Peace Building and Resilience Strategies for Cultural Rejuvenation: An Integrated Approach for Countering Religious Violent Extremism in Pakistan

Abstract

Pakistan’s drift into violent religious extremism incurred massive losses to human and material resources because of terrorist incidents and counter terrorism efforts. The measures taken by the government have produced mixed results with a whole new array of fallouts that require an in-depth analysis that allows for objective evaluation and efficacy of the measures taken. The study employs a mixed method approach, exploratory research with survey method, which aims to explore fallouts of counter violent religious extremism efforts in study areas comprising of  Wana, Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), along with analyzing, evaluating and proposing both long-term and short-term peacebuilding and resilience strategies that will complement the rejuvenation of the ignored culture of tolerance and also in developing counter violent religious extremism policies. The findings reveal that an integrated approach comprising of various peacebuilding and resilience strategies encompassing various factors like economic, social, cultural and administrative efforts can lead to a rejuvenation of culture of peace, tolerance and coexistence in these study areas. The research suggests that to enhance cultural rejuvenation the areas need to be developed more in all fields, as the study reveals that there is a direct link between the level of development and violent extremism.