Volunteers and students with impairments at Jammu University were given access to leadership skills training

Jammu, December 26: Under the theme “Leadership skills for an inclusive world: Challenges and Prospects,” Disability Initiatives, University of Jammu, in partnership with the Office of Programme Coordinator, NSS, JU, and ELFA International, is hosting a two-day workshop for NSS volunteers and students with disabilities. Pardeep Dutta, Senior Editor of Times Now, was the main guest at the workshop’s opening event today.
 
Sh. Dutta said during his speech on the occasion that the most important trait that may help us succeed in any circumstance is resolve. To build an inclusive society, it is crucial to provide assistance to those in need. He says our tendency to categorize individuals as abnormal or normal is a result of societal training. He urged the pupils to become creators of their own destiny and to embrace their inner possibilities. He continued by saying that an inclusive strategy needs to be founded on compassion rather than altruism.
 
At the workshop’s welcoming speech, Prof. Sarika Manhas, Coordinator of Disability Initiatives at JU, said that since they are more sympathetic and kind, students with disabilities have the potential to be global leaders. She emphasized that young people, especially those with impairments, should have their leadership potential fully realized. The University of Jammu is dedicated to supporting people with disabilities and works hard to improve their lives and experiences, the speaker said. By reaching out to the underprivileged and downtrodden, she also hoped that the NSS volunteers would develop into real leaders.
 
The workshop’s goals were addressed by Dr. Hema Gandotra, co-convener and program coordinator for NSS at JU. The speaker emphasized that NSS volunteers operate on the tenets of “not me but you” and “once a volunteer, always a volunteer,” and as such, they play a unique role in fostering equitable societal structures. In addition, she emphasized that NSS is a sentiment that all volunteers possess deeply, rather than only a label. The volunteers, she said, should always be prepared to provide assistance to anyone who is disabled.
 
The importance of drive, tenacity, and persistence in empowering young people was emphasized by Mehran Khan, the CEO and founder of ELFA International and a major workshop resource. In order to establish fairness and equality in society, he offered several tactics. The qualities of a successful leader, he said, are empathy and inclusivity.
 
Faculty members Neelam Choudhary, DD, and OE, JU, gave the official vote of gratitude.
 
An instructional session that included games and activities taught kids leadership skills after the initial session.
 
In addition to NSS volunteers from the main campus and other colleges, over fifty students with disabilities from several teaching departments at the university actively participated in the session.
 
Ms. Vinish Malik, Ms. Meghna Sharma, Ms. Vishawdeepika, Ms. Insha, Mr. Lokesh Kumar, Mr. Shiv Pal, and Ms. Manu Saini, a team of research scholars from the Department of Home Science and Sociology, assisted in making the workshop go well.