Outlook Times

[Karachi, 6^th Sept, 2021] Day five of the ongoing Young Leaders Conference (YLC) on Sunday was dedicated to let its participants know about the history and politics of the region as an essential component of their upbringing to assume leadership roles in the near future.

The day’s theme was “History and Politics-Iqtidar” and the champions of the proceedings were Shireen Naqvi and Faizan Arafat.

The day’s proceedings were conducted with the aim that the budding leaders of tomorrow should have ample knowledge about politics and history to act as responsible global citizens. The day was intended to promote political, cultural, and historical awareness among the young participants of the conference. The conference’s different sessions also explored the need for diplomacy in the present age of turmoil for promoting peace in the global environment.

Faizan Arafat’s session titled “The History of Human Struggle” highlighted the importance of history and how it was termed the black box of cause and effect because of its opaque nature. He talked about five important points in the past 500 years’ history that shaped nations and their ways of living.

Arfa Syeda Zehra’s session titled “Sach ka Samna” was an attempt to shed light on the blind spots in our history books and made the participants aware as to how these narratives come about.

She said in her talk that a large part of our identity stemmed from our history and culture that is deep within our land. It is ironic then, how history as we know it, does show us the full picture.

“Understanding the circumstances that have brought us here today are crucial for us to understand what it means to be a Pakistani,” she said.

Justice (retired) Nasira Iqbal talked about the issue of Rights Vs Responsibilities while saying that if someone was spreading negativity and hate speech in the name of freedom of speech, he or she was not taking responsibility for their actions. “If we don’t take responsibility for our actions and their impact, and continue to exploit our rights in the name of freedom, we will move towards a chaotic and dysfunctional society rather than a society where we strive for collective benefit,” she added.

Shireen Naqvi and Faizan Arafat’s joint session “Rewind & Forward” was aimed at telling the YLC participants that our current reality is shaped by a multitude of events in our history, every one of which affects our state today. “Everything that is happening today will be history one day, and everything we do today shapes what the world will look like tomorrow,” the participants were informed.

Shireen Naqvi in her session “Alliance Formation” talked about the frequent formation of alliances by different political parties in the country to come into power and to what extent this culture affects political governance in Pakistan.

Barrister Shahida Jamil conducted the Presidential Debate of the day.

Waqar Ali ended the day by uplifting the participants to face the challenges in their lives ahead.

[Karachi, 3^rd Sept, 2021] The second day of Young Leaders’ Conference (YLC) on Thursday was all about emotional and mental well-being of the adolescent brains against the backdrop of coronavirus pandemic that has given rise to the psychological problems all over the world due to prolonged lockdown regimes.

The theme of the day was “Developmental Leadership-ALMIYA” as Waqar Ali was one of the keynote speakers of the day. The day started with an energizing session, briefing on the upcoming proceedings, and giving a wrap-up of the proceedings of the day one of the YLC.

The topics discussed during the proceedings included inclusiveness, psychological well-being, emotional intelligence, and mental health of the youth.

The proceedings of the day were conducted with strict adherence to the government-prescribed standard operating procedures against the spread of coronavirus.

The participants of the YLC were informed that Developmental Leadership is all about expanding one’s mind-set. It empowers us to come together and have difficult conversations, regarding subjects that may be considered taboo in our society, with an open mind and a greater will to understand.

With 64 per cent of Pakistan’s population comprising the youth, it is imperative that we address matters of emotional, physical and social well-being with great importance.

From mental health to social hygiene and from sustainable development to climate change, it is our responsibility to grow and take initiative, said the speakers of the day two of YLC.

The goal of the day was to develop a growth mind-set and get a conversation started among the participants. Even though our cultural roots encourage us to be accepting, it is often done only when convenient. With a day specifically about Developmental Leadership, the organizers hoped to equip the youth with tools to be informed about the world around them, empathize with others and encourage them to promote growth within and in the communities around them.

Other important speakers of the day included Nisha Rao and Taha Sabir who spoke on the issue of emotional intelligence.

Different sessions of the day were held on the topics of inclusive communities, self-defence, emergency medical services, sign language, emotional intelligence and its impact on mental health, defining fears instead of goals.

The day also had Asad Ibrahim’s session. He helped the participants understand the meaning of Alif on a spiritual level. He also did a meditation with the participants to make them feel relaxed and calm.

The day ended with Waqar Ali’s activity titled “Your dinner is locked until…”