Tuesday, August 8, 2006

Can Nepalis Build a Peaceful Democracy?
A Young Journalist's Point of View

12:30-1:45pm
Conference Room A

Santosh Shah, youth activist and journalist, is the founder and director of Today’s Youth, an organization preparing Nepalese youth with positive ideas and skills and providing capacity building to promote active contribution to the nation in crisis.  Today’s Youth facilitates a series of Youth Forums, platforms for Nepalese youths to speak out, discuss on issues pertaining to the nation, and explore and experiment with creative ideas to address the situation in Nepal.  Topics have included: “In search of identity: Perception on nationalism” and “Transcending the boundaries of informative media.”  Shah is also the publisher and editor of Today’s Youth Magazine, a publication that provides educational awareness and innovative materials to the growing minds and hearts of students and channels their voices to parents, educators, planners, and national and international figures.  Shah believes the future of Nepal lies in the emerging leaders.  Shah will present a brief political analysis of the situation in Nepal since the king restored parliament in April 2006.  He will also discuss the role of emerging leaders in shaping the budding democracy in Nepal and address such questions as: What do the youth envision for the future of Nepal?  Can these new leaders get a voice in the process? 

"Today's Youth has the capacity to hold and represent the youth majority of Nepal. They symbolize an age group that craves, and has the potential to struggle for, national identity."
Yubaraj Ghimire
Editor of Samay, Nepal’s national news-weekly