Chanan Development Association (CDA) is a non-profit, non-governmental, secular registered youth lead organization formed by a group of young professional activists in 2004 as Chanan Theatre Group. Later, in 2006, at the second anniversary of the theatre group, the need was felt to register the group to have a legal identity and to expand its work in a formal and structured way, therefore, the name of Chanan Theatre Group was changed into Chanan Development Association as the group got registered under societies registration Act 1860, with registration # RP / 3221 / L / S / 06 /1816.
The mission of CDA is to "improve the status of youth particularly young women enabling them to equally and actively participate in planning, management, decision / policy making and execution of their plans without any biases of gender, religion, status, or language for the creation of a healthy, just, peaceful, and democratic society”.
CDA aims to provide opportunities to youth and women to explore, enhance and utilize their knowledge, capabilities and skills to improve their status in the society and earn appropriate recognition of their contributions .
The high risk behaviors, lack of awareness and involvement of youth and women in decision / policy making, huge power distance and discriminatory laws and customs encouraged CDA to envisaged plan of actions to empower both the vulnerable groups.
"The mission of CDA is to "improve the status of youth particularly young women enabling them to equally and actively participate in planning, management, decision / policy making and execution of their plans without any biases of gender, religion, status, or language for the creation of a healthy, just, peaceful, and democratic society"
"The pilot phase of National Youth-PEACE Campaign is going to be concluded as CDA is going to organize the first ever National Youth-PEACE Festival in July 2010 at Lahore".