Swat Youth Front

Contact Information

  • Where – Pakistan (Asia)
  • Website – www.syfswat.org
  • Contact Person – Haris Badar
  • Email – syf@syfswat.org
  • Address – Opposite Grassy Ground, Saidu Sharif, Swat, Khyber Pukhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Areas of Expertise

The Swat Youth Front has expertise in a range of areas, including:

Main Aims and Objectives

SYF is an independent, flexible, democratic, non-profit youth organization working for poverty reduction, illiteracy, unemployment, women empowerment, peace and disaster management in Malakand Region, NWFP, Pakistan. Since 1997, SYF has pursued a vision that strives – in partnership with community, public and civil society organizations – to achieve MDGs for developing a just, peaceful and prosperous society where all have equal access to opportunities irrespective of gender, colour, race, religion and status.

Over the last one and a half decades, SYF has been committed to working for the socio-economic development of Malakand Region, in order to bring changes in policies with the help of local actors that can lead to a prosperous and peaceful society.

SYF focuses on the following objectives:

  • To promote socio-economic empowerment of the underprivileged;
  • To promote gender awareness and sensitivity;
  • To narrow gender gaps in health, education and economic participation;
  • To promote volunteerism in youth for effective change;
  • To enhance the capacity building of CBOs and CCBs through participatory development process to benefit the underprivileged of the region;
  • To achieve MDGs for developing a just, peaceful and prosperous society;
  • To strengthen the capacity of human rights activists in Malakand Region.

Upholding the Principles of Conflict Transformation

SYF provides insight and analysis on conflict in the Swat Valley to a variety of national and international actors – particularly through Conflict Early Recovery Initial Needs Assessment (CERINA) and Rapid Needs Assessment Reports – that allow tailour made responses to local needs and challenges, particular of victims and vulnerable groups. SYF has also worked to counter radicalization through education programmes that create awareness about the problems of terrorism and human rights violations. SYF has also advanced gender equality through a rural women income rehabilitation project.

Where and with Whom?

SYF is an independent, democratic, non-profit youth organization working for poverty reduction, literacy, employment, women’s empowerment, peace and disaster management in Malakand Region, KPK, Pakistan.

Main Activities in the Field of Conflict Transformation

Rapid Needs Assessment Report of Swat District

HOPE ’87, in collaboration with the Swat Youth Front (SYF), conducted a Rapid Needs Assessment. The eight person’s team conducted an assessment in all seven Tehsils of Swat District. The primary focus of the assessment was to evaluate the existing social, economic, security, food security, water and sanitation and health and hygiene situation before and after the crisis. Besides providing statistics and simple analysis, this document also presents key issues related to the needs and expectations of local residents. The core objectives of the study were a) to assess the general socio economic conditions of the population in Swat before and after return, b) to identify immediate needs/priorities of the victims of the conflict, c) to assess the food security and health situation, and d) to gather information regarding the people’s access to water and awareness about sanitation and hygiene practices. The data collection for the survey was based on a primary data collection through interview schedule/questionnaire of affected people and observation in the area.

Open Minds Pakistan Project
Since 2001, terrorism has grown to become the biggest security threat to Pakistan. The country is often known for terrorism, extremism, violence, conflict and extremist propaganda that foster discord and negative impressions of the West. The OMP project of the Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR) UK was a ground breaking initiative to create awareness about the problems of terrorism and human rights violations, and to engender public debate on the subject. The OMP project offered a fact-based, analytical approach to discuss and disseminate information on critical societal issues. The OMP project aims to provide training in journalism to young people aged 10-19 years in Pakistani schools, and give them opportunities to discuss debate and publish reports on current affairs. It was intended that through this projects, vulnerable groups of adolescents in target schools demonstrate an improved competence in articulating moderate views on issues known to counter radicalization, such as governance, rule of law, human rights, security and conflict and development issues.

Conflict Early Recovery Initial Needs Assessment (CERINA)
The Swat Youth Front has conducted CERINA assessments in the six Tehsils of district Swat in collaboration with UNDP Pakistan. SYF’s four enumerators consisting of two male and two female conducted assessments in the most sensitive Tehsil of Swat after the return process of displaced persons.

Sports for Peace
Sports for Peace encourages initiatives where sport can assist in creating a platform for post-war peacebuilding and dialogue by facilitating and equipping 330 youth sport teams with equipment and establishing a network for them. The main goal of the project is to help revive sports activities, leisure opportunities and social interaction in more than 330 villages or towns. It directly involves 3360 players from 330 teams of cricket, football and volleyball.

Rural Women Income Rehabilitation Project
The Program for the Advancement of Gender Equality (PAGE) – an initiative of the Canadian International Development Agency Canadian High Commission, Islamabad  – awarded SYF for the Rural Women Income Rehabilitation Project. Under the project, SYF provided poultry and goat to the rural women of the most sensitive and affected rural areas of Tehsil Kabal, Tehsil Charbagh and Tehsil Babozai of Swat District. The distribution of poultry and livestock was based on the needs and family size of the women and her dependents.

Distribution of Relief Items to the IDPS of Malakand
Keeping in view the situation and the needs of the internally displaced people residing in camps, scattered populations and families living with host families, SYF submitted a project proposal, ‘Humanitarian Assistance to the Civilian Exodus in NWFP’, to Miss. Ella Rolfe, Programme Consultant of Institute of War and Peace Reporting (IWPR) United Kingdom and Partner of SYF for the Open Minds Pakistan Project. Miss. Ella Rolfe – on the basis of humanitarian assistance – sought donations from her friends and colleagues in London and transferred a total of £930 to SYF to purchase of food. clothes, hygiene kits and toys for the displaced families. The relief items were distributed among 25 families living in camps, rented houses and families living with host families at Kala Bat, District Haripur NWFP, Pakistan.

Future plans
SYF’s future plans include:

  • Promoting tolerance to minimize militancy and extremism in Malakand Region, Khyber Pukhtankhwa, Pakistan.
  • Use sports as a tool to promote peace, development and gender equality;
  • Training of Journalism for promoting peace and tolerance;
  • Combating domestic violence against women;
  • Capacity building of local CCBs/CBOs;
  • To initiate access to justice program;
  • Establish a youth parliament;
  • Awareness campaign on women’s trafficking.

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