Organization Name: Chanan Development Association (CDA)
Organization Description: A youth-led organization, the mission of CDA is to improve the status of youth particularly young women enabling them to equally and actively participate in planning, management, policy-making, decision-making and execution of their plans without any biases of gender, religion, ethnicity, age, language or class. They aim to promote a culture of acceptability, non-violence, pluralism, and equality for the creation of a healthy, just, democratic, peaceful and harmonious society. They have 500 members across the country.
Project Name: Youth-Peer Education and Awareness Campaign to reduce Extremism (Youth-PEACE)
Project Description: The project aims were to create a culture of equality, acceptability, and tolerance among youth for establishing a just, democratic, non-violent, peaceful and harmonious society by training 100 youth peer educators as young peace-builders .
Timeframe: 2010
Country: Pakistan
Email: cda.pakistan@yahoo.com
Website: http://www.cdapak.org
Project Activities:
Key activities included:
- 22 one-day exposure visits to religious/cultural places of all the five provinces of Pakistan engaging 2800 young people
- 5 provincial four-day young peace-builder training workshop for selected young people
- 5 Provincial exchange visits for newly trained young peace-builders
- National Youth-PEACE festival engaging 550 young peer educators
- Focus group evaluation discussions with young peace-builders, project reports and future plans
An executive body comprised of 25 young people assumed key leadership roles in organizing the National Youth-PEACE festival, and implementing the National Youth-PEACE Campaign with the support of Chanan Development Association (CDA). The members of this gender balanced executive belonged to different educational institutions and youth organizations from Lahore, Karachi, Quetta, Peshawar, Gilgit, Muzaffarabad and Islamabad. Throughout the process more than 70 committed young people helped organize the festival and 50 others helped conduct activities at provincial level.
Sub-committees coordinated elements of the festival organization including marketing & promotion, coordination & networking, media & communication, volunteer recruitment and management, stall management, event management, stage setting & management, delegation coordination, and administration & finance.
Background: Pakistan has a rich cultural heritage and natural beauty, as well as a diverse population in religion, cast and ethnicity. Young people comprise almost 63% of the population.
Pakistan has a diverse population not only in terms of religion but also in terms of culture, ethnicity and cast. All the five Provincial Capitals comprise of mixed populations, for example majority Muslim with other religious minorities. Among religious minorities, there is a higher percentage of Christians (5.8%) followed by Hindus, Ahmadies, Sikhs, and other religious minorities like Scheduled Casts. Though peoples have co-existed for many years, there are still religious and cultural minorities living in isolation. There is a lack of interaction among majority and minority people which increases the myths and misconceptions about other’s religion, cultural beliefs, values and traditions.
The people of Pakistan are passionate about their faith, particularly young people. This is sometimes misused by extremists or tribal leaders. Social issues are sometimes presented as religious issues which creates trouble among the sects and religions. Many religious bodies in the past opted to work with youth in order to coach them in the ways of their faith. It is suspected that hundreds of religious educational institutions have been used to promote religious fundamentalism. These educational institutions are reported to promote certain political benefits. The rapid increase in the tradition of suicide bombing, particularly by the young people is the worst example of this. Any incident of religious or cultural conflict in any area of Pakistan and even abroad, increases the tension between majority and minority groups and the possibility of conflict.
There is a dire need to create more opportunities for interaction, exposure to their own and other cultural and religious values, traditions and beliefs. There is also a need to build their capacities and equip them with skills to promote recognition of, and respect for, each other’s religion, culture, ethnicity, cast and existence in the society.
Partners: Partnerships were developed with 20 educational institutions to provide space, source peer educators for project activities and assist in other logistics. Chanan Development Association (CDA) invited some 20 organizations, educational institutions and young social entrepreneurs to exhibit their work and products during the festival. The exclusive media partners for the festival were GEO Television Network, Jung Group and 106.2 HUM FM.
Results: Chanan Development Association (CDA) through its National Youth-PEACE Campaign has engaged more than 2,800 young people in Lahore, Karachi, Quetta, Peshawar and Gilgit and trained them as young peace builders.
The Youth-PEACE festival: CDA received 1270 applications received from all over Pakistan from different educational institutions and civil society organizations/youth groups/networks. Almost 550 young leaders participated from all over Pakistan, including 85 provincial delegates and 360 local delegates. Among participants were civil society activists, political leaders, religious scholars from 6 different religions living in Pakistan, as well as TV celebrities, singers, musicians and theatre performers. Aisam Ul Haq, PEACE Ambassador and first Pakistani and Muslim tennis player to reach the US Open finals also attended.
CDA also received applications from 25 potential young speakers to facilitate the “Skill Building
Workshops” on “Youth Participation & Leadership”, “Social Entrepreneurship”, “Conflict Resolution”
“Resource Mobilization” and “Use of Media for PEACE”.
Other achievements of the 1st NYPF 2010 include:
- Recommendations for PEACE building in Pakistan were developed by the young delegates
- Young people’s capacities were enhanced through various workshops, such as social entrepreneurship, youth participation and leadership, conflict resolution, resource mobilization and engaging media for PEACE
- Wide media coverage to highlighted festival and its outcomes before and after the festival
- Collaborative relationships developed with four like-minded organizations
- Religious leaders and other key note speakers offered their support event beyond the festival
- A group of motivated persons including religious leaders, youth, media and civil society organizations commit to practice and preach peace, and social harmony in their routine life
This event was covered in the media including the international newspapers and TV channels.
Express Tribune: http://tribune.com.pk/story/53438/together-we-are-the-solution/
Positive Youth News: http://www.positivenews.org.uk/artman/publish/article_2937.shtml
The News International: http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=850&Cat=13&dt=12/28/2010
Peace Direct International: http://www.insightonconflict.org/conflicts/pakistan/stories/peace-day-pakistan-militancy/
Daily Times: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010/09/22/story_22-9-2010_pg13_10
Insight on Conflict International: http://www.insightonconflict.org/conflicts/pakistan/stories/1st-national-youth-peace-festival-2010/
UN International Year of Youth Events: http://social.un.org/absolutewc/?e=273
SAMAA TV: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGyLQJ8acRM
“It is vital to let all the youths around the globe come in the mainstream of the global development and mitigate the hazards lying in the world via dialogue and mutual understanding.”
Youth-Peer Education and Awareness Campaign to Reduce Extremism (Youth-PEACE)
Organization Name: Chanan Development Association (CDA)
Organization Description: A youth-led organization, the mission of CDA is to improve the status of youth particularly young women enabling them to equally and actively participate in planning, management, policy-making, decision-making and execution of their plans without any biases of gender, religion, ethnicity, age, language or class. They aim to promote a culture of acceptability, non-violence, pluralism, and equality for the creation of a healthy, just, democratic, peaceful and harmonious society. They have 500 members across the country.
Project Name: Youth-Peer Education and Awareness Campaign to reduce Extremism (Youth-PEACE)
Project Description: The project aims were to create a culture of equality, acceptability, and tolerance among youth for establishing a just, democratic, non-violent, peaceful and harmonious society by training 100 youth peer educators as young peace-builders .
Timeframe: 2010
Country: Pakistan
Email: cda.pakistan@yahoo.com
Website: http://www.cdapak.org
Project Activities:
Key activities included:
An executive body comprised of 25 young people assumed key leadership roles in organizing the National Youth-PEACE festival, and implementing the National Youth-PEACE Campaign with the support of Chanan Development Association (CDA). The members of this gender balanced executive belonged to different educational institutions and youth organizations from Lahore, Karachi, Quetta, Peshawar, Gilgit, Muzaffarabad and Islamabad. Throughout the process more than 70 committed young people helped organize the festival and 50 others helped conduct activities at provincial level.
Sub-committees coordinated elements of the festival organization including marketing & promotion, coordination & networking, media & communication, volunteer recruitment and management, stall management, event management, stage setting & management, delegation coordination, and administration & finance.
Background: Pakistan has a rich cultural heritage and natural beauty, as well as a diverse population in religion, cast and ethnicity. Young people comprise almost 63% of the population.
Pakistan has a diverse population not only in terms of religion but also in terms of culture, ethnicity and cast. All the five Provincial Capitals comprise of mixed populations, for example majority Muslim with other religious minorities. Among religious minorities, there is a higher percentage of Christians (5.8%) followed by Hindus, Ahmadies, Sikhs, and other religious minorities like Scheduled Casts. Though peoples have co-existed for many years, there are still religious and cultural minorities living in isolation. There is a lack of interaction among majority and minority people which increases the myths and misconceptions about other’s religion, cultural beliefs, values and traditions.
The people of Pakistan are passionate about their faith, particularly young people. This is sometimes misused by extremists or tribal leaders. Social issues are sometimes presented as religious issues which creates trouble among the sects and religions. Many religious bodies in the past opted to work with youth in order to coach them in the ways of their faith. It is suspected that hundreds of religious educational institutions have been used to promote religious fundamentalism. These educational institutions are reported to promote certain political benefits. The rapid increase in the tradition of suicide bombing, particularly by the young people is the worst example of this. Any incident of religious or cultural conflict in any area of Pakistan and even abroad, increases the tension between majority and minority groups and the possibility of conflict.
There is a dire need to create more opportunities for interaction, exposure to their own and other cultural and religious values, traditions and beliefs. There is also a need to build their capacities and equip them with skills to promote recognition of, and respect for, each other’s religion, culture, ethnicity, cast and existence in the society.
Partners: Partnerships were developed with 20 educational institutions to provide space, source peer educators for project activities and assist in other logistics. Chanan Development Association (CDA) invited some 20 organizations, educational institutions and young social entrepreneurs to exhibit their work and products during the festival. The exclusive media partners for the festival were GEO Television Network, Jung Group and 106.2 HUM FM.
Results: Chanan Development Association (CDA) through its National Youth-PEACE Campaign has engaged more than 2,800 young people in Lahore, Karachi, Quetta, Peshawar and Gilgit and trained them as young peace builders.
The Youth-PEACE festival: CDA received 1270 applications received from all over Pakistan from different educational institutions and civil society organizations/youth groups/networks. Almost 550 young leaders participated from all over Pakistan, including 85 provincial delegates and 360 local delegates. Among participants were civil society activists, political leaders, religious scholars from 6 different religions living in Pakistan, as well as TV celebrities, singers, musicians and theatre performers. Aisam Ul Haq, PEACE Ambassador and first Pakistani and Muslim tennis player to reach the US Open finals also attended.
CDA also received applications from 25 potential young speakers to facilitate the “Skill Building
Workshops” on “Youth Participation & Leadership”, “Social Entrepreneurship”, “Conflict Resolution”
“Resource Mobilization” and “Use of Media for PEACE”.
Other achievements of the 1st NYPF 2010 include:
This event was covered in the media including the international newspapers and TV channels.
Express Tribune: http://tribune.com.pk/story/53438/together-we-are-the-solution/
Positive Youth News: http://www.positivenews.org.uk/artman/publish/article_2937.shtml
The News International: http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=850&Cat=13&dt=12/28/2010
Peace Direct International: http://www.insightonconflict.org/conflicts/pakistan/stories/peace-day-pakistan-militancy/
Daily Times: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010/09/22/story_22-9-2010_pg13_10
Insight on Conflict International: http://www.insightonconflict.org/conflicts/pakistan/stories/1st-national-youth-peace-festival-2010/
UN International Year of Youth Events: http://social.un.org/absolutewc/?e=273
SAMAA TV: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGyLQJ8acRM