ISLAMABAD, Sep 30 (APP): More than 500 young people from across the country gathered in the federal capital for the 6th National Youth Peace Festival 2016 held here at National Library and Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Services (PIPS).
The four-day event, which concluded on Friday, was organized by Young Parliamentarians Forum of the National Assembly of Pakistan and Chanan Development Association (CDA) in collaboration with PIPS, provincial youth affairs departments and Riphah International University. The theme of the peace festival was ‘Youth for Peace & Countering Violent Extremism.
During the event, young people from diverse cultures, ethnicities, religions, communities, and socio-economic background interacted with each other in a positive manner.
Their interaction focused on understanding each others’ opinions, beliefs. This gave them a chance to respect and celebrate Pakistan’s diversity.
The young people deliberated upon different topics including National Action Plan, cyber crime law, space for civil society, Sustainable Development Goals, interfaith harmony, countering hate speech, South Asia Peace Initiative and Kashmir issue. They also interacted with senior members of Parliament, civil society, media, political and religious leaders.
Speaking at the concluding ceremony President Azad Jammu & Kashmir Masood Ahmed Khan congratulated the Young Parliamentarians Forum and Chanan Development Association for organizing the conference.
He said that it was the need of the hour to engage young people in positive activities, particularly for countering violent extremism.
Media Coordinator Young Parliamentarians Forum Romina Khurshid Alam emphasized the positive role young people could play for promoting peace and countering violent extremism.
Executive Director Chanan Development Association Muhammad Shahzad Khan said that young people should be engaged in all development related initiatives taken by the government and civil society. The young people also adopted a youth peace declaration.
