Our response to the arrest of peacebuilder Gulalai Ismail
Since the arrest of Gulalai Ismail in Pakistan this morning, we have been deeply concerned and are continuing to monitor the situation very closely.
Category: Pakistan
Stopping a suicide attack: Badar’s story
Badar* stopped a 15-year-old boy from carrying out a suicide attack after attending training run by our local partner in Pakistan. It saved the boy’s life, and countless others.
Two fearless women win prestigious award for human rights activism in conflict zones
Two fearless female activists, Gulalai Ismail from Pakistan and Gauri Lankesh from India, have won the prestigious RAW in WAR 2017 Anna Politkovskaya Award for their courage speaking out against extremism against a backdrop of armed conflict. This award is testament to the power local people have to make a difference to thousands of lives.
A powerful story of change to celebrate Non-Violence Day
As global violence surges in the form of humanitarian crises, racial injustices and political oppression, it is important to show just how non-violent resistance can transform lives and communities. We share an inspiring story of nonviolent change from Pakistan, where recruitment by militant organisations threatens young lives and longer term peace.
The woman battling violent extremism: Gulalai’s TEDx Exeter talk
In this TEDx Exeter talk, Gulalai reveals how she is building an equal and peaceful world, starting from her local community. From witnessing inequality as a young girl in Pakistan, to defying the Taliban and founding a peacebuilding organisation, this is a story of a courageous and inspiring woman.
Challenging the Taliban, one person at a time: Jalal’s* story
My name is Jalal* and I live in north-west Pakistan. It is known as a hotbed of militancy and extremism, where militants run the streets and bombs destroy lives. When the Taliban began taking over our area, I didn’t know what to do. One by one, I lost most of my friends to the Taliban. They were used to carry out suicide attacks in neighbouring Afghanistan and Waziristan, just across the border from Pakistan.
The power of one peace activist in Pakistan: Sail’s story
Have you ever been a situation you wanted to challenge, but did not know how? When you live in a violent, conflict affected area, the stakes are even higher. Yet here is the story of Sail, one young man who has changed minds and prevented extremism in his community.
The future of peacebuilding: six lessons from Next Gen Peace
From May 24-26, we joined some 400 diverse peacebuilding experts, practitioners, policymakers, and NGO representatives at the Alliance for Peacebuilding’s (AfP) annual conference in Washington, DC. The theme of the gathering, “Next Gen Peace”, spoke to the future of peacebuilding as a field, and the three days were full of energy, insightful panels, and thought-provoking discussions. For us, the event was a time to listen and learn from others, share our own work, and collaborate with the AfP community to encourage greater support for local peacebuilding, including the critical role of youth as peacebuilders. Our experience at the conference highlighted six key lessons for the future of peacebuilding.
Uniting against violence and hatred – from Brussels to Pakistan
Still recovering from the bombings in Brussels last week where Islamic State claimed responsibility for explosions that killed 35 people and injured even more, the world has endured yet another tragedy – this time centered in Pakistan.
Support locals stopping terrorism, urges report
This week, the Global Terrorism Index claimed the world needs more locally-led efforts to counter extremism and conflict in the world – the sort we support.