aimed at promoting values of tolerance and peaceful coexistence, as well as strengthening scientific and cultural ties between the academic seminaries and Iraqi universities. With the patronage of the President of Al-Furat Al-Awsat Technical University, Prof. Dr. Hassan Latif Al-Zubaidi, the Department of Anesthesia Techniques in the College of Health and Medical Technologies in Kufa, Al-Furat Al-Awsat Technical University, organized the symposium in collaboration with the Najaf Service Association. The lecture was delivered by His Eminence, Sayyid Murtadha Al-Modarresi, with evening study students in attendance.
The symposium began with a recitation from the Holy Quran and a reading of Al-Fatihah in honor of the souls of the martyrs. In his speech, the University President emphasized that the symposium targeted students as a key demographic and the cornerstone of every society, representing the strength of any nation. He noted that in the current era, youth serve as a vital axis for social change and development, as they possess the energy and vitality needed to lead transformation projects. Youth contribute across various fields, including improving infrastructure, advancing educational programs, and raising awareness about social issues. Their openness to change and innovation positions them as a driving force in politics and economics. Through active participation in decision-making and social initiatives, youth can achieve a sustainable positive impact in their communities.
Al-Modarresi further emphasized the importance of fostering awareness of the youth’s role in societal building and addressing contemporary challenges, especially amid the Arab and regional political climate. He stressed the necessity of ongoing lectures and discussion sessions that analyze the role of youth in technology and entrepreneurship, as well as their engagement in community development.
Dr. Amir Al-Rumaithi, Head of the Department of Anesthesia Techniques, outlined the symposium’s topics, which included its additional objectives, such as enhancing youth awareness of their role in building society, motivating them to contribute to positive development and change, and addressing the challenges facing youth in today’s world. With the world becoming a “small village” due to social media, he highlighted the influence of words in shaping and transforming ideologies, fostering youth’s leadership and innovation skills, and promoting communication and collaboration among institutions.
The symposium also touched on the intentional marginalization of youth, who are often portrayed as immature adolescents preoccupied with technology and entertainment, ignoring their essential role in shaping the future. This stereotype is partly attributed to the concept of “adolescence,” which has become popular as a stage that perpetuates a gap between youth and responsibility. This concept, largely Western, often excuses young people from serious commitments. Historical examples were also cited, contrasting this image with the active role of youth in the early Islamic era, where they were leaders and builders of the Islamic community. Figures such as Uosama ibn Zaid, who led an army at the age of seventeen, were highlighted as symbols of youth contributing passionately and courageously to society, spreading religious values, and serving their communities. The idea of “marginalizing the role of youth” is thus seen as an ineffective attempt to create a generation that avoids responsibility, remaining in a prolonged state of childhood without preparing to undertake the tasks essential to building and advancing societies.
