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It’s time to call youth efforts what they really are

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By Ahmad Albarjas

When socializing as a high school student, I often hear terms like “CV-boosting work” and “extracurriculars” used to describe youth-focused efforts. These include volunteering, participating in school clubs and internships, playing on sports teams, and generally being active in youth-led circles. But here’s the deal: The value of such work is often diminished by the fact that many students participate in these activities — not out of genuine passion, but because they feel obligated to. My experience in “extracurricular” circles has shown me that these activities are frequently seen as a burden — something students are expected to do at some point in high school just to earn college credit.

Don’t get me wrong. A strong portfolio of extracurriculars and an extraordinary body of work can almost guarantee an acceptance letter from a top college. But at what cost? Have we reduced these experiences to surface-level checklist items, rather than recognizing what they’re truly meant to represent?

We’ve forgotten that, over the past few years, many passionate youth have gradually turned extracurriculars into opportunities that genuinely make an impact — not just something we’re supposed to do to pad a half-empty resume. We’ve overlooked the real power of our efforts and reduced them to little more than application boosters, rather than meaningful tools to amplify youth voices and show that there are young people who actually care.

A research paper by Duygu Ileriturk, published in the journal Social Sciences & Humanities Open, looked at the history of extracurricular activities in the United States. “The practice of extracurricular activities began in the United States in the 19th century as part of the regular academic program. The first activities were carried out by Harvard and Yale universities according to the professional interests of the students,” the researcher wrote. The keyword here is “interests”. This suggests that the original purpose of extracurriculars was not “resume-padding”, but genuine exploration and passion — quite different from what they’ve become today.

There’s no widely recognized term that fully encompasses concepts like youth volunteering and youth-led initiatives — cause-driven student clubs for the environment, cancer awareness, journalism and more. Not even youth leadership programs or speech and debate competitions fall neatly under any term that truly captures their value. When we try to label this space, we end up with vague phrases like “youth empowerment work” or “community impact work” — buzzwords that sound like they were generated by artificial intelligence. Even the term “extracurriculars” undermines the value of these efforts by implying they’re just something we do “on the side”. To restore the meaning of these activities — and as an ode to truly passionate youth who will always have something to offer — we should begin to recognize them for what they are: Nonprofit work.

Nonprofit doesn’t have to mean institutional, humanitarian or philanthropic. These youth-led efforts are all nonprofit in nature because they aim to do good without profit as the driving force. The money doesn’t go into anyone’s pocket — it circulates within the organization to support its initiatives.

Logically, reframing extracurriculars as a branch of nonprofit work honors what they truly represent. They are efforts driven by passion and purpose, not personal gain. That name — nonprofit — reflects their real intention. Even so, after all that, a pressing question remains: Is passion alone enough to keep nonprofit work alive when the system mostly rewards performance, not purpose?

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Kuwaiti PM rep. reaffirms commitment to dialogue, regional security

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 ALULA, Saudi Arabia: Representing His Highness the Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, First Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Fahad Yusuf Saud Al-Sabah stressed Wednesday that Kuwait’s participation in Munich Security Conference (MSC) Leaders Meeting, reflects commitment to regional dialogue and cooperation.

In remarks to KUNA, on the sidelines of the meeting in AlUla city, Sheikh Fahad condemned Israeli aggression against Qatar and Gaza as a violation of international law, emphasizing that the assault posed a direct threat to Gulf collective security and broader regional stability, urging urgent international attention.

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He noted that the meeting provided a vital platform to discuss pressing global and regional security challenges, particularly the escalating conflicts and humanitarian tragedies in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories, where participants agreed sustainable security remains impossible amid ongoing Israeli aggression.

He warned of grave consequences from escalating conflicts caused by Israeli occupation’s aggression, stressing risks to Gulf stability, while noting deliberations also addressed maritime and energy security, non-proliferation, food and water security, economic challenges, and shared transnational threats facing the international community.Reaffirming Kuwait’s commitment under its current presidency of the GCC, Sheikh Fahad stressed the importance of bolstering collective security, unifying Gulf positions, and strengthening regional and international partnerships, while praising Saudi Arabia’s warm hospitality and MSC’s role in organizing this vital meeting. — KUNA

 

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Deliveroo Kuwait unveils exclusive global dishes

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KUWAIT: Deliveroo Kuwait is serving up a global culinary journey with the launch of the new dishes from “The Exchange Program”. The first-of-its-kind initiative sent four of Kuwait’s top chefs abroad to explore viral food trends. Each created a fusion dish inspired by their journey, available exclusively on Deliveroo.

The program kicked off with Chef Khaled Al-Baker of Young Po, who took inspiration from the bustling streets of Seoul, South Korea, to introduce Rabokki. The dish combines chewy rice cakes and ramen noodles in a spicy, savory sauce, bringing the authentic flavors of Korean street food straight to Kuwait.

From Rome, Italy, Chef Faisal Al-Nashmi of San Ristorante is introducing the Maritozzi Box. Featuring indulgent cream-filled buns, the dish captures the essence of Italy’s sweet traditions while adding Chef Al-Nashmi’s modern touch. Chef Sawsan Daana of Matbakhi is channeling the spirit of Athens, Greece, with the Savory Souffra. Inspired by the communal dining tables of the Mediterranean, this dish celebrates togetherness through a vibrant spread of flavors that highlight the richness and warmth of Greek cuisine.

Finally, OH G!’s Chef Ghalia Hayat is bringing a taste of London, England, with the Donut Pudding Ice Cream. Reinventing classic British desserts, this whimsical dish brings together Hayat’s salted caramel pudding ice cream with a decadent chocolatey fudge swirl and chunks of donut, to deliver a unique sweet experience that will surprise and delight.

Deliveroo Kuwait’s Exchange Program is more than just a menu — it’s a cultural experience. By spotlighting Kuwaiti chefs and their creative reinterpretations of international dishes, the program bridges food trends with local talent, inviting customers to explore the world without leaving their homes. All dishes are available now and for a limited time, exclusively on Deliveroo Kuwait.

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Kuwait to standardize recognition of foreign high school diplomas

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KUWAIT: Kuwait’s ministers of education and higher education are working on a unified system to recognize foreign high school diplomas, a move that comes amid long-running concerns over fairness in the government’s scholarship program.

Every year, thousands of Kuwaiti high school graduates compete for all-expenses-paid government scholarships to study abroad. While students from public, private, and foreign schools can apply, critics have repeatedly accused the program of favouring graduates of foreign-language private schools — a claim officials have repeatedly denied.

On Wednesday, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Dr Nader Al-Jallal and Minister of Education Jalal Al-Tabtabai held a joint meeting to discuss a standardized process. Senior officials from both ministries and representatives from higher education institutions also attended.

In a joint statement, the ministers said they focused on “organizational and technical aspects of the recognition process in a way that limits grade inflation and ensures fairness and equal opportunity for graduates of the Ministry of Education who wish to join various higher education institutions inside and outside the country.”

They also emphasized “the importance of continuing coordination and working in a team spirit between the two sides to reach an integrated and fair system that reinforces confidence in the mechanisms for recognizing foreign secondary school certificates” and committed to implementing the agreed-upon measures “to ensure swift completion and achieve the desired goals.”

The ministries said the effort will help unify procedures to meet the requirements of the coming phase and serve the public interest of students and their families. — Agencies

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