July 22, 2008	Tuesday	Rajab 18, 1429

KARACHI, July 21: A group of 35 youths aged 18-25 years from Karachi, Hyderabad, Badin, Jamshoro, Umarkot, Mirpurkhas and Tharparkar was given training in a three-day visioning workshop organised by the British Council and the Youth Parliament of Pakistan (YPP), says a statement issued here on Monday.

The workshop was held under a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by the organisers in view of the global citizenship challenge being faced by youths amid an increasingly interconnected world.

Syed Mashhood Rizvi, Director of the British Council, Sindh and Balochistan, appreciated the initiative aimed at bringing young people together to achieve a shared vision.

YPP chairman Abrar-ul-Haq said the youth constitutes 61 per cent of Pakistan’s total population and could bring about a positive change in their communities by initiating social welfare programmes at the community level.

Over the next two years, Active Citizens (a British Council programme) will work for empowering young people and help them build more peaceful and cohesive societies.

The programme will help the youth build a capacity as leaders to actively engage themselves within their communities as well as develop an understanding of global citizenship by working collaboratively with the UK.

A network of young people will be formed with those who want an opportunity to learn, share and meet people from other places and make a positive difference in their communities.

Young people of varied backgrounds, including those outside urban centres, will also be provided with life-long learning opportunities.

A series of 20 interaction visioning workshops was launched on June 26 this year across the country.

They will now work with other youths to establish “district youth councils” in 30 districts over the next three years.—APP