Engaging youth on development, governance

ISLAMABAD:

The Australian High Commission will celebrate Australia Day in Spring 2016 by involving children in ‘The Paper Pilots’ workshops and engaging with youth on development, global governance, and entrepreneurship.

The celebrations titled, Engaging Youth, will be held from April 11 to 18, said a press release issued by the high commission.

Australia’s Paper Pilots, Dylan Parker and James Norton, will lead more than 500 schoolchildren in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad in the programme.

Parker and Norton founded “The Paper Pilots” in 2008 to educate and inspire students, by using the simple concept of paper planes, to learn about the science of flight, and encourage them to develop problem solving skills by designing the perfect paper plane.

Pakistan is the first country outside Australia in which the Paper Pilots will be holding workshops.

Australian Robert Connolly award-winning 2015 film Paper Planes was inspired by the duo.

Australian High Commissioner Margaret Adamson welcomed the outreach to Pakistani youth, saying,

“Pakistan’s large youth population is Pakistan’s future and Australia is helping Pakistan develop its potential through education and training opportunities and strengthened links between our people.”

New South Wales State parliamentarian Mehreen Faruqi – the first Pakistani-Australian to be elected to public office and her party’s spokeswoman on the status of women and youth – will visit Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad to reach out to women and youth parliamentarian caucuses as part of the celebrations.

She will also participate in panel discussions with members of Pakistan’s Youth Parliament and Australia Awards alumni to explore the role of youth in development and global governance.

Business events with the Pakistan Australia Business Forum will engage young entrepreneurs in Karachi and Lahore to focus on innovation and vocational training.

In Islamabad, young Pakistani artists from the National College of the Arts Rawalpindi will showcase their art in an exhibition.

Australia Day in Spring is a representational function hosted by Australian High Commission year to strengthen people o people links.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 12^th, 2016.