Association of Women for Awareness and Motivation (AWAM) in collaboration with Taiwan Foundation for Democracy (TFD) organised a two days training of trainers titled "Education for Democracy and Human Rights" at Centre for Peace and Harmony in Faisalabad.
The trainers demanded that the state institutions should be allowed to function in accordance with the Constitution while the laws, constitution and policies, discriminating on the basis of religion and sex, should be amended to comply with the standards and norms of human rights; ensure balance of the powers among state institutions such as; judiciary, legislature and executives, ensure separation of religion from the state affairs, ensure rule of law and participation of marginalised groups in the mainstream, for the success of democratic system in Pakistan.
The trainers of the workshop included; Naseem Anthony (Executive Secretary-AWAM), Iftikhar Ahmad, Kaneez Ishaq, Sitar Haider, Suneel Malik (Secretary-NCJP), Najeeb Ali Shah, Shazia George and Zafar Iqbal. 42 Muslim and Christian trainees including political workers, teachers, students and representatives of NGOs actively participated in the training.
The topics discussed during the training were: concepts of democracy and human rights, democracy and characteristic of a democratic state, situation of civil and political rights in Pakistan, role of political parties and NGOs for the promotion of democratic culture, democratic system in Pakistan: challenges and resolves, Women participation in political process: social and cultural barriers.
The purpose of the training was to educate trainees about democratic norms and principles, to multiply political awareness for the participation of masses in the political process and to discuss challenges for democracy in Pakistan. The trainers termed 'restrictions on the participation of women in political process, buying and selling of votes, politics in the name of caste' as contrary to democratic values.