An activist from Pakistan discussing the limited opportunities for international advocacy due to the aid cuts: "I recently reached out for support to attend a peace conference that would have allowed me to represent local perspectives from Pakistan. Unfortunately, I did not receive a positive response. […] This illustrates how reduced support not only weakens organisational capacity but also limits opportunities for voices from the Global South to be heard in international spaces where decisions about our futures are being shaped."
Date: 9/25
Region: South Asia
Country: Pakistan
Topic: Governance & Rights, Peacebuilding & Stabilization
Policy Lens: Moral Leadership
Entry Type: Field Observation
Additional Context: This quote is attributed to Saeeda Diep, a human rights defender associated with the Lahore-based Center For Peace and Secular Studies, which works on inter-faith peacebuilding in Pakistan. The quote was collected by Peace Direct in an online consultation with 410 participants in September 2025.
Devex Researcher Note: The effect of U.S. cuts in the advocacy space are well documented. While Diep did not explicitly name U.S. government as the potential funder for these travels, U.S. funding cuts have greatly diminished the resources available for these efforts. The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace notes that the rise of nationalist policies, including in the U.S., have shifted concerns domestically, "leaving transnational advocacy networks struggling for resources." This, in turn, has created obstacles for their ability to participate in international forums which would aid their missions. For example, as recorded by The Aid Report, U.S. cuts kept a Nicaraguan organization from participating as planned in international high-level advocacy forums, leaving the cases of three political prisoners without representation in these spaces.
Source: Peace Direct