Peace Festival 2015: Youth awareness vital to development: minister

Hundreds of youth representatives attend opening of National Youth Peace Festival

LAHORE:

The country’s youth are fully awakened and willing to utilise their talents for national development, Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Rana Mashhood said on Tuesday. He was addressing the opening ceremony of the 6th National Youth Peace Festival, organised by Chanan Development Association (CDA) in collaboration with various non-government organisations.

“The youth changed the region’s history by participating in the Pakistan Movement. Today’s youth must follow their example,” he said.

The 600 delegates in the auditorium were full of energy and sang patriotic songs. They also occasionally chanted Pakistan Zindabad.

Addressing the delegates, US Consul General in Lahore Zachary V Harkenrider said that youth represented Pakistan’s future. “Pakistan has a bright future because of the people I see in front of me today. I want to recognise the efforts of the government of the Punjab and Pakistan’s parliament for their efforts,” he said.

He said that by working together, the civil society, the government and individuals could help build a more peaceful and tolerant Pakistan. “The United States stands with Pakistan as a partner in these efforts. Over the past six years, US has invested over $600 million to improve the quality of education in Pakistan,” he said.

MNA Shaista Parvez Malik said that Pakistanis should move forward as a nation. “This is the time to think why we are divided among ourselves. What happened in Peshawar’s Army Public School shocked us all. We need to learn tolerance, love, and brotherhood,” she said.

Vikas Mokal, the Punjab Parliamentary Youth Caucus chairman, said that the country’s future depended on the youth.

Muhammad Arshad, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Youth Affairs director, said that the participants in the event should return to their areas and spread the message. “Governments cannot do everything by themselves. They need the help of the youth. We need to think as a nation, not just as Pakhtoons or Punjabis,” he said.

Afzal Sulehri, the Balochistan Youth Affairs and Sports director, said that Balochistan was the first province to have established a youth affairs department in 2008.

Earlier, at the start of the ceremony, Faizan Hassan, a CDA board of directors member, said that Pakistan was a peace loving nation moving towards progress.

Muhammad Shahzad, the CDA executive director, said that the CDA was working for youth empowerment. “We want to take the voice of the youth to every platform. We try to generate dialogue among the youth and parliamentarians, media and the civil society” he said.

“This is my second time attending this festival” said Sidra Batool Qureshi, a participant from Karachi’s Lyari Area. “My experience last year was great. It met most of my expectations,” she said.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 16^th, 2015.