Bridging the Gaps: Role of Youth in Strengthening Regional Connectivity

Bridging the Gaps: Role of Youth in Strengthening Regional Connectivity

There is a very famous saying:

“The whole is contained in every single fragment, in every piece.”

In the 21st century, this saying has become all the more relevant. Globalization has significantly revamped the nature of the global order. States have realized that shared prosperity could only be ensured if they develop alongside their regional neighbors. Regional connectivity has become an important cornerstone of development in the modern era and states are increasingly realizing the potential of regional connectivity for shared sustainable economic growth. If we talk about our neighborhood i.e. Central Asia, there exists an enormous potential for cooperation between Pakistan-Afghanistan and Central Asian Republics (CARs) in the areas of trade, energy, transport, information technology, education, and tourism. South Asia is home to almost 1.8 billion people and includes Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, and Srilanka whereas Central Asia has a human capital of about 72 million people belonging to Kazakhstan (19 million), Kyrgyzstan (7 million), Tajikistan (10 million), Turkmenistan (6 million) and Uzbekistan (35 million). It has now become common knowledge in present times that regional connectivity is an essential ingredient that facilitates the economic development of states. In the context of establishing ties between the South Asian and Central Asian regions, a targeted focus on four critical areas of connectivity is required: land and trade, energy, Information, and Communication Technology (ICT), and people-to-people (P-2-P).

Although the development of “hard infrastructures” is crucial to establishing regional connectivity, there is an increasing need to develop “soft linkages” between the people of both regions. Such linkages through closer people-to-people relations substantially improve public perceptions, break mutual stereotypes and prejudices, foster tolerance, allow people to accept differences as well as contribute to the understanding of each other’s historical legacies and vibrant cultures. Although some believe that only macro-linkages between the regionals states be developed however I would like to argue that in addition to macro-linkages, micro-linkages between the people of both regions also play a very crucial role in establishing cooperative ties.

Speaking from my experience, I had the opportunity to participate in an international workshop that involved interactions between the young students of Pakistan and Afghanistan. It was a 10-day long residential, cultural exchange and dialogue program collectively organized by Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF) Pakistan and the National Dialogue Forum (NDF). The purpose behind organizing this activity was to bring together diverse group of young socio-political multipliers from the South and Central Asian region (including Afghan refugee students) and to provide them with the opportunity to exchange political, economic, social and cultural perspectives on regional challenges, and to understand the effects of new developments in their countries. At the scenic resort of Shangrila in the beautiful hilly city of Murree, I along with 27 other fellows, gained amazing academic as well as cultural insights about the South Asian and Central Asian region from leading experts, policymakers, journalists, and practitioners from all across Pakistan. We explored how both regions can be better connected through communications (physical as well as digital), joint economic initiatives, better socio-political ties, vibrant cultural exchanges, and conflict resolution and peacebuilding mechanisms. Our sessions involved a bunch of interesting group activities as well which fostered team building and enabled us to understand each other better. Apart from learning together about how regional connectivity and mutual cooperation can be established, we also interacted with each other through different cultural exchanges and fun activities including hiking, bonfires, cultural dances, and sharing of our stories and ideas. Fellows also shared different aspects of their respective cultures such as language, food, clothing, and other cultural practices through presentations and group activities. The last two days of the workshop were reserved for recreational activities and exploration of different sites including the historical Taxila Museum, Dharamrajika Monastery and Sirkap. We also visited the Parliament of Pakistan and the Pakistan National Monument where we learned about the constitutional history and how historical events have shaped up developments in Pakistan. Along with our Afghan fellows, we also visited the Lok Virsa Museum where we witnessed historical artifacts and cultural presentations of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Central Asian States.

To sum up, this ten-day workshop on the theme of “Regional Connectivity between Pakistan-Afghanistan and Central Asian Region” was a life-changing experience for me. I was able to break a number of stereotypes commonly associated with our neighbors. In addition to that, I developed life-long friendships with fellows from Afghanistan and Central Asia only because of this amazing initiative. I got the chance to learn from experts, share my ideas and interact with young fellows from our neighborhood. I can safely say that such exchanges between young multipliers should be organized more often as they play a very important role in building mutual trust and cooperation. Young students in both regions have enormous potential and they can play a very significant role in diffusing mistrust and fostering goodwill and friendly ties between these regional states. Such student-to-student exchanges have a rippling effect as I will act as an ambassador of peace and regional connectivity after just one such amazing experience. Therefore, I would like to urge government officials and civil society organizations on both sides to organize such intellectual ventures more often so that the seeds of cooperation that we plant today, develop into cultural and civic relationships that will serve as the foundation for stronger people-to-people relations in the future.