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Youth Leadership Training in the Punjab
Written by UPF - India
Monday, August 10, 2009
Punjab, India - Four UPF resource persons traveled 1,800 km to conduct five Youth Leadership Training Programs on the theme “Let Us Join Hands to Build a Bright Future” in four major cities of the Punjab within less than a week. A total of 1,500 participants, including 13 newly appointed Ambassadors for Peace and 280 Youth Ambassadors for Peace, attended the one-day workshops jointly organized by UPF-India, Youth Federation for World Peace-India, National Service Scheme (the largest student organization in the world), and other social and educational institutions.
Punjab is a dynamic and a most progressive state in northwest India; however, despite its economic development, the state faces serious social issues such as rising divorce statistics, female feticide and a declining female sex ratio, which is among the lowest in the country. Drug abuse among its youth is on the rise, as well as alcohol and tobacco addiction.
UPF’s family values based approach to address these problems was deeply appreciated by students and faculty. Mr. David McLackland and his wife Mrs. Urusla McLackland admonished the young people not to lose their traditionally strong family ties for the sake of mere economic progress.
On August 7, 2009, a one-day International Youth Leadership program was held at the prestigious Shivalik Public School, Mohali, next to the world renowned city of Chandigarh. Five hundred students from Shivalik Public School and government boys and girls senior secondary schools enthusiastically participated in the workshop throughout the day. The International Leadership Training was telecasted for one minute in the evening news of a leading television channel, and ten newspapers (two English, three Hindi, and five Punjabi) reported the event the following day. The credit goes to the dedicated efforts of Dr. Sarabjeet Kaur Sohal, National Service Scheme coordinator for Chandigarh and Mohali, and her team.
On August 8, the one-day workshop was organized at the historic D.A.V. College, Jalandhar, by Dr. Jagdish Rai Garg, National Service Scheme coordinator of the college. In his enlightening keynote address, the College Principal, Dr. V.K. Tiwari, encouraged 90 selected volunteers to take on social responsibility besides striving for academic excellence, a call seconded by the Chief Guest, the Advisor to the Education Department in the UK. Nothing, not even prolonged power cuts, could dampen the students’ enthusiastic response.
The same evening, PAHAL, a very active NGO founded by our longtime Ambassador for Peace Dr. Lakhbir Singh, organized a program in celebration of the UN Day of Indigenous People with over 30 participants from nine different nations at their Jalandhar office.
On August 9, the Youth Leadership Training Program was held in Ludhiana at the Punjab Agricultural University, the top agricultural university in Asia. It was part of a two-day National Service Scheme introductory program for new students organized by the university. Five hundred and fifty students eagerly attended the full-day program and expressed their enthusiasm and zeal to live for the sake of others in front of their Vice Chancellor, Dr. Manjeet Singh Kang, who graced the Closing Ceremony as Chief Guest. Dr. Kang asked Mr. Sandeep Kumar, President of the World Collegiate Association for the Research of Principle-India — the heart and soul of the program — how he transformed these students in merely a day. The credit goes to the ten students of the university who were appointed Youth Ambassadors for Peace last year and took an active role in guiding the newcomers.
On August 10, the leadership training was held at the Avlon Girls Senior Secondary School in Pathankot, a school that is famous not only for its academic achievements but also for its historic buildings which were the site of the popular Hindi movie “Gadar.” Three hundred students of Class XII listened carefully to all the presentations. The school principal, Dr. Manjeet Kaur, attended the full program, which was organized by the Gurdaspur National Service Scheme coordinator in collaboration with the Vidya Education Society. The newly appointed Ambassadors for Peace are ready to do ongoing work with us.
Each city has asked us to come again soon, promising to arrange longer leadership training programs with us. As word of UPF's attractive and effective curriculum motivating young people to “live for the sake of others” spreads to other branches, National Service Scheme coordinators from various states are now vying for our time to come and train their volunteers, too.
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