Mohenjodaro featured on Chinese postage stamps

By Masood Sattar Khan
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

China has issued postage stamps on the UNESCO declared world renowned heritage the Mohenjadaro in Pakistan’s province of Sindh in an effort to highlight its importance as well as to promote tourism particularly among Chinese tourists. 

The first set of six stamps on 5000-year old ancient civilization of has been issued on different denominations. 

Mohenjadoro is one of the largest settlements of the ancient Indus Valley Civilization and one of the world's earliest major cities. The UNESCO had declared the site as it world heritage in 1980. It's happens to be one of the most popular attractions for tourists from every nook and corner of the globe.

World Book Day 2020 celebration muted by COVID-19 lockdown

Pakistan News & Features Services

The World Book and Copyright Day, more commonly known as the World Book Day, having become one of the most significant dates in the scholastic circles, witnessed muted celebrations on April 23, 2020, due to the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown. 

The World Book Day was being celebrated with growing enthusiasm in Pakistan during the last few years as the various stakeholders took the responsibility of spreading awareness about reading, publishing and copyright. 

Larger number of universities and other educational institutions, besides governmental and non-governmental organizations as well as commercial entities had made a point to hold World Book Day awareness events like walks and seminars on April 23 in the recent past but this could not be possible due to the pandemic of coronavirus (COVID-19). 

The UNESCO, alongwith the international organizations representing the three major sectors of the book industry, publishers, booksellers and libraries, had been proactively involved in celebrating the World Book Day in a splendid manner. 

The momentum may have been lost at the moment for obvious reasons but it’s being hoped that these institutions will go an extra mile in meeting the challenge as the books will serve the purpose of a good companion during the days of the current forced break. Reaching out the masses, particularly youth, and facilitating them in acquiring books needs to be looked into.

Publishers join UNESCO’s #LearningNeverStops coalition

Pakistan News & Features Services

The International Publishers Association (IPA) has joined UNESCO’s Global Education Coalition to support countries in scaling up their best distance learning practices and reaching children and youth who are most at risk. 

The education systems around the world have been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic with an estimated 1.5 billion pupils thought to be unable to go to school. While some of them have been able to adapt to continue their education from home, learning for many has been put on hold. 

Many educational publishers have come up with innovative online solutions but pupils, teachers and parents in some countries and regions have been looking for more work in this direction. 

The various stakeholders have taken the responsibility of working together to stop the health crisis and the undoubted economic crisis from becoming an educational crisis as well. 

International governmental and non-governmental organizations, media, private companies, civil society and non-profit organizations, networks and associations have quickly mobilized to support the coalition. 

The diverse list of coalition members will bring together expertise to build the missing links for education to continue remotely. 

The publishers are expected to be playing the key role in strengthening and enriching the content that will be brought to pupils learning away from their educational campuses.