Unity, Freedom and Empowerment: A Minorities Day Celebration

On 8 August, 2025 YMCA Lahore hosted a special program to celebrate the National Minorities Day. Along with commemorating the National Minorities Day, the Independence Day was also celebrated with great zeal. The event aimed at fostering unity, freedom and empowerment for all citizens under the same shelter; Pakistan.

The event’s primary objective was to

• Celebrate national achievement and excellence by honoring and encouraging the Pakistani Christian cricket team for their remarkable victory against the host country Sri Lanka, in the tournament finals of the South Asian Legacy Cup.
• To highlight the contributions of minorities by raising awareness about the significant role minorities played in the creation of Pakistan.

Details of the Program:

The event was attended by a diverse audience of students, teachers and the staff from Lahore YMCA and was honored by the presence of the Chief Guest; Bishop of Lahore Rt. Revd. Nadeem Kamran. The event included: empowering and encouraging the young Christian cricketers. The cricketers were given medals for their incredible victory. Furthermore, the event comprised of inspiring and intriguing speeches, featuring performances by students who melodiously sang national songs and the cake cutting ceremony.

The event was led by the Assistant Secretary; Sania Ashiq and Student Counselor; Sarah Sarfraz as stage hosts. The event commenced with the recitation of the Bible and prayer which was followed by the collective singing of the national anthem. The event was graced by the presence of the Chief Guest; the Bishop of Lahore Rt. Revd. Nadeem Kamran. A number of students performed eagerly on the national songs. It was followed by the speech of the esteemed Chief Guest: Bishop of Lahore Rt. Revd. Nadeem Kamran; who, emphasized the critical role of Christians in the making of Pakistan and its national progress. Following the Bishop’s inspiring address, General Secretary Ghazala Sarfraz took the stage to highlight the role of minorities and their historical efforts in the Pakistan movement. The event’s special focus was to celebrate the national achievement of the Pakistani Christian cricket team and empower them. The Christian cricketers were awarded with medals for their marvelous victory against the host country; Sri Lanka. The event also included speeches of the Media Officer; Augustine Shakeel Zafar, Youth Coordinator; Ramis John and President Lahore YMCA; Asghar Suleman. The event drew to a close with the cake cutting ceremony.

This event proved to be a thriving success as it drew a total of 150 attendees. The event turned out to be successful because it was able to create an impact on the masses by educating them about the vital role of the minorities and by appreciating the achievement of the young cricketers. Through this event, the audience not only learnt about the importance of Independence Day but also gained a deeper appreciation for the vital role of Christians and that the minorities should be treated with respect and dignity. The event featured a number of insightful speeches from the students and the staff of Lahore YMCA.

The National Minorities Day event cultivated positive outcomes as the students gained a profound understanding of the significance of the minorities in the nation’s history. They got a deeper understanding of the terms - patriotism, freedom and respect for all communities. Moreover, a key outcome for the Lahore YMCA was the extensive media coverage the event received with reports and video clips featured on various news channels and outlets.

The event demonstrated that combining the celebration of Independence Day with National Minorities Day is a powerful and effective way to engage the community. The strong attendance and the media coverage showed that there is a significant need for these events that promote unity and diversity. Moreover, we learned that celebrating the cricket team’s victory was a great way to inspire both the youth and the wider community.

Feedback

“I was so astonished and honored when I was given a medal. The General Secretary’s vision of empowering youth is a commendable initiative that will provide a significant boost to our careers.”

-  Captain Pakistani Christian cricket team; Mark Suleman

“Seeing the Christian cricket team got honored showed me that anything is possible. It was very powerful and inspiring. The speeches and overall program was insightful and amazing. They not only taught me about the history of Pakistan but also the importance of a diverse society.”

-  Student, Lahore YMCA

Participants Contribution:

The participants performed enthusiastically and showed their talent.  First of all; the spiritual tone of the event was set by Kinret Waris, who led the Bible recitation and prayer which was done by Mala Nazar. The whole event was led by the Asssitant Secretary; Sania Ashiq and the Student Counselor; Sarah Sarfraz, ensuring its smooth flow. In addition, the students’ enthusiastic performances added a vibrant energy that contributed to the program’s overall success. Some students performed by singing national songs and some of them did speeches. There was a participant who did speech in Punjabi and two participants who read Urdu poetry beautifully.

Sarah Sarfraz
Student Counselor,
Lahore YMCA.