The I’mPOSSIBLE. conversation hosts a youth edition at House of Commons to inspire a generation

April 4, 2013 - PRLog -- The I’mPOSSIBLE. conversation hosts a youth edition in the House of Commons to inspire a generation

·  The I’mPOSSIBLE. conversation holds its first ‘youth edition’ on April 25,  as part of the ‘Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day 2013’ activities

·  The event is taking place in the House of Commons in partnership with Diane Abbott’s ‘Black Women Mean Business’ initiative which has been running for 21 years

· The audience for the event will be made up of young girls between 14-18 years from a selection of London schools and youth projects

· The event coincides with the 20th anniversary of the Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day

·  The panel consists of young women below the age of 30 whom many found success in their teens or early 20s:
o   Laurence Olivier award winning playwright; Bola Agbaje

o   Celeste Houlker; editor of national youth run publication; Live magazine

o   Barbara Kasumu - co-founder of Elevation Networks an award winning charity that focuses on getting young people into work or starting a business

o   Barrister; Sheryl Nwosu who practises from one of the largest specialist criminal sets in the country.

o   and award nominated showbiz journalist; who currently writes for Huffington Post; Sarah Tetteh

·         Live Magazine (http://www.live-magazine.co.uk/) – a multi-platform webzine produced by young people all under the age of 24, come aboard as digital media partner for the youth edition

London – Trailblazing social enterprise and global empowerment network for girls and women creates history (again), by holding a ‘youth edition (http://www.i-am-possible.com/2013/04/04/the-impossible-co...)’ of its highly successful event series; the I’mPOSSIBLE conversation on April 25 in the House of Commons in partnership with ‘Black Women Mean Business (http://www.bwmb.org/)’ (BWMB) and as part of the 2013, ‘Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day (http://www.daughtersandsonstowork.org/)’ activities.  For the first time, the I’mPOSSIBLE. conversation will take place in the home of UK government, presenting the life stories of young women to inspire a generation.

Hot on the heels of the March 8, international women’s day edition (http://www.i-am-possible.com/2013/02/08/the-impossible-conversation-international-womens-day-edition-march-82013/) that took place at the revered Royal Festival Hall as part of Southbank’s annual, Women of the World festival (http://wow.southbankcentre.co.uk/).  The youth edition, is made up of five female panellists who found success (and are still building on it) during their teens or early 20s.  The audience will be made up of a selection of girls between the ages of 14 – 18 years from schools and youth projects within the London area.  The youth edition ties closely with the social enterprise’s main aim of helping to change the lives of British women of colour by showing others like them and their routes to success. The event will keep its successful, intimate conversational style-format that will allow the young girls to identify, connect and engage with the panellists through a Q&A session at the end.  

The panellists for this edition consist of: Bola Agbaje – playwright, Celeste Houlker – editor, Live Magazine (http://www.live-magazine.co.uk/), Barbara Kasumu – Elevation Networks (http://www.elevationnetworks.org/), Sheryl Nwosu – Barrister and Sarah Tetteh – journalist, Huffington Post (http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/sarah-tetteh) all hosted by qualified counsellor and founder of Self-Central.com (http://www.self-central.com/); Lisa Bent.

The social enterprise is also excited to welcome Live Magazine as digital media partner for the youth edition.  Live Magazine is a trailblazing digital media outlet for young people by young people.  At the forefront of youth culture and interest, the magazine was perfectly placed to report on the youth edition.  

BWMB was founded by Diane Abbott MP in 1992 as a non-profit, non-aligned initiative. BWMB is concerned with supporting and celebrating black women professionals, black businesswomen and with black entrepreneurship generally. It was recently re-launched to continue in this work alongside other organisations and social enterprises like I’mPOSSIBLE global CIC, by providing access to information, training and practical advice.  

Diane Abbott MP commented: “Over twenty years ago I launched Black Women Mean Business (as the first ever network for black female entrepreneurs). Celebrating and encouraging other women of colour has always been very important to me. So I am pleased to be working with I’mPOSSIBLE global CIC who also have a mission to empower women and promote entrepreneurialism.  In particular I am keen to support and foster the aspirations of young people. I believe that our young people are our future. Therefore I am delighted to be hosting this event and look forward to welcoming these young women to the House of Commons.”

On international women’s day in March, founder of I’mPOSSIBLE global CIC was given the leadership award by the Women: Inspiration and Enterprise (WIE) organisation run by TV presenter; June Sarpong for her outstanding work promoting the rights of women and girls.  Simone joins a long list of internationally recognised, accomplished winners; from the likes of Queen Rania of Jordan to Princeton Professor, Anne-Marie Slaughter.  

Simone said: “2013 is already shaping up to be a momentous year for I’mPOSSIBLE!  The fact our events are being hosted in places like the Royal Festival Hall and now the House of Commons is indicative of the essential work the social enterprise is doing to empower women and young girls everywhere.”  She added:  “We are presenting role models that don’t always get the recognition they deserve but are leaving a trailblazing legacy for a new generation to stand on their shoulders and build higher.  Having a youth edition of the I’mPOSSIBLE conversation is a longstanding dream which I’m now seeing fulfilled.  The next step is to make this a continuing occurrence which reaches as many young girls as possible.”

The youth edition was specifically chosen to happen on the ‘Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work’ day which is an initiative that was started 20 years ago this year.  It has been pivotal in showing young people that it is more than a career day and enables them to see, first-hand, their future possibilities and empowers them to dream big.  Annually, Michelle Obama hosts the event in the White House further cementing the importance in inspiring a generation to imagine their future.  The aims of this annual activity perfectly align with the youth edition of the I’mPOSSIBLE conversation.

…//ends

For full press release and PDF copy see: http://bit.ly/XripHM