Afkar-e-Taza’s Thinkfest 2018 that took place on13th-14th January at Alhamra Arts Council, Mall Road, Lahore was a huge success as it was well-attended by speakers such as Tawakkol Karman, Nobel Peace laureate for 2011 and Baroness Warsi, Chairman of the Conservative Party, UK, Rt. There was some interesting debate between the speakers and the panelists, and they were flocked by people who were eager to meet them and discuss their view-points on various topics, and the panelists and speakers actively engaged with them throughout the event.
The Afkar-e-Taza ThinkFest had 20 international speakers, 60 national speakers, and 30 academic institutions that spoke on topics ranging from the fate of Muslims in Britain, to the Rohingya Crisis, the situation in the Middle East, the history of Afghanistan, women and violence in South Asian history, US-China relations, Extremism in universities, the Partition of 1947, and even the upcoming 2018 elections. Along with stimulating panel discussions, there was also an art installation and exhibit on the partition of 1947, and a screening of awarding wining documentaries.
Dr. Yaqoob Bangash, a historian and currently a professor at Information Technology University (ITU), and his representatives did an excellent job organizing the students who attended the event, and also acted as volunteers.
The festival brought together artists, intellectuals and authors, and it was a great platform for people who take keen interest in current affairs, history and art. Along with ITU, Destinations Magazine and Daewoo Express were also the official partners of this event.
