Between conflicting forces of religious extremism, globalization, alienation, increasing poverty, increasing decadence, militarization and repressive traditional structures, Pakistan's society is in a crisis. As an alternative to both, apathy and orthodoxy, the country urgently needs more young people who are able to dream and are willing to contribute towards building a society where Human Rights are respected.

With the belief that this vision can be realized, we are setting up a center for learning that would foster a synergistic blend of Human Rights Education and practical social activist experience woven together by positive strands of South Asian cultures.

The institute, Mehergarh, will collectively focus on creating a critical mass in our society that will support open learning through self exploration and growth, connection with wider society, while challenging socialization and learning, using cultural mediums as a pivotal tool.
The philosophical core of the Institute is to create the ability to discover oneself and one's own violations of others' rights, and to understand the relationships we all share with the existing power structures of our society.

The programs of the Institute now being designed will focus on i) broadly educating youth to become leaders in the field of Human Rights, ii) initiating a voluntary based program for youth to interact with masses on simple human rights issues to connect with people on a human level iii) generating research and publications, to ensure that actions are embedded in proper inquiry, iv) providing a platform for exchange of students and scholars to work on human rights and open society, v) promoting cultural understanding in the general community and using cultural action for social change and iv) carrying out civil action, which will provide the young participants with an opportunity to be a part of real social activism.

The institute is being built in a village in the outskirts of Islamabad. This institute will become the hub of the main activities of the Center. This will serve as a focal point where people from all around the country can reside, learn and exchange ideas. The space is being developed as a place for reflection, learning, and for bonding with others in order to enhance the magnitude of our collective impact. Residential youth leadership trainings will be held here in addition to different training packages for citizens.

E-Mail Us: mehergarh@yahoo.com