International Year of Youth (IYY) 2010-2011

World Population Foundation, (WPF) in collaboration with Save the Children and Plan-Pakistan organized an event to launch the International Year of Youth as declared by the United Nations in Islamabad on 11th August, 2010. The event which took place on the eve of International Youth Day followed the theme of “Youth’s Right to Participate”. The event which was attended by more than 200 participants aimed to highlight the importance of including young people in the decision making process, especially at the policy level while at the same time encouraging the young people to play maximum role in the development of Pakistan.

At present 64% of the total population of Pakistan consists of youth (below 24 years of age). However, despite their overwhelming numbers, young people in Pakistan still struggle to have their voice heard and do not have access to opportunities that can give them a voice in the decisions that affect their lives.

In an effort to harness the energy, imagination and initiative of the world’s youth in overcoming the challenges facing humankind, from enhancing peace to boosting economic development, the United Nations has proclaimed an International Year of Youth starting on 12 August 2010. It encourages young people to dedicate themselves to fostering progress, including the attainment of the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which seek to slash a host of social ills, ranging from extreme poverty and hunger to maternal and infant mortality to lack of access to education and health care, all by 2015.

Youth Champions Awards were also distributed on the occasion to recognize the contribution of young people who had previously not received acknowledgement for their efforts in various walks of life. The first recipient of this award was Ms. Iffat Yousaf, who had contributed significantly in the area of educational awareness for marginalized children through her affiliation with Youth Visionaries. Demas Iqbal was also bestowed with the Youth Champions Award for his volunteer work as a Community Health Educator. Finally, Mr. Qaiser Roonjha, a resident of district Lasbela received the award for his contribution towards the cause of youth empowerment as a member of National Youth Task Force and Youth Parliament of Pakistan.

A panel discussion around Millennium Development Goals and the role of youth in achieving them was also part of the event. It focused on voicing the aspirations of the young people and brought forth ways and means through which young people could be made part of the policy making processes. Four dynamic young leaders including Mr. Ahmad Shah Durrani, Ms. Syeda Yumna Hasanay, Mr. Jamshed Danial and Ms. Abeerah Zahid were part of the panel. They expressed their dismay over the way youth is often sidelined during the formalization of decisions that affect their lives the most. They felt that Government agencies needed to ensure youth representation in their committees to ascertain that the young people of Pakistan had a say in the decisions that were made for them.

A powerful mime focusing on the theme of ‘Right to Participate” was also staged by Osama Qazi and his team to symbolize how young people are forced to remain silent spectators as people with virtually no sense of youth issues are often in the driving seat.

The event concluded with a live performance by Irtaash featuring national and revolutionary songs to rekindle the essence of the nationalism.