'SHAPE the FUTURE' competition awards ceremony
The British High Commission hosted the awards ceremony to engage young people on the debate of sustainable development.
The ‘Shape the Future’ competition concluded on Wednesday 10 December with an awards ceremony hosted by the British High Commissioner, Philip Barton CMG OBE. The painting and creative writing competition, launched in September by the British High Commission and the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) in Pakistan, invited students from across the country to put forward their views on the changes they believed would make the most difference to people’s lives in Pakistan. The competition aimed to engage young people in the broader international debate on a new set of Sustainable Development Goals. This follows on from the Millennium Development Goals after 2015.
Students participated from across Pakistan including Karachi, Peshawar, Sargodha, Islamabad, Faisalabad and Rawalpindi. Their entries displayed the talent of Pakistan’s youth and their understanding of the ongoing discussion on the post-2015 development agenda. Another aspect of the Shape the Future activities involved holding debates with students of Development Studies at Iqra University, SZABIST and Bahria University in Islamabad. These debates engaged Pakistan’s youth on a range of post-2015 development issues ranging from education, health, gender and environmental sustainability. A report based on these discussions was represented to UNDP Country Director Marc-Andre Franche.
Around 40 paintings and essays were displayed at the awards ceremony, and the winners were announced by Philip Barton. The awards ceremony was attended by members of the development sector and the diplomatic community.
Congratulating the winners for their hard work and highlighting the importance of the Millennium Development Goals, the British High Commissioner, Philip Barton CMG OBE said:
I am delighted to host the ‘Shape the Future’ competition awards ceremony. This has given us the opportunity to appreciate the talent of Pakistan’s young people and their understanding of development priorities. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading their essays and seeing their paintings.
The university debates provided a wonderful platform for us to hear students’ views on a number of key issues that will have an impact on the future of Pakistan. This evening has shown just how much the young people of Pakistan care about their country and are working hard to achieve sustainable progress.
Notes to Editors:
Contact: Press Attaché, British High Commission, Islamabad; tel: 051 2012000