ETH100 Handouts by Maha Malik

Topic 001: Why this course?

We are taking this course because we want to learn the reasons why we are not doing well as a society. It will help us in realization, worry, planning, and sharing ideas with others on how to become a better citizen.

Topic 002: What makes effective citizenship?

First, we will learn what makes an effective citizenship. The first thing is a sense of responsibility which is an internal feeling about fulfilling the responsibility. The second point is empathy, which is feeling the pains of others and assessing how they are facing challenges in their life. The third point is patriotism which means loving your country and trying to make it better in every matter.

Topic 003: Why effective citizenship?

We will learn about the incentives and benefits of being an incentive citizen. Firstly, I will do better if I become an effective citizen. Secondly, it has benefits in this life as well as in the hereafter.

Topic 004: Effective citizenship: Duties of citizen

Every citizen has some duties to perform. The first duty is loyalty to the state and obedience to the Constitution. A citizen must follow the constitution in every aspect of life and be loyal to the state in all matters. Article 5 makes it binding on every citizen to be loyal to the state. The state has institutions that are legally bound to follow the constitution. Territories, objectives, and laws all can be changed within the limits of the Constitution."

Topic 005: Rights of citizen: Freedom of life and liberty

A citizen must be aware of the rights of other citizens. Article 9 ensures the right to life and liberty. It means one citizen cannot take the life of another citizen or injure him for whatever reason. One citizen cannot attack or harm another and cannot interfere in his personal life. Liberty and freedom cannot be taken away from any citizen.

Topic 006: Rights of citizen: Fair trial

Every person is entitled to a fair trial in which judges will make their decision about it. No institution will interfere in the process of a fair trial. If a person cannot afford a fair trial, then the Constitution ensures that he will be compensated so that he can have a fair trial. There cannot be a media trial before the final judgment.

Topic 007: Rights of citizen: Slavery

A citizen cannot be made a slave under any circumstances. Article 11 forbids all kinds of slavery and forced labor. A citizen cannot be forced to do labor for which he has not applied. It is against the constitution of Pakistan.

Topic 008: Rights of citizen: Freedom of movement

According to Article 15, all citizens have the right to move freely and settle in any area of Pakistan unless it is a prohibited area. All areas of all the cities are open for its citizens. Except the private houses and institutions where permission is required to enter. The idea is to bring the Pakistanis together.

Topic 009: Rights of citizen: Right of access to information

Article 19 ensures that every citizen has the right to access the information unless that information is prohibited. A citizen can apply from the relevant institution for the required information. However, any public interest or information that can be misused can be prohibited from public access.

Topic 010: Rights of citizen: Religious Freedom

Articles 20,21,22 ensures the right to choose a religion, preach it, and establish a religious institution. Nobody is bound to follow any religion other than his own. Admission should not be denied in educational institutions based on religious background. All citizens must have equal opportunities for freedom and participation.

Topic 011: Rights of citizen: Freedom to own and sell property

Articles 23 and 24 ensure that every citizen can buy or sell property anywhere at any time in the country. For the interest of special communities or areas, there can be some restrictions on the sale and purchase of the land or property because of its conflicting status. The constitution of Pakistan guarantees this right to its citizens so that the citizens can feel belongingness with their land and country and their relationship can become stronger.

Topic 012: Rights of citizen: Protection to language and culture

Article 28 ensures that every group having a distinct language or culture holds the right to promote their language and culture. The idea is to enrich diversity. It increases the positive qualities among the people and encourages critical thinking. This opportunity is to bring a feeling of belonging to the country and build a stronger connection with its country.

Topic 013: Rights of citizen: Protection from discrimination

According to Article 26, citizens are to be protected from being discriminated against based on language, religion, sex, or birthplace. The idea is to eliminate all forms of biases. The objective is to provide justice and fair competition to all. If the discrimination is not discouraged, it will generate demotivation and injustice in society.

Topic 014: Major challenges before an effective citizen: Poverty

Poverty can be the biggest problem before an effective citizen. It creates continuous tension and depression for a man suffering from poverty. It affects the behavior and attitude of a person. To deal with this, we should look for the people who are suffering from poverty from our relatives and then take some practical steps to help them. Make them feel that it is a temporary issue and that you can come out of it. When we alleviate poverty, it will bring benefits like happiness, less tension, and creativity.

Topic 015: Major challenges before an effective citizen: Illness

The ill person suffers from this as well as other people because of his illness. If he is the sole breadwinner of his household, he will not be able to go to work and thus his family suffers from his illness. Our role is to find out the ill person and practically and morally help him and his household. We can either financially support them or increase their motivation level. The blessings we get after fighting the illness include great relief and motivation.

Topic 016: Major challenges before an effective citizen: Ignorance

Ignorance is a growing problem in our country. Around 52% of people are literate and 48% are illiterate. This generates poverty in the society. The illiterate people lack understanding, and he is bound to others. He or she can be exploited if people are aware that you can not read or understand things. The contribution

improved for a literate citizen and explores more opportunities in society.

Topic 017: Major challenges before an effective citizen: Injustice

The injustice in our society is on many levels. One level of judicial injustice. It takes years to decide the courts. Another level of injustice is economic injustice. In our country, there is a great difference between the salaries of the private and public sector and people are unable to afford their basic needs. The third level is social justice. In a family, some people are preferred over others and are not treated equally. Society can not flourish unless the injustice is removed from it.

Truthfulness

When a person is truthful, people trust him. Similarly, if the state institutions do not have truthfulness, then the citizens lose their trust over them. They know that these institutions cannot provide them with justice and rights. We as a citizen, need to make truthfulness at our level. We ourselves first need to be truthful and then make this virtue common among our people of concern. Society will ultimately progress if all its citizens abide by the virtue of truthfulness.