Youth Connect Live: A more inclusive vision for leadership

Fatimah Khan is an international development practitioner with nearly 20 years’ experience in heritage preservation planning and urban redevelopment in south and central Asia. Her thematic priorities relate to the dynamics of change within the broader context of multisectoral development interventions and the impact on project beneficiaries including young women and men. In 2023-24, she was the project manager for, and co-authored, the British Council's What We Know on Women and Girls multi-country research study. She has a Master of Geographic Information Systems from Penn State University and an MSc in Political Sociology from the London School of Economics.

Over the past decade, Hussam has dedicated his efforts in community work in Egypt, and has been laser-focused on fostering participation and inclusion among diverse and marginalized groups. This has included individuals from religious minorities, women, girls, refugees, and those residing in remote and rural areas. Through a series of impactful training initiatives and projects and consultancy missions, Hussam has actively worked to bridge gaps and promote inclusion in local society and to connect globally.

Kyi Kyi Naing works as a programme manager for a local humanitarian organization, with over five years of expertise in organizational governance, strategic leadership and management, and programme management. She has over ten years of professional experience in the development and humanitarian sectors. Her focus is on socioeconomic issues as well as gender and youth development. She was given the "recognition in ongoing strong mind power & good leadership at organization" award in 2018 for her outstanding leadership in the organization as a young woman leader. She is actively engaged in delivering effective humanitarian aid to those in need, particularly in central Myanmar, in the ongoing political humanitarian crises.

Nadia’s passion for social change has driven her career in the social sector. She has specialised in strategic communications and investor relations within national and global non-profit organisations, with an emphasis on strategic development, income generation and audience growth. Nadia's previous roles have included Development, Communications and Marketing within youth sector charities, and healthcare, scientific and educational non-profit organisations. Together with the team at Clore Social Leadership, Nadia is committed to breaking down leadership barriers to create an equitable and thriving social sector.

Zuhra Bahman is Search for Common Ground’s Country Director in Afghanistan. At Search, she leads a team of forty staff and 53 implementing partners in the six zones of Afghanistan. She has twenty years of work experience in the fields of peacebuilding, human rights, gender, and the development of civil society in Afghanistan and abroad. She has worked with the UN, the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, various national and international NGOs, and academia. She holds a BA degree in anthropology & law from the London School of Economics & Political Science, an MA in conflict, security & development from King’s College London, and a second master’s degree in research in anthropology from the University College of London. Zuhra is a lifelong feminist and is an active part of the Afghan women’s movement, with a specific interest in women’s leadership for social change and access to healthcare. Zuhra writes about intimate lives of Afghan women.