Social Capital in Pakistan

Social capital refers to those stocks of social trust, norms, and networks - such as neighbourhood associations and sports clubs - that people can draw upon to solve common problems. The denser these networks, the more likely that members of a community will cooperate for mutual benefit. While Pakistan is, in many ways, rich in social capital, it has not been able to use this resource effectively in nation-building, alleviating poverty, or generating civic consciousness.

NGO Resource Centre (NGORC) has published a special edition of its quarterly English and Urdu journals on the theme of social capital. Perspectives from social scientists, along with in-depth interviews of Governor State Bank of Pakistan, are included. The issue covers the following topics: norms of trust, integrating social capital into local government, social movements within civil society, the conflict between modernity and tradition, and harnessing people's potential.

Obtaining this material requires a subsciption to the NGORC Journal. However, citizen organisations, research institutions, and media professionals may obtain complimentary copies of the issue.