KARACHI: Yellow, orange, red, blue, green and black dominated the air at the Young Leaders’ Conference (YLC)-2013 where each group of young individuals represented one of these colours. The theme for the 12th annual conference is Khalbali — the creative restlessness.
‘Restlessness’ indeed was the word to describe the 350 or so youngsters between 18 and 24 years of age on the inaugural day of the conference at Dream World Resort on Thursday. The chants and stomping of feet shook the hall’s floor. “Please don’t turn this garden into a jungle,” Kamran Rizvi jokingly pointed out to the participants. Turning to the audience he said: “There is so much energy being generated by our young leaders today that if we connect a wire to them, the electricity will light up this place.”
Speaking about the conference organised by the School of Leadership, Zulfiqar Ansari, one of its supporters, said that the role of the YLC over the years had been to make the future generations understand their potential and play their role in moving their country ahead.
“It is easy to say that your country has not had a good leader for the past 60 or so years. But leadership is about taking responsibility yourself by taking ownership of your surroundings and the problems there. You all are our future and need to be clear about what role you want to play in the future. Take your experiences of these seven days at the conference with you and give something back, too. It’s a two-way street, really. You give back to society what you receive here,” he added.
Developing tolerance was another advice to young leaders. “Learn to accept others. If you don’t like the shirt I’m wearing, don’t rip it off my back. Wear whatever you want to wear,” he said.
Referring to the youth as ‘super power’ and ‘lifebuoys’, commissioner of Karachi Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui said that the strength, exuberance and energy of the conference could convince anybody that this country would prosper. “Have faith in yourself, you can do anything and achieve wonders. Just don’t give up and face society with smile so that others can gather hope from you,” he said.
An 18-minute duration presentation by the young leaders included some nicely choreographed dances on inspirational songs. On the screen in the background flashed scenes of Pakistan’s difficulties as well as victories since independence. The trials came in the form of the 1965 war and the fall of Dacca. But then the victories also brought up the 1992 Cricket World Cup.
Shireen Naqvi, the main person behind the YLC for the past 10 years was glad to have passed on the responsibility of organising the event to young people. “As a director of the School of Leadership, I am glad to have passed on the baton to Umair Jaliawala. It is our typical Pakistani way, if you think about it. You know, have kids and send them out into the world. That’s how I have felt preparing the young leaders over these years,” she added.
The conference is designed to inspire, educate and motivate participants to explore cultural differences at firsthand, identify and face tough challenges, build confidence, stretch and expand capacity and enhance decision-making skills.
Participants undertake debates on contemporary issues of international and national importance and self-development and capacity building activities.
The conference to go on over the next seven days will see former YLC graduates, Qurat-ul-Ain and Mujtaba Saadi Makhdoom, heading the project this year.
The young leaders hailing from over 40 locations in Pakistan with one also from Saudi Arabia, making it an international conference, will be exchanging ideas with national and international business leaders, government representatives, diplomats, policymakers, lobbyists, journalists and academics.
With briefing from the experts, the participants will be able to pinpoint problems and explore solutions which they will implement till at least three months after the conference as execution of their learning, which will help them earn their YLC certificate.
