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18 / 06 / 13
London, 18 June: At a ceremony hosted by Baroness Warsi, 45 university students from a wide range of faith and non-religious backgrounds graduated from ParliaMentors, 3FF’s leadership programme. The students, who have been mentored by MPs and Peers, form part of a network of emerging leaders dedicated to building better relations between people of different beliefs and cultures.
In her address to the graduating ParliaMentors students, Baroness Warsi said:
“It was a great privilege to meet the new graduates from the inspiring ParliaMentors programme yesterday. These students may not all chose future parliamentary careers, but they may become our future community leaders where the experiences they’ve gained from working on social action projects together will be invaluable.
But just as importantly as equipping our young people with the skills, experiences and the networks to build future careers, the enriching experience of forming relationships with people of different faiths is the underpinning of a successful society and will stand these young people in good stead for their future lives.”
Daniella Shaw Gabay, 3FF Policy and Public Affairs Manager who oversees ParliaMentors, said:
“Recent events, from the Woolwich attack to the Muswell Hill mosque fire, show how vital it is to keep building better relations between our communities. We need leaders who understand other cultures and are well connected with people of beliefs and backgrounds different from their own. That’s why a programme like ParliaMentors is so important, and we hope to see everyone graduating today in positions of influence in years to come.”
The graduating students join over 250 alumni of the programme, many of whom have gone on to work for MPs, NGOs and in the media.
15 MPs and Peers mentored this year’s group of ParliaMentors, including Sir Peter Bottomley, Shabana Mahmood, Zac Goldsmith and Stephen Lloyd. Students on the programme also received leadership training and ran social action projects addressing issues in their university cities across England and Wales.
ParliaMentors, launched in 2007, is run by 3FF, an intercultural organisation which builds understanding between people of different faiths and beliefs. The programme is supported by Pears Foundation and the DCD Group.
