South Asian Youth Conference 2011

The proposed theme of the summit is ‘Peace’. It’s clearly a regional priority and an area where youth can actively participate. The idea of Peace is expressed at three levels

-          Peace within: inner peace as a pre requisite for effective and proactive social change

-          Peace between people: within and across borders

-          Peace with environment: ecological and sustainability issues

The idea is to look at peace not as absence of conflict but as actual progress in relationships. Inactivity and inertia are not substitutes for peace. Instead, active effort is required to achieve real peace and harmony.

The objectives of the Summit draw from the broader objectives of SAARC and UN. They are as follows:

·         Developing a global partnership for development (UN Millennium Development Goal #8 and SAARC founding objectives)

o   to contribute to mutual trust, understanding and appreciation of one another’s problems

o   to promote active collaboration and mutual assistance in the economic, social, cultural, technical and scientific fields;

o   to initiate dialogue to question stereotypes, create local networks and collaborate

·         Fostering an eco system for youth-led development

o   to build skills in areas not easily accessible locally

o   to share success stories and celebrate youth achievement

o   to interact with thought leaders and develop solutions to pertinent social issues

·         Create actionable projects and agenda

o   to arrive at joint declarations for lobbying with local governments

o   to create an action plan with concrete steps and projects

o   to form a regional alliance that can monitor and evaluate outcomes

Expected participants: The break-up of the delegates approximately would be : India (40), Pakistan (20), Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Nepal (10 each), Bhutan, Maldives (5 each)

Youth leaders from these countries are encouraged to apply.

Though there are no specific participant categories, we are looking at

·         Potential change makers: those who show potential to create a change

·         Young activists: current leaders of social change movements

·         Educators: Involved directly in education

·         Journalists: Young media professionals

·         Management Students

·         Local Heroes: Those already honored and recognized in their own countries for their work