STAFF REPORTER
LAHORE: In a two-day consultative workshop, experts emphasized the importance of engaging the youth through dialogue and fostering critical thinking as a policy measure. They urged the government and educational institutions to tackle the problems faced by young individuals and promote their productivity in society.
The workshop shed light on the failure of the current education system to effectively socialize the youth, resulting in a void that is often filled by negative influences on social media. The participants, including academics, political activists, journalists, lawyers, civil society representatives, and young individuals, stressed the need to create economic opportunities for the youth through practical and technical learning. The event, titled “Promoting Narratives of Diversity, Inclusion, and Peace among Youth,” was organized by the Pak Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS), a research and advocacy think tank based in Islamabad.
During the consultation, strategies were discussed to incorporate religious and ethnic diversity into the existing education system, aiming to enhance the social skills of the youth in multicultural settings. The participants also explored the impact of social media on the self-perception of young individuals and their understanding of the world, the consequences of misinformation overload, and the role of social media in shaping the social and emotional well-being of the youth.
Dr. Khalil Ahmad, a Professor of Sociology at the University of the Punjab, emphasized that education played a pivotal role in fostering peaceful coexistence. He highlighted the importance of focusing on education at both the organizational and content levels, emphasizing the need for comprehensive reforms.