A Knowledge Workshop titled “Youth Empowerment for Engaged Citizenship – Democracy Lab: Incubator for Civic Action” was successfully held on 24 January 2026 at D-Lab, Aga Khan University, Karachi. The workshop was organized by Citizens for a Better Environment (Shehri-CBE) to strengthen students’ skills in civic research, participatory design, and community engagement.

The session began with a briefing by Farhan Anwar, Urban Planner and Project Manager, who also introduced Human-Centered Design (HCD) as a framework for participatory research and civic problem-solving. Students then participated in an in-depth session on field research methods, covering research ethics, secondary research, field observations, interviews, focus group discussions, and survey techniques.

Following a tea break, participants worked with the project team to prepare for field mobilization, where student groups developed research plans to address civic issues at the Union Council level.

The workshop concluded with a roadmap for the Democracy Lab initiative, which aims to empower students to research civic challenges, collaborate with stakeholders, and design community-driven solutions for urban governance issues in Karachi.