Youth leaders complete leadership course

Janakpurdham, November 19

Twenty-one youth leaders from across Nepal successfully completed a one-year Nepali Emerging Leaders course offered by the US-based University of San Diego Kroc School.

Kroc School and Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice and Kathmandu-based Leadership Academy had jointly run the programme.

The course began in January 2018 in Kathmandu and ended successfully with the graduation ceremony in Janakpur. The second session of the course was run in Dolakha and the third session was run in Kaski. Participants were taken to different parts of the country β€” mountains, hills and the Tarai β€” to familiarise them with the geographical condition of Nepal and interact with people living in those places.

Chief guest at the programme Ratneshwar Lal Kayastha, governor of Province 2 and Dr Andrew Blum, executive director of Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice handed over graduation certificates to all the 21 students in Janakpur.

Daniel Orth, programme officer at Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice, Awadhesh Kumar Singh, senior advocate at the Supreme Court and Santosh Shah, president of Leadership Academy offered tokens and badges of the university to the graduates.

Governor Kayastha said that as young leaders are the future of the country, the ones who play an important role in running the country should understand their society and country better and formulate policies and programmes accordingly.

IPJ Executive Director Blum said he had come to Nepal not only to attend the graduation ceremony but also to learn and experience new things from these young leaders.

IPJ Programme Officer Orth said both the US and Nepal are nations with diversity and this should be taken as a strength, not as a political weapon. He expressed happiness at the fact that participants were open to welcoming new communities and working together with them.

President of Leadership Academy Shah stated that Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice had been working in Nepal since 2002 and had played an important role in the establishment of peace and democracy in Nepal.

β€œThe programme was useful, subject-oriented and helpful in developing leadership qualities,” said Sharan Shrestha, a youth leader from Gorkha, who is also the ward chief of Shahid Lakhan Rural Municipality and a member of the Nepali Congress.

Anita Lama, district member of Nepal Communist Party (NCP) from Sindhupalchowk said she got a good chance to interact with and learn from people of the Tarai and hilly regions.

Representative of the Tarai region Manish Mishra, president of student wing of Rastriya Janata Party, said during the one-year course, he got the opportunity to learn about conflict management, positive thinking and leadership.

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