Search For Common Ground

Promotion of Dialogue for Peacebuilding through Media and Youth Mobilization in Pakistan is a project that seeks to promote a participatory environment that stimulates information flow, nurtures youth involvement for proactive conflict mitigation, and strengthens state and civilian relationships and community reconciliation initiatives in Pakistan.

The Youth in Pakistan make up as much as 35-42% of the total population with significant population growth expected. Despite their overwhelming numbers, young people in Pakistan still struggle to have their voices heard, specifically related to pressing issues and concerns from their generation.

The Government of Denmark is providing SFCG a two year funding (2011-13) of USD 1.2 Million for a program that aims to promote peace and dialogue. The project aims to strengthen tolerance and understanding among the country's various regional, ethnic and socio-economic groups through changes in attitudes and behavior. The project consists of four components: 

• Capacity building and sustainability of media so that they can play a more active role in peace building through the promotion of tolerance and non-extremist solutions to community problems.
• Build capacity of the Pakistani youth and local leaders to tackle local problems in a constructive and result-oriented way in order to increase understanding, conflict management and peace-building.
• National and provincial meetings with the media, youth and community leaders to create a shared vision as the basis for the development of radio and TV programs as well as organizing youth forums at the district level.
• Production of almost 100 interactive radio / TV talk shows and 50 newspaper articles of peace and tolerance with an emphasis on diversity in society and promotion of common approaches - the "Common Ground" law.