Political Cadre Development
Democratic devolution in Pakistan
Pakistan is a federation with a constitutionally mandated power sharing mechanism between the center and federating units. The political system in Pakistan has witnessed gradual development with the 1973 Constitution and the 18th Amendment being the most prominent milestones. Being a relatively young democracy, there are a number of challenges associated with the idea of democratic devolution in Pakistan and there exists a lot of room for improvement.
In light of these recent developments, particularly after the ratification of the 18th Constitutional Amendment which overhauled the dynamics of federal structures of Pakistan, HSF along with its partner organizations have strived to strengthen these structures and the better understanding of Pakistan's idea of subsidiarity and democratic devolution.
A timely intervention
The Political Cadre Development Program is one of the flagship projects of HSF carried out in Southern Pakistan in the province of Sindh in collaboration with the Center for Peace and Civil Society (CPCS). It aims to sensitize mid-level and young political cadres of various democratic political parties about the concept, system and significance of decentralization.
Project activities
The project includes three-day intensive training workshops for young multi-party political cadres at district level where carefully selected young local political leaders with a particular focus on gender and ideological balance are brought together to learn and discuss constitutional, cultural and fiscal questions along with other issues related to good governance.
Lasting impact
All Young Leaders cohorts under this program are also encouraged through mentoring to work out on some policy reform proposals for their respective parties, improving their party constitutions and manifestos from constitutional perspectives. The primary objective is to nurture a more vibrant and sustainable democratic culture generally in society and particularly in political parties by promoting robust discourse about inclusive and decentralized devolution among young political cadres.