Youth Excellence Award Ceremony & Launching of Logo for International Students Convention held to mark International Youth Day
Islamabad: 13th August 2018, To mark International Youth Day i-e 12 August designated by the UN General Assembly in 1999, and serves as an annual celebration of the role of young women and men as essential partners in change, and an opportunity to raise awareness of challenges and problems facing the world’s youth; Youth Excellence Award Distribution Ceremony and Launching of Logo for International Students Convention 2018 held at Higher Education Commission (HEC) Islamabad. The ceremony was organized by Inter University Consortium for Promotion of Social Sciences Pakistan (IUCPSS), an autonomous alliance of forty Pakistani universities.
Executive Director Pakistan Institute of Parliamentary Services Zafarullah Khan, Member National Assembly Tahir Iqbal Chaudhry, Rector Muslim Youth University Prof. Dr Tahir Hijazi, Former President Islamabad Chamber of Commerce Zafar Bakhtawari, Director General HEC Farmanullah Anjum , National Coordinator Inter University Consortium Murtaza Noor and Zahid Iqbal Chaudhry spoke on the occasion and highlighted the importance of effective role of youth in socio-economic development of country.
The speakers said that Pakistan currently has the largest percentage of young people ever recorded in its history; 64% of the total population is below the age of 30 while 29% remains between the ages of 15 and 29 years. This youth bulge would critically impact Pakistan as a country if not dealt with appropriately, depending on how the country invests in the youth by providing them with quality education, employment and meaningful engagement opportunities that could empower our young to unleash their potential.
The speakers emphasized that the International Youth Day 2018 demands us for provision of basic services and facilities to youth to enable them to play a significant role as active contributors to society. “With safe spaces to engage, youth can effectively contribute towards development and promoting values of peace, tolerance, co-existence, harmony and social cohesion. The youth can serve as catalysts for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) if they are engaged properly”, they added.
Over 30 talented youth and youth organizations were acknowledged for their valuable contribution in different spheres of life. The official logo of International Student Convention 2018 was also launched which will be hosted in Pakistan during last week of November 2018.
The award holder youth thanked the organizers for gesture of encouragement. They vowed to continue their contribution for the betterment of Pakistani society. They also hoped that the newly elected governments would ensure fulfillment of their commitments towards youth development and empowerment in Pakistan through allocation of 4% of GDP for overall education and one percent for higher education, social inclusion of youth including participation in decision-making as well as access to quality education and health care, provision of employment and other related opportunities.
