National Co-ordiantor
Mohammad Zia-ur-Rehman
Mohammad Zia-ur-Rehman is the Founder and Chief Executive of Awaz Foundation Pakistan: Centre for Development Services (AwazCDS-Pakistan) – commonly known as AWAZ, a leading national NGO in Pakistan working for securing the future of marginalized communities especially women. He did post-graduation in Mathematics from B. Z. University Multan- Pakistan in 1994. He won the competitive scholarship from Global Partnership in 1997 and successfully completed one year diploma course in NGO Leadership & Management with specialization in Research Methodology and Techniques, strategic planning and management in October 1998 from Centre for Development Management, a joint venture of BRAC- Bangladesh and SIT-USA. He also won a scholarship from CIDA and McGill University of Canada for a one year course on Social Enterprise Development and has successfully completed in 2003 from Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) –Pakistan with a specialization in managing people’s organizations.
A strong believer of civil liberties, Mohammad Zia-ur-Rehman is known for his grassroots community mobilization and advocacy work in civil society circles of South Asia. He is working as National Coordinator of Pakistan Development Alliance (CSO’s Alliance on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He is actively engaged in various international networks and movements on peace, ecology, democracy, poverty and human rights and leading the Global Call to Action against Poverty-GCAP in Pakistan as National Coordinator since 2008. GCAP is a coalition of CBOs, NGOs, CSOs and networks in Pakistan, connected with Global Movement against Poverty in more than 130 countries across the World. He is also serving as Convener of South Asian Facilitation Group in GCAP. He is founder and National Coordinator of Peoples’ Awareness and Rights Committees (PARC)–Network active in 53 Tehsils of Southern Punjab and also working as Provincial Coordinator of Network for Community Empowerment (NCE) in Punjab Province of Pakistan. He is one of the founding members of Pakistan NGO Forum – a national representative body of NGOs in Pakistan. He remained the Board member of International Human Resource Development Network for the period 2004-2008. He plays a pivotal role in bringing trade unions, media organizations, peasants’ movements and civil society organizations together at national forums to struggle for the common cause.
He has conducted many action researches, compiled and edited several reports on human and women rights, discriminatory laws and customary practices promoting violence against women. He is considered an expert on socio-economic and political issues of southern Punjab and Provincially Administered Tribal Area –PATA of Punjab in Pakistan. He also writes in National Urdu and English newspapers and considered as an opinion maker. His work can be seen at www.awazcds.org.pk and www.gcappakistan.net.
Contact: zia@awazcds.org.pk www.pda.net.pk
