Rizwan Anwar on Cultural Diversity and Youth Revolution Clan

ProfileRizwan Anwar Virk, then 26, told SBS Punjabi in August 2017 that cultural diversity can help bring peace, and described how his organisation, Youth Revolution Clan, was inviting speakers from other countries to Pakistan to share their cultures.

The profile is an early record of the ideas behind his work: young people serving their communities, and culture as a bridge between societies.

Youth Revolution Clan

SBS describes Rizwan Anwar Virk as a social entrepreneur and the chair and founder of Youth Revolution Clan, which he started in 2007 as a platform for young people to serve their communities and bring positive social change, especially by empowering young girls and women.

The organisation, the report says, has partnered with the private sector, government institutions and international organisations to support Pakistani youth.

A project on cultural diversity

The organisation’s project at the time focused on cultural diversity in Pakistan, aiming to teach people about the country’s cultures and the part they play in bringing society together.

It invited speakers from several countries to Pakistan to talk about their cultures, customs and traditions, and the similarities they share. Rizwan hoped that welcoming visitors would show the world Pakistan’s culture and counter negative impressions of the country. He said Pakistanis value hospitality and treat guests with great respect.

Learning cultural entrepreneurship in Melbourne

Rizwan took part in an innovative cultural entrepreneurship course in Melbourne organised by Cultural Infusion. The course treats cultural entrepreneurship as a business approach that puts culture at the centre of an enterprise, and participants developed their own business ideas. Industry, academic and NGO leaders and practitioners from around the world, including Pakistan, took part.

He said culture is the world’s biggest industry after the petrochemical industry, with tourism, arts and entertainment and hotels among its dimensions, and that in Pakistan culture is often seen only as film or theatre. “I’ve learned that culture and cultural diversity is very important,” he told SBS.

He said he wants young people to take the course and start cultural enterprises in Pakistan, which he believes would build their careers and advance women’s empowerment and development, and that he planned to bring his knowledge home to educate more people about cultural diversity. The report also mentions an International Conference on Culture in Lahore in September, where he planned to share his ideas.

Sources and related reading

Original profile: SBS Punjabi. More on this site: Media & News, the London youth engagement session and the blog.