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Project Title: Nojawan Qayadat- Mustahkam Jamhooriat  (Youth Leadership Strengthening Democracy)

Youth Political Leadership Program (YPLP

Project Target Area: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan 

Project Estimated Budget: 300,000 USD

Project Background:

In Pakistani society, democratic traditions are weak and the political process is distorted. The masses are generally unaware of their rights and divided over issues. From an early age, people become radicalized, often subscribing to a certain class, the ethnic or sectarian narrative that discriminates against others. They have very little tolerance for other community members and even suppress the freedom of vulnerable populations amongst them. Politicians find external lobbies more powerful and committed than the diverse voices of their own constituency. They, therefore, tend to represent the vested interests of exclusive segments of society rather than the general public. Most of the politicians also lack effective leadership skills. They neither bring vision and inspiration to the people nor do they advocate for people's rights or work for their cause. They do not make themselves accountable to their constituency, demonstrating impunity and creating gray areas in decision-making processes. Instead of helping society transform from a tribal-feudal system into a liberal democratic one, politicians frequently inhibit development and misguide the public through their messages and lifestyles.

The Pakistani population is young and growing rapidly. More than seventy percent of the population is below 30 years of age. In the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), young people between the ages of 15 years and 35 years number about 1,500,000. They are nearly 70 % of the total population of 22,000,000. Literacy rates and education levels are higher amongst the youth than in the population above 35 years of age. They are more informed and therefore open to adopting the liberal democratic lifestyle. Because of the violence associated with politics, parents and elders hesitate to involve the youth in political processes. Additionally, as the youth are continuously exposed to hate speech and radicalization, they often succumb to the ethnic and religious narrative of social development initiatives as threats to the Pashtun code of honor and Islam. From an early age, the youth, therefore, begin to take positions that disconnect them from mainstream political processes.

The politics of inheritance ensures that political leadership roles remain within a few powerful families. The few powerful families create divisions amongst the others leading to fighting amongst themselves. The majority of the competitors are either eliminated or co-opted, leaving few to challenge the leadership positions of the powerful families. The co-opted competitors become the second line leaders or managers and supervisors. Subsequently, the society finds equilibrium in the tribal-feudal system. The co-opted leadership furthers the existing narrative and perpetuates radicalization and marginalization. However, with the demographic change and increasing outreach of the media, opportunities for low and middle-income groups for upward political mobilization have begun to increase.

The Association for Behaviour and Knowledge Transformation (ABKT) is a citizens’ organization dedicated to eliminating gender discrimination and violence. ABKT seeks to empower women to become active in social, political and economic issues. ABKT has been working in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) since 1994 and has implemented numerous projects in various parts of the province. Many of these projects have focused on political education and capacity building for vulnerable populations. One such project was implemented in partnership with DFID in Malakand Division before the 2013 General Election. On the basis of our performance in that project, DFID has signed another contract for a project on political education, which is currently being implemented. Additionally, the Executive Director of ABKT, Ms. Shad Begum, was awarded the “International Women of Courage Award” in March 2012 for her political struggle and activities in KP on an individual and organizational level. Therefore, we believe that we have both the capacity to cover the province geographically for this project and the required expertise to carry out projects based on capacity building and political education.

Aims and Objectives:

Through this project, ABKT aims to create a critical mass of 150 youth leaders from 25 districts of KP (i.e. 6 from each district–both girls and boys between the ages of 15 and 35 years).

The youth leaders will have the following qualities;

1. A ‘humane’ vision of the future and new ideas to resolve immediate and long-term issues.
2. Awareness of human and citizens’ rights and advocacy skills.
3. The ability to mobilize resources and people and create new organizations.
4. Good ethics to guide them making them good team members, and credibility in the community.
5. The necessary commitment and entrepreneurial skills to benefit the field, nation and themselves.

Such youth leaders are present in all the districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Through this project, we aim to groom the leadership skills of selected youth and encourage community support for their political initiatives. Their initiatives are expected to diffuse radicalization and encourage their community’s broader participation in the political process. The project sees them as a critical link between the communities’ social and economic development process and the larger political process.

The inclusion of young women as political leaders and their grooming is crucial to this project’s success. Young women bring to the political process insights into real development issues, representation of half the constituency comprising of women who have been silenced and unheard, and a ‘peace-based’ wisdom to political negotiations and conflict resolution. Putting young women leaders shoulder to shoulder with men is central to the program’s success. 

The expected outcomes from the project are:

1. A maximum of 150 youth leaders groomed, including 75 young women as political leaders.
2. 7 political activists trained to mentor youth leaders.
3. Relevant stakeholders support acquired for the youth political leaders advocacy campaign.
4. Mass awareness of political process and advocacy issues created in the 25 districts.

Scope:

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has 25 districts clustered in 7 divisions. ABKT shall work in all 25 districts. The project shall be implemented for a two-year period and directly benefit at least 150 young leaders, half of them young women. The project shall also increase the capacity of seven political activists as mentors. It shall indirectly reach out to the entire population in each of the 25 districts and through the advocacy campaign resolve local level issues. It is expected that the project will impact local government budgeting and planning and create a channel for local social and economic needs, especially those of women and children to become part of the mainstream Provincial political agenda, through the engagement of elected youth councilors. 

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This bank information is for Association for Behavior and Knowledge Transformation (ABKT)