Cross-culture youth dialogue held

Islamabad

The youth of Pakistan and India held a Skype conference here on Wednesday and urged their respective governments to settle down their disputes and unfinished agendas for a peaceful neighbourhood. The participants of the conference said most of the people love to interact and visit each side of the border for cultural understanding and social harmony.

The Skype conference was a Pakistan-India cross-culture youth dialogue on the Independence Days of both the countries. It was organised by the Development Communications Network (Devcom-Pakistan) for the representatives of the Islamabad Devcom Centennial Leo Club (IDCLC) and the Leo Club of Juhu (Mumbai). Hazzik Ali, the Vice President IDCLC, and Shipra Maheshwari, the Juhu Leo Club Secretary, facilitated the conference from respective country. Other panellists from Pakistan included Shaaref Munir, IDCLC president, and Muhammad Abdullah Yusuf, the Associate Secretary. The key participants from Juhu (Mumbai) were Kunal Joshi, Hina and Prabhsimran.

This was first ever cross-cultural dialogue for both the Leo Clubs of Pakistan and India. The Leo Clubs are the youth bodies of the Lions Clubs International (LCI). The cross-cultural dialogue was organized in connection with the Lions Clubs International (LCI) Global Youth Week on the independence days of the both countries, Pakistan and India. In the 40-minute dialogue, the Leos discussed several social, cultural and political dimensions of their respective societies, and how the youth on each side could come out of the dilemmas to build up a coherent neighbourhood.

Shipra Maheshwari said Pakistanis are wonderful people of mannerism, and the language they speak is beautiful. We respect and admire the Pakistani girls the way the dressed up and the respect and honour they get in their society.

Hazzik Ali narrating tale of his stay in the USA said his best friend there was an Indian. They were both always out to help each other in odd situations. He said we have both views about India, optimistic and pessimistic. The relationship of both countries at the government-level is not favourable for the people of both sides. Nothing would be settled down until atrocities ends in the Indian-held Kashmir and right of choice is given to the people.

Shaaref Munir believed to have memorandums written to heads of the states and governments of both sides asking to settle down their pending diplomatic and political agendas. The people should also have peaceful rallies pressing upon the governments.

Abdullah Yusuf said the people of both sides of the border want peaceful co-existence; it’s the politics and politicians fanning the fire for their own vested interests. He suggested to having more youth dialogues and variety of issues for better understanding between the youth on each side of the border.  

Hina said that we need to curb the declining of values and promote some ethics and good practices both sides of the border to have co-existence possible for the young generation.