Sabawoon (Dawn)

Geographical Focus: 

Period of Intervention: July 2011 to January 2020

Partner: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) Australia

Project Summary

“Sabawoon” (Dawn) was the Center for Research and Security Studies’ (CRSS) flagship and popular radio show aired from Peshawar for the entire Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Federally Administered Tribal Areas regions. It was designed to inculcate respect for human rights values, underscore the need for good governance, create greater awareness for democratic and governance reforms in democratic institutions, and to create avenues for the public to participate in policymaking either through formal institutions or informal consultations. Through this endeavor, CRSS established mechanisms for the inclusion of multiple social groups in decision-making processes, such as youth and students, provincial legislatures, and other concerned officials including local representatives.

The radio programs helped encourage civil society and local communities to formulate and express their positions on significant issues experienced by them. All segments of “Sabawoon” radio programs aimed to emphasize the fundamental importance of promoting justice and the rule of law as an ‘indispensable element’ for peaceful coexistence and to prevent armed conflict. The shows broadcast from private radio channels FM 101 Peshawar, AM 1260 Peshawar, FM 93 Dera Ismail Khan.

The programs meant to promote a democratic discourse, trigger critical thinking, and create social space for a counter-radicalization narrative in the militancy stricken and religious extremism prone areas. “Sabawoon” established a “Listener Club” to determine the listeners’ interest in the radio program, where the shows were successfully received, and to evaluate their understanding of the issues discussed with the help of a specially designed questionnaire.