Building Bridges and Creating Change: Pakistani Young Leaders Attend SI Leaders Lab 2023 in Sweden

By: Maleeha Khan

Pakistan’s young leaders Joshua Dilawar (Institute for Social and Youth Development – ISYD), Ayesha Amin (Baithak), and Muhammad Faheem (Mehrdar Art & Production) have recently attended the SI Leader Lab 2023 on-site training program in Sweden, organized by the Swedish Institute. The program is dedicated to train civil society leaders who work towards Sustainable Development Goal 16, which promotes inclusive and peaceful societies. Pakistan is represented by five young leaders among the 100+ participants from 22 countries.

During the five-month hybrid program (February 2023 – June 2023), overall the five young leaders are selected from Pakistan, including Mr. Joshua Dilawar (ISYD Pakistan), Ms. Jayaa Jaggi (Peace Practitioner), Ms. Ayesha Amin (Baithak), Mr. Muhammad Faheem (Mehrdar) and Ms. Amna Rajput (Accountability Lab Pakistan), who are learning to develop their skills in two thematic areas: advocacy and leadership. The program aims to provide participants with an opportunity to grow as leaders, exchange experiences, create new contacts, and test innovative tools and methods with colleagues working on similar issues.

The program is being conducted both online and onsite, and the participants are applying the learnings from SI Leader Lab in their organizations throughout the course of the program. In May 2023 (2nd May to 10th May), three Pakistani young participants attended an intensive program at Sånga Säby on Ekerö, as well as in Stockholm, where they explored that how creativity and collaboration can be used to create powerful campaigns that make a difference and can lead to systems change.

During the program, Pakistani participants had the chance to network with international leaders, exchange ideas, and gain insights from their experiences. With the support of expert mentors, this program presented a valuable opportunity for young Pakistani leaders to strengthen their leadership skills, collaborate, and develop new approaches to promote meaningful change in their society.

The SI Leader Lab 2023 program provides an excellent opportunity for young leaders from Pakistan to develop their skills and contribute towards building a more just, peaceful and inclusive society. We congratulate the three Pakistani young leaders, Mr. Joshua Dilawar, Ms. Ayesha Amin, and Mr. Muhammad Faheem, as well as the other two young leaders, Ms. Jayaa Jaggi and Ms. Amna Rajput, for being selected for the program and wish them all the best in their endeavours.