AKRSP launched a three-day long convention for representatives of LSO
CHITRAL: A three-day Convention for representatives of Local Support Organization (LSO) is being held in auditorium here where around 200 delegates from around 40 LSOs from various regions including Baltistan, Astore, Gilgit, Hunza, Nagar, Ghizer and Chitral are participating.
The Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP) is hosting this first Convention of the Local Support Organizations (LSOs) which AKRSP helped foster during the last two years. LSOs are membership-based hybrid civil society organizations. Izhar Ali Hunzai, General Manager of AKRSP, and renowned social and peace activist Agha Yahya Al- Hussaini inaugurated the convention. In his key note, the General Manager of AKRSP emphasized that sustainable development requires an integrated institutional framework at the local levels where the public, private and civil society work hand in hand to achieve common goals and objectives of poverty reduction, economic growth and social transformation. He recalled the social and human capital created in the form of village and women organizations as the building blocks for developing transparent, accountable and professionally managed LSOs.
Agha Yahya, in his concluding address, emphasized for true inclusion of women in the development process and challenged the activists to initiate direct action to bring women in political leadership positions through elected bodies as they represent one half of the population and are majority voters listed in the electoral roll.
In his address, Aga Yahya also highlighted the importance of social mobilization, environmental and conservation awareness and the need for taking austerity measures at the household and community levels in the face of mounting food prices, high cost of living and risk of food insecurity.
Delegation heads from Baltistan, Gilgit, Ghizer and Chitral gave opening remarks and talked about the challenges and opportunities faced by their respective LSOs in contributing to sustainable development. Representatives from line departments, Tehsil Nazim Chitral, union council members and staff of AKRSP and other AKDN agencies are also participating.
The convention was also attended by a 15-member LSO delegation from Rural Support Program Network (RSPN).
The convention aims to provide a forum to promote partnerships, networking and coordination in the ongoing sustainable development efforts, share lessons and experiences and chalk out a strategy for future course of action to strengthen and support village and women organizations and civil society, reduce poverty and how to develop and implement multi-input, multi-actor union development plans.
The concluding session will be presided over by the Chief Secretary Northern Areas and shall be attended by officials, representatives and policy makers from the public, private and civil society sectors. Various government and civil society organizations will also give presentations on their projects. The last day of the conference is dedicated for field visit to Hunza-Nagar for the delegates from Chitral and RSPN and briefing by P&DD, NALA speaker to LSO reps from Baltistan, Gilgit, Ghizer and Astore. The participants were also given the tasks of three themes for group work to explore its problems, challenges and threads. The themes were LSO Government and Management, Roles and Function and Sustainability of LSO Efforts. The participants explained these themes in their presentations. A question answer session was also held.
The convention is part of the project called Institutional Development for Poverty Reduction (IDPR) of AKRSP funded by Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).
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