If you only read one thing this week…

As intensified fighting between the Pakistan Army and Taliban militants has displaced more than 2.3 million people in Pakistan, one analyst makes the case for why all the necessary factors are in place for large-scale citizen mobilization in rejection of intimidation and violence.  Rick Barton is a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a think tank in Washington DC, and a member of President Obama’s transition team.  Barton’s Op-Ed in the CSMonitor outlines how Pakistan can draw on recent developments in Pakistan society, like the 2008 lawyer’s movement, and on examples from other counties like Colombia where the use of new media has been instrumental in mobilizing millions of citizens for political change and unraveling networks that perpetuate violence.  Recommendations such as “drowning out the Taliban’s message by ramping up community radio stations and local service groups” are things that INGOs and partners in Pakistan know how to support and that Barton suggests we consider.