ISLAMABAD: Karim Khan Afridi Welfare Foundation and The Jordan Anti-Drugs Society (TJADS) collaborated with Serena Hotels and hosted a panel discussion on “Early Drug Prevention Strategies: The Future of Youth.” KKAWF is a leading organization working to create awareness of the youth against the use of drugs, which have become a prevalent issue in the youth of Pakistan. Mrs. Cristina Von Sperling Afridi is the powerhouse behind this enterprising and much-needed foundation that enlightened attendees from various backgrounds on the importance and need for creating awareness from a young age against the use of drugs that are now easily accessible to prepubescent children. Immediate action is the need of the hour, with the Government at the helm in the social and educational institutes themselves.
The event started with a welcome note from Mrs. Afridi, the moderators of the event were esteemed senior journalist andanchor person Syed Talat Hussain, along with Dr. Ayesha Razzaque, former technical advisor to the Ministry of Education and Op-Ed writer for The News International. The first session conducted focused on “Early Prevention Strategies” The keynote speaker Dr. Mousa Daoud Al-Tarefi, President of Jordon Anti-Drug Society whereas the panelists included specialists in the field of narcotics and prevention Syed Kaleem Imam; Former Federal Secretary Senator; Sana Jamali and Mrs. Afridi. The second session was on “Drug use prevention, awareness, and education; Learnings from Civil Society & Youth.” which was moderated by Dr. Ayesha Razzaque, and the panel included renowned individuals in the field, Mr. Sarfraz Qamar Daha, Mrs.Lubna Ghani Haya Uddin, Mr. Wajahat Ali, and Adnan Malik. An open mic session where the audience emphasized the importance of parents, educators, and other innovative ways to approach the topic, to create a drug-free environment for future generations.
The presence of renowned experts in the field, including psychologists, educators, addiction specialists, law enforcement professionals, and community leaders, provided valuable insights and practical strategies to tackle this issue preemptively. The community is as involved as the stakeholders in this initiative.
A group photo of the honorary panel members and handing of souvenirs to the esteemed panel culminated the ceremony. The event was hosted under the Public Diplomacy Initiative of Serena Hotels, a corporate social responsibility initiative that aims to discuss and create awareness of unaddressed issues prevalent in society.
