"Importance of CNIC & Vote registration" by UNDP

日期 : Sep 2013 - Sep 2013

UNDP has partnered with CHANAN street theatre troupe perform for an audience on the side of a road in Swat. About 450 performances reached an audience of more than 50,000 in 17 districts with below average voter turnout in the 2013 general elections. “These kinds of programmes will make us realise our roles and responsibilities because majority of us are not aware about our rights and responsibilities of a good citizen, observed Ayesha Kamal following a recent street theatre performance on civic education. While voter turnout in general elections has increased from a historic low of 35 percent in 1997 to 44 percent in 2008, Pakistan still has the lowest voter turnout in South Asia. Lack of voter trust and education has been identified as two of the primary reasons behind this indifference and lack of participation. UNDP has partnered with the Community Healthy Advocacy Network at Nation (CHANAN), a youth based organization, to strengthen citizen participation in the democratic process through civic and voter education. As part of its overall voter education campaign for upcoming local government elections, UNDP worked with CHANAN to conduct street theatre performances in selected districts across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Sindh. The performances took the form of three short skits that explored the rights and responsibilities of citizens of a democratic state, while stressing the importance of the participation of youth, women and minorities in the democratic process. Tackling a serious subject, performers still made room for laughter in the pieces and encouraged audience participation. Performances took place in 17 districts with below average voter turnout in the 2013 General Elections. The performances increase voter awareness of and participation in electoral processes and encourage people to turn out to vote in the upcoming local government elections. Approximately 450 street theatre performances reached an audience of 50,014.