Speaking at the international Youth Forum “Strengthening the Role of Youth in the Postcolonial Era,” organized by the Baku Initiative Group in Baku, Akashdeep Singh Chahai, Chairman of the Canadian “Panth Punjab” project, underlined the significance of the platform for discussing the growing influence of young people in global processes.

He noted that young people are not only future leaders but also active participants in shaping post-colonial realities.

According to him, many existing state structures were formed through historical colonial processes and do not always reflect the identities of all peoples. In this context, he stressed that youth empowerment should go beyond participation in existing systems and include enabling communities to define their own development paths based on traditional governance models, sovereignty, and historical values.

Chahai expressed confidence that the forum’s discussions would be productive, adding that the post-colonial future is not pre-determined but is being shaped through current dialogue and joint initiatives.