Youth’s role in shaping future emphasised

Young people hold the key to our future. We can either shape them to be instruments of peace and development or leave them to drown in extremism, Shaikha Jawaher Al Qasimi, wife of His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, has said.

Shaikha Jawaher, who is also the chairperson of The Big Heart Foundation (TBHF) and Eminent Advocate for Refugee Children at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), made these comments ahead of the ‘Investing in the Future’ MENA conference (IIFMENA 2018).

She called on youth from around the world, future leaders, experts and international organisations to participate at the IIFMENA Conference, which will be held in Sharjah on October 24-25.

“Our efforts to build a ‘tomorrow’ starts today; at this very moment. The youth’s role in leading the future depends on the care and opportunities they can be offered, and will be a direct outcome of our engagement with their needs and aspirations,” Shaikha Jawaher said. “The voice of young refugees … should be heard. No one understands their situation better than they do — they must be part of the solution building process.”