Youth from 8 Nations Unveil Vision for Peaceful, United South Asia

Organised to honour peace champions Admiral L. Ramdas, Karamat Ali, and Tapan Bose, the programme showcased two top videos from each country — 16 in total — followed by a panel discussion with eight young leaders under 30. The videos, ranging from two to five minutes, reflected a deep understanding of regional challenges and offered creative, non-violent solutions to address them.

Common threads in the youth’s vision included: reviving and revitalising SAARC; rejecting war and hate in favour of peace and love; ensuring sustainable and dignified progress; tackling climate change urgently; advancing gender justice, economic partnerships, and religious tolerance; prioritising education and healthcare; demanding soft borders for free travel and exchanges; and committing to end terrorism for a non-violent South Asia.

A document titled “Vision of Youth for Southasia”, compiled and released during the event, underscored the belief that the region is “naturally without borders” and must focus on coexistence built on economic, political, social, and cultural cooperation. It called for national employment generation, indigenous institutions of learning, regional student-exchange programmes, and digital school networks.

The youth stressed that peace depends on dialogue, freedom, and cross-border mobility, alongside collaboration on joint river management, emission reduction, diversified energy sources, and ecological economic models. They also advocated for a South Asian economic bloc and reinvigoration of SAARC to strengthen regional integration.

The event concluded with a call to action for young, educated, and innovative citizens to lead South Asia toward a future of equality, sustainability, and unity.