The US government has awarded US$ 20 million to the Rafi Peer Theatre Workshop to undertake a four-year educational outreach program for children that would reach all over Pakistan. The program would focus upon stimulating critical thinking among children, empowering them to gain access to education. The program also envisions reaching out to children of the conflict-affected areas to ensure they are not deprived of this kind of education. Religious extremism is the result of lack of education in addition to ignorance and poverty. If done well and in a transparent manner, this kind of a program can have considerable impact on the education system in Pakistan. But for that to happen, the programs would also have to be devised keeping in mind the cultural sensitivities and level of comprehension of our people. Most importantly, the curriculum has to be designed in a way to enable young minds to absorb more tolerant and progressive influences. -AHMED ALI, Islamabad, June 1.