Students' Engagement with NGOs or CBOs, and its impact on students Political Participation and Activism in Pakistan

Abstract

The current study attempts to investigate the role of engagement of university students with Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) on the political participation and activism of university students in the Pakistani context. Employing quantitative research design, data were collected from a sample of 191 students drawn from both public and private universities using structured questionnaire. The results reveal a strong positive relationship between engagement with NGOs/CBOs and the extent of political participation and activism of students. Participants who participated in these organizations showed greater interest in politics and had higher frequency of participation in political activities. The results highlight the role of NGOs/CBOs in the political socialization and empowerment of students, and throws light on the necessity of reinforcing such initiatives in order to strengthen the democratic participation in Pakistan.