An Orientation Workshop titled “Youth Empowerment for Engaged Citizenship (Voices of Democracy)” was successfully held on 15 January 2026 at the Department of Mass Communication, University of Karachi. The event was organized by Citizens for a Better Environment (Shehri-CBE) to promote youth civic engagement, democratic awareness, and understanding of local governance among students.

The program began with a project orientation session led by Farhan Anwar, Project Manager at Shehri-CBE, who introduced the Voices of Democracy fellowship program and its objectives. This was followed by a guest lecture by urban planning expert Mumtaz Ali, who explained Karachi’s local governance system and the role of Union Councils in community development.

An interactive discussion with Union Council Chairpersons allowed students to engage directly with local government representatives and learn about real civic challenges in Karachi. Later, students participated in working group sessions, where they formed teams, selected a Union Council, and identified civic issues they wished to address during the fellowship.

The workshop concluded with a summation session outlining the next steps of the Voices of Democracy project, which aims to empower students to explore civic issues through media creation, civic journalism, and digital storytelling.