March 24, 2016: Youth is an asset of Pakistan. I’m quite hopeful that the HFL youths will bring positive change; playing their useful roles for peace in the society, Mr. Sikanadar Hayat Khan Sherpao, leader of Qumi Watan Party and senior provincial minster. He underpinned the need for culture of exhibiting tolerance for different opinions and diversity during the closing ceremony and achievement awards of Harnessing Future Leaders (HFL) program on March 24, 2016 in Peshawar. HFL is a youth leadership development initiative of the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS); an effort to enhance knowledge and understanding of the selected youth leaders from different universities of KP in the issues that were prerequisites for social peace and harmony, rule of law, democracy and governance.
“The youths should be equipped with the intellectual tools for analytical/ critical thinking; helping them take the best possible decisions for their future and successfully lead the peaceful conflict resolution in their communities”, Sikandar Sherpao said; adding that he was very glad to see the program like HFL promoting the virtues of equality, tolerance, diversity and rule of law. He appreciated CRSS’s leadership program saying that the mobilized mass of youths can be of an immense contribution to national socio-political development.
ANP Leader Haji Adeel said that religion did not relate to the state and was an individual practice. Decreasing gap between the rich and poor will solve most of the problems facing Pakistan in the present day. He advised the future leaders to be honest and fair in their dealings whatever the profession they might join.
Mr. Rehmat Salam Khattak, General Secretary, PML-N, KP, who attended the ceremony as guest speaker, said that the leadership should come from grass root. “The promotion of the culture of equality should start within the political parties; electing non-Muslim party leaders”, he said while adding that the minorities should be given the position and respect they deserved.
The participating youth leaders in the program said that the leadership initiative helped them explore their potential. “We don’t depend on our leaders for social change in our communities anymore”, they noted while realizing the importance of their social action and responsibilities.
On the occasion, Imtiaz Gul, Executive Director CRSS said that the idea of HFL was to promote the virtues of equality and help future leaders view others as equal citizens with no regard to ethnicity and religion. The fundamentally essential prerequisite for peaceful society is abiding by rule of law and constitution. The state should be indifferent to its citizens and view them as equal citizens. These youths have been engaged to prompt them to think critically through a discourse anchored in democratic values.
HFL program centered on the trainings on these thematic subjects and social actions plans of these students which they accomplished in their respective communities and inside educational institutions. Essay and art competition was also part of HFL program. Several students got prizes on the account of best performance in essay and art competition.