The Saudi and British youth were inspired by the speeches of their foreign ministers during the closing session of the fourth meeting of the Two Kingdoms Dialogue that was held in Riyadh on April 8. They outlined their recommendations on building trust and understanding between the two nations and called for greater participation of the youth in the decision-making process.
Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal, addressing the leaders of the both nations’ business communities and their future leaders, commended the achievements of the Youth Forum and praised the continued meetings between the young people, which have provided them with excellent opportunities to get better acquainted with one another and to better understand varied views of the future. British Foreign Secretary David Miliband praised the dialogue that has helped greatly to improve bilateral ties between Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom. He said the two countries should work together to build a global society more conducive to dialogue, tolerance and moderation.
During the closing session, the ministers watched a short film documenting the young peoples’ efforts in building a constructive dialogue between the two Kingdoms. The film, which was produced by the young participants, highlighted the debate and constructive dialogue between the Saudi/British group and demonstrated their willingness to build trust and understanding, erase misconceptions and dispel negative attitudes.
The Saudi and British officials reviewed the great successes of the two Youth Forums in fostering better relations between the two countries. The first forum was held in Britain in November 2007; the second was initiated with the objective of boosting cultural dialogue and partnership through pioneer projects designed by youth organizations from both countries.
The Second Saudi-British Youth Forum was held on Jan. 10-16 in Jeddah and Riyadh with 48 young participants from the UK and Saudi Arabia. The Committee of International Trade (CIT) in the Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry organized and funded the seven-day event in cooperation with the British Youth Council and under the patronage of the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The documentary reviewed the events of the two youth forums and presented an impressive account of the joint venture, which began in Jeddah where the young participants attended workshops at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry to identify common values and goals. The British delegation included participants from five youth organizations -— The British Youth Council, The Minorities of Europe, The European Alternatives, The Islamic Relief and The Mouth That Roars. The Saudi delegation included King Abdulaziz Center for National Dialogue, Effat University, Youth Empowerment, Fainak and The British Council in Saudi Arabia. The film captured the lively and very productive workshops conducted in a friendly atmosphere. Participants discussed possible joint projects that could reinforce the participation of youth in dialogue between the two cultures.
The film also highlighted a special session that was held at the National Dialogue Center that encouraged frank discussions and further debate. The young ones had the opportunity to discuss matters of mutual concerns and controversial issues including the concept of jihad, Islamic jurisprudence, racism, extremism, the consequences of Islamophobia, and the threat of terrorism. The debate provided an opportunity to erase many misconceptions, enhance intercultural dialogue and confront existing differences in a more positive way. In Riyadh, the workshops were held at the Arab News headquarters, and the sessions developed more detailed plans of joint projects between the different organizations involved. The projects were very ambitious and constructive. The Mouth That Roars, Fainak and the Youth Empowerment organizations joined efforts to propose “Our Everyday Lives Project,” which celebrates Saudi and British cultures through film and photography. The European Alternatives, Effat University, The National Dialogue Center and The British Youth Council came up with “Active Students in Dialogue.” The project aims to develop a multilingual guidance manual to build relationships among students at different universities in the UK and Saudi Arabia.
Minorities of Europe and the King Abdulaziz National Dialogue Center worked together to create, a “Two Kingdoms Tactics” card game. The idea of the project is to work with young people and develop an interactive game that builds young people’s knowledge and understanding. The Islamic Relief, The British Council, Effat University, Fainak, Youth Empowerment, The European Alternatives joined forces to create a Charity Week project that would involve youth in voluntary work, and community service. The members plan to design a manual to use for future events. The British Youth Council, Fainak and Effat University took on the task of designing a website to develop the Two Kingdoms Youth Forum website to highlight the forum’s initiatives and support further dialogue and partnership work. Mapping youth participation in Saudi and the UK was proposed by Effat University, The British Youth Council and Fainak to identify the opportunities and challenges that are available for young people to participate as active citizens.
The audience was truly impressed with the enthusiasm of the young people and their determination to continue to work together on these projects throughout this year under the supervision of the adult staff of the different organizations.
Officials from the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the British Embassy, who attended the closing ceremony, later listened to the recommendations of the young people calling for stronger youth participation in their nations’ development, and an opportunity to be involved in the decision-making process of their countries. The young participants who were very eloquent and commanded great communication skills left a very good impression on everyone present. They were indeed the promising leaders of tomorrow.
The Youth Forum of the Two Kingdoms Dialogue has shown great potential. However, without sustainable support from both governments, the young leaders will be deprived of a great opportunity to serve their communities and enhance a global society based on peace and tolerance.
— Samar Fatany is a Saudi radio journalist.
