar 2018

Indo-Pak Peace Calendar 2018 was the sixth calendar. We received paintings from students of several cities in India – Anupshehr (a city in Bulandshahr district of Uttar Pradesh), Cuttack, Dehradun, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Surat and Vadodara and Pakistan – Balochistan, Karachi, Lahore, Rahim Yar Khan, Swabi and Toba Tek Singh district. 

Selected Paintings

Pakistan: Lenon Zane (Beaconhouse School System, Gulshan Chapter Karachi), Ayesha Khan (Daanish School (Girls), Rahim Yar Khan, Punjab, Pakistan), Anabiah Arif (Beaconhouse School System, Gulshan Chapter Karachi), Urooz Raza (Bachha Khan School, Peshawar), Zahra Basil (Lahore Grammar School, Lahore), Misbah Naseem (Daanish School (Girls), Rahim Yar Khan, Punjab, Pakistan)

India: Akansha Jhunjhunwala (The British School-New Delhi), Prateek Das (Indian student studying in Indian School , Salalah, Oman), Dhwani Bakshi (Gujrat Public School, Vadodra), Nikunj Gupta (Gyan Mandir Public School, Delhi), Pari (Mar Gregorious Memorial Hr Sec School, Jharkhand), Akash Pal (PYDS Learning Academy, Dehradun)

Runner-Up Paintings: 

Anubha Rawat (Goodley Public School, New Delhi), Renu (Pardada Pardadi Inter College, Anupshehar, India), Supriya Sanjoy Solavi (Arihant Marathi and English High School, Karnataka, India),Mohit Kumar (Mar Gregorious Memorial Hr Sec School, Jharkhand, India), Dhriti Goel (The British School, New Delhi), Zubiya Khan (Indraprastha Hindu Girls Sr Sec School), Hussain Sheikh (TNS Beaconhouse School, Lahore, Pakistan), Syeda Vania Hassan (Lahore Grammar School, Lahore, Pakistan), Eliza Fatima (Lahore Grammar School, Lahore, Pakistan), Abdullah Jalal (Beaconhouse School System, Karachi, Pakistan), Aleeza Raza (Bachha Khan Public School, Peshawar, Pakistan), Izma Fatima (Beaconhouse School System, Karachi, Pakistan)

Aaghaz-e-Dosti received messages from

• Prof M S Swaminathan (Father of Green Revolution) – India
• Kamla Bhasin (Feminist and Peace Activist)- India
• Kapil Kak (Retd Air Vice Marshal)- India
• Rahul Jalali (Former President-Press Club of India) – India
• Nirupma Subramanian (Sr. Journalist and has been posted in Pakistan for few years)- India
• Syeda Hameed (Writer, Activist, Former Member-Planning commission,India)-India
• Amardeep Singh (Author-Lost Heritage-Sikh Legacy in Pakistan)
• Mubarak Ali (Pakistani historian)-Pakistan
• Imtiaz Alam (Secretary General SAFMA)-Pakistan
• Anam Zakaria (Activist and author)-Pakistan
• Dr Anita M Weiss (Academician)-Pakistan
• Gen (retd) Mohd M. Alam-Pakistan
• Farooq Tariq (Activist and spokesperson of Awami workers party)-Pakistan

The calendar was launched in Delhi and Lahore in 2018 and eminent persons participated. 

Indo-Pak Peace Calendar 2017

Indo-Pak Peace Calendar 2017 was the fifth calendar. We received paintings from students of several cities in India – Anupshehr (a city in Bulandshahr district of Uttar Pradesh), Cuttack, Dehradun, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Surat and Vadodara and Pakistan – Balochistan, Karachi, Lahore, Rahim Yar Khan, Swabi and Toba Tek Singh district and an NRI student studying in Oman. 

Selected Paintings

Pakistan: Arisha Fazal – SMB Fatima Jinnah Government Girls School (Karachi), Kalsoom Sultan – Bacha Khan School, Pabaini (Swabi), Maham Khan – Lahore Grammar School, Johar Town Branch (Lahore), Narmeen Nooruddin Qasim – Habib Girls Higher Secondary School (Karachi), Harsh Rathi – St Patrick’s High School (Karachi) and Samia Sanam – Government High Girls School Gojra (Toba Tek Singh)

India: Prateek Das – An NRI student studying in Indian School, Salalah (Oman), Rohit Roy – GEMS Akademia International School, Kolkata (West Bengal), Sagar M. Patel – Navnirman Vidyalaya, Surat (Gujarat), Sakshee Patel – Navrachana International School, Vadodara (Gujarat), Tanvi – Gyan Mandir Public School, Delhi and Vikas Pal – P.Y.D.S. Learning Academy, Dehradun (Uttarakhand)

Runner-Up Paintings: Divya Sharma – Indraprastha Hindu Girls’ Senior Secondary School, Delhi, Ifraz Naaz – P.Y.D.S. Learning Academy, Dehradun (Uttarakhand), Priyanka Kumari – Pardada Pardadi Inter College, Anupshehr (Bulandshehr, UP), Ruchee Ajwani – Ecole Mondiale World School, Mumbai, Rahul Rawat – Project Khel, Lucknow, Yashasvi Singh – Gyan Mandir Public School, Delhi, Anshara Fatima – Lahore Grammar School, Township branch (Lahore), Harry William – Ghauri Wisdom High School (Lahore), Khizrah Asif – Lahore Grammar School Middle Section for Girls, Johar Town Branch (Lahore), Johar Hoth Baloch – GDA Public Higher Secondary School, Gwadar (Balochistan), Manahil Farman – Bacha Khan Model High School, Nauthia (KPK) and Wasia Latif – Lahore Grammar School Middle Section for Girls, Johar Town Branch (Lahore)

in 2017 Peace Calendar, Aaghaz-e-Dosti received messages from:

• Salima Hashmi (Pakistani activist, artist and academician)
• Sudheendra Kulkarni (Writer, Chairperson-Observer Research Foundation-Mumbai)
• Lt Gen (Retd) Muhammad Masood Alam (Retd Lt Gen from Pakistani Army)
• Major Gen (Retd) Ashok K Mehta (Retd Major Gen from Indian Army)
• I.A. Rehman (Pakistani activist, writer, Magsaysay awardee)
• Syeda Hameed (Writer, Activist, Former Member-Planning commission,India)
• Khadim Hussain (Head-Baacha Khan Trust Educational Foundation, Peshawar,Pakistan)
• Kavita Sharma (President – South Asian University)
• Dr Mubashir Hasan (Peace activist, former minister, Govt of Pakistan)
• Col Virendra Sahai (Co-founder, India Pakistan Soldiers’ initiative for Peace)
• Dr Saeed Ahmed Rid (Asst Prof, Quaid-i-Azam University, Pakistan)
• Dr Shashi Tharoor (MP-Loksabha, Chairman –Parliamentary Standing Committee on Extrenal Affairs- India)

The calendar was launched in Delhi, Dehradun, Chandigarh, Kolkata, Mumbai and Surat in India and Lahore, Peshawar, Karachi and Toba Tek Singh in Pakistan and in Kyrgyz Republic.

Indo-Pak Peace Calendar 2016

The Indo-Pak Peace Calendar – 2016 was the fourth calendar. The Calendar was designed by Shruti Achesh and Vikram Kalra.

Aaghaz-e-Dosti had got a tremendous participation in paintings from youths of both the countries. From Pakistan, paintings were received from Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore and Toba Tek Singh district. From India, paintings were received from Bulandshahr (UP), Dehradun (Uttarakhand), Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Mumbai and Vadodara.

Selected Paintings: India – Aditya Thapli (Purkal Youth Development Society, Dehradun), Avnee Singh (Ecole Mondiale World School, Mumbai), Bhavna Raghav (Pardada Pardadi Inter College, Anupshahr, Bulandshahr), Jamila Rampurawala (Gujarat Public School, Vadodara), Mehvish Majeed Mir (Sabir Abdullah Public High School, Panzinara, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir) and Tabassum Khatoon (Indraparastha Hindu Girls’ Sr. Sec. Schoo, Delhi),

Pakistan – Aftab Ali Baig (St. Patrick’s College, Karachi), Anita Zehra (Lyceum School, Karachi), Fiza Salman (Resource Academia International School System, Lahore), Fizza Sahar (Resource Academia International School System, Lahore), Maham Gulzar (Govt. G.H. School, Gojra, Toba Tek Singh) and Wajid Ali (AIOU, Gojra, Toba Tek Singh)

In 2016 Peace Calendar, Aaghaz-e-Dosti received messages from: 

• Asma Jahangir (Pakistani human rights activist)
• Syed Salman Chishty (Gaddi Nasheen – Ajmer Sharif Shrine)
• Ayesha Siddiqa (Political and Defense Analyst from Pakistan)
• Lalita Ramdas (Peace activist from India)
• Farzana Bari (Human Rights Activist from Pakistan)
• Meenakshi Chhabra (Lesley University, USA)
• Anwer Jafri (Theatre artist from Pakistan)
• Dhananjay Tripathi (South Asian University)
• Zahid Shahab Ahmed (NUST, Pakistan)
• Sadia Dehlvi (Columnist and Author from India)
• Nisar Ahmad Chaudhary (South Asian Fraternity – Pakistan)
• Ram Mohan Rai (Hali Panipati Trust India)

This calendar was launched in India on 10th January in Delhi, on 16th January in Panipat and on 30th January in Ayodhya. It was launched in Pakistan on 26th January in Toba Tek Singh, 28th January in Islamabad and in Lahore on 30th January.

Indo-Pak Peace Calendar 2015

Indo-Pak Peace Calendar 2015 initiative was organized in collaboration with Indian Council for Talent Search and Competitions (ICTSC) and Yuvsatta from India and Social Awareness Media and Art Junction (SAMAAJ), South Asian Writers and Artists Network (SAWAN) and JAD Foundation from Pakistan. 

The Calendar was designed by Prashant Nautiyal, a core member of Mission Bhartiyam.

We got a tremendous participation in our competition for paintings from youths of both the countries. From India, we received paintings from Delhi NCR, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Telangana. From Pakistan, we received paintings from Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Chitral and Karachi. 

Selected Paintings: India – Deepanshi (Indraprastha Hindu Girls’ Sr. Sec. School, New Delhi), Purnima (Kendriya Vidyalaya, Telangana), Abhinav Kumar Karn (Gyan Mandir School, New Delhi), Merry Issac (Father Agnel School, New Delhi), Sayani Hazra (Gujarat Public School, Vadodara) and Parul Nayyar (ITL Public School, New Delhi)

Pakistan – Tehseen Shams (National Textile Institute, Islamabad, Pakistan), Iqra Shaukat (School of International Sutdies in Sciences and Arts, Lahore, Pakistan), Alina Bibi (Govt. Degree College, Chitral, Pakistan),  Priyanka Koshal (St. Anthony School, Rawalpindi, Pakistan),  Mashal Amin (Hampton School, Karachi, Pakistan), and Noor-ul-wara (School of International Studies in Science and Arts, Lahore, Pakistan).

This year’s Indo-Pak Peace Calendar carried messages from well known peace activists like: 

• Tara Gandhi Bhattacharjee (grand-daughter of Mahatma Gandhi)
• Pervez Hoodbhoy (nuclear scientist and anti-nuclear activist)
• Manik Samajdar (Convener Bangladesh Bharat Pakistan People’s Forum)
• Sheema Kermani (Activist, theatre director and dancer)
• Shaila Kejriwal (Chief Creative – Special Projects at Zee Entertainment Enterprise Ltd)
• Reema Abbasi (Journalist and writer famous for her book Historic Temples in Pakistan)
• Admiral Ram Das (former Chief of Naval Staff of the Indian navy)
• Ishtiaq Ahmad (Professor Lahore University of Management Sciences)
• Chaman Lal (Professor Jawaharlal Nehru University)
• M. Kutty (a Pakistani citizen from Kerala on self-exile)
• Karamat Ali (ED Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research)
• Deepak Malviya (Secretary, Servants of the People Society)
• Aamir Nawaz (theatre director and artist)

The calendar has been launched in Delhi, Panipat, Nashik (Launch in Artillery Centre in Nashik and calendars displayed at Headquarter of All India Artillery Centre) and Chandigarh in India and Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi (Launch in a Govt. School) in Pakistan. 

Indo-Pak Peace Calendar 2014

For Indo-Pak Peace Calendar 2014, in India, Mission Bhartiyam had invited three schools – Columbia Foundation Sr. Sec. School, Indraprastha Hindu Girls’ Sr. Sec. School and Rainbow English Sr. Sec. School to participate. These schools were selected because they were also the schools that had also participated in Aaghaz-e-Dosti’s “Aman Chaupal” initiative. The motive was to assess the change, if any, brought by the Aman Chaupal initiative. In total, we had received about 70 paintings from these three schools. From these 70 paintings, Mission Bhartiyam had shortlisted 15 which were then released online for voting. In India, the entire initiative was supported by Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.

In Pakistan, The Catalyst – TC and Centre for Youth Development & Activities (CYDA) had invited three schools – two from Islamabad and one from Rahim Yar Khan (near Lahore). They had also got about 80 paintings from these three schools. Out of these 80 paintings, the two organisations together had short-listed some 15 paintings which were then released online for voting. 

The Calendar was designed by Prashant Nautiyal, a core member of Mission Bhartiyam.

Selected Paintings: India – Shrishti (Indraprastha School, Delhi), Arti Bose (Columbia Foundation School, Delhi) and Manvi Thapar (Columbia Foundation School, Delhi). 

Pakistan – Tariq Ali (Lasani Public School, Sadiqabad), Sakina Rubab (Islamabad Model college for girls, Islamabad) and Hina Qadir (Lasani Public School, Sadiqabad)

Peace calendar 2014 received messages from:

• Kuldip Nayar (Well-known author, columnist, human rights and peace activist)
• Pramod Sharma (Coordinator, Yuvsatta-an NGO empowering youth for peace)
• Satya Pal (Secretary-General of South Asian Fraternity)
• Raza Rumi (Director of Jinnah Institute, Senior Journalist and author)
• Shakeel Wahidullah Khan (President of Pakistan Chapter of BBPPF)
• Kiran Nazish (Journalist)

Read about the launch of Indo-Pak Peace Calendar 2014 in New Delhi and Islamabad 

View Photos of the Launch: Delhi and Islamabad 

Indo-Pak Peace Calendar – 2013

Mission Bhartiyam (the organisation that initiated Aaghaz-e-Dosti in 2012) had collaborated with two Pakistan-based organisations, Center for Youth development activities (CYDA) and Imov Humans. In India, paintings were invited from schools in Delhi and Lucknow. In Pakistan, paintings were invited from 2 schools in Sadikabad and Rahim Yar Khan(Punjab province).

The Calendar was designed by Prashant Nautiyal, a core member of Mission Bhartiyam.

Selected Paintings: India – Huda (Indraprastha School, Delhi), Arpit Pathak (City Montessori School, Lucknow) and Yugantika Sharma (Indraprastha School, Delhi).

Pakistan – Ghulam Mujtaba (Lasani Public School, Sadikabad), Sibgha Mubeen (Lasani Public School, Sadikabad) and Janib Ali Shaikh, (Mehran University of Engineering and Technology, Jamshoro)

Peace calendar 2013 received messages from

• Beena Sarwar (Editor, Aman ki Asha & documentary maker)
• Rahil Yasin (freelance journalist and researcher)
• Awais Sheikh (advocate of Indian Prisoner in Pakistan Sarabjit Singh)
• Saeeda Diep (Peace activist, Chairperson of IPSS)
• Ram Puniyani (Peace activist)
• Sirish Agarwal (Founder – IPFSA)
• Dr. Pritam Rohilla (Executive Director- Association of communal harmony in Asia)

Read about the Indo-Pak Peace Calendar 2013 

Views Photos of the Launch