WASHINGTON (Staff Report) – Team FATE of Lahore University of Management and Sciences (LUMS), Pakistan, emerged victorious at a competition in Washington D.C., USA.
Out of 45 countries from all over the world, the Pakistani team stood tall on Thursday in the presentations, competing against teams from Switzerland and USA.
‘FATE – From Apathy to Empathy’ is a campaign, launched by students of LUMS, that aims to raise awareness and action against extremism.
“Getting the 1st position out of a total of 45 countries from all over the world is something we never imagined. We also received a standing ovation and applause from over 250 people present in the auditorium,” Bilal Saeed, memeber FATE’s anti-extremism campaign, wrote on Facebook.
“So glad to have been a part of this journey and to favorably represent LUMS and Pakistan at this prestigious platform,” he added.
The initiative has been taken by US Department of State under its International Students Exchange Programs.
“I think the project is a global challenge to give young people an opportunity to be part of the solution, rather than just part of the problem,” said Dr Anne Aly, Curtin University professor.
On June 4, the US Department of State hosted the finalists for the “P2P [Peer to Peer]: #ChallengingExtremism” initiative.
As part of the competition, university students designed, piloted, and tested new digital products and tools to energize and engage networks of youth to counter the social media presence and effectiveness of violent extremist messaging online.
