Status: Completed Start Date: Dec 2013 End Date: May 2014 Geographic Coverage: District DIK, KPK Focus Area: Peace and Conflict SDG Goal: 16 Implementing Partner: SPO Funding Partner: IOM
With overall goal to ‘To restore peace and social harmony for improved socio-economic and political aspects of the society’, SPO with financial support of IOM implemented a six- month project under thematic area of Peace and Conflict in District DIK of KPK province.
The project titled Building Cooperation and Reconciliation through Youth Engagement in DI Khan addressed the issue of growing violent extremism in the selected Tehsil of District Dera Ismail Khan (DIK).
Tehsil D I Khan has been confronting sectarian violence for the last decade. People have scarified their lives in sectarian and interfaith violence. The Shia, Sunni and Baralawi sects and non-Muslims have been living together for decades and were socially gelled community.
The prevalence of violence in the DI Khan Tehsil was observed with some of the challenges that had multiplier effect on deteriorating the peace and social harmony among the locals. The district observed fuel insecurity, scarce resources and unemployment. The women and youth were the key vulnerable groups. To counter this SPO targeted the district youth with following objectives;
To provide assistance to youth groups in restoration of sports and culture in five union councils of DI Khan.
To promote female (Youth Group) engagements in the decision-making by improving their participation on issues concerning sectarian conflicts and violence.
Through various key activities and formation of youth groups, the project team conducted capacity building training workshops for Youth Groups on Conflict Resolution, Peace & non-violent communication, Human Rights, Governance & Democracy Training. This reaped very positive results, because given the context of DIK, there was very little recognition of the issue and the community was leaning towards intolerance. SPO played very key role in reducing the prevalence of violence in area.
Through this intervention SPO in partnership with IOM contributed towards restoring peace and social harmony in the area and which also led to improvement in socio-economic and political aspects of the society.
