SYMPOSIUM ON ‘ROLE OF YOUTH IN PEACE MAKING’ ORGANISED AT ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS CENTRE, HANDWARA

Youth engagement is important to forge sustainable peace and development, as young people are often not given the opportunity to participate in public discourse and decision-making. To provide an opportunity to the young minds, a symposium on *‘Role of Youth on Peace Making’* was organised at Environmental Awareness Centre, Handwara on 17 October 2017. The students from Wellcare Institute, Handwara participated in the symposium. The entire event was conceptualized by 21 Rashtriya Rifles under the aegis of 7 Sector Rashtriya Rifles, while the event was conducted by Dr Sheikh Muzafar, Principal of the Wellcare Institute.

The symposium generated logical reasoning from psychology and related disciplines on as to why the engagement of youth is important to peace making and social cohesion. Prevention of youth from active engagement is not only a violation of their rights, but a potential factor which can lead to frustration, disenchantment and acts of violence and conflict involving misguided youth. To encourage Kashmiriyat a Kashmiri cultural programme was also presented by the students.

The event culminated by felicitation of all the participants and closing remarks by the *Chief Guest Brig DR Rai, VSM, Cdr 7 Sect RR*, followed by informal interaction over refreshments.