YLC kicks off with aim to nurture leaders for Pakistan’s future

The highly-anticipated Young Leaders Conference (YLC) 2024 began on Wednesday with its empowering theme ‘Ikhtiyar Khud Pe’ aimed at guiding the youth towards leadership, responsibility and social impact.

Kamran Z Rizvi and Fatema Kausar Ali, renowned trainers from the School of Leadership (SoL), set the tone for a transformative journey of self-awareness, leadership and collective action.

The opening ceremony featured a powerful national anthem and an impact video, followed by the ‘Mark Your Roots’ activity, in which participants marked their home towns on a map wall to celebrate diversity and inclusion.

Next, EBM representative Zoha Manzar (corporate communication assistant manager) showcased the EBM’s enduring partnership with YLC through a video presentation titled ‘What’s in EBM’s Ikhtiyar?’

This thought-provoking showcase highlighted the EBM’s social and corporate initiatives aimed at inspiring youth to embrace their leadership potential and contribute to societal change. Participants also engaged in the unique mentorship session ‘MenTea with Mentors’, offering an opportunity to interact with industry experts from diverse fields, seek advice and build meaningful connections.

The day also featured ‘The Team Showdown’, a dynamic team-building activity led by SoL Chief Executive Officer Syed Waqar Ali, in which participants created team names, symbols, slogans and rituals, fostering camaraderie and teamwork.

In a keynote address, Zaamran Baloch, Champ of YLC 2024, spoke on the theme ‘My Circle of Influence’, encouraging participants to own their decisions, demonstrate leadership and embrace ethical responsibility.

After the Champ’s word, Fatema conducted an activity titled ‘Wheels of Life’, which offered a moment of reflection for the participants on different aspects of life to see where one might need more balance. This segment was all about gaining awareness and knowing that change is always within reach.

The day concluded with Rizvi’s impactful session titled ‘Ikhtiyar Starts with I’, emphasising that true leadership begins with personal integrity, values and understanding one’s societal impact. His reflections on freedom with discipline inspired participants to take charge of their own futures while shaping others’.

The first day set a high bar for the remaining conference, instilling accountability and leadership in the youth to drive meaningful change. YLC continues to nurture a generation of influential leaders for Pakistan’s future.

Talking to The News, Ali said the conference has been taking place for the past 23 years now. YLC was designed to provide young people with confidence, exposure and a direction, he added.

“Youth are brimming with energy and passion, but without proper guidance, that energy can lead to destruction,” opined Ali. He highlighted that over 23 years, YLC has trained more than 6,500 youngsters, who were asked to implement social action projects in their communities after the conclusion of the conference, thereby impacting around two million lives.

He said that around 250 youth from more than 60 cities are participating in this year’s conference. Explaining the criterion for the selection, he said youngsters aged 18 to 24 with a passion for learning are eligible to apply for YLC.

“We carefully evaluate applications to ensure that the youngsters who have passion for learning are selected, and not the ones who are just here to socialise.” About the theme of the conference, Ali said it changes every year to align with the country’s prevailing situation. “This year’s theme is ‘Ikhtiyar’. We selected this theme given the prevailing political and economic conditions.”

“This year we noticed that many young people are feeling lost, distracted and even considering leaving the country. They are losing hope. In such times, it is crucial to remind them of what lies within their own control. The idea behind ‘Ikhtiyar’ is to encourage youth to focus on the aspects of their lives they can change and improve.”