Assisting Pakistanis in reestablishing tolerant customs to combat violent extremist demands
USIP assists local cultural leaders, members of civil society, artists, and others in revitalising customs and discourses that foster tolerance for difference, foster communication, and confront societal change. Also, USIP encourages the creation of media that presents opposing viewpoints to extremism and religious fundamentalism, such as theatre, documentaries, and anthologies of short stories.
Encouragement of the inclusion and acceptance of religious minorities
Pakistan’s interreligious relations have deteriorated, and there have been some cases of violence or other types of exclusion. USIP supports local peacebuilders’ initiatives to advance interfaith harmony, peaceful cohabitation, and the fair inclusion of minorities (of gender, ethnicity, and religion) in all facets of public life. These peacebuilders include religious scholars and leaders.
supporting institutions that are inclusive and democratic
USIP promotes technical assistance to state institutions, initiatives to strengthen local governments, and aid to relevant civil society actors in their efforts to promote greater inclusion of excluded groups in order to enable democratic institutions become more responsive to citizens. This project’s main theme has been gender, as it has been throughout all of USIP’s Pakistani programming. Through research, advocacy, and capacity building, these programmes enable women to participate in democratic and peacebuilding processes. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Pakistan’s foreign minister, addresses a group of American officials and policy experts during a visit to Washington, DC, in September 2022. Bhutto Zardari talked about the 2022 flooding that caused 33 million people to flee Pakistan in his speech.