The December 16, 2014, school massacre in Peshawar is a sobering reminder of the still-potent threat of militancy in Pakistan. Encouragingly, nongovernmental organizations have been developing grassroots initiatives to counter violent extremism—from candlelight vigils to anti-Taliban protests. These promising efforts, however, have to this point not grown into a nationwide campaign. What does Pakistani civil society hope to achieve with its anti-extremism movement? What can be done—by Pakistan and the United States—to help strengthen Pakistani civil society in its efforts against violent extremism? And what role can or should foreign assistance play? This event, coming on the heels of the White House’s Summit to Counter Violent Extremism, marks the release of “A Strategic Plan for Empowering Pakistan’s Civil Society to Counter Violent Extremism,” published by WORDE, and will feature presentations by researchers and activists on the front lines of civil society’s anti-extremism efforts in Pakistan. 

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Photo courtesy of: Asianet-Pakistan/Shutterstock.com.