Mossarat Qadeem is the co-founder of PAIMAN Alumni Trust, a nonprofit organisation promoting socio-political and economic empowerment of marginalised Pakistanis. PAIMAN's Mothers and Youth Peace Groups (TOLANA) are an innovative way of neutralising extremist tendencies through community mobilisation, active citizenship and community empowerment to build social cohesion - a model which has received international recognition and appreciation, and has presented thousands of young people with an alternate narrative to extremism.

Ms Qadeem advocates in the realm of women, peace and security at the national and international level. She is a globally recognised expert on countering violent extremism (CVE) and de-radicalisation, and has spoken three times at the UN General Assembly on this topic. She is currently a member of the International Review Panel of Global Community and Resilience Fund (GCERF) and Women Alliance for security Leadership (WASL).

Ms Qadeem brings 14 years of knowledge and experience as a political science professor (University of Peshawar) to all her work. Ms Qadeem initiated a unique model of peace education which brings together students from Madrassa and elite private schools, providing them with reading material on peace, tolerance and interfaith harmony that she developed. Ms Qadeem has also founded and expanded Amn-O-Nisa, a coalition of women leaders and peace activists from Pakistan, Afghanistan and India who raise their voices to advocate for a peaceful region.

Ms Qadeem has published two books, written many articles and produced documentaries on topics including India-Pakistan relations, peace education, youth role in CVE and women’s (particularly mothers’) experiences of conflict and extremism. Previously she was a minister of information in Khyber Pukhtunkhwa Province and remains a member of the FATA Reform Commission.

Ms Qadeem holds a masters degree in political science and gender studies from the Institute of Social Sciences, Netherlands and an MPhil in international politics (focusing on conflict studies) from University of Hull. She has also been a fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, USA.

Selected publications and other works

• How emotional neglect is turning too many of Pakistan’s boys into criminals. Buzzfeed. 3 February 2016.
• Extremism is found in all departments of life: Mossarat Qadeem. Lahore World. 15 February 2015.
• Countering extremism through the classroom. The Express Tribune. 3 January 2015.
• Pakistan’s security framework. The Express Tribune. 30 December 2013.
• Women’s participation in transforming conflict and violence extremism. UN Chronicle. April 2016.
• Interview. Conversations with suicide bombers. Foreign Policy. 23 May 2012.
• Pakistani Moms keep sons from being radicalized. NPR. 26 April 2012.
• Women as peacemakers. Harvard Gazette. 13 January 2012.
• Video. Mossarat Qadeem – 99.9% of Pakistanis are Moderate. 31 January 2012.
• Video. Mossarat Qadeem – Paimat Trust. 26 January 2012.

For more videos on Ms Qadeem’s work, click here.