Young ambassadors exposed to elements of diplomacy

By Khaled Alabdulhadi

KUWIAT: The British Embassy hosted the closing ceremony on Thursday of the four-month long Young Ambassador Program initiative, which is a collaboration between the British and Canadian embassies, as well as the United Nations in Kuwait, who all partnered to bring a mix of public and private secondary school students with a range of diplomatic missions and organizations in Kuwait.

The British embassy elaborated on the events included in the program saying: “Events in the program included a call on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Diplomatic Institute, engaging with the Environment Public Authority on Kuwait’s biodiversity, a drama workshop, networking events with visiting senior officials, a tour of a military base, a mock crisis exercise, in addition to opportunities to oversee the daily work of the respective diplomatic organizations involved in the collaboration. Students were exposed to key elements of diplomacy and built skills that will help them to become advocates and leaders in their communities.”

“A key theme throughout the program was gender equality and how to combat gender-based violence. The Young Ambassadors met a range of relevant civil society organizations and academics to learn about new ideas as well as to provide ideas of their own that will help create a more equal world where everyone can contribute their ideas and fulfill their potential. The program was launched on the International Day of the Girl, and the closing ceremony itself was timed to coincide with the week of International Women’s Day,” the embassy said in remark of the international woman’s day.

“In total, 24 diplomatic organizations took part in the program, with 30 students receiving certificates recognizing their active participation. Moreover, diplomatic organizations, students and their schools, the program owes its success to its partners the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences, as well as a range of academic, civil society partners,” The British embassy clarified.

British Ambassador to Kuwait, Belinda Lewis said: “The Young Ambassadors initiative has delivered so many positive outcomes. The activities have helped to build the confidence and broaden the experience of young people involved. I hope this will be useful when the participants come to think about career choices and different ways to serve their communities.”

“I also hope the engagement with lots of diverse role models will encourage the young people to focus on talent and aspiration, regardless of gender, age, background or any other factors,” Ambassador Lewis added. On her part, Canadian Ambassador to Kuwait, Aliya Mawani said: “It has been wonderful to get to know the Young Ambassadors and watch these already talented students develop their leadership and advocacy skills through the program.”

“I have learned so much from my interactions with this group and been so impressed by the way they have embraced the unknown during this experience. I look forward to seeing where their journeys take them. I am confident that they will be excellent champions for gender equality and that their efforts will contribute to a better world for us all. The future is bright,” she expressed.

Dr Assad Hafeez, United Nations Resident Coordinator said “The United Nations in Kuwait had the pleasure of collaborating with the British and Canadian Embassies on this program, aiming to support the Young Ambassadors in familiarizing themselves with leadership skills and the art of diplomacy, as well as becoming confident and effective champions of gender equality and a world where each of us, regardless of who we are of what we look like, has an equal opportunity to contribute and fulfill our potential.”

“This experience was a unique opportunity to work with and learn from these talented young individuals and hear their ideas about how to promote gender equality and tackle gender based violence. This program is by all means a great example of multilateral collaboration of the international community working towards a common strategic objective and priorities,” he added.

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