From Learning to Leadership: The Role of Civil Society and Peace Education on Socio-Political Change in Pakistan
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55737/trt/SR25.106Keywords:
Holistic Peace, Out-of-school-children, Peace Education, Civil Society, Socio-Political ChangeAbstract
For holistic peace in any society, a sustainable socio-political change is required that needs integration of all stakeholders. To achieve this goal, educating the youth can play a vital role. In Pakistan, more than 48.4% among the total youth aged 5-16 years are out-of-school. Such a large number of children needs schools equal to what Pakistan could build since its independence in 1947, leaving a gap for civil society to fill. Therefore, the current study aims to explore the role of Peace education and civil society in bringing a positive socio-political change in Pakistan. The study takes data through semi-structured interviews from the founding members of two Islamabad based civil society organisations (CSOs) and peace education experts. Secondary data is gathered from the official websites of relevant organizations. The findings reveal that CSOs in Pakistan are actively working to empower the youth through educating the uneducated mostly using traditional education system as well as grooming the learned. The study recommends that CSOs needs to incorporate peace education which is more important for bringing socio-political awareness and positive peace in a society.
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