PESHAWAR: The Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS) has launched a campaign to establish “junior youth clubs” in 300 high schools in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for students to learn about democracy and inculcate in them the spirit to serve humanity.

Under the campaign, students of grade-6 to grade-10 will learn to exercise their right to choose their representatives and sharpen their leadership skills.

PRCS, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, chairman retired Lt-Gen Mohammad Hamid Khan said on the occasion that the Covid-19 positivity ratio was getting favourable to resumption of activities for students in the educational institutions.

“Under the campaign, students are not only taught to find solutions to their problems democratically, but to instill in them the spirit of service to humanity under the basic seven fundamental principles of the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement,” he said.

As part of the drive, elected members of the youth clubs would be trained on basics of first aid, youth as agents of behavioural change and climate change adaptation.

PRCS secretary Syed Ali Hassan said the campaign was supported by the International Federation of the Red Cross and Italian Red Cross. The campaign to set up youth clubs, he said, was being initiated in selected government schools by the PRCS Youth and Volunteer Department.

In the first phase, student members in the youth clubs would vote to choose the right person as the club secretary, deputy secretary, finance secretary and six other members, while the school principal would be the president and two teachers as the chairperson and vice-chairperson of the club.

“The elected cabinet will also take up problems of the students with the school administration and organise various activities for the other fellows in the school,” he said.

Published in Dawn, October 23rd, 2021