Q&A

1. If someone were to ask "who is Yumna?", how would you describe yourself?

I would describe myself as an unapologetically authentic old soul! My sense of idealism, core values and religion guide the way I approach life in general. I am not afraid of speaking up and I definitely see myself as a lifelong learner, whose passion it is to help as many people as I can to positively impact the world!

2. You're the Member of Youth Parliament for Birmingham and Chair of Birmingham Aspiring Youth Council. At 16, what inspired you to get involved in this work and how does it make you feel?

I think there are so many factors that inspired me to get involved in this sort of work, but I would say my identity, background and curiosity really drove me. I learned from my parents to have a worldview, expand my horizons and to not always take things from face value. I love engaging in passionate discussions with them!

Coming from Yemen and Somalia, the struggles of the motherland also fuel my desire for radical change.

At a very young age, I remember seeing the Arab Spring constantly on Al-Jazeera and whilst I did not know it at the time, my interest in the political landscape in the Arab World grew, spurring me on to co-writing a fiction book with my cousin at 13 years old - ‘Struggles Of War,’ in which my portion focussed on the war in Palestine through a child’s lens, examining the psychological impacts that it had on him.

Whilst it was not a great book by any means, it really allowed me to explore what social justice is in the broadest sense and gave me the confidence to join my youth council to see how I could work collaboratively with other young people to create innovative solutions to issues affecting us locally. After launching campaigns, I was then elected as Deputy Youth MP just two weeks before lockdown hit last year and we had to move our activist work all online. I have connected with so many amazing activists, ran campaigns, worked locally and nationally, joined inspiring organisations and been able to work to transform the education, healthcare and food systems for a more imaginative and fairer world. Just a few months ago, I was then elected as Youth MP and Chair of BAYC.

It is so difficult sometimes to balance activism, school and a whole host of other commitments, but what drives me is that young people are not the leaders of tomorrow, we are the change-agents of today. We do have the power and agency to disrupt the status quo!

3. What advice would you give to a Gen Z peer who is interested in advocacy or social impact work?

My advice would be to just go for it!
We need people from all different walks of life with a variety of skills to get involved in social impact and advocacy work so that our visions become a reality. It may be difficult and hard at first, but stick to your personal values, but be willing to expand your thinking and perspectives.

I have noticed from speaking from other youth advocates that it is easy nowadays to get caught up in titles and responsibilities, but this often means that a lot of youth initiatives and programmes run the risk of being hierarchical and individualistic. The fight for equity will always be a collective one and rather the vision should draw people to spur direct action!

When you start to broaden your imagination, pursue your radical visions and hope for transformation, you are one step closer to creating a community you’ll be proud to call home. Once we start to believe in ourselves, we give ourselves the permission to summon our power to act, build and change because if you can imagine a better society, you can certainly create it.

To every single person out there, seek opportunities, be yourself unapologetically and become comfortable in the uncomfortable because that is when we can truly test ourselves and grow.

4. Do you attribute books to your own personal and academic development? If not books, what are the best resources that helped you along the way?

Yes, books are definitely a big part of my personal and academic development. Reading books definitely inspired my love of writing and I love to read for pleasure. Some books I would recommend include ‘From What Is to What If: Unleashing the Power of Imagination’ by Rob Hopkins (who I had the pleasure of joining on his podcast!); Dare To Lead by Brené Brown and Activist Citizenship Education: A Framework for Creating Justice Citizens. I am getting to know more about faith-inspired social activism through books and articles. I also love listening to podcasts like Freshly Grounded and Impact Theory!

5. Who are the most influential people to you?

The most influential people to me are definitely my parents, family and inspirational people I have had the pleasure of connecting and working with, who align with my values and morals!

6. What does empowerment look and feel like to Yumna? And have you had any empowering moments you'd like to share?

Empowerment to me is intrinsic. It means that you are comfortable, confident and speak with conviction. It means that you are intentional and proactive in your thinking and actions. One empowering moment I had was probably when I first performed poetry on stage in front of hundreds of people about Islamophobia. I felt confident in myself.

8. With iEMPOW3R what's the one thing you'd like to see from us (this can be anything, big or small)?

I would love a big in person event, hosted by iEMPOW3R, in partnership with other organisations, engaging and connecting young people through different workshops and conversations.

9. What does Yumna do for fun?

Definitely think the pandemic has allowed me to rethink rest and prioritise it more in my day to day. I love getting lost in my thoughts, daydreaming, baking, writing, reading and just being more present in everything that I am doing.