Charter of Peace

The Charter of Peace – Background

Pak Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS) has been working since 2011 to explore and suggest policy options for Pakistan’s counter-violent extremism (CVE) and terrorism. In 2021, it undertook a project titled “Promoting soft approaches in countering terrorism and extremism in Pakistan.” The project involved regional level consultations with key stakeholders based on which a document was designed titled Charter of Peace.

The Charter of Peace is a blueprint for soft approaches to countering extremism and terrorism in Pakistan. The Charter is meant to reflect the aspiration of the people of Pakistan from all walks of life from the government to legislature, and from intelligentsia to academia, clergy, media, and civil society, among others. The purpose is to strengthen the use of political or soft approaches, which are considered an effective tool for reducing the appeal of militants’ ideologies as well as bringing the radicalised individuals or militants back into the mainstream by persuading them to quit violence. Such approaches seek to challenge the foundations upon which extremist movements and ideologies are built, through targeting radicalised and vulnerable individuals cognitively, rather than relying on physical force alone.

Charter of Peace