Hackney local heads up UK delegation for G7 Youth Summit – and presents list of demands to German Chancellor

Safia Sangster at the G7 Youth Summit in Berlin. Photograph: courtesy Future Leaders Network

Hackney resident Safia Sangster represented young people across the UK at this month’s G7 Youth Summit in Berlin.

Sangster, who works as a policy adviser at the Ministry of Justice, was chosen to lead the UK’s delegation.

The annual conference brings together young leaders from around the world to discuss and share recommendations for tackling global challenges.

Sangster presented a list of young people’s demands to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz ahead of June’s G7 Summit in the Bavarian Alps. Germany hosts the G7 presidency this year.

The demands include: the creation of arms-length Civil Society Task Forces to increase community participation in policy-making; equipping citizens with the skills needed to tackle disinformation, digital threats and ethical challenges; combatting undemocratic practices by increasing the transparency of social media platforms; and protecting civil society’s ability to engage in advocacy.

Sangster (fourth from left) presented a list of demands to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (centre, holding document). Photograph: Ronja Polzin/ jung genug

Sangster, who headed up a team of four, said: “It has been an incredible experience representing the UK as a delegate at the Youth 7 summit in Berlin. Coming together with such a diverse group of young people, we have worked to advocate for equitable and ambitious outcomes for the G7 this year.

“I am particularly keen to see Hackney adopt the recommendations to support more young people with access to project-based and collaborative learning opportunities – from internships to volunteering experiences.”

Ahead of the summit, Sangster and her fellow UK representatives spent four months taking part in intense online negotiations with their international counterparts to work out priorities and identify shared objectives.

The work culminated in the in-person summit, where the various delegations put the finishing touches on their manifesto on behalf of the world’s young people. Their demands are a formal part of the G7 process.

Before taking up a job in the civil service, Sangster worked for an anti-domestic abuse organisation, where she helped change UK legislation in the Domestic Abuse Bill.

She won her place in the UK’s delegation through a fiercely competitive process run by non-profit organisation Future Leaders Network, which aims to discover and develop the UK’s next generation of social, economic and political leaders.

The Network has been selecting UK delegates aged 18-30 for the G7 and G20 Youth Summits since 2011.

Applications to take part in the summits open every year in late autumn.

For more information about the Future Leaders Network, including the G7 and G20 opportunities, visit futureleaders.network.