UK ‘Building Bridges’ Programme facilitates Political and Media Literacy Training in Manchester, 8th July 2017

On 8th July 2017, as part of the UK ‘Building Bridges’ Programme, Forward Thinking facilitated a day of political and media literacy training in Manchester. 

A diverse group of young people that included volunteers and community activists, students and recent graduates, and young professionals were invited from across Greater Manchester to participate in a political literacy training with Grant Fisher, Director of Model Westminster, and media training with Emily Buchanan, former BBC Newsnight, BBC Radio 4, BBC World, Development and Religious Affairs Correspondent. 

The aim of the training is to build the capacity of key individuals rooted within their communities in order to effect positive change both locally and nationally. In the context of British Muslim marginalisation from both politics and the media, equipping participants with the confidence and knowledge to effectively engage with “the Establishment” will allow important insights from within grassroots communities to be more clearly articulated to key stakeholders. 

Participants were given advice on how to effectively influence and hold national and regional political and media institutions to account, as well as the background to political bodies, such as Parliament, and media institutions, such as the BBC. This provided the context for practicing effective communication, interviewing and filming techniques. 

Thus far, this training has been held in London, Nottingham and Batley. A video of our inaugural London training day can be found here. 

Photo credit: Grant Fisher