Speak Karachi

Pakistan

Dates: 2023

Raising political awareness and inclusion among Karachi’s diverse young people.

This group of talented young leaders have seen the barriers and lack of interest among youth to engage in local politics in Pakistan and specifically in Karachi, a city with a complicated history of division and politics.

Between 5-24 June 2023, Speak Karachi held five, two-day workshops on “The Art of Dialogue and Policymaking” at Karachi University, Sindh Madressatul Islam University, and Lincoln Corner. 208 participants from six universities attended these sessions to discuss narrative building, argumentation, and policy making processes. The trainers prepared the students for a mock parliament through interactive sessions, case studies, and group activities that aimed to enhance their critical thinking and understanding of technical aspects of parliament procedures, bill drafting, and assembly protocol.

Workshops Held

Youth Trained

208

Youth Reached through Mock Parliament

175

Immersive dialogue and policymaking simulations to build the capacities and awareness of youth.

Following their workshops, the team held a Mock Parliament on 8-10 2023 September at Newports Institute of Communications and Economics and hosted 175 participants in immersive policymaking sessions. They created educational resources for the participants to review before dividing them into three thematic councils ahead of the sessions where they discussed and presented their bills.

The team interviewed 25 participants after this event, who shared that they felt a greater sense of agency and motivation to discuss and take actions around crucial issues as a result of the program. Participants also felt more informed about political systems and appreciated being provided with a rare platform to be heard on key social, economic and political topics.