The 152nd radio program as part of the Center for Research and Security Studies’ (CRSS) counter-radicalization initiative Ulasi Taroon (Social Cohesion) aired on the subject theme. The program emphasized the need to responsibly exercise the constitutional rights and freedoms as it can impact the overall state of peace and harmony in the society. The first guest on show, Assistant Prof. Bakht Zaman Yousufzai from Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Peshawar, noted that the Article 19 of the Constitution of Pakistan empowers every citizen with the right to freedom of speech, freedom of expression and freedom of the Press, albeit these rights are subject to reasonable restrictions and come with responsibilities; not to use them to violate others’ rights or to jeopardize the security or defense of the country. Unlike conventional media, the new media has widened the scope, role and responsibility of media more than ever particularly because of its massive outreach. The expansion in its followership and footprint across wider population makes sensible and conflict conscious media programming much more critical to achieve social cohesion. Especially during the last decade or so, the media has strongly emerged as the fourth pillar of the state, both in Pakistan and around the globe. This can be attributed to different factors but most importantly, due to its capability to inform and educate the society, highlighting the issues of social concern, and supporting the first three pillars of the state by providing them valuable information that they need to improve public service delivery. The social media has proved to be a game changer component of media and has heightened its scope to a whole new level. It has enabled even the individual members of the society to play the role of and act as media by posting publicly viewable content. While it empowers the citizens, it means a huge individual responsibility for sensible usage and adhering to...

The 150th radio program as part of the Center for Research and Security Studies’ (CRSS) counter-radicalization initiative Ulasi Taroon (Social Cohesion) aired on the subject theme. The first guest on show, Ms. Baseerat Bibi, Member, Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, noted that socio-political inclusion of women doesn’t merely imply provision of opportunities for their participation in the socio-political affairs, most importantly, it is also about empowerment through raising awareness among them regarding their rights and responsibilities. While women in tribal areas need special attention in this regard, tribal men also lack this fundamental awareness. The real mean for mindset change in the society is education for all genders on their social roles for development and constitutional entitlements as equal citizens. No nation can progress without the socio-economic and political participation of over half of the country’s population i.e. women. We cannot afford to let the gender gap jeopardize our national development objectives, thus there is a dire need to ensure/ provide equal opportunities to female members of the society for social inclusion, mobility and development. Collaboration between the state and civil society organizations is extremely important for women empowerment and all other shared goals. Merger of tribal areas in the KP province serves as a great human capital development opportunity to bring this region at par with other parts of the country by investing in the people, fulfilling their democratic needs as a precondition to enhance their participation in the political processes. Tribal women have a great socio-political participation potential, they only need opportunities for education and development. The second guest on show, Mr. Danish, CRSS’s Ulasi Taroon Alumnus and a student of City University of Science and Information Technology, Peshawar, shared that the tribal youth, especially females are entitled to the constitutional...

The 149th radio program as part of the Center for Research and Security Studies’ (CRSS) counter-radicalization initiative Ulasi Taroon (Social Cohesion) aired on the subject theme. The first guest on show, Mr. Iftikhar Firdous, Senior Journalist, noted that the state refers to a geographical entity that has a distinct fiscal system, constitution, and sovereignty recognized by other states as part of the global state system. A state cannot be changed unlike government. In this entire system, it is extremely important that the state institutions respect each other and observe their respective constitutional limits. For good governance, it is extremely important that the public institutions conduct public affairs and manage public resources in an efficient, transparent and accountable manner. Loopholes in the system of governance where its key stakeholders do not fulfill their public service responsibilities can take a devastating toll on the social fabric and cohesion. That said, there is a huge onus on citizens for their responsible conduct; fulfill their duties as part of social contract. Best example that underscores the criticality of citizens’ role is COVID pandemic that clearly shows how the governments can only do so much without responsible citizenship or it can mean serious social, economic and health implications. To onboard citizens in the national development processes and harness their potential for progress and prosperity, it is important to educate them on the democratic and political processes and their roles as key actors. The second guest on show, Ms. Aisha, CRSS’s Ulasi Taroon Alumna, and a student of Kohat University of Science and Technology (KUST), said that there is huge responsibility on youth leaders to learn and then promote the values key to upholding rule of law and good governance. Our future leaders need opportunities like Ulasi Taroon Youth Capacity Building Workshops to develop their leadership and peacebuilding potential by...

The 146th radio program as part of the Center for Research and Security Studies’ (CRSS) counter-radicalization initiative Ulasi Taroon (Social Cohesion) aired on the subject theme. The first guest on show, Dr. Abida Bano, Lecturer, Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies (IPCS), University of Peshawar, noted that the role of women in peace processes is very important and their inclusion is advantageous to successful and sustainable conflict resolution. She referred to the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace, and security, which was adopted unanimously by the UN Security Council on 31 October 2000. While this resolution acknowledges how women are disproportionately and uniquely impacted by armed conflict, it reaffirms the significant role that women play in conflict prevention, conflict resolution, and peace-building, emphasizes the importance of women's equal involvement in peace and security and the need for women's increased participation in conflict prevention and peace-building. Several social scientists and researchers theorize that inclusion of women in the peacebuilding processes increases the chances of success, and therefore underscore the need to adopt gender perspective in peacebuilding. The values key to inclusion of women are also enshrined in the constitution of Pakistan vide articles 8-28, that testifies that women have an undeniable role in peacebuilding. Increased representation of women in different walks of life can not only cultivate their potential but also benefit the socio-political and economic development of the country. Family level dynamics greatly affect inclusion of women in the society and are key to raising future women leaders by valuing their opinion, and encouraging and inculcating confidence in them. Identification of the root causes of conflict is crucial for successful conflict resolution. Avoiding this critical step only leads to the recurrence of conflicts. Sustainable peace only comes through...