"To nurture and develop individuals and communities that will change the power structures by demystifying processes of Education and development and generate value based partnerships and practices at all levels". Awleen Retreat Jun 2004 Institute for Development Studies and Practices (IDSP)-Pakistan is a National Institution with open Learning Spaces with the focus to achieve the above mission statement. The purpose of IDSP's Interventions is to reduce and eventually end the exclusion of majority of young people from mainstream Education and Livelihood opportunities in the country. More than 60% of Pakistan's population is between 15-35 years in age,almost 80% of this huge majority is excluded from the meaningfully education and Livelihood processes and opportunities. IDSP opens Learning Spaces for this young majority population to empower them for generating and regenerating responses to the existing challenges of Education, Learning,Livelihood, Peace and Pluralism. These Learning Spaces are used for conducting theory and practice based courses on the themes of Community Development, Mainstreaming Gender and Development and Courses on Development Studies. Related core thrusts of the institute are 1) Applying and synthesizing Research 2) Advocacy on Social and Educational Issues 3) Innovations in the field of Learning and Livelihood Development 4) Developing linkages with like-minded local-national and international organizations.