Photo: Courtesy Raj Kumar Facebook page
The US State Department has selected a Pakistani Hindu youth Raj Kumar as one of the recipients of its Emerging Young Leaders Award in recognition of his efforts toward building sustainable peace.
Kumar is among remarkable young leaders who have been picked for the second annual Emerging Young Leaders Award.
On Thursday, May 4, the ten recipients of the will be acknowledged in a public ceremony at the State Department for their efforts as partners for peace and drivers of economic growth and opportunity, the State Department said.
Kumar became an active member of the Pakistan-U.S. Alumni Network following his participation in the State Department-sponsored Global Undergraduate Exchange Program in 2013, according to his story posted on the State Department website for the award.
He served in various leadership positions within PUAN and secured grants totaling $10,000 for projects focusing on countering violent extremist voices and promoting pluralism in society. Through one of his initiatives, “Days of Interreligious Youth Action – Promoting Peace through Arts, Sports, Dialogue and Music,” Raj and his 10-person team brought together 500 community members from different ethnic and religious backgrounds to paint and share messages of peace through art and Sufi music, as well as teach teamwork and sportsmanship lessons.
Through another grant, Mr. Kumar provided training to women about Pakistani laws that protect their rights. Raj recognizes the power of traditional and social media to influence views; he wrote a piece titled “My Journey as a Pakistani Hindu” that was picked up by a leading English-language newspaper in Pakistan, Express Tribune. He also has spoken about the role of youth in addressing violent extremism on a prominent Pakistani TV network, Dawn News, and has been profiled by a prominent Facebook page, “Humans of Pakistan.”
Besides Raj Kumar, the 2017 awardees include Naomi Bugre, Malta, Chamathya Fernando, Sri Lanka, Gharsanay IbnulAmeen, Afghanistan, Amel Mohandi, Algeria, Jahongir Olimov, Tajikistan, Noé Petitjean, Belgium, Lưu Thị Quyên, Vietnam, Moises Salazar Vila, Peru and Hanna Tams, Jerusalem.
The young people will visit the United States for an intensive program from April 30-May 13, specially designed to explore their leadership capacities, strengthen their knowledge of management strategies in the non-profit, government and private sectors, learn and share best practices, and broaden their networks of resources and support.
“The exchange program provides skills training to set awardees on paths for increased collaboration on global issues affecting youth, particularly those involved in combating extremism, empowering youth, and building peace.”
