Few young people or adults in Pakistan have a basic understanding of the social structures and processes which shape their lives. They are unable to explain how the economy, politics, society and culture work. Few have a theoretical and practical understanding of their existing rights and responsibilities and a considered view on how these should be modified and extended in order to resolve pressi
ng social problems to create a 'better' world. This social illiteracy can be attributed towards the general apathy amongst today’s youngsters towards their society. Under the Constitution of Pakistan and amendment approved by the National Assembly in 2004 the Voting age has been reduced from 21 years to 18-years. This means that Youth - Girls and Boys of 18 to 21 have now additionally been empowered to participate in Nation Building. The question is, are they prepared to or even capable of taking on this heavy responsibility given to it? Youth are potential assets for the over-reaching goals of economic and social development and generally exhibit greater receptivity to new ideas and are more often innovative. The youth strategy of World Bank mentions that youth are the most vulnerable part of the population and poor governance of a country really impacts the employment rates of youth. This makes youth one of the significant stake-holders in the development efforts by international organizations. Lack of participation and empowerment of youth to make a difference in their communities is also one of the reasons why many youth in Pakistan have either moved towards militancy or became disillusioned with the political spectrum of the nation.
