International Youth Day: AGAHI Awards 2014 to have special categories on
“Youth and Mental Health”.
With a median age of 22, 63% of youth is under the age of 29 years, making Pakistan as one of the youngest nations in the world – Puruesh Chaudhary, President Agahi
Youth is the most valuable asset for a
country’s sustainable socio-economic, cultural and political development, AGAHI will create special
categories in Youth Reporting at the upcoming AGAHI Awards 2014, this was
announced on 12 August, 2014 on the International Youth Day 2014.
The theme of International Youth Day 2014 is “Youth
and Mental Health” under the slogan ‘Mental Health Matters’.
“Youth had played an acknowledged role in the creation of
Pakistan. The founder of Pakistan, Quaid-e-Azam, Muhammad Ali Jinnah had always
reposed great trust in the young people as the agents of future prosperity of
Pakistan. The youth continued to be vibrant and active and eager to play
significant role in the progress and prosperity of the nation. With a median
age of 22, 63% of youth in Pakistan is under the age of 29 years, making
Pakistan as one of the youngest nations in the world. Youth in the country are brimming
with ambition, enthusiasms, dynamism and commitment to rise, said Puruesh
Chaudhary, President Agahi.
She further said “given the
importance of Youth to Pakistan's future development, it is necessary to
provide means and environments in which this invaluable human resource attains
the optimal growth potential, equipped with the requisite character strength
and motivation to participate in the main stream of the practical life”. To
highlight the importance of mental health for youth, the AGAHI Awards 2014 will
have special categories on “Youth and Mental Health”, The Agahi Awards will be
held in November 2014, with a call for submission to journalists in September
this year, she further added.
Youth with mental health conditions can often
experience stigma and discrimination, which in turn can lead to exclusion
and/or discourage people from seeking help for fear of being negatively ‘labeled’.
Efforts are needed to overcome this stigma to ensure that young people with
mental health conditions can lead full and healthy lives free of isolation and
unnecessary shame, and that they openly seek the services and support they
need.
International Youth Day is observed all over the
globe on August 12 every year. Young people face pressing global challenges,
including high level of unemployment, vulnerable working conditions and
marginalization from decision-making process. International Youth Day promotes
national action and international support to improve the situation of young
people. Every year, the UN works with governments, the private sector, civil
society, academia and philanthropists to help increase opportunities for young
people. The UN General Assembly proclaimed this day in its 1999 resolution
A/RES/54/120.
The Agahi Awards are an annual series of journalism awards
in Pakistan, developed under the umbrella of the Credibility Lab in
collaboration with AGAHI Foundation and Mishal Pakistan, to encourage ethical
and quality content. The evaluation methodology and criteria of the awards has
been designed on the pillars of Media Development Indicators of UNESCO, with support
from the Center for International Media Ethics (CIME) and UNESCO headquarters
in Paris. Agahi Awards were inaugurated in March 2012 and have become the most
prestigious annual awards for the journalism industry in Pakistan.
