In much of the global media, the dominant narrative about Pakistan is a story of conflict. Reporters tell us about terrorist bombings, drone attacks, and war. Images of earthquakes, floods, and emergency relief efforts show a country in crisis. Pakistan is described as a volatile state tottering on the brink of failure (for example, two recent pieces from The New York Times and The Atlantic).
All of this is part of Pakistan’s story, to be sure, but today’s media culture makes it too easy to reduce complex stories to sound bites and singular images. A bias toward reporting only about conflict and strife leaves much of Pakistan’s story untold. As Bryan Farris, a recent Acumen Fund Fellow in Pakistan, wrote: “Pakistan is not a country of terrorists, but rather a country afflicted by terrorists.”
Over the last decade, much of the international community – and especially the United States – has exclusively focused on the parts of Pakistan that are associated with the war in Afghanistan, international terrorism, and sectarian and political violence. Conversations about aid funding have become linked to perceived “performance” on quelling violence, instead of linked to impact and humanitarian needs. Too often, what goes missing in conversations about Pakistan is stories about many Pakistanis working to build peace and prosperity in their country.
While reporting in Pakistan for Forbes on how social innovation can effect change around the world, Helen Coster produced a video that shows a different side of Pakistan than the one commonly depicted in foreign reportage. Amidst the many challenges of living and doing business in Pakistan, people across the country are hungry for change. As Ms. Coster says in the video:
“[Pakistan is] an incredible place. People that I met were so hungry for attention from the outside world that was positive.There are so many smart, incredibly well-educated people there. There is such an appetite for entrepreneurship, for self-reliance, for people to be able to create businesses themselves, to be not beholden to foreign aid.”
Ms. Coster’s video is worth watching. Coupled with her article about Acumen Fund, plus excellent reporting on Pakistani entrepreneurs and what it takes to do business in Pakistan (here and here), this video gives a fuller picture of what life is like in Pakistan today.
Acumen Fund has made Pakistan a major focus of our work since 2002, when we first invested in the country to support entrepreneurs and social enterprises serving the poor. We’ve worked hard to earn trust, demonstrate opportunity, and build hope by investing in social enterprises serving the poor. Our approach addresses instability by getting at the root causes: lack of access to basic goods and services, lack of opportunity, and lack of trust.
The work that Acumen Fund’s companies are doing is part of a narrative about Pakistan that is seldom mentioned in the United States: a story about Pakistanis who are trying to create a better future for their country. Though we cannot ignore the realities of conflict in Pakistan, the media bias toward reporting only on conflict puts us at risk of looking at a country of 190 million people through a single lens. It’s refreshing and illuminating to see Forbes bring a different story to a larger audience.
Alex Gregor is a Business Development Associate at Acumen Fund.
Tags: conflict, forbes, new york times, Pakistan, story, the atlantic