G
Page | 2
Acknowledgement
PCSC acknowledge this work to communities, civil society
organizations and people’s movements that struggle to address the root causes of human rights violation and socioeconomic
injustices.
We are also grateful to our youth volunteers, activists and human
rights defenders who take actions & contribute their time and
energies to mobilize and educate others to up bring the cause of
human rights values, civil liberties, democratic inclusion, peace
and social harmony in society.
Acknowledging our funders
Peoples Common Struggle Center (PCSC)
acknowledges and expresses its gratitude
& thanks to XminY solidarity Fund,
Netherland for the project of food
democracy campaign.
Beside this, PCSC is also highly thankful
for organizations and individuals to
support and participated in our programs
and campaigns.
G
Page | 3
+
Contents
Acknowledgement 2
Forward 4
About us 5
Vision, Mission, Objectives 5
Outreach, Programs, Strategies 6
Program Interventions 7
Peace and Interfaith Harmony 7
Human Rights and Gender Justice 9
Democracy and Governance 10
Climate Change & Food Security 11
IEC Material 13
Media Coverage 13
Picture Gallery 14
Financial Summary 2014 16
Financial Summary 2015 17
Auditor Report – 2014 18
G
Page | 4
Forward
Since the start of our PCSC initiative from January 2011, based on volunteer actions, we have tried every possible effort to maximize our program at gross root level as well as strengthen relations with likeminded for the support of our initiatives of engaging with youth, communities and civil society actors to attain peace, human dignity, civic liberties, democratic governance as well as social and cultural rights through research, advocacy, campaigns mass mobilizations & capacity buildings Actions.
Perhaps, in 2015, accompanied with our dedicated youth at PCSC, we have started the program of mass mobilization against women violations through our campaign “Say NoTo Early Child Marriage” in Northern parts of Sindh as well as organized the events with women's’ groups to support their socioeconomic empowerment, and organized youth education programs over human rights values and democratic governance.
Working towards the ends of protection of agroecology and climate extremes, in 2015 with the support of XminY Solidarity Fund, Netherland we have organized farmers mobilization campaigns against the violations farmers’ food rights through “Seed Act Amendment Bill – 2014”
In addition to this, we also had carried out the position papers on the state of human rights, domestic violations against women and the way forward for good governance in local language. Beside this we published a couple of wall poster and flyer material for the promotion of interfaith harmony, stop honor killing, domestic violence and education awareness.
Believing in power of unity, our youth activist at PCSC have also joined local human rights forums and enthusiastically participated in the campaigns for the cause of promoting peace, human rights values as well as democratic governance and cultural harmony.
Beside this we also write our membership request to various likeminded networks and movements, and obviously this would take time because of procedural restrictions, in spite of this, the support of various local forums and individuals, & friends was quite encouraging in 2015.
Dear Friend, with meager financial resources and limited opportunities of capacity building, we couldn’t be able to expand our cause of peace and harmony, perhaps your generous involvement and support would enable us to make a vibrant movement for this global cause of defeating extremism, cultural discriminations, and socio-economic disparities.
Irshad Soomro General Secretary
G
Page | 5
About Us Peoples Common Struggle Center (PCSC) is a youth centered nonprofit organization, came
into being on January, 2011 by a group of progressive youth activists to address the root
causes of human rights violations, cultural and interfaith disharmony, climate change
extremes and to promote civil liberties as well as democratic governance at gross root level.
Registered under Societies Act XXI of 1860, from January 2014 we formally began to
initiate our programs to promote local, regional, and international peace, cooperation and
solidarity for the attainment of peaceful
progress & stand for the reinforcement of laws
and polices backed by maximum resources
based on just, fair and equitable distribution for
less advantaged groups of society, without any
discrimination of race & religion.
Vision PCSC envisions a progressive &
pluralistic society for the attainment
of equitable, sustainable and
democratic development.
Mission Catalyzing and capacitating a cadre of
vibrant youth and civil society activists
we strive to struggle for the promotion
of peace, civil liberties, cultural
harmony, climate change &
democratic Governance.
Objectives
Document and disseminate progressive research &
analysis in a popular and understandable manner,
focusing on the root causes of human rights
violations, peace and cultural disharmony, socio-
economic disparities as well as climate change &
ecological degradations.
Based on our research and analysis, PCSC foster
the culture of constructive dialogue and debate,
with youth and civil society actors to be actively
involved in advocacy and campaigning of defending
human rights values, promoting peace and cultural
harmony as well as to participate in democratic
governance and the conservation of agroecology.
Seeking the support, ways forwards and the better
understandings of the impacts of human rights
violations, cultural disharmony, democratic
governance and climate change; we organize,
network & collaborate with local, regional and
global human rights campaigns, democratic
networks and people’s movements.
G
Page | 6
Outreach
Programs
Peoples Common Struggle Center (PCSC) is one of the
organizations which primarily believe that Human Development
could only be achieved by ensuring human dignity accompanied
with peace, cultural harmony & democratic governance based on
fair and just policies.
Working towards such a sustained, equitable and democratic and
peaceful development we engage through following programs and
strategies:
1. Human Rights and Gender Justice
2. Democracy and Governance
3. Peace and interfaith Harmony
4. Climate Change & Food security
Strategies
- Publish fact findings of human
rights violations, research and
opinions on peace, harmony and
democratic governance.
- Conduct education, awareness
trainings, workshop, seminars
& symposiums.
- Advocacy and Campaigning to
put pressure on governments
and authorities for the
reinforcement of laws to ensure
human dignity and development
through just and fair policies.
- Coordination and network with
human rights and democratic
forums and networks for the
support of strengthening the
cause of solidarity of peace and
human prosperity
G
Page | 7
Peace and Interfaith harmony
Sensitizing & capacitating youth around the areas of religious tolerance, cultural harmony,
and cooperation for peace and development, Peoples Common Struggle Center (PCSC)
organized workshops with youth and civil society activists on “Impacts of Fundamentalism and Religious Extremism on Peace & Development”
The workshops were conducted with
youth of the Rustam and Chak city of
District - Shikarpur. Focusing around
the issues of current rise of religious
Program Interventions
Patriarchal taboos & religious fundamentalism are some of the major components
of violations against women, children, and minorities in Pakistan. Girls and
women are denied for their basic rights of health, education, dignity and property
and are subjected to rape, honor killing, forced marriage, forced to religion
conversion and domestic violence. Beside this, attacks & harassment of
minorities by religious fundamentalists is fueling in social disharmony.
On the other side, Pakistan is still trapped in poverty eradication, democratic and
development governance issues, hindering the cause of people access to free and
fair justice, women and minorities are restricted their right to vote, freedom of
speech and thought, and practicing their religious and cultural rituals as well as
lowering the wages & diminishing the social protections
PCSC accompanied with its vibrant youth activist and civil society actors since
the year of 2014 & 15 have intervened at various levels for the cause of gender
justice, peace, religious harmony and universal human rights of health,
education, municipals, food, shelter, security, decent wages and social security’s for formal and informal labor and working class societies
Secular Sindh This should be worth mentioning that
the province of Sindh in Pakistan is
called the land of “Sufisim” the mystics’. Throughout the centuries, Sufi
scholars have sown the seeds of love,
tolerance and cultural harmony.
However, since last 2-3 decades this
secular land of love and human dignity
have been exploited by religious
fundamentalist and feudalist entities.
G
Page | 8
extremism & its impacts on secular
communities of Sindh and their
socio-economic conditions.
Giving critique on policy issues
speakers during the workshops said
that our policy making institutions and
law enforcement agencies must have to
ensure the rule of law and keep alert
the watchdog bodies on religious
fundamentalist elements”. Beside this,
the discussion over the conditions of
rural agriculture communities
(especially the women farmers) and
their rights exploitation through biased
policies was also criticized.
Citing the examples of agriculture labor
wages of women speaker said that the
wages of women agriculture laborer are
highly discriminated and this is the
clear violation of human rights,
government must have to come forward
with clear laws and policies for the
agriculture labor force of Pakistan that
ensure their dignity of survival and
basic human rights.
G
Page | 9
Human Rights and Gender Justice
Moblizing the communities in Sindh around the issues of human rights and gender
justice, Peoples Common Struggle Center (PCSC) organized the campaign on the issue of
“Early Child Marriage” with youth, women and religious groups in six districts of North
Sindh i.e., Sukkur, Shikarpur, Kashmore, Jacobabad, Khairpur and Ghotki. The objective
behind this campaign was to develop the values of human rights and gender equality, and to
initiate a collective struggle against the cruel customs of women violations.
Moving ahead towards such a campaign PCSC
is planning to organize a series of capacity
building trainings for youth and civil society
groups. Through these trainings youth
communities and other civil society actors not
only understand the ways forward of human
rights and gender injustices but also
contribute for international solidarity, peace
and cooperation
Campaign
Say No To Early Child
Marriage
Catalyzing such a vibrant struggle, PCSC
have formally launched a campaign “Stop
Early Child Marriage” through an
approach extensive sensitizing, mobilizing
and connecting other likeminded
movements that could enable them to
understand the importance gender
equality in the context of humanity gender
rights.
G
Page | 10
Democracy & Governance
Pakistan, since its inception was always been at the crossroad of multidimensional
issues, among these the issues of good governance; democracy & development
effectiveness are considered the most critical due to lack of responsiveness, abuse of
discretion, corruption, favoritism and weak accountability on the part of public
officials and bureaucrats.
Keeping in view of Pakistan’s situation of mal-governance, rampant corruption & lack
of responsiveness for social services delivery, Peoples Common Struggle Center
(PCSC) strives to initiate ‘Social Accountability’ interventions with youth and civil society actors
focusing on the areas of: participatory budgeting,
public expenditure tracking surveys, monitoring
of public service delivery, citizen report cards,
investigative journalism, public commissions and
citizen advisory boards.
Youth Trainings on Right to Information (Article 19-A)
Achieving good governance, democracy &
development effectiveness for people’s empowerment, PCSC has initiated the capacity
building trainings of youth regarding the
importance of social accountability and the
implementation of Article – 19 - A (Right to
Information).
Promoting the rights based understandings;
PCSC had organized sessions with youth
groups (Male and Female) as this would enable
them to engage with government officials and
political leaders to ensure the effective & timely
service delivery.
G
Page | 11
Civil Society Dialogue
On the occasion of May Day (Labor Day) Peoples Common Struggle Center (PCSC) organized “Civil Society Dialogue on Seed Act (amendment) Bill – 2014 & Agriculture Labor Force of Pakistan” objective of the event was to strengthen the struggle of agriculture labor force of Pakistan for reclaiming their rights on natural resources i.e., land, seed, water and forests.
Fostering the demand of agriculture laborer as formal laborer, Peoples Common Struggle Center (PCSC) accompanied with civil society members and farmers exchanged the grim conditions of small and landless agriculture labor force of Pakistan which is exacerbating day by day through maneuvering of local laws with the collusion transnational agriculture corporations.
On this occasion, participants in the event were also briefed about the role of ineffective government policies regarding the labor and agriculture sector of Pakistan which paves the ways for their rights and resource violations.
Climate Change &
Food Security
About 75 % of the households own no land
in Pakistan. Moreover, the increased climate
extremes have exacerbated the situations of
devastating forests and mangroves causing
sea intrusion, floods, expelling the peasants
and fisher folk communities from lands &
waters, unleashing massive unemployment
and food insecurity.
Focusing on such massive human and
environmental catastrophes, we advocate for
peoples’ control over land, water and forests, practicing their right of food democracy that
guarantees to produce food according to
their cultural traditions.
Beside this, we defend & promote
ecologically sustainable agriculture &
traditional seeds to ensure food democracy
as well as reduce dependency on corporate
food producing patterns which are
ecologically, socially & economically
harmful for societies already in worse
conditions.
G
Page | 12
Campaigning with Defenders
Moving ahead towards defending the right to food of the most marginalized and vulnerable groups of agrarian society, Peoples Common Struggle Center (PCSC) with the generous support of XminY Solidarity fund Netherland organized campaign against the Seed Act Bill – 2014 from the National Assembly of Pakistan.
Making this more effective, PCSC at the first instance engaged with peasant communities in five districts of Sindh to sensitize them about the worse impact of bill and the socio – economic as well as agroecolgical impacts by criminalizing farmers.
In the second move PCSC sensitized the issue through social activist and human
rights defenders and started campaign to stop the Seed Act Bill – 2014. Through
their generous time and support PCSC took start and organized a rally and
demonstration at press club – Sukkur to record the concerns and grieves of the
peasant society
G
Page | 13
Media Coverage
IEC Material
For the purpose of community mobilization and developing peasant’s basic
understanding towards the immediate policy issues, Peoples Common
Struggle Center (PCSC) also published the IEC material highlighting the
impacts of Seed Act (amendment) Bill – 2014. The material was disseminated
during the peasants mobilization campaigns “Promote food sovereignty – Resist Seed Piracy” The IEC material was based on pictorial & narrative
information on presentation, wall posters and flyers.
G
Page | 14
Picture Gallery
Community engagements on Peace and interfaith
Harmony
Community Seminar on Honor Killings
G
Page | 16 Financial Summary 2014
Assets Philanthropy
Income (Rs)
Consultancy
Income (Rs)
Donation In
Kind (Rs) Total (Rs)
Balance as on 31-12-2013 -
- - -
Income During 2014
150,000
200,000
113,500
463,500
Expenditure During-2014
150,000
200,000
102,600
452,600
Balance as on 31-12-2014 -
-
10,900
10,900
G
Page | 17
Financial Summary 2015
Assets Funding Philanthropy
Income (Rs)
Consultancy
Income (Rs) Total (Rs)
Balance as on 31-12-2014
- 10,900 10,900
Income During 2015 115, 000 180,000 225,000 520,000
Expenditure During-2015 115,000 180,000 215,000 510,000
Balance as on 31-12-2015
- 10,000 20,900
G
Page | 22
B
PEOPLES COMMON STRUGGLE CENTER
Bashirabad Colony, North West Canal,
Military Road (Sukkur) Sindh
PH # + 92- 3312652219
Email# [email protected]
Blog# pcsc4org.wordpress.com