Young leaders from Egypt and Tunisia unite in London
22 August 2011
Young adults helping to shape the future of the Middle East and North Africa will meet the Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, at an event in London organised by the British Council – the UK’s cultural relations organisation – with support from the Westminster Foundation for Democracy.
The young people from Egypt and Tunisia are all actively involved in the youth movements in their own countries – with many having taken part in the demonstrations in Tunisia and Tahrir Square. Their trip to the UK is part of the British Council’s work with young people around the world, and will help to inform the international response to the changing political landscape in the region. The visit is being supported by the Westminster Foundation for Democracy, which works to support and strengthen democracy around the world through developing political parties and parliaments.
On Monday 22 August, the young leaders will meet with the Deputy Prime Minister and participate in a panel discussion on Open Societies in North Africa at the British Council’s headquarters.
On Tuesday 23 August, they will take part in a discussion with the Westminster Foundation for Democracy on getting young people involved in politics. This will be followed by an event in partnership with the Young Foundation, where they will meet with young people from the UK to share insights and learning from the recent unrest in both the Middle East and UK, and to look at how wellbeing can be improved in society.
Many of the young people are involved in the British Council’s Global Changemakers programme – an international network of exceptional 18-25 year-old leaders and social entrepreneurs. There are more than 500 members - proven influencers amongst their generation - who reach many thousands more through their work.
Yasmin Mohamed is one of the leaders coming to the UK from Egypt. She participated in the demonstrations in Tahrir Square earlier this year, and works to empower and engage young people. She has carried out workshops in Cairo, Tanta, Mansoura and Alexandria for students in public schools and universities about the importance of entrepreneurship, and helped them to start up their own ventures. She has been a Global Changemaker for the past two years.
Yasmin said: “I felt so safe in Tahrir Square, I felt like everyone was united. One of the most interesting things was how my parents changed their attitudes towards the revolution. At the beginning, they were too scared to let me join the protests and I would go behind their backs, then, little by little, they went to Tahrir themselves and since that day we went as a family and protested together.”
Samar Mezghanni is from Tunisia, where she plays an active role in youth development. She is a prominent member of the Scholar Youth National Organisation – an important Tunisian NGO tackling youth issues. Samar will shortly begin an MSc in Mass Communication at Birmingham University, on a Chevening Scholarship. Like Yasmin, she has been a Global Changemaker for the past two years.
Zied Touzani, an Engineering graduate from Tunisia, is active in the country’s youth movement. He has been involved in the Global Changemakers programme for the past six months.
The British Council has been working in the Middle East and North Africa since the 1930s, and is addressing the new challenges in the region by increasing its work to meet the evolving needs of the people. This includes a focus on developing skills, encouraging new forms of creative expression in the arts, opening international opportunities in Higher Education, and enabling all citizens’ voices to be heard. The organisation hopes that addressing these factors will encourage a close and positive relationship with the UK and contribute to improving economic conditions for the region.
Martin Davidson, British Council Chief Executive, said: “This visit supports our desire for frank discussion and debate with those who have seen at first hand the dramatic changes which have swept the Middle East and North Africa, especially in Egypt and Tunisia. The British Council is bringing together voices from the UK with those from the region to discuss how the UK can best respond to the aspirations of those shaping their countries’ futures.”
The Westminster Foundation for Democracy has been working in the MENA region since 2005, strengthening links between UK and Arab politicians, encouraging cross-party dialogue and building trust between political institutions and citizens. The Foundation is currently launching new programmes in Tunisia and Egypt through the Arab Partnership Fund (APF). The fund is part of the UK's initiative to shape policy and strengthen support to those in the countries of the Middle East and North Africa seeking more open and plural societies.
Linda Duffield, CEO of WFD said: “This event reflects the UK’s willingness to work in collaboration with young Arab leaders. We are delighted to have representatives from Tunisia and Egypt here in the UK at the same time and to listen to their respective experiences. It is an exciting time for these countries and for the region as a whole, and it is providing new opportunities for renewed collaboration with the UK. This visit is a timely opportunity to learn from these young people and to share fresh ideas.”
For more information, please contact:
Mark Moulding, British Council Press Office
+44 (0) 207 389 4889 or mark.moulding@britishcouncil.org
Notes to Editors:
Yasmin Mohamed, Samar Mezghanni, Zied Touzani and Martin Davidson are all available for interview. Please contact Mark Moulding in the British Council Press Office if you would like to arrange this.
The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations. We create international opportunities for the people of the UK and other countries and build trust between them worldwide. We work in over 100 countries in the arts, education and English and in 2010/11 we engaged face to face with 30 million people and reached 578 million. We have 6,800 staff worldwide. Our total turnover in 2010/11 was £693 million, of which our grant-in-aid from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office was £190 million. The remainder was generated through trading activities such as English language teaching. For every £1 of taxpayer money invested we earn £2.65 in additional income. For more information, please visit: www.britishcouncil.org
The Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) is the UK’s democracy-building foundation. WFD was set up in 1992 as an independent public body sponsored by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, specialising in parliamentary strengthening and political party development. The Foundation is uniquely placed to draw directly on the expertise and involvement of the Westminster political parties and as such, works on a party-to-party and cross-party basis to develop the capacity of political parties and politicians to operate effectively in pluralistic and peaceful democracies. The Foundation’s parliamentary strengthening work focuses on improving governance through developing sustainable capacity among parliamentarians, parliamentary staff and parliamentary structures to ensure transparency and accountability. For more information, please visit www.wfd.org
