ODA eligibility database

This activity is part of the EU’s Instrument contributing to Stability and Peace. Pakistan’s fragility has serious political and security considerations for the country and also the region. The people and government of Pakistan continue to face threats from groups who advocate the use of violence in pursuit of their goals. Since 2006, and particularly in 2009 when violence peaked, thousands of people have lost their lives and been injured; many thousands more have lost their assets and livelihoods through bombings and internal displacement. Over two thirds of Pakistan’s population is below the age of 30. With this in mind, strategically targeting youth, and strengthening their resilience to being drawn into radicalism, is important in any project aimed at countering violent extremism in the country. STRIVE projects target the media, education, civil society and governments to increase awareness of Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (P/CVE), the necessity of prevention, build capacity of actors in these fields to engage in P/CVE, and undertake targeted interventions in areas which could contribute most to P/CVE.

The overall objective of the project aims to support the promotion of a stable, peaceful, pluralistic and tolerant society in Pakistan. More specifically, the objective is to strengthen Government, media and civil society capacity to implement and monitor programmes that will have demonstrable impact in strengthening resilience against extremism and violence.

This activity contributed to: - strengthened provincial government capacity in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab to operationalise and monitor STRIVE strategies. - strengthened resilience of youth to extremism and violence. - strengthened media capacity to implement a code of conduct on ethical journalism that contributes to strengthening resilience to violence and extremism. - an improved understanding of ‘what works’ in strengthening resilience in Pakistan.

This activity is deemed ODA-eligible. It demonstrates preventing violent extremism through non-coercive, intentional and targeted use of developmental assistance approaches aiming at providing positive alternatives to those most at risk of violent extremism in partner countries and countering the narrative of violent extremism that incites support for violence which is included in ODA (paragraph 116). ODA-eligible activities for preventing violent extremism must be undertaken in accordance with respect for the peaceful exercise of political, social and economic rights, including the right to non-violent forms of political expression (paragraph 118). This programme’s objectives and activities comply with the examples of eligible activities given in paragraph 119.