Delhi, India - Interest is growing in UPF's Youth Leadership Training programs in India. Mr. Yeqing Victor Lee, Secretary General of the Washington DC-based Youth Federation for World Peace, was a featured speaker at several events at schools and universities near the nation's capital.
St. Stephens, the most prestigious college of Delhi University, hosted a training on August 21. The college has a very active social service league, and 100 of the college's 1,200 students have been named Young Ambassadors for Peace. The principal, Dr. Valson Thampu, envisions the college as a peace laboratory and has made plans for more Youth Leadership Training programs throughout the year.
Amb. K.V. Rajan and Mrs. Geetha Rajan arranged a one-day training on August 24 at the International Institute for Learning in Management. Approximately 100 students attended the program on the theme of "Young Ambassadors for Peace." A one-day follow-up training is planned.
Later in the month, Youth Leadership Training was also offered to students at several Kendriya Vidyalayas, a network of special schools for children of government officials and military officers. Harcourt Butler, NP, and Sarojini Nagar schools also hosted programs. The trainings, which include videos, discussions, and activities from UPF's Discovering the Real Me character education curriculum, are widely appreciated by teachers, principals, and students.
There is interest in expanding this training to other parts of the country. India's Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has a national program, Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangatan. It is the largest government youth body in the world. UPF-India has been invited to join its National Integration Camp and conduct Youth Leadership Training for volunteers in various states of India.
There is also interest in integrating UPF's Youth Leadership Training program into the programs of the National Service Scheme, India's largest student-led movement with links to the community.