Stand up and be counted, say the youth
Around 200 young people were brought together to discuss development by the Sindh Youth Ministry.
KARACHI:
Around 200 young heads bowed in thought, to ponder the wounds of Pakistani society and what is holding it back. These young people were brought together to discuss development by the Sindh Youth Ministry in collaboration with Habib University Foundation and the British Council.
Most of the young people identified corruption, illiteracy and a faulty educational system, unemployment, a lack of personal responsibility and initiative, uneducated leaders and a lack of awareness as the main problems.
These three organisations have been working for young people in Sindh since 2009 on different projects such as the Active Citizen’s programme (British Council), iLead and iAct by HUF and the ministry and Inspyre (career development opportunities for youth by the government).
Young people aged between 18 to 22 years from different institutions, such as the Aga Khan, L’ecole, HUF, Dow, University of Karachi, NED, Youth Parliament, and other colleges engaged in thought-provoking exercises and presented their ideas.
Two young achievers, Muhammad Waseem Khan and Ramsha Kanwal, were also present at the symposium. Waseem is an all rounder in the National Blind Cricket Team. He said that it was his dream to play for the country. He recalled that it was the happiest moment of his life when he was walking into the field with his team mates to represent Pakistan internationally. “I have studied up to Bachelor’s level and am working at KESC at the complaint cell,” he told the audience.
Ramsha Kanwal, a debater who has won many competitions, said that she is a pre-med student and was only four years old and living in Landhi when she started debating. “Since Landhi is very far from the city centre, we used to walk many miles to reach the Arts Council and other competition places when I was young,” she recalled. “But that exposure is what gave substance to my personality.” Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui, the secretary of Sports and Youth Affairs, urged the youth to become active and responsible citizens. He gave Waseem’s example. “If he can win the international cup for the country with a disability, why can’t [you]?” he said referring to a match the Pakistani blind cricket team had won against India in 2006.
The British Council also presented its 2009 report on youth, “Pakistan: The Next Generation”.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 13th, 2010.
Around 200 young heads bowed in thought, to ponder the wounds of Pakistani society and what is holding it back. These young people were brought together to discuss development by the Sindh Youth Ministry in collaboration with Habib University Foundation and the British Council.
Most of the young people identified corruption, illiteracy and a faulty educational system, unemployment, a lack of personal responsibility and initiative, uneducated leaders and a lack of awareness as the main problems.
These three organisations have been working for young people in Sindh since 2009 on different projects such as the Active Citizen’s programme (British Council), iLead and iAct by HUF and the ministry and Inspyre (career development opportunities for youth by the government).
Young people aged between 18 to 22 years from different institutions, such as the Aga Khan, L’ecole, HUF, Dow, University of Karachi, NED, Youth Parliament, and other colleges engaged in thought-provoking exercises and presented their ideas.
Two young achievers, Muhammad Waseem Khan and Ramsha Kanwal, were also present at the symposium. Waseem is an all rounder in the National Blind Cricket Team. He said that it was his dream to play for the country. He recalled that it was the happiest moment of his life when he was walking into the field with his team mates to represent Pakistan internationally. “I have studied up to Bachelor’s level and am working at KESC at the complaint cell,” he told the audience.
Ramsha Kanwal, a debater who has won many competitions, said that she is a pre-med student and was only four years old and living in Landhi when she started debating. “Since Landhi is very far from the city centre, we used to walk many miles to reach the Arts Council and other competition places when I was young,” she recalled. “But that exposure is what gave substance to my personality.” Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui, the secretary of Sports and Youth Affairs, urged the youth to become active and responsible citizens. He gave Waseem’s example. “If he can win the international cup for the country with a disability, why can’t [you]?” he said referring to a match the Pakistani blind cricket team had won against India in 2006.
The British Council also presented its 2009 report on youth, “Pakistan: The Next Generation”.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 13th, 2010.