LG representatives trained in conflict resolution, prevention methods

Being a multicultural city and economic hub of the country, Karachi has been affected by violence, crime, and injustice over the past decades. With the ongoing operation bringing peace back in the city to great extent, civil society organisations working on peace-building practices and countering violent extremism are now been focusing on the potential of local governments.

The Sustainable Peace and Development Organisation (SPADO) is among those civil society organisations, which trained over 150 local government representatives of three districts – South, West and Central – who were elected in December 2015. All of them were from different political backgrounds.

Abubakkar Yousafzai, an outreach coordinator at the SPADO in Karachi, said the training offered to newly elected representatives enhanced the skills and knowledge in conflict resolution (dialogue, negotiation, communication skills) and conflict prevention. “The training included explaining and highlighting the role of local government representatives in promoting peace, tolerance and interfaith harmony in local communities as mentioned in the Sindh Local Government Act,” Yousafzai told The News.

The Sindh Local Government Act, 2013, reads, “A corporation, municipal committee or town committee may, and if so required by the government, shall adopt any other measures likely to promote cultural values, mutual tolerance and interfaith harmony.”

In another section of the functions of the district council, it is clearly mentioned that they should “promote tolerance and interfaith harmony” and “promote social, civic and patriotic virtues among the people and discouraging of parochial, racial, tribal, sectarian and provincial prejudices.”

Yousafzai maintained that the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) was one of the most transparent, speedy and economically viable mechanism of conflict resolution.

The SPADO in partnership with Karachi Youth Initiative started a project “Promoting Community Based Dispute Resolution Through Training of Local Government Representatives” in order to highlight and improve the skills of Karachi local government officials in conflict management; which aims to build the capacities of newly elected local government representatives of Karachi to prevent and resolve violent conflicts at the local level and to promote genuine, sustainable peace through formal and informal mechanisms. At the same time, advocacy was carried out to develop trust and cooperation between state institutions, local government and communities for a greater and more effective role in conflict management and prevention.

Moreover, the project also focused on and contributed towards improving collaboration and coordination among local government representatives other stakeholders and local communities to manage conflicts at community level. In this regard, advocacy and networking meetings were held with local government officials and civil society organisations.

In the start of October, leaders of various political parties, including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf MNA Dr Arif Ali, deputy head of the Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam-Fazl Sindh Qari Muhamamd Usman, Jamaat-e-Islami’s Saifuddin Advocate, and Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s Hanif Surti attended a seminar organised by SPADO. All of them emphasised on the need of the ADR and conflict resolution trainings for the elected representatives for entire country.

JUI-F’s Usman said local government representatives and political leaders should be trained to resolve the cases of domestic violence, property and monetary issues, which were on the rise in low-income neighbourhoods of the city. “Neighbourhood-level meditation committees would be an appropriate forum to resolve these issues locally, instead of registering FIRs against each other. If we got elected, our top priority would be to set up an active mediation committee comprising elected representatives, religious clerics, police and community elders,” he said.