{"id":5782,"date":"2026-04-15T20:58:22","date_gmt":"2026-04-15T20:58:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gng.org\/?p=5782"},"modified":"2026-04-30T14:46:41","modified_gmt":"2026-04-30T14:46:41","slug":"beyond-the-textbook-fostering-global-citizenship-in-pakistan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gng.org\/ar\/2026\/04\/15\/beyond-the-textbook-fostering-global-citizenship-in-pakistan\/","title":{"rendered":"Beyond the Textbook: Youth in Pakistan Claim Their Space in the Global Conversation"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"5782\" class=\"elementor elementor-5782\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-15d1ef1a e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"15d1ef1a\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-fa8f357 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"fa8f357\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>What happens when you take a student used to the &#8220;right or wrong&#8221; world of textbooks and remind them that their perspective is the most valuable asset in the room?<\/p><p>Since March 2024, Global Nomads Group joined forces with <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hetric.co\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">HETRiC<\/a><\/strong> to collaborate with 1000+ students and 100+ educators across nine institutions in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar and Abbottabad in Northern Pakistan.<\/p><p>Through the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/gng.org\/ar\/youth-courses\/\">Student to World<\/a><\/strong> program, these young people didn\u2019t just join a course but also stepped into their roles as global citizens.<\/p><p><em>\u201cInitiatives like Global Nomads\u2019 Student to World break the mundane routine and expose students to a world beyond textbooks and regimented schedules.\u201d \u2014 School Leader<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8c2d172 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"8c2d172\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"417\" src=\"https:\/\/gng.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-04-15-at-5.36.45-PM-768x417.png\" class=\"attachment-medium_large size-medium_large wp-image-5792\" alt=\"Classroom full of girls reading\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gng.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-04-15-at-5.36.45-PM-768x417.png 768w, https:\/\/gng.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-04-15-at-5.36.45-PM-300x163.png 300w, https:\/\/gng.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-04-15-at-5.36.45-PM-1024x556.png 1024w, https:\/\/gng.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-04-15-at-5.36.45-PM-1536x834.png 1536w, https:\/\/gng.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-04-15-at-5.36.45-PM-18x10.png 18w, https:\/\/gng.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-04-15-at-5.36.45-PM.png 1654w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3c448e7 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"3c448e7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3><b>Redefining the Classroom Experience<\/b><\/h3><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In a school system often dominated by rote memorization, Student to World served as a bridge to new ways of thinking. Students moved away from silent desks and into group-based discussions where lived experience was the primary teacher.<\/span><\/p><p><b>Ursala Waqar<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, co-founder of <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hetric.co\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">HETRiC<\/a><\/strong>, witnessed this shift firsthand:<\/span><\/p><p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cBeing on the ground throughout the program implementation has been incredibly rewarding. We witnessed an overwhelmingly positive response across schools\u2026 students were thrilled to collaborate and express their perspectives freely.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p><h3><b>Lived Realities and Radical Resilience<\/b><\/h3><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The heart of this partnership was found in the moments where students chose to be seen and heard on their own terms by sharing the parts of their lives that often go unacknowledged in a standard curriculum:<\/span><\/p><ul><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>In Islamabad:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> At G-7 Christian Sunday School, a student named <\/span><b>Sehrish<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> shared the personal challenges and prejudices she navigates as part of Pakistan\u2019s Christian minority.<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>At Falcon Grammar School:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Afghan refugee students spoke with incredible candor about the pressure of deportation and their families&#8217; struggles, demonstrating a level of resilience and a drive to lead the program themselves.<\/span><\/li><li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b style=\"color: rgba(5, 0, 0, 0.99); font-size: 1rem;\">In Peshawar:<\/b><span style=\"color: rgba(5, 0, 0, 0.99); font-size: 1rem;\"> At <\/span><b style=\"color: rgba(5, 0, 0, 0.99); font-size: 1rem;\">Ujala School<\/b><span style=\"color: rgba(5, 0, 0, 0.99); font-size: 1rem;\">, a donation-based school for street children, students tackled the global hunger crisis. For them, this wasn&#8217;t a theoretical topic, it was a daily reality. Many contributed in Urdu or Pashto, ensuring their insights were understood across language barriers.<\/span><\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b4a4ff5 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"b4a4ff5\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"579\" src=\"https:\/\/gng.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-04-15-at-5.36.09-PM-768x579.png\" class=\"attachment-medium_large size-medium_large wp-image-5793\" alt=\"Young male student receives his certificate from a teacher and HETRiC representatives\" srcset=\"https:\/\/gng.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-04-15-at-5.36.09-PM-768x579.png 768w, https:\/\/gng.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-04-15-at-5.36.09-PM-300x226.png 300w, https:\/\/gng.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-04-15-at-5.36.09-PM-1024x772.png 1024w, https:\/\/gng.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-04-15-at-5.36.09-PM-16x12.png 16w, https:\/\/gng.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-04-15-at-5.36.09-PM.png 1522w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f2020dc elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"f2020dc\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3><b>Rooted Locally, Connected Globally<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This partnership proved that when we respect local expertise\u2014working alongside partners like HETRiC\u2014the impact reaches far beyond the classroom. By moving past &#8220;regimented schedules,&#8221; we aren&#8217;t &#8220;giving&#8221; youth anything they don&#8217;t already have; we are simply creating the space for them to exercise their agency.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThis work reminded us why cross-cultural dialogue is essential for developing empathy, critical thinking, and global citizenship among Pakistani youth.\u201d<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u2014 <\/span><b>Ursala Waqar, HETRiC<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The journey doesn&#8217;t end here. The tenacity shown by the students at Falcon Grammar and the leadership from the youth at Ujala School remind us that when the barriers are removed, young people don&#8217;t just participate, they lead the way.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e2d39b4 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"e2d39b4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>About HETRiC<\/strong><\/p><p>HETRiC is a women-owned, women-led ed-tech and innovation company that works at the intersection of global partnerships and local impact. It supports international organizations and institutions by providing end-to-end project facilitation, from strategy and design to on-ground implementation and community engagement. It works across Pakistan and Australia, with a focus on adapting global education and technology solutions to local contexts, particularly in digital literacy and STEAM education, ensuring initiatives are both relevant and impactful on the ground.<\/p><p>Learn more at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hetric.co\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">hetric.co<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What happens when you take a student used to the &#8220;right or wrong&#8221; world of textbooks and remind them that their perspective is the most valuable asset in the room? Since March 2024, Global Nomads Group joined forces with HETRiC to collaborate with 1000+ students and 100+ educators across nine institutions in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":5789,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[15],"class_list":["post-5782","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-partnerships"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gng.org\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5782","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gng.org\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gng.org\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gng.org\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gng.org\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5782"}],"version-history":[{"count":26,"href":"https:\/\/gng.org\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5782\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5897,"href":"https:\/\/gng.org\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5782\/revisions\/5897"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gng.org\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5789"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gng.org\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5782"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gng.org\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5782"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gng.org\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5782"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}