The Story of Pioneers Youth

The idea of creating Pioneers Youth was sparked at the conclusion of Pioneers EXPO 2018, a student-led Sustainable Development Conference held in Sri Lanka. Having created a Sustainability Analysis Report highlighting the obstacles Sri Lanka in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, the Organizing Committee of the event found that many of the issues identified were prevalent across South Asia.

Accordingly, Hiruni Herath, Anuki Mendis, Minupama Kariyawasam, Sakurani Perera and Viduravi Athulathmudali met on the 08th of December, 2018, at the Race Course in Colombo, where they decided to establish Pioneers Youth. They envisioned an organization in which volunteers would develop their skills and knowledge by engaging in the organization and ensuring a strong ripple effect in their communities.

The interviews for the founding Executive Committee were called on the 04th of February, 2019, and the first Executive Committee meeting was held on the 21st of February, 2019, in Sri Jayawardanapura Kotte.

Our Mission Is To Empower

Operational Countries

Number of Interest Clusters

Functioning Departments

Languages spoken in PY

Mehuli Sarkar and Aradhita Banerjee were the first Indian Volunteers to join Pioneers Youth in May of 2020, upon the invitation of Minupama Kariyawasam, kickstarting our expansion to other South Asian countries. With the contribution of Mehuli and Aradhita we were able to establish a thriving Pioneers Youth community in the State of West Bengal, India.

Kaustubh Basnet was the first Nepali Volunteer to join Pioneers Youth (October 2020), upon the invitation of Navodya Hettiarachchi. With his important contributions, we were able to create another successful community based in Kathmandu, Nepal, which later expanded under the leadership of Stuti Regmi.

Sangay Loday from Bhutan was invited to join Pioneers Youth by Jemima Uthayakumar. Sangay played a key role in the establishment of Pioneers Youth in Bhutan.

Muhammed Naqi, Aslam Khawajja and Faiqa Yasmin were appointed the Regional Heads of the Pakistan Community, which ensured its expansion.

Currently, we are currently working on establishing communities in other South Asian countries. We thank all aforementioned individuals, for helping us achieve this successful and rapid expansion into other South Asian countries.

Vision

Create a Youth Platform for Learning, Expression, Deliberation and Innovation

Our Core Values

Accountability

We, as youth, are obligated to ensure the right to
education in South Asia and to suggest recommendations to education-related issues.

Skill Development

We are a platform where volunteers are given the opportunities to explore and utilize their newly discovered skills.

Networking

We expose our volunteers to a diverse multitude of communities within South Asia.

Empowerment

We enable our volunteers with the necessary means to make a change not only within themselves but to their respective regions as well.

Collectivity

We strive to make a change in the South Asian region with the combined effort and strength of all the communities under our sphere of influence.

The Interest Cluster Programme

Pioneers Youth brings to you a youth-based career-oriented volunteer program for the first time in South Asia. Pioneers Youth offers South Asian youth a one-of-a-kind opportunity to volunteer while learning more about their fields of interest by surrounding themselves with like-minded individuals through the implementation of Interest Clusters, which volunteers join upon registration.

The Interest Clusters currently available within the organization are:

Cultural Studies - get exposed to diverse cultural backgrounds while learning different languages.
Psychology Cluster - discuss and learn about psychology and apply it with contemporary developments while connecting with peers.
Legal Cluster: comprehend the role of law in various situations across different states, how the law has evolved, and what the ideal law is.
International Relations Cluster - explore the functionality of international relations and how it affects geopolitics.
Media Cluster - Graphic design, photography, video editing, and even journalism are all opportunities that are right at your fingertips with the media cluster. Witness, learn, and demonstrate your competence.

Benefits of interest cluster-based volunteering include in depth discussions about your field of interest, understanding different perspectives, learning new information on your preferred interest, while networking and connecting with youth across South Asia, and being inspired to help others and developing your organizational skills.

Departments

The Executive Committee of Pioneers Youth has taken steps to create six different departments within the organization, keeping in mind the diverse skills brought into the organization by its volunteers.

These departments focus on different objectives of the organization and volunteers will have the capability of developing specific skills in each committee, if the volunteer is recruited as a department member.

While you, as a volunteer of Pioneers Youth, have the freedom to choose how you function within the organization, we recommend you get involved with the activities done by the departments to get the maximum experience from within the organization, while developing your skills and knowledge.

Regional Working Committee

The Regional Working Committees (RWC) have been established in every country which maintains at least 10 volunteers from the organization.

The RWC is responsible for all aspects of governance and administration for the designated region and will represent the Executive Committee of Pioneers Youth in all initiatives conducted in the region.

Currently, three officers have been mandated under the RWC:

Regional Secretary
Regional Officer (Administration)
Regional Officer (Public Relations)