"Conversations and Actions: developing strategies for Muslim youth work" aimed to build on the success of an earlier conference last December.
Organiser Muhammad Khan said: "The first conference initiated a conversation that participants wanted to see continue. This conference moved to shape this into actions. The aim was that by the end of the day each participant took away with them the raw material required for a strategy document, action plan or project to inform their interventions and conversations."
A feature of the event was a young people's enquiry group, to make sure that young people's specific perspectives were expressed forthrightly.
It sought to bring out what opportunities young people would like to see emerging for Muslim young people in Britain and where these might fit in the Youth Matters agenda.
Sessions at the conference included looking at the potential of arts and culture to be a medium for Muslim youth work, what opportunities international youth work offers, the needs of young women and what training is needed to support existing youth workers or those interested in working with Muslim young people.
"This conference was not a dialogue or mapping exercise about 7/7 or 9/11 but about making 'youth matter' for Muslim young people," Khan said.
- A new publication from The National Youth Agency by M. G. Khan presents a detailed report of the first national Muslim Youth Work conference, which took place in December 2005. Jointly organised by the University of Birmingham, Youth and Policy journal and The NYA, with the support of the Department for Education and Skills, the conference brought youth work practitioners, policymakers and academics together with many others who have a concern or interest in Muslim young people. The report outlines the outcomes of the conference and makes recommendations for taking the work forward.
To request a free copy of the report, email: andyh@nya.org.uk.
