ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a brief background of the district of Chitral, highlighting its historic and strategic importance, diversity of its population and related issues. It discusses the research methodology used and the conceptual framework. The chapter also provides various aspects of civil society institutions (CSIs) and their contributions to the socio-economic development and transformation of rural communities in the region. It focuses on the CSIs' contributions to promoting peace and pluralism through establishing and strengthening community-based organizations, increasing provision and quality of education, building communities' economic capacity, and providing exposures to diversity from within and outside the region. Whereas diversity has been taken as a strength elsewhere, in Pakistan the existence of various ethnic, cultural, political and religious groups has often resulted in violence and atrocities. It is evident that as the economy grows and the quality of life improves, the peaceful co-existence of people also improves, leading to a pluralistic society in the mountainous region.
