Young Leaders Civic Engagement Programme 2025 NOTES:
Monday: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO)
Programme Introduction:
Programme lead, Mustafa, introduced himself and peers on the journey. He explained how he was quite proud to be in the position to be able to talk to the youth and inspire us to make change. What I found quite real was that the need for spending on specific activities such as counter terrorism, domestic abuse and others isn't always one that people WANT to spend money on, rather they would rather engage the youth and try to boost society, instead of trying to control and prevent..
The government is not great at talking to minorities. For instance, talking to ‘Hindus’ is often also labelled as talking to “Indians”. This doesn’t include all the different types of hindus and can often “box” people up into groups. This problem has been critical in the adult social care industry, where culture hasnt been accounted for. Mustafa suggested that a more bespoke method to social care is required.
There were other matters also addressed, for instance why the king’s coronation was done by a white hindu representative. Personally, I didn't find this too important/insulating but I can understand why other Hindus may find it so. We addressed how rather than creating bubbles, the communities should try and work together; a greater need for more religious integration and learn from each other rather than simply always focusing on our own.
Talk from the FCDO:
Angeline Turner – Senior Principal Analyst
Shahen Dalia – Head, Iraq Team
Lahiru (Larry) Bulathwela – Research Analyst | Data-enabled Technology
Lahiru (Larry) Bulathwela – Research Analyst | Data-enabled Technology:
Larry is a tech researcher/analyst and explained how you really need to know a lot of about your topics of expertise, which means a lot of research and learning. He explained how he uses his own knowledge and also will put himself out there by traveling and building connections. He tries using evidence to bring people to his side and stressed the need to be a good communicator. Alongside this, working with a team is really important and you need to ensure that you are able to come across as clear and professional whilst doing so.
There are often many grey areas to deal with politics. To deal with this, you have to be structural in your analysis and make sure that your personal views are “left at the door”. Make sure when building on these skills, you try and improve your teamwork, ability to present information, and take random opportunities. There is a lot of AI usage in the FDCO, making sure you know the limitations as well as the efficiencies can be very useful. Here, it is also important to distinguish between your values and politics, and making sure that you are serving the best interests of society, rather than your own, which can be quite challenging.
Shahen Dalia – Head, Iraq Team
Shahen spoke about how important the private sector is to the public industry. The home office often contracts private sector industries. The private sector may also have a variety of tools to gain more of an understanding about what you are trying to research, such as geopolitical uncertainty and vice versa. This knowledge is great for mutual understanding.
We were also taught the 5 different themes of diplomats.
The first being the ability to use soft power, speaking to people. Using personal experiences and being able to understand the internal politics and be able to persuade people to help you out. Shahen explained his personal experience in Ireland where he helped Prince Charles and Camilla feel more welcomed, an example of soft power that might subtly make them more willing to help you out. External politics and building a rapport with people around the internal network to gauge information. For example, the UK government has a no contract policy when working in Hasbulla, so the idea was to learn around the world and then try to infiltrate from there. Crisis management is crucial, an explosion in (for instance) Beirut, may require a lot of people needing food and shelter. How can they provide this?
Programmes are useful too, providing a greater understanding about what can be done to help and talking about political awareness and helping counter threats, such as terrorism. Policy, implementing problem solving methods to fix an issue. It is a journey and usually reactive.
Given Shahen’s background, we also had a greater look at the Iraq team more specifically and his work around migration, security, counter-terrorism, climate, gender issues, trade and the economy in general too. His work often aligns with two main ideas: pre-emptive and preventative methods. The former is something that uses a lot of historical context, the latter using more present information to find out what they can do more specifically to a situation that may arise.
Angeline Turner – Senior Principal Analyst
There are many different roles in the foreign office. Research analysts, librarians, map makers, lawyers and plenty of different roles for different skillsets. There are also a variety of programmes that are run. Some are through the crown service, where you are required to complete and overseas duty and some are the civil service, where you have to stay loyal to London in your duties. What was pretty useful for me was the journey of Angeline Turner, who was at the treasury and in the economics world, and then moved into an analyst's role.
Crisis management are crucial skills that the panel developed over time. There are 3 levels to crisis at FDCO: Gold, silver, and bronze. The organisation gets together and decides how to manage this exogenous shock and bring about stability again. Later on in the discussion, we learnt how important it really was to work under pressure like this and how these skills are valuable in the private sector. Other skills that you would like to develop are provided by the FDCO such as taking special unpaid leave for learning more about an industry, or wanting to learn a language so you can communicate better and understand more when talking to locals.
Tuesday :Visit to the United Nations Association and Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG)
Visit to the United Nations Association:
09:30 AM – 11:00 AM – Session with MHCLG. Speakers:
Welcome by Jane Kinninmont, United Nations Association Chief Executive
Conversation with London Assembly Member Zoe Garbett
Location: United Nations Association, Royal Horseguards Hotel, 3 Whitehall Ct, London, SW1A 2EL
Visit to MHCLG
11:30 AM – 2:30 PM – Session with MHCLG. Speakers:
Alice Taylor – Faith and Belief Team Leader
Alice Westall – Apprenticeship Strategy Lead
Ben Greener – Deputy Director
Ben William – Senior Policy Adviser
Ikram El Hayyani – Senior Policy Adviser
Rhod Jones – Communications Officer
3:45 PM – 4.45 PM
Conversation with Joy Johnston, the Prime Minister’s Special Adviser on Faith, Communities and Civil Society
Location: MHCLG, Room: PG50 - Conf Room 5A (Floor 0), 2 Marsham Street, London, SW1P 4DF
Attendees are required to bring a valid government-issued ID
23rd July 2025: Mayor of Newham and London Assembly
British Indian Army Contribution to WW2: a highlight of the contribution of diverse faith communities:
There was a huge involvement of hindu and muslim soldiers in the war effort. This includes about 3 million Hindus and about 1 million muslims working alongside the western alliance. The idea here was that, by looking at periods of the past where Hindus and muslims worked together, we could take inspiration in present day society and not create our own little bubbles. This is often overlooked in the modern day GCSE courses and it would be important to understand that yes, hindus and muslims are more similar than different.
We had a look at a number of case studies. One was the George Cox murdering situation in 2016 where her views led to being labelled as a radicalist and a “sell out”. The southport attacks and the focus on mosques but on other communities too. The Hindu, Jew, Muslim etc communities need to learn that they are not simply alone but should have the backing of communities around them. Joanna Lumley who had a huge role in the Gurkha campaign: she spearheaded a successful effort to secure settlement rights in the UK for Gurkha veterans who retired before 1997. Lumley's father served in the 6th Gurkha Rifles, which fueled her passion for the cause.
A greater look at the Jewish community and how there might be a greater form of securitisation. They often lack trust. To help other communities integrate with them more, initiatives such as projects can really help. You also have to be open minded and ensure that you suppress your views and try to understand others. Education, exposure, improved media, and asking for opportunites.
Stand Up - Education Website
A programme run by jews and muslim with a focus on anti-bullying, anti-discrimination and anti propaganda. The aim is to debunk stereotypes.
Here we looked at the impact of social media and how it is really causing divide and bubbles between communities. What was interesting was that the pay of politicians in the UK is less than the pay of politicians in other countries. This means that politicians need to try and break into power to earn different revenue streams.
Improving community strength- The Central Mosque of Brent
Opening Remarks by Dr. Amjid Riaz:
Dr. Riaz was a humble man who explained all the initiatives the mosque took with the ocal community and how they hosted programmes such as foodbanks and english speaking classes. He explained how they had a net zero garden and how tehy are also known for providing the most number of vaccinations during the pandemic.
Krupesh Hirani AM – Civic Engagement & Youth Q&A
It was nice to know that krupesh and I had a bunch of connections Before meeting him for the first time itself. He was a London assemblyman and was also the holding mayor of London. His role is to represent the people of Brent and Harrow. His role includes representing people regardless of their faith and really tries to bring about drive for other communities and not just him.
Cllr Muhammad Butt – Local Leadership & Brent Strategy
The legal counselor also asked mayor explained how we really need to engage in politics and the fact that there's so many initiatives such as the British youth council and other multiple routes for you to get involved with local politics. The fact is that you can stand at 18 and have a say. Doctor Riaz added to this point and said how a true role of a mosque is for different communities to be able to come together in the Muslim scriptures it was written that our Masjid helped give aid to a Hindu and a Jew and gave them a room to pray. Another question that was really well asked was how you can get they use involved rather than just simply consulting them. A potential paid role might help additionally people's are not just Muslims Christians etcetera but humans. Additionally schools need to give extra advice and really help the youth understand politics in general a youth safety club reporting incidences. The London violence council was established recently and is there for you to go to.
Georgie Gould MP – National Policy, Leadership & Youth Voice
Georgie was responsible for running a summer school in the centre of Moscow and was also a public sector activist trying to bring about change for the recent voting age change. She was big councillor for the last 15 years and really wants synagogues and mosques to come together to help thousands of refugees. She explained her labour background and how she had a surgery where she would learn more about people from different faiths and backgrounds and how their lives were impacted by the struggles around them.
Closing by Dr. Deesha Chadha
Here we learn how important it was to give and not always receive sometimes all we want is information from person ideas from a person but instead we should be more willing to have a two way relationship
24th July 2025: The Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC)
The role of MOPAC (Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime) is to ensure that terrorism and attacks in the UK are kept to a minimum. They have established the Shared Endeavour Fund, which aims to reduce antisemitism and conflict—issues that have been on the rise in recent years. The fund supports initiatives that counter radicalisation, address hate crime, and promote community cohesion.
The UK government has assessed the current terrorism threat level as “substantial,” due to increased arrests for terrorism-related offences and the growing circulation of radicalised content online. MOPAC emphasises oversight and accountability, ensuring that there are clear reviews and responses whenever incidents occur. Their strategy includes preventative measures and community engagement, such as regular closed meetings—often involving figures like Sadiq Khan—which provide a safe space to share ideas and propose solutions.
The Shared Endeavour Fund, created in 2017 following several major UK terrorist attacks (including Westminster), focuses on:
Building awareness and resilience within communities
Promoting positive, action-based projects to counter extremism
Increasing training and skills for those working in this field
In addition to this fund, MOPAC runs other initiatives, such as Stand Out Future Leaders and Extreme Hate, aimed at empowering young people and tackling hate-driven ideologies. These projects are independently audited to measure their effectiveness.
MOPAC also works closely with the Home Office, Counter-Terrorism Policing, and other agencies to collect and analyse data. A key part of their approach is encouraging the public to report even minor incidents, which helps ensure accurate threat assessments and appropriate allocation of funding.
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