Thinking critically, listening openly: youth workshops across Pakistan
This report preserves earlier Freedom Gate Pakistan programme experience as part of FGP’s civic-learning and alumni legacy.
Independent judgment and empathy belong together. Freedom Gate Pakistan’s 2023 critical-thinking workshops encouraged young people to question information, recognise stereotypes and approach disagreement with curiosity rather than hostility.
Exploring the assumptions behind our decisions
Sessions in Lahore, Karachi and Hyderabad brought together youth from different backgrounds. Beena Khan and Ross Mahtani facilitated exercises on self-awareness, inclusion and the ways assumptions influence how people understand one another.
Connecting reasoning with public life
Discussion linked misinformation and digital content with civic choices and democratic participation. Guest contributions included journalist Katrina Hussain and Sindh Assembly member Muhammad Rashid Khilji. Participants examined how to evaluate information and political messages while remaining open to different experiences.
A continuing legacy of dialogue
The workshops offered a place to practise asking better questions and discussing difficult issues respectfully. Their contribution to FGP’s legacy lies in this approach to civic learning: informed participation grounded in both careful reasoning and respect for others.
In pictures
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Sources & media coverage
Explore the original record and related reporting.
- FGP activity archive
- FGP activity archive