This honour is not simply mine — it belongs to all those who have walked with me on this journey of peacebuilding, dialogue, and bridge-building among Pakistan’s diverse communities.
For over a decade, through my service as Executive Secretary of the Peace Center Lahore and as Coordinator of COPE Pakistan (a URI Cooperation Circle), I have worked alongside Christian, Muslim, Hindu, and Sikh brothers and sisters to nurture understanding, respect,
and solidarity.

My Journey with Peacebuilding

My path of peace took a transformative step when I became part of HWPL (Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light) and the International Christian Peace Academy. Under the leadership of inspirational figures. I learned how local and global peace efforts are
interconnected. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxSf6FZt-Rk During that time, I witnessed the making of the inspiring video “We Are One.” It captured the essence of what I continue to live for: one humanity, many faiths, one peace. That message has guided my work in Pakistan, where differences of religion and culture often challenge us, but where the desire for peace unites us.

Building Interfaith Bridges in Pakistan

At the Peace Center Lahore, we have organized countless interfaith dialogues, youth seminars, and community programs that bring together leaders and young people from all religious traditions.

Through COPE Pakistan (URI), we have worked with grassroots communities — from
villages to universities — to train youth, empower women, and foster a culture of
nonviolence and mutual respect.

Our mission has always been clear: to replace fear with friendship, prejudice with
understanding, and division with unity.

The Award as a Collective Recognition

Receiving the Peace and Interfaith Harmony Award on National Minority Day is a
recognition of these collective efforts. It is a reminder that in a society often marked by
religious and cultural divides, dialogue, education, and cooperation remain the strongest
tools of peace.

As I accepted the award, my heart returned to the words of HWPL: “We Are One.” Yes, we
are — and in Pakistan, every day, we prove it when a Christian teacher and a Muslim student
share knowledge, when a Sikh leader and a Hindu elder share wisdom, and when
communities of all faiths stand together for justice and human dignity.

A Call to Continue the Journey

This award is not the end, but a beginning. I remain committed to working with URI, HWPL,
the Peace Center Lahore, and all interfaith partners to ensure that the seeds of peace we are
planting today will grow into a future where diversity is celebrated, not feared; where
differences enrich us, not divide us.

I dedicate this recognition to all peacemakers in Pakistan and across the world who, in
their own ways, remind us every day that indeed — We Are One.

#Peace #InterfaithHarmony #WeAreOne #URI #HWPL #COPEPakistan #PeaceCenter
#NationalMinorityDay

Author:
Mr. Asher Nazir
Peace Center Lahore
Director URI Cooperation Circle, COPE Pakistan