Following its vision of democratic, socially just and tolerant society guided by participatory principles, SPO endeavors to address the issue of governance through its programme of Democratic Governance. The programme emphasizes on mainstreaming of marginalised communities in decision making processes for the realisation of basic human rights as enunciated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the Constitution of Pakistan. The programme is geared to achieve three outputs through different activities divided into three components. All of the programme activities aim at bringing about change in different tiers of governance ranging from sub-district, Community Based Organisations, Community Monitoring Committees, Women Organizations to parliament, ministries and state institutions.

This programme intends to establish and strengthen community-rooted mechanisms in order to secure the well being of people, irrespective of caste, creed, colour or sex, by improving their quality of life. The programme aims to support mechanisms largely in the public sector, and those devised by civil society in the areas of basic education, primary healthcare, livelihood support to women and relief and rehabilitation in natural disasters in areas where SPO works. SPO has taken measures to ameliorate public services in education and health sector by introducing citizens monitoring. Under this output monitoring committees are mobilized to “bring government closer to the people”.

The programme is based on building social harmony among diverse groups to share and understand each other's point of view and respect differences. Major challenges include the rising sectarian differences and inter-provincial disharmony. 'Politics of Consent' will be encouraged resulting in informed, thoroughly debated, and positive public and policy messages of awareness raising and advocacy. It aims to build capacity and empower civil society networks and communities around social harmony and peace with a focus on restoring social harmony and building a culture of peace and participation, and partnering with all local stakeholders in the development process.

Humanitarian Response

SPO's presence at the grass root level, and its regular interaction and committed partnership with community institutions, have, in turn, strengthened SPO's resolve to assist poor and disadvantaged sections of the communities to help achieve their goals for sustainable development under regular programming as well as at times of disasters. To address issues that lie outside the purview of its core programme, SPO has established Humanitarian Response component. Through this component it deals with disasters and emergency situations, such as earthquake in Azad Kashmir, floods in Balochistan and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) of NWFP. Currently, Humanitarian Response has the following components:

1. Capacity Building and Emergency Response

2. Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)

3. Earthquake Reconstruction Programme

4. Promotion of Access to Services and Protection for Vulnerable People in Northern Pakistan

Discussion Papers

In its endeavor to bring about a purposeful social change in the country, Strengthening Participatory Organisation (SPO) is working for sustainable development by enhancing the capacities of individuals and marginalized communities. SPO is highly sensitive to the cultural, social, economic and political context of Pakistan. UNDERSTANDING PAKISTAN is a series of discussion papers covering a broad range of topics through which SPO intends to highlight the key issues faced by Pakistan today and facilitate a better understanding of the milieu in which we exist. The papers are written by eminent thinkers and researchers as well as SPO staff who use the extensive information gathered directly from their experience in development. Besides adding to the body of knowledge on Pakistan, SPO looks forward to contributing towards effective discussion at all levels leading to people-centred policy changes in the country.

Discussion Papers

Following is the list of SPO Discussion Papers published as yet:

Goal

and

Development Resource Centre (DRC)

Development Resource Centre (DRC) is based in Strengthening Participatory Organisation (SPO) National Centre, Islamabad. The objective of establishing DRC is to provide data, information and literature to SPO's regional offices and partner NGOs. For that purpose DRC maintains resource database (print and audio visual) on daily basis. DRC coordinates with regional centres to assess the needs of support organisations and respond to them by developing linkages with other information centers for the exchange of resource material. DRC material on d i f f e r e n t f i e l d s i n c l u d e s b o o k s , journals/magazines, and electronic resources - CDs, DVDs, video cassettes.

All the publications of SPO are available at Development Resource Centre (DRC). There are more than 5000 books on d i ffe rent topics/subjects ranging from agriculture, communications, development, directory, economics, education, environment, gender, health, history, human rights, information technology, journalism, literature, management, poli t ical science, poverty, rel ief and rehabilitation, religion to training manuals. To keep the human resource abreast of latest developments in different spheres of society, DRC regularly subscribes different journals and magazines.

DRC's electronic resource is comprised of annual reports of International Non-governmental

Organisations (INGOs) and Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs), government documents and different researched documents. At DRC documentaries, references, dramas, tele-theatre, films and software are also available in the form CD, DVD and video cassette. To facilitate research at SPO, DRC has subscribed the services of Monash University Alumni Database, which is the largest online library of books, journals and magazines.

Since SPO is a participatory organisation, sharing of knowledge and information is indispensible for its progress. For that purpose research and communication department has d e v e l o p e d a w e b s i t e n a m e d

. Through this website new arrivals and latest socio-economic and political developments of the country are shared. Library Information Management System software of DRC has a database in which 4000 books are catalogued according to different fields/subjects.

There is a special niche in DRC for the archives of SPO publications. The archive contains annual repor ts , d iscuss ion papers , manuals , publications, poster, leaflets, booklets, flyers, and other important documents produced at different phases of the history of SPO. DRC has linkages with all regional offices, Civil Society Networks, different NGOs and INGOs.

http://spodrc.blogspot.com

Development Resource Centre (DRC)

Present Outreach

Geographical Coverage for current programme

Balochistan (18 Districts)

Bolan Jafferabad Loralai Mastung Naseerabad Chaghai

Noshki Pishin Quetta Ziarat Gwadar Turbat

Awaran Kalat Lasbella Khuzdar Panjgur Sibi

NWFP (9 Districts and FATA)

Charsadda Chitral Dir D.I.Khan Malakand Mardan

Peshawar Swat Shangla FATA (Khyber, Orakzai and Mohmand Agencies)

Punjab (14 Districts)

Bahawalpur Lodhran D.G. Khan Muzaffargarh Vehari Gujranwala

Khushab Mianwali Lahore Multan Khanewal Layyah

Bhakkar Sargodha

Sindh (12 Districts)

Badin Thatta Karachi Ghotki Shikarpur Hyderabad

Matiari Tando M. Khan

Mirpurkhas Nawabshah Tando Allahyar

Umerkot

SPO is one of the largest rights-based civil society organizations in Pakistan. It strives to address the emerging issues in the particular socio-economic and political context of the country. SPO has been able to reach out to people in more than 77 districts. Currently, its long term core programme of democratic governance, social justice, and peace and social harmony covers 53 districts of the country and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). Implicit and inherent in the struggle for improvement is the stress on quality. SPO aims at doing the spade work that is building capacities, fostering networks, raising awareness for long-term and sustainable impacts.

(advance)

Strengthening Participatory Organisation (SPO) lays great emphasis on building capacities of local communities through trainings, which are tailored according local needs of the communities. Since its inception SPO has been able to produce numerous training manuals for various development activities. Details of some of the manuals are as follow:

SPO Manuals