The marginalised communities in the rural areas across the country have not been sitting idle - they have been fighting for their rights.
They have managed to get schools reopened, resist forced marriages, secure rights for fishermen, get National Identity Cards for women. Some of their achievements, such as securing the right to bury a Hindu girl in a Muslim cemetery, have the potential of far reaching consequences and could go a long
way towards their integration into society.
These stories were shared at a conference “Local Initiatives in Development”, arranged by Strengthening Participatory Organisation (SPO) here on Thursday.
SPO Chief Executive Naseer Memon said that the struggles of marginalised and local communities tend to be ignored in the mainstream media and discourse of development.
“This conference brings together people from different regions of Pakistan to share inspiring stories of local communities,” he said.
Harris Khalique, an analyst, emphasised the role of political workers and the need to educate them politically to enable them in enacting their roles with a clear vision.
“Incessant control of undemocratic forces over the country has created a disconnect between the state and society. SPO’s support to civil society organisations aims to establish the connection,” Harris said.
Elaborating on the dialectics of social justice in Pakistan, Development Practitioner Arifa Mazhar stressed the need of creating awareness in society.
“Only by changing the minds, will we able to empower the marginalised communities in Pakistan,” Arifa stated. She added that empowerment enables people to change policy in their favour and paves the way for a democratic, just and tolerant society.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 18th, 2011.
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