Nigar Nazar for change in mindsets through cartoons

Islamabad

The mindsets of our younger generation can be changed through entertainment, cartoons and humour. Things learnt with a lighter note have a deep impact on their minds, said Nigar Nazar.

The first female cartoonist of Pakistan was talking to ‘The News’ after her return from a visit to the US.

She said that the boards of education should realise this fact and introduce books on subjects like civic sense, value of education, corruption, women’s right and environment. They should take up the issues of every day life by introducing creative books.

Nigar Nazar was selected from Pakistan for the Visiting Specialist Programme in USEFP’s (US Educational Foundation’s) new programme ‘Direct Access to the Muslim World.’ It was a six-week lecture-cum-presentation assignment at the Colorado College.

“It was more like a teaching experience rather than learning, as I used to give lectures on the history of Pakistan, give presentations on cartoons and how to tackle social issues through cartoons,” she said.

After coming back from the US, Nigar Nazar is helping the needy students of Swat through an NGO — Society for Tolerance, Environment and Education through Recreation (Steer).

The NGO is trying to boost the morals of the students there as many schools have been burnt down. It is providing free schoolbags to the students along with her six books, a set of comic books in which various topics are discussed through stories. The bags are complete with art supplies, stationery and outreach programmes, which would sensitise them about social issues of our society. One is about pollution ‘Koray ka Jinn’ and the second one is about women’s right ‘Huqooq-e-Niswan’. ‘Haram ki Kamai, Ruswai hi Ruswai’ is about the perils of corruption, ‘Ilm ki Daulat’ is about the value of education, ‘Aqeeda Apna Apna Hum Watan Hum Jaan’ speaks about anti-sectarian violence, while ‘Khatarnak Ajnabi’ talks about the anti-recruitment system of teenagers for dangerous pursuits.