ISLAMABAD: Industry leaders from various walks of life took to the stage at a two-day conference ‘Islamabad Youth to Business Forum’, aimed at empowering and mobilising young people to become agents of change.

Talks ranged from achieving success in the business world to focusing on personal and internal matters such as esteem and self-exploration. Students from all major universities of the twin cities participated in the interactive sessions and capacity-building workshops.

The conference is an annual event organised by Aiesec, an international student-run organisation which provides young people with leadership development and global internship and volunteer experiences. With over 100,000 members in 126 countries, Aiesec is the largest youth-run organisation in the world.

On Sunday, dressed in his signature eclectic style, fashion designer and artist Yousaf Bashir Qureshi sat on the floor on the stage at Aiwan-i-Sir Syed addressing a room full of attentive young people.

Mr Qureshi narrated his own story of being a scion of a landowning family in Mirpur Sakro, graduating from the University of Nebraska with a major in Food Sciences and eventually becoming a fashion designer while dabbling in photography and fine art. Following the 2010 floods, Mr Qureshi initiated United Pakistan, a social programme aimed at rehabilitating affected families.

Punctuating his talk with verses of Bulleh Shah and Iqbal, he talked about love, life and the meaning of success.

He advised students not to worry about making money but doing what they love. “Success should not be measured in relation to others but against internal standards,” he said.

Roots International School CEO Waleed Mushtaq appreciated Aiesec for honing young people’s leadership potential. He talked about his own career path and advised the students to be risk takers.

“Respect your parents but do not allow their boundaries to confine you,” he said. Project Management Specialist at the World Bank Fahad Shafiq also advised students to take risks and not allow opportunities to slip.

Renowned child and adolescent psychiatrist, Dr Ambreen Ahmed, shared 10 important lessons for personal development, self esteem and its relationship with the external world. Life coach and energy healer Saniya Gul advised the students to love themselves.

“You have youth on your side, beauty and each other. Drop your fears,” she said. Young singer and actor Uzair Jaswal talked about his upcoming movie Jalaibee and the importance of chasing after dreams.

On Saturday, Nadine Murtaza shared her own experiences of working as curriculum developer at Headstart School and later as cofounder of Dheere Bolo, a children’s publishing house which aims to change how Urdu is taught in schools.

Human Resources International CEO Salman Khan talked about his illustrious professional career and advised students on achieving success in the corporate world. He also conducted a workshop on developing entrepreneurial skills. Farheen Zafar, a student from Szabist University, said attending the conference had been a great experience. “We interacted with some truly inspirational leaders and peers. The skill-development workshops were especially helpful,” she said.

Published in Dawn, March 30th, 2015

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