Youth Are Not Just the Future, They Are the Present

Sameena Imtiaz felt that youth in Pakistan were not being engaged to maintain peace in her country. Often overlooked because they are seen as “the future,” Ms. Imtiaz argues that to ignore her country’s youth is to ignore their present circumstances. Over 60% of the population in Pakistan is youth, so Ms. Imtiaz reached out to them through madrasas and built a network of schools to change young people’s attitudes on extremism. By teaching these students the “soft skills” of communication and conflict resolution, the students were able to take ownership of peacebuilding in Pakistan.

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