Mission of YPFP Middle East

The mission of YPFP Middle East is to create a space for in-depth conversations about evolving realities in the Middle East and relations between the West and Muslim worlds among a select group of young professionals; to couple this conversation with discussions with key policy and regional experts to further educate the group about relevant social, cultural, religious and political issues. Through fostering this sustained dialogue the program hopes to equip this group of potential future policy makers and political leaders with tools that will enhance their engagement in the field of international relations and diplomacy.

YPFP Middle East members represent a select exceptional and informed group of young professionals working specifically on US-Muslim relations and issues related to the Middle East; an international group from notable insitutions and universites united by two traits: a passion for international affairs and a desire to shape foreign policy.

The Case for YPFP Middle East

The need to create a forum in which young professionals can both learn and constructively contribute to discourse on issues related to the Middle East, Muslim countries and Islam in Washington, one of the epicenters of international politics, becomes increasingly important given the significant ways in which developments in these countries and communities affect the international political system.

The Ambassador’s Series

The Ambassador’s Series is an important avenue for introducing YPFP Middle East to influential decision makers and policy experts from around the globe. Ambassadors and embassies, as voices of their respective governments in Washington, are pivotal to this conversation. They sit at the centre of the political, social, religious and cultural exchange between the US and foreign governments. Engaging young professionals and Ambassadors (and their respective embassies) not only exposes young professionals to the fundamentals of good diplomacy but further this ongoing conversation can provide them with skills that will help them develop stronger relationships, based on deeper mutual understanding, between foreign nations and America in the future.

Conversations with Key Actors

Conversations with key actors – including policy experts, authors, journalists and officials in the form of roundtables, informal receptions and lectures – are fundamental to educating young professionals about variant and respected analyses of evolving realities in the Middle East and theories about improving relations between the West and Muslim worlds. This will help foster a more informed dialogue between young professionals and create a secure space in which they may broach more difficult questions to key figures so as to develop a better understanding of salient issues.

If you would like to learn more about YPFP Middle East please contact Akanksha Hazari, Chair YPFP Middle East, at akanksha.hazari@ypfp.org