British Council and Education Above All to upskill Pakistani youth on climate change

Staff Report

The British Council Pakistan and Education Above All signed a youth-focused programme called the Pakistan Youth Leadership Initiative (PYLI). The agreement was signed at the 11th WISE Summit in Doha on 28 November.

“Pakistan Youth Leadership Initiative” (PYLI) is a three-year project led by the British Council Pakistan which will be implemented in Pakistan in partnership with the Government of Pakistan’s Youth Development Programme, UNDP Pakistan, local CSOs and public universities.

The project is co-funded by the Education Above All Foundation’s programme “Reach Out to Asia” (ROTA) under their “Global Citizenship Education for Climate Action” (GCED) initiative.

PYLI’s project objective is that young women and men in Pakistan are aware of social and ethical values, and respectful of diversity by taking inclusive and responsible actions to influence local, national, and global sustainable development agenda on climate action.

Working on higher quality youth education is fundamental to creating a solid foundation and through educating every generation of Pakistanis we aim to create a more prosperous and eco-friendly society.

Our partners in Pakistan for the project include the Government of Pakistan’s Prime Minister Youth Programme and Higher Education Commission. Other partners include UNDP, WaterAid, Viamo and ISD UK.U.S. Deputy Chief of Mission Promotes Climate Action

The signing event was attended by James Hampson (British Council Pakistan – Country Director), Sadia Rahman (Regional Head of Non-Formal Education), Dr Zia Ul Qayyum (Executive Director, Higher Education Commission-Pakistan), Mr Abdulla Al-Abdulla (Executive Director, Reach Out To Asia), Mr Abdullah Saqib (acting Country Representative for Viamo in Pakistan) among several others.

A panel discussion was also organized at the signing event that focused on the issues that the youth in Pakistan face, the opportunities that the Government of Pakistan and EAA offer and how Artificial Intelligence can enhance these opportunities.

James Hampson, Country Director, British Council Pakistan said: “The Pakistan Youth Leadership Initiative will help young people shape their future as leaders of tomorrow in the face of today’s climate crisis. The British Council is honoured to partner once again with Education Above All and Reach Out to Asia.”

Mr Abdullah Al Abdulla- Reach Out to Asia – Executive Director said: “Education Above All, through its ROTA Programme, is very pleased to partner with British Council Pakistan to deliver such an innovative project to build the capacity of Pakistani youth to take inclusive climate actions in their communities. We are confident that this project will achieve meaningful and sustainable impact.”

Professor Dr Zia Ul Qayyum, Executive Director, Higher Education Commission Pakistan said: ‘Climate issues extend beyond Pakistan, affecting the entire world. We are actively engaging the youth through various initiatives, with the British Council collaborating on these efforts. Notably, the Green Youth Movement, a prominent project led by HEC, has established Green Youth Movement clubs in 137 universities.’

Dr Tareq Al Bakri Reach Out to Aasia programme specialist said: “We are very much looking forward to this important project and supporting youth in Pakistan as they address negative effects of climate change in their communities. We trust that the joint efforts with the British Council, Government bodies, CSOs, schools and colleges will make a significant difference in climate action in the country”.