Conference Youth for leadership: ‘Equip youth to bring about social change’

Participants at a conference urge for massive revisions to existing curricula.

ISLAMABAD:

The country’s youth, if rightly equipped, is an asset that can be utilised to bring about social change. This was discussed at a conference here on Tuesday.

More than 100 students from across the country got a chance to interact with noted scholars at “Youth for peaceful and pluralist Pakistan”, organised by the Centre for Civic Education. Participants at the conference agreed that curricula in the country need massive revisions.

Speaking of education as a “fence” against extremism, Dr Shahid Siddiqqui of Lahore School of Economics underlined the need to identify different types of extremism and devise strategies to deal with each separately.

“Global experience shows that if rightly guided, the youth can play a critical role in the making of societies and polities,” he said, adding that given the overarching role of social media, the country needs to come up with extended methods of instruction to motivate youth.

According to Dr Siddiqi, denial of rights, manipulation of resources and coercive policies are the key causes of extremism.

University of Gujrat Vice Chancellor Dr Nizamuddin said the structures of government institutions need to be reworked, and resolution of conflicts and differences should be made a part of curricula.

He said a peaceful society could not be established without social and economic justice and advocated for peaceful, civilised and constructive politics in universities’ campuses to produce good leadership.

He said, “To make the pluralist ideology part of daily life of the youth, we need an ingrained and well thought-out education system.”

Dr Sarfraz Khan of the University of Peshawar said there was no violence in universities’ campuses before 1977 and the violence was introduced under a pre-planned strategy.

Dr Agha Nasir of Balochistan University said, “We have done what we could. Now, it is the responsibility of young people to take the reins of this country and lead.”

Published in The Express Tribune, March 23^rd, 2011.