The Commonwealth in partnership with Elevation Networks, a youth employment charity, brought together student leaders for the first Diaspora Leadership Summit, in partnership with Elevation Networks, a youth employment charity
The Diaspora Leadership Summit enabled over 60 students from Commonwealth countries who are based at universities in the United Kingdom to engage in seminars and debates with leading professionals on topics including employment, discrimination, race equality and education.
Speakers led panel discussions and workshops on issues such as labour market inequalities and social action for diaspora communities and offered practical and relevant advice to the participants.
Barbara Kasumu, Chief Executive of Elevation Networks, said: “Identifying the student leaders in a university setting where they have a constituency of their own and bringing them together to network, debate, collaborate and discuss for future initiatives is crucial. Things happen when people get together.”
Layne Robinson, Programme Officer for the Commonwealth Youth Programme, said: “We believe that student leaders, especially in the diaspora, have a lot to contribute to policy development. By creating spaces for innovative ideas to be exchanged, creative solutions can be discovered to meet the socio-economic challenges of our day.”
The Diaspora Leadership Summit marks the launch of Elevation Networks’ Great Debate Tour, the first of its kind targeted at cultural communities on UK university campuses across the UK.
The summit was also the launch of a Commonwealth Youth Diaspora Network series that will introduce participants to the work of the Commonwealth and provide a space for meaningful dialogue between young Commonwealth leaders.
Through the network, the Commonwealth is working with the Association of Commonwealth Universities, the Council for Education in the Commonwealth, the Commonwealth Students Association and Elevation Networks to create opportunities for young leaders in the Commonwealth diaspora.
For more information about the Commonwealth Youth Diaspora Network please contact [email protected] and look out for updates on our Facebook and Twitter pages.
