CAPACITY-BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS
ML Resources has developed several strategic partnerships to further our vision.



In September 2008, ML Resources Social Vision funded and helped organize a four-day conference with the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars Asia Program in Washington, D.C. The initiative brought five senior-level journalists from Pakistan for a series of seminars with U.S. journalists and government officials on the issues both medias face – from reporting in Pakistan’s tribal areas and the issue of press censorship to the rise of electronic media and the obstacles facing investigative journalism.

In October 2009, ML Resources Social Vision provided funding for a media conference organized by the Woodrow Wilson Center and Uks, a Pakistan-based NGO that promotes gender equality through radio productions on women’s issues, research and publications, advocacy, and media monitoring. The initiative, held in Karachi, addressed women and the Pakistani media from two angles: (1) how women are portrayed in Pakistan’s media and how such portrayals can improve; (2) the status and working conditions of female journalists in Pakistan, and how this status can be improved. The one-day conference brought together 50 participants representing more than 24 media and civil society organizations and educational institutions. The reporters, media CEOs, and civil society professionals were uniformly enthusiastic about the conference, and understood the greater need to use the initiative as a stepping stone to push for greater sensitivity to gender issues by media management. December 2009 will mark the public release of a comprehensive report that will serve as a guide for media professionals on how to promote better coverage, generate equal opportunities, and create opportunities for women in the media.



In October 2009, ML Resources Social Vision provided funding for an all-day roundtable discussion organized by The Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs and the Brookings Institution.The series of panels examined a range of issues, including the impact of the U.S. civilian assistance package to Pakistan, countering terrorism, regional nuclear and proliferation concerns, and the deep distrust between the two governments. Participants included a distinguished delegation of Pakistani politicians, journalists, lawyers, and experts who engaged with American counterparts from Congress, U.S. think tanks, and NGOs. As a result of this one-day conference, as well as subsequent meetings with other Washington centers and officials, both Americans and Pakistanis understood this increasing desire for deeper U.S. engagement with Pakistan. Given the real differences of opinion within and between the American and Pakistani participants, delegates from both sides came to a better understanding on how best to move forward in fostering a more strategic U.S. and Pakistan relationship built on trust, communication, and transparency.



ML Resources Social Vision is a Founding Circle Underwriter for the American Pakistan Foundation (APF), which was inaugurated in New York in December 2009 at a benefit where Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was the keynote speaker and Former Secretary of State General Colin Powell and Former Prime Minister of Pakistan Moeen Qureshi were Honorary Co-Chairs. Founded and led by the Pakistan-American community and friends of Pakistan, APF’s mission is to expand development initiatives in education, public health, social entrepreneurship, poverty-alleviation, and culture, with a vision to advance mutual understanding between the peoples of the US and Pakistan. ML Resources Social Vision will further foster this partnership in the future, supporting APF’s future programs geared towards Pakistan.