FRHD aims to work rigorously for society

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Foundation for Research & Human Development (FRHD), a group of social activists, parliamentarians and ex-government officials having been registered under the Societies Registration Act 1860, would like to fill the research gaps in the field of human rights, child rights, women rights, labour rights, social and development rights of marginalized groups in society. Besides, it would like to develop moralized social groups by interactive and self-initiated developmental programmes and schemes. 

This was disclosed by Nazra Jahan, Executive Director, FRHD, in an interview who added that the core values and principles of the organization, on which it was found, were equality, equity, non-discrimination, dignity, respects, openness, transparency and good governance. 

The vision of the FRHD is to have a society where writ of law would have prime consideration and justice would be delivered on the basis of equality and impartiality; where rights of individual are respected, protected, and promoted. 

Its mission is to act to promote and protect human rights in order to empower people within the framework of recognized standards through advocacy, research, awareness-raising, outreach activities, human development and institutional capacity building. The FRHD would be focussing on the areas of human rights, health, education, poverty alleviation and development, and climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction.

The strategies of the FRHD include mobilization of active agents either children or adults, men and women for achieving the desired vision, goals and objectives; formation of district or community level groups/committees, but the main emphasis would be on youth and women; conducting brief scientific and empirical researches by involving academics and others so that these can contribute in policy formulation. 

It will also be working on capacity building of active community agents for developing young cadres of social workers; coordination and liaison with government departments; advocacy at district, provincial and national level for the basic rights of excluded people; construction and repair of basic (physical) infrastructure and facilities, and networking with like minded civil society groups for creating more pressure. 

The main objectives of the FRHD include working for the welfare of disadvantage people especially poor, to endeavor to provide moral and financial help to the unprivileged class particularly orphans, widows, children, juveniles and disable persons, enabling them to support themselves financially & live a dignified life, to provide education and health facilities to the children and to highlight & address the issues and problems of women and children mainly women prisoners and juveniles. 

It also has a plan to empower children by promoting and protecting their rights in conformity with the international standards, to conduct research on issues of public importance, to protect and promote rights, privileges and economic interest of the people, to constitute sub-committees at district level to strive for promoting and protecting the rights of people, to conduct advocacy and lobbying for promotion and protection of the rights of people to educate masses on human rights and to build capacities of partners and stakeholders. 

The FRHD will give special consideration to children because they were unheard and they did not have right to even claim for their basic rights. The FRHD Children Board will work for the promotion of the rights of children in Pakistan. Its objectives would be to work for the enabling environment in which child rights are express and they have right to express and make associations.