Students in class at the Madrasa Tajveed ul Quran, Peshawar, Pakistan.
Students in class at the Madrasa Tajveed ul Quran, Peshawar, Pakistan. © Open Minds Pakistan

Focus

Pakistan: Open Minds

Years active: 2009-2010

IWPR’s Open Minds project in Pakistan seeks to engage youth in public discussion and debate. It works in 42 state schools and madrassas across the country’s troubled areas – Northwest Frontier Province (including Swat Valley), Karachi and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas – training some 4,000 secondary school students, both boys and girls, in basic journalism and discussion skills.

The project’s young trainees have published a number of articles in Pakistani newspapers and a group in the remote northern area of Chitral has launched a radio show with all reports recorded by student trainees.

Pakistan: Aug/Sep ‘10

International broadcaster devotes programme to IWPR’s groundbreaking journalism project in Pakistan.

Pakistan: Aug/Sep '10

Authority responsible for registered madrassas in Pakistan eager to introduce IWPR media training into more schools.

Pakistan: Jun/Jul ‘10

Blog set up to host articles written by young people from some of worst-affected regions of Pakistan.

Pakistan: Jun/Jul ‘10

After just three months’ of training, latest IWPR recruits are reporting on strife-torn tribal areas.

Pakistan: Feb/Mar ‘10

Student says IWPR Open Minds training contributed to his triumph in regional debating competition.

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