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WOSY in Mumbai
A youth conference in search of civilisational ties
FOC
The South and South East Asian Youth Conference organised by the World Organisation of Students and Youth (WOSY), concluded in Mumbai on January 6. A total of 115 youths from Asian countries including 25 girls from 11 countries of SAARC and ASEAN regions and invitee delegates from Mauritius, Afghanistan and Tibet participated in the conference. They expressed their views on issues like development, education, culture, terrorism and, of course, globalisation and democracy.
The theme of the conference ?Global Future Asian Vision?, was hosted by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and the Vidyarthi Nidhi forum. The deliberations of the conference was observed by delegates from 10 countries such as Kenya, Fiji, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Uganda, Guyana, Australia, USA and UK.
?In the present global context, with strategic positioning of the Euro-centric powers and new challenges like globalisation and terrorism looming large, the need for a fresh look at rediscovering and reaffirming age old civilisational ties among the ASEAN and the SAARC countries cannot be understated. This thought process gave birth to the idea of the present conference, which was envisaged as a gathering of minds to introspect and delineate the contours of Asian resurgence within the parameters of peace, co-operation and co-existence,? said Shri Ramesh Pappa, newly nominated general secretary of the WOSY.
Inaugurating the conference, Shri Dilip Walse Patil, Minister for Power and Higher Education, Government of Maharashtra, spoke about the systematic imbalances and burgeoning divide between haves and have-nots as fallout of the process of globalisation and expressed an urgent need to deal with it. ?We need a new vision where the youth will synergise their minds leading to prosperity of our nations by establishing their own models based on their own needs,? he observed.
Shri Vijaypat Singhania, the Sheriff of Mumbai and a Guinness Book record holder for his flight in the hot balloon, while presiding over the inaugural ceremony said: ?Youth is a state of body whereas, student is a state of mind and youth may be a student but a student need not be a youth.? He also noted that learning is an ongoing process and that a person must keep learning all his life. He drew the attention of young delegates towards the need for holistic development of body, mind and intellect.
The need for a fresh look at rediscovering and reaffirming age old civilisational ties among the the ASEAN and the SAARC countries cannot be understated. This thought process gave birth to the idea of the present conference, which was envisaged as a gathering of minds to introspect and delineate the contours of Asian resurgence within the parameters of peace, co-operation and co-existence.
Shri Rajjubhai Shroff, Consul of Maxico, Prof. Bal Apte, MP, Advocate Vijay Vaidya and Shri Dattatreya Hosabale, Dr Kailash Sharma and Shri Raghunandan were also present on the occasion.
Shri Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, director general of RMP International, a Mumbai based NGO, touched upon the key issues concerning the South and Southeast Asian countries.
Shri Sunil Bhargav, a leading chartered accountant from Jaipur and a director of IIM, Indore made a presentation on the topic of globalisation and its impact on South Asian countries. The presentation was followed by interaction with the delegates. It was observed that though globalisation as a phenomenon was irreversible, there must not be blind westernisation as a substitute for true modernisation. Various alternatives were also discussed to deal with the fallout of globalisation especially in the context of the Asian region. Renowned orator and scholar of Indian culture Shri Jeffrey Armstrong (USA) presented a talk on youth and self-development. In his motivating speech Shri Armstrong exhorted the youth to save the planet by optimising the proper use of its resources.
Yoga expert Shri N.V. Raghuram from Bangalore spoke on the values of mutual respect, co-existence and co-operation amongst the youth and about the relevance of spirituality as the foundation of human life. He also explained how practice of yoga helps in building a balanced and holistic personality.
Dr Susantha Goonatilake, noted sociologist and intellectual from Sri Lanka postulated that during the next 30 years Asia would be the focus of attention of the world. He spoke about a new relocation of brainpower and a shift in science, technology and some of the arts towards the Asian cultural region. Dr Y.K. Bhushan, senior advisor to the ICFAI Business School and a thinker presided over the session.
The conference unanimously adopted a declaration, which summed up the core objectives and future agenda of the youth assembled from various countries with its special focus on the peculiarities of Asian region.
Speaking at the concluding ceremony Prof Samdhong Rinpoche spoke at length on the ever widening cultural divide among the countries of the East and the West and exhorted the youth of Asia to introspect on their ordained role for the future. Shri Michel Danino, educationist also expressed his views.
The event concluded with a gala show of cultural items that captured the audience. A sight seeing tour of important spots of Mumbai was arranged for the delegates on January 7 and 8 by the ABVP.
Twenty years of WOSY
FOC
World Organisation of Students and Youth (WOSY), an international youth body based in India and with associate and affiliate organisations in other parts of the world, was formed in 1985. It strives to create a new world order with an international understanding and peaceful co-existence on the basis of ?world is one family?.
A two-day international youth convention was organised by WOSY in 1992 at New Delhi, India, which was attended by 123 student and youth delegates, including 72 foreign delegates from 12 countries. The theme of the convention was ?Youth for a New World?. Several dignitaries like Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, former Prime Minister; Shri Eduardo Faleiro, then Union Minister of State for External Affairs and Shri Shivraj Patil, then Lok Sabha speaker and present Minister for Home Affairs, participated in the conference.
WOSY has been conducting a host of activities involving foreign students. The present conference not only marked the 20th year of the foundation of WOSY but also coincided with the 20th year of the formation of South Asian Association for regional co-operation.
Sushil Pandit and Ramesh Pappa new WOSY chairman and general secretary
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Shri Sushil Pandit (Delhi) and Shri Ramesh Pappa (Chandigarh) were nominated chairman and secretary general of the WOSY at the conference. Shri Vijay Vaidya and Shri Dattatreya Hosabale, founder chairman and general secretary respectively stepped down at the conference. Shri Sushil Pandit is an alumnus of Delhi University and Jawaharlal Nehru University. He has been associated with the ABVP since 1980. Shri Pandit is currently a teacher and professional practitioner of mass media and communication. Shri Ramesh Pappa MA in political science and Buddhist studies from University of Jammu, is a former general secretary of the ABVP, and has been associated with ABVP since 1979.
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