The National Youth Agency - Young Muslim Advisory Group (YMAG)

Young Muslim Advisory Group (YMAG)

The application deadline for the Young Muslims' Advisory Group is now closed, with a huge number of applications received. We wish to thank all those that have taken the time to apply.

Young Muslims’ Advisory Group (YMAG)

Establishing the Young Muslims’ Advisory Group

Aim

To establish a national Young Muslims’ Advisory Group (YMAG) to talk directly to government on issues, aspirations and concerns that informs the lives of young Muslims in England.

Purpose

To facilitate an ongoing and meaningful dialogue between government and young people on the experience of being a young Muslim in England and the opportunity to influence government strategy and policy on issues that affect them.
To explore the causes and impact of violent extremism and underlying causes of disaffection (including anti-terror legislation, stop and search, identity issues, foreign policy, Islamophobia, discrimination, etc) on Muslim young people and Muslim communities.
To support and encourage young people to be active in their communities in order to tackle disaffection, increase civic engagement and respond to concerns felt by other young people.
To support young people to develop confidence and skills and in making appropriate contributions to the development of their communities.

What Will The Group Do?

Establish a direct conversation between young people and government policy makers without mediation, explanation, interpretation or censorship.
Generate ideas for practical solutions to issues identified through wider consultation with other young people and existing projects.
Play a leading role in shaping and delivering a national Youth Conference in 2008.
Engage proactively with the media to ensure that positive images of young Muslim people are portrayed and to stimulate a positive debate around the issue’s affecting young Muslims in Britain.

The Offer To Young People

Government will offer young people:

Direct access to ministers and policy-makers to feed into the design of government policy with young people shaping the agenda
Media and presentation skills training to ensure they have the skills and confidence to articulate their concerns and aspirations and engage with the media.
Support in taking a peer leadership role in their communities.
Creative ways to express the wider views of young Muslims and the opportunity to develop a variety of projects for Muslim young people to contribute their views using multi media, film etc.
The opportunity to shape and influence a national youth conference to discuss practical outcomes, services and actions for young people.
A commitment to communicate the recommendations of the YMAG across different departmental portfolios.

As a YMAG member you will get the opportunity:

To attend a free three day residential* on the 27 - 29 August 2008.
To have training provided by leading figures and experts from specialist fields.
To speak directly to Ministers on issues that affects the lives of young Muslims.
To shape agenda and contribute to policy-making.
To put forward goals and aspirations of young Muslims in England.
To organise and lead a national conference.
The residential will be faith and culturally sensitive. 20 individuals will be selected at the end of the residential from across all regions of England to form the Young Muslims’ Advisory Group.

For more information regarding the Young Muslims’ Advisory Group (YMAG) please contact:

Priya Patel, National Youth Agency, Eastgate House, 19-23 Humberstone Road, Leicester, LE5 3GJ
Tel: 0116 2427450 Email: ymag@nya.org.uk Website: www.nya.org.uk/ymag