Abstract: Submission #6

Abstract The Western-centric approach of social work in Pakistan leaves limited room for indigenous knowledge and frameworks for culturally appropriate interventions. This study, which draws on indigenous knowledge, looks at how violence has become more commonplace in public discourse in Pakistan's terrorism-affected province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which borders Afghanistan. Since 2001, this province has been at the forefront of the U.S.-led "war on terror," and as a result, its post-911 socio-political structure—which includes bureaucracy, national and international NGOs, and policymaking has developed into the Western notion of counterterrorism. Social work approaches also adhere to this Western notion of counter-terror worldview, leaving little room for indigenous conflict-resolution mechanisms to address this problematic situation. Drawing on Edward Said’s critique of colonial knowledge production, this research explores how localized traditions such as Pashtunwali comprising community support mechanisms like Ashar (collective labor) and Lashkar (community-based conflict resolution) can inform alternative, nonviolent social work approaches. The historical example of the Khudai Khidmatgar movement (1929–1948) further illustrates the potential of indigenous models in promoting peace and social welfare through nonviolent resistance. Methodologically, this research adopts a qualitative framework utilizing ethnographic methods, in-depth interviews, and critical discourse analysis for documenting and analyzing indigenous social work practices. This study suggests a culturally responsive social work intervention model that challenges colonial and imported approaches to sustainable peacebuilding in conflict-affected communities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.