SCO youth league looks to expand footprints

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The SCO Countries Youth League is looking to expand its footprints a year after its establishment in April 2017, with creation of hubs in each of the 18 countries associated with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

“One of our plans is to create more hubs in different SCO cities and countries, where we can strengthen the network and create more professional relationships between the young leaders from these countries,” Victoria Khu, one of the co-founders of the league told CGTN Digital.

“We want the Generation SCO to be connected, and to be connected from a very young age. And in the future, I believe this will lead to more productive cooperation between the SCO countries,” she added.

The league is also set to organize its first program outside China this year, which will be held in July in the form of an SCO Summer School at the St Petersburg State University of Economics in Russia. About 20 youth league members will participate in the program aimed at honing leadership skills.

Young members of the SCO Countries Youth League pose with SCO Secretary-General Rashid Alimov (center) at the organization's headquarters in Beijing. /Photo via SCO Countries Youth League

A brainchild of Victoria Khu, who describes herself as a Russian-born Chinese, and Olim Alimov from Tajikistan, the league was formed last April as a platform for youths from SCO countries to exchange ideas and encourage dialogue in a bid to create a new generation of young leaders.

Within a year the youth league has drawn over 200 students, young professionals and entrepreneurs from 18 SCO countries. As of now, most of the youth league members are based in China, a majority of which are in Beijing and some in Shanghai, Dalian, Hainan and a few other cities.

The SCO, which was founded as a grouping of China, Russia and five former Soviet countries from Central Asia – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan – in 2001 saw its first expansion last year when it included India and Pakistan as full members.

In addition, Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran and Mongolia have observer status while six countries, namely Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Turkey are on board as dialogue partners.

Focus on cultural diversity

The SCO Countries Youth League have members from all the 18 nations that are represented at the organization, representing a diverse blend of culture and pluralism. /Photo via SCO Countries Youth League

While initially the youth league was a close-knit group of Russian-speaking individuals, the inclusion of additional countries in the SCO fold has certainly increased its membership base in China.

“It all started as the gathering of a group of friends who were very close to each other. So, we had up to 7 to 10 people in the beginning and then within a year we had a very big interest from all the SCO countries,” said Khu.

“Right now, we represent the 18 SCO countries, which is 45 per cent of the world's population and each fifth person is a young representative,” she added.

There is a strong recognition of the group’s cultural diversity within the youth league members.

“Before India and Pakistan joined, we had just six countries and five of which were from the former Soviet Union where the culture is very similar. So, the only country with a different culture was China,” said Azim Radzhabov of Tajikistan.

“Now we can learn about India and Pakistan and they also can learn about our cultures and of those of Russia and China as well,” he added.

An SCO Countries Youth League member helps herself to a serving of pilaf – a dish of rice cooked in seasoned broth popular in both Central and South Asian countries – at an event in Beijing. /Photo via SCO Countries Youth League

Mohnish Kedia, a Yenching Academy scholar from India at Peking University, agreed that the youth league offers a great platform for cultural exchanges and awareness.

“The SCO Youth League allowed me to get to know people from so many different countries in Central Asia, learn their cultures, also learn about similarities in our cultures… whether it's pilaf (a dish of rice cooked in seasoned broth popular in both Central and South Asian countries and pronounced pulao in the latter) or other food items, or whether in terms of music,” Kedia said.

Sanaa Ganbat of Mongolia, who’s pursuing a master’s program in international relations at the Yenching Academy of Peking University concurred saying the addition of more members have significantly increased the interactions within the league members.

Connecting with leaders, institutions

SCO Countries Youth League members met the Russian Ambassador to China Andrey Denisov (sitting) in March 2018 as part of "discussion club" event in Beijing. /Photo via SCO Countries Youth League

One of the most popular programs of the SCO youth league is the "discussion club" which offers members a chance to interact with ambassadors and other experts and leaders from different fields.

Besides, the league also offers training programs through workshops and other interactive programs in association with other international youth organizations such as StartUp Grind, Global Shapers and BeHive. The league also organizes field trips to companies and startup incubators in China.

In its brief existence of a little over a year, the youth league has successfully established connections with institutions and leaders in various fields, cooperating closely with the SCO Secretariat in Beijing and other organizations.

“The SCO headquarters have consistently included us in most of the activities that they have organized. The secretariat officials have been very generous in terms of engaging with the youth members, so we've had regular interactions with the SCO Secretary-General,” said Nishat Kazmi from Pakistan, who’s also a Yenching Academy scholar at Peking University.

“We are also very grateful to the secretariat for enabling us to interact with the ambassadors at the embassies of other member countries,” he added.

“These kind of interactions are obviously a great knowledge transfer for young leaders like us who would like to learn more about how international organizations work and how they cooperate. So interacting with the people of the organization and getting to attend the events give us a huge moral and knowledge boost,” Kedia elaborated.

China, a magnet for SCO youth

The SCO Countries Youth League in association with BeHive organized a workshop on volunteering at the premises of the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing on May 16, 2018. /CGTN Photo

Most of the youth league members acknowledge that being in China has been one of the greatest advantages for them.

“China being a major player and a major economy obviously is kind of a magnet which brings all these countries together,” opined Kedia.

“China shares borders with nearly all the SCO countries and also China hosts students from all these countries. Also, the SCO headquarters is based in Beijing. In that regard China obviously has a major role to play in the progress and expansion of the youth league,” he elucidated.

Echoing similar views, Khu said: “China is a glue for all the SCO countries and therefore for the youth league. All the youth league members are united due to our common linkage with China. It was therefore natural to have our first hub in Beijing.”

“I particularly appreciate the fact that being in China, I've had the opportunity to meet with professionals who are interested in international development, international cooperation between these three very distinct regions and countries of Central Asia-Russia, China and South Asia,” added Kazmi.

But the need for expanding the league’s network in other SCO countries or in places with representative population from these countries is something that is felt by most of its members now.

“For example Singapore is a good place where people from all the SCO countries go to study. So we plan to expand this organization and branch out in other countries and collaborate together to forward the vision of the SCO,” said Kedia.

Even as the leaders of the SCO member states prepare to attend the organization’s annual summit in China’s eastern coastal city of Qingdao, the young brigade from these countries have set their goals high in offering collaborative leadership in the future. They said their aim is to build a common bright future in line with the SCO spirit of mutual trust, benefit, equality, consultation and respect for cultural diversity.

Camera-person & Video Editor: Geng Zhibin

Reporter & Director: Abhishek G Bhaya

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