ISLAMABAD: Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) and Pakistan Centre for Philanthropy (PCP) on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to promote joint research and enhance knowledge on issues surrounding philanthropy as a means of achieving social progress and community development in the country.
The MoU was formally signed by SDPI Executive Director Dr Abid Qayyum Suleri and PCP Executive Director Shazia Maqsood Amjad.
While terming joint efforts by the civil society as crucial in the philanthropy sector, Dr Suleri said that the collaboration between SDPI and PCP would provide good impetus for the promotion of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) as a shared objective.
He said that SDPI believed in establishing partnerships with all the stakeholders, including the government, civil society and private sector, as such collaborations would give strength to the national endeavour towards important international commitments, of which the SDGs was an integral part.
Dr Suleri further said that, “Working for a just and inclusive society should be a common ground for collaboration between the organisations concerned.” For now, the SDPI was approaching the private sector to harmonise efforts around social development while performing corporate social responsibilities.
On the occasion, PCP Director Shazia said that collaboration for shared research between civil society organisations would be instrumental to improve philanthropy sector in Pakistan.
She said that the role of philanthropy sector was critical to achieve developmental goals, especially in connection with health and education related facilities, when the state was facing budgetary constraints when making allocations to these sectors. She also said that the MoU between SDPI and PCP would induce further collaborations among different shareholders.
SDPI and PCP had also agreed under the MoU to coordinate advocacy efforts on different themes of philanthropy as means of promoting social development and to make collaborated efforts in different research areas.