This article was originally published by Global Post. It was when children began painting ambulances, hospitals and dead bodies in art class that Bushra Hyder decided it was time to actively work towards healing. That was 2009, and there were almost daily blasts in Peshawar, a Pakistani city not far from the border of Afghanistan, […]
Why The United States provides more foreign aid to Pakistan than to any other country, with the exception of Afghanistan. A significant portion of those funds is intended to reduce violent extremism through the provision of aid to civilians. Still, thousands of Pakistanis die each year due to ethnic, sectarian, and political clashes motivated by […]
This article was originally published by Huffington Post. As the weather warms and tourists descend on the nation’s capital, 12 Pakistani women will be among the thousands of visitors in DC this week. But they aren’t here to see the cherry blossoms or tour the White House. They’re here to meet with US policymakers to […]
In an interview in 2011 in Islamabad, Pakistan, Farhat Asif told a story about how her training as a mediator enabled her to calm down a friend who held extremist attitudes about Shi’as. She was able to remind her friend that people are human beings first and that other layers of their identity, such as […]
Sameen Imtiaz noticed that a great deal of blame has been placed on madrasas for causing the rise of extremism in Pakistan, which she felt was not entirely true. In order to change this perception and work with madrasas to become part of the solution to peace, she began engaging religious leaders and teachers in […]
As a trainer with PAIMAN, a non-governmental organization focused on peacebuilding, conflict transformation, and empowering marginalized Pakistani groups, Bushra Hyder has worked with university students in Khyber Pukhtunkwa Province, which is very volatile based on its proximity to Afghanistan. Over the course of a few days, she was able to form a bond with extremist […]
Recognizing their role as critical resources for stability, women leaders from across Pakistan formed Amn-o-Nisa, a diverse coalition dedicated to collectively moderating extremism, in 2011. Drawing on their extensive experiences, 12 Amn-o-Nisa delegates drafted these recommendations for advancing women’s inclusion in US counterterrorism efforts and increasing US engagement with a key ally in Pakistan—women peacebuilders.
Pakistani academic and peace activist Mossarat Qadeem saves not only individual lives; she saves families. Working directly with mothers of radicalized youth, using her skill as a communicator and her detailed knowledge of the Quran, she rescues young men — including potential suicide bombers — who are being exploited by extremists. Afterwards, she ensures they […]
The policy community in Pakistan must acknowledge and address violent extremism in the country and enhance women’s ongoing efforts to build social cohesion in communities across the nation. Drawing on members’ diverse experiences, Amn-o-Nisa proposes these recommendations for moderating violent extremism and promoting social harmony in Pakistan.
In April 2011, The Insititute for Inclusive Security conducted a training with women peacebuilders in Pakistan. Ammara Durani spoke to staff about ways to combat the ideology of extremism beyond on the ground military actions.
