We build bridges.
We engage communities.
We empower women.
We assist startups.
We promote dialogue.
We mainstream culture.
About Us
We firmly believe in the Bicameral Parliamentary Democracy and Free Market Economy, and work to strengthen their interconnection in favor of a politically stable, socially peaceful and economically vibrant Pakistan.
CSED is a Federally-registered and QCR-audited nonprofit company based in Islamabad, Pakistan. We are also certified as a “Credible Nonprofit” by the Pakistan Center for Philanthropy. We prioritize working in the under-serviced districts, and try connecting them with the development mainstream in Pakistan.
We are positively prejudiced in favor of women and youth in Pakistan, and our operational principles are based on the Harvard University’s statement of Inclusion and Belonging.
We resolutely reject every and all form(s) of discrimination “on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and pregnancy related conditions, gender identity, national origin, ancestry, age, veteran status, disability unrelated to job requirements, genetic information, military service, or other protected status unrelated to job requirements.”
Expertise
We are a specialist organization and work on various dimensions of social cohesion, entrepreneurship and dialogue and culture in different local contexts across Pakistan.
People of CSED
Zaheeruddin Dar
Chairman – Dar is a seasoned professional, and has worked in public and government policy positions since 1984. He served in the Government of Pakistan for nearly 20 years, and started pursuing an entrepreneurial career in 2000. Dar has worked with national and international development and corporate organizations, along with providing consulting services to foreign governments, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of the Netherlands. He takes interest in various aspects of social education, social cohesion and role of local communities in building healthy societies. He lives in Islamabad, and appreciates literature and history.
Itrat Sultan
Director – Ms. Sultan holds an MPhil in Education, and is a development professional since 2010. She has a diverse background in development from rights based advocacy in rural communities to promoting social cohesion and entrepreneurship among the Pakistani youth. Sultan constantly champions the cause of women’s economic and political empowerment, and engages with communities and their leaders on mainstreaming of women, particularly in underserviced areas. She is an ardent reader, and mandatorily volunteers with young women, particularly in universities encouraging them to pursue careers for economic and political freedoms.
Mubashir Akram
Director - Akram is working on Pakistan’s social, political development since 1997. He has a vast experience of working and traveling all over Pakistan, and has worked in partnership with a wide range of development and civil society organizations and leaders. Prior to joining the development full-time in 2009, he served at the Embassy of Japan (1997-99) and the Embassy of United States of America as the Political Specialist (2000-09). Akram frequently writes, now mostly in Urdu, on Pakistan’s social, political and security/terrorism challenges. He lives in Islamabad, and a follower of South Asia fiction and history, and rock and folk music.