For sustainable development of the South Asian region its people need to play an active part in shaping the factors that determine the process. People’s participation in selecting the appropriate development path, in the search for suitable solutions and the management and use of the lessons learnt, is crucial in building strong, resourceful communities able to cope with challenge and change. The South Asian Region People and Policy Program (SARPPP) aims to do just this.

• Increases the participation of women and community based organizations (CBOs) in local government. Creating a supportive and enabling regional environment for increased women’s participation in local government and developing a regional body of knowledge on this issue through a national and regional situational analysis and baseline survey on women’s participation in local government and by collecting case studies and success stories

• Promotes regional cooperation, by holding events and activities that provide platforms for civil society organizations (CSOs). Strengthens civil society in South Asia through the “People’s Summits”, which are civil society meetings held parallel to the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summits. These build closer linkages between CSOs and SAARC with the aim of influencing the SAARC agenda and process.

• Develop a SAARC Watch to focus on the human development aspects of the SAARC agenda

• Enhance the capacity of CSOs/CBOs to promote and support women leaders by providing training programs

• Builds Canada-South Asia civil society linkages

• Campaigns against illegal proliferation of small arms and light weapons in South Asia through the creation of the South Asia Small Arms Network (SASANet).

The SARPPP project has been active since September 2001 and implemented through collaboration between all members of the South Asia Partnership Network, namely SAP Bangladesh, SAP India, SAP Nepal, SAP Pakistan, SAP Sri Lanka, and SAP Canada and facilitated by the Secretariat, South Asia Partnership International. The project, which runs till August 2004, is funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).