KARACHI – Azme-Naujawan (AeN), a collaborative initiative of 8 civil society organizations to provide training in 21st century skills to youth across the city, officially launched the second phase of the program for young people from 14 marginalized areas of Karachi.
According to the UN, there is growing recognition that as agents of change, young people’s inclusion in the peace and security agenda and in society more broadly is key to building and sustaining peace. Therefore, the launch of second phase of Azme-Naujawan was held to address the disengaged state of the youth in Karachi. The ceremony brought together over 500 AeN alumni from all over Karachi, as well as civil society organization members and government officials.
The ceremony started with an introduction of Azme Naujawan as an exemplary initiative that offers holistic training to the youth to develop their professional and entrepreneurial skills, and to provide them with a platform for personal growth opportunities. The program has trained 2,000 youth and will train 1,000 more youth from six districts of Karachi by June, 2019.
The Chief Guest of the ceremony was Commissioner Karachi Division, Mr. Iftikhar Ali Shallwani. In his remarks/speech, he appreciated the initiative and emphasized the civic responsibilities of every citizen. He very kindly assured the audience of his office’s support to the youth engaged in their community development through the Azme Naujawan initiative.
Azme Naujawan alumni performed an insightful skit and shared their success stories, showcasing how the AeN experience has enabled them to become mature and active citizens that can now contribute to community decision making and improvement.
The launch ceremony concluded on a high note as a group of alumni performed Dastan Goi– the 13th century Urdu oral storytelling art form.
