Youth Human Rights Awareness Program Backdrop Over the past 62 years, Pakistan has experienced few periods of extended democratic rule. Military in Pakistan has developed vested interest in power sharing and ruling the country. Military governments in Pakistan have routinely nurtured and manipulated the extreme religious right as a tool to stifle the development of democratic and secular institutions in Pakistan. The state has also failed to provide basic educational opportunities for its citizens, leaving a vacuum that is increasingly filled by extremist religious parties and institutions, including madrassas, or Islamic schools. While r e l i g i o u s extremists are still a small minority, their increasing social and political influence threatens civil society organizations working to develop a more democratic Pakistan. Pakistan, the nerve center of religious extremism around the world, is ominously a child majority country, too. 60 % of its population happens to be below 18 years of age. Pakistan’s education system was never ideal. In Pakistan today, the vast majority of information sources, including state-sponsored educational curricula and media, support the cultivation of social and cultural conservatism. Public support for isolationist and intolerant causes in Pakistan is growing. Rampant unemployment, illiteracy and social injustice have driven hordes of young men towards assorted forms of fundamentalism. Religious institutions including seminaries, mosques and not-so-secret offices of armed outfits have registered mushroom growth. Weak political, academic and social ambience renders the young people into an easy target for the fundamentalist forces. On the other hand, the moderates, liberals and enlightened segments have failed into developing the mechanisms to combat the hazards of this situation. It is still possible to stem the rot at this point in time. But another 10 years down the lane, it would be nigh impossible to have any realistic scope of organizing some resistance against an all-encompassing onslaught of myopic, isolated and violent legions. Democratic Commission for Human Development since its inception is engaged in creating human rights awareness in the rural communities of Pakistan. Keeping in mind the deteriorating public education system that has so far failed to promote the democratic values, DCHD started Youth Human Rights Awareness Program in July 2007 with the support of National endowment for Democracy with the following objectives: Objectives: To facilitate mid-level human rights activists in carrying out human rights awareness at Secondary School Children level through capacity building measures. To promote basic human rights consciousness among the Higher Secondary School children through trained human rights activists To develop alternative reading material for human rights, democratic framework and pluralism. To promote a culture of contrasting view point through declamation contests and essays competitions among the youth. This program was about creating awareness among the youth through human rights education. DCHD sought Idara Taleem-o-Agahi (ITA) cooperation for the implementation of the program. ITA has a vast experience in education sector reform and working with governments for school improvements and management. A group of 20 activists (10 from ITA and 10 from DCHD) was selected in Punjab to carry out program activities at implementation level. An initial Training of Trainers was conducted with the activists. The activists then assigned the task of identifying the schools and taking an initial perception test of the children for final selection. 10 districts were identified where DCHD and ITA already have their network so that access to schools should not be a big problem. Province Districts Punjab M.Garh, Rahim Yar Khan, Toba Tek Singh, Jhang, Nankan, Sheikhpura, Wazirabad, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Attock 10 schools were identified in each district and 50 students from each school. A total of 5000 Children were provided orientation on different human rights themes and alternative reading material. (List of selected team members along with the school is attached as annexure 1) Children developed their declamation contests first at district level, then at provincial level. The first three positions were awarded every time and send to the next phase. Assessment of the Project To facilitate mid-level human rights activists in carrying out human rights awareness at Secondary School Children level through capacity building measures. To achieve this objective a group of 20 activists (18 activists and 2 program personnel) was selected amongst the senior activists of DCHD and ITA to serve as a core team for program implementation. One third of the core team was female activists. An orientation meeting was convened to discuss the program contours with the core team before selecting the schools and initiating the capacity building process. The main purpose of the meeting was to give coordinators an overview of the program activities and to apprise them of their responsibilities as coordinators. The main responsibilities include identification of school, conduct perception survey, dialogues with students and assistance in conducting declamation contests. During the course of the meeting questionnaire for the purpose of the survey was also discussed and finalized. Capacity Building of activists During the Orientation meeting with the activists it was also decided that instead of conducting one five day training of trainers the capacity building process is divided into bimonthly two days workshops it will help local coordinators to better internalize the learning step by step instead of digesting at once. What are Human Rights: - The first capacity building workshop was of three days as it was introductory workshop going to be covered more broader themes. The workshop entitled “What are Human Rights” was held at Amir Hotel, Lahore on November 23-25, 2007. The workshop was attended by 18 participants and two DCHD team members from 10 districts of Punjab Province The main objective of the workshop was to provide coordinators thorough understanding of the various issues involved in the concepts of human rights and also to equip participants with practical skills required for the conduct of a successful dialogue. The agenda of workshop covered following themes what are human rights? The definition of human rights, the struggle and historical background of human rights, principles and objectives of human rights. Basic rights of citizen under the constitution of Pakistan, the universal declaration of human rights, the training skills of human rights worker and the planning of conducting dialogues with children in their schools. Children Rights: - A Two day training workshop entitled “Children Rights” was held at Amir Hotel, Lahore on Jan, 12-13, 2008. The workshop was attended by 20 participants from 10 districts of Punjab province. The resource person was Tanveer Jahan. The main objective of the workshop was to provide coordinators thorough understanding of the various issues involved in the concepts of children rights and also to equip participants with practical skills required for the conduct of successful dialogues. The agenda of the workshop covered following themes: the definition of child, the needs and wants of the child, the convention on the rights of the child, the state of children rights in Pakistan, effects of violence on children, the future of a violent society, basic features of child labor and the preparation of dialogues with school children. Civil and Political Rights: Another Two day training workshop entitled “Civil and political rights” was held at Amir Hotel, Lahore on Feb, 9-10, 2008. The workshop was attended by 18 participants from 10 districts of Punjab province. Resource persons were Wajahat Masood, Tanveer Jahan and Arshid Mehmood . This workshop took place before the election, and the election was on 18th February .The objective of the workshop was to provide coordinators comprehensive knowledge on civil and political rights so that they can provide orientation to children about the dynamics of democratic processes. The agenda of the workshop covered following themes: definition of state and society and the relationship between individual, state and society, elements of democratic state, legal rights of citizens, what is constitution? What is law? Judicial system in Pakistan, political rights of citizens, what is democracy? Women Rights Another Two day training workshop entitled “Women rights” was held at Amir Hotel, Lahore on March, 9-10, 2008.The workshop was attended by 18 participants and from 10 districts of Punjab province. Resource persons were Tanveer Jahan and Arshid Mehmood. The agenda of workshop covered following themes the review of last month activities, stereotypes about women, what is gender discrimination? Historical background of gender discrimination, Types of gender discrimination in our society, women rights, and Different kinds of violence against women, affects of violence on women. In this workshop we also discussed topics for essay writing and declamation contest at school and district level. The topics for essay writing were this: - How can we eliminate child labor from Pakistan second how can we make Pakistan a non violent society? And third how can we promote tolerance in Pakistan? Religious Freedom and Minority Rights The program participants attended this workshop organized by DCHD in another project named as Secular and Democratic