About the Speakers

Mohsen is a policy entrepreneur who works at the intersection of youth engagement, policy and governance systems in Pakistan and the Asia Pacific region. He has diverse policy and practice experience in systems strengthening from a community of action lens. Mohsen has over 8 years of diverse experience in the international development sector and is currently providing research support to UN Volunteers HQ in Germany on research evidence for the Volunteerism Agenda for 2020-2030. His doctoral research work at the Universities of Nottingham and Oxford is focused on critically analysing how youth volunteering can be mainstreamed in multi-level sustainable governance processes in Pakistan.

Felicitie Walls is a passionate advocate of youth volunteering and leadership, she is professionally qualified in Youth and Community work with substantial experience leading programmes to enable young people to fulfil their potential. Felicitie is Volunteering Manager with WCVA, the national membership body for voluntary organisations and volunteering in Wales. She leads on youth volunteering, including a youth led grant making initiative and as the Wales lead for a UK wide youth social action campaign inspiring organisations and businesses to value the power of youth in volunteering and leadership. Felicitie provides mentoring, coaching, and training to young people and in her most recent appointment as lead of the Future Leaders Network Wales, brings young people together to connect, discover and become lead change makers.

Yvette is a passionate youth leadership enthusiast with an academic background in Nutrition and Food Science, who as strategically transferred her skillset to the world of your and volunteerism since she joined AIESEC in 2016. She has four years of active participation in youth development and empowerment; tackling the Sustainable Development Goals towards economic empowerment. AIESEC is the largest youth led organization in the world, present in 120 countries and territories. Currently, she serves as the Regional Manager for Business Development for Middle East and Africa, managing partnerships and collaborating with organizations that work with AIESEC. Prior to this, she served as the Country Director for AIESEC in Tanzania where she spearheaded several innovative and leadership initiatives targeted at youth capacity building, empowerment and skills acquisition. Yvette joined the IAVE International Board of Directors in 2020.

Amani Aruri is passionate about linking, improving, and increasing support to women and youth peacebuilders and increasing young people’s pro-social civic engagement and democratic participation, particularly in a high-risk contexts. She holds a master’s degree in Economics from Birzeit University and has utilized her skills in managing innovative programs that serve marginalized groups especially youth and women in Palestine, with a special focus on gender issues in the Palestinian society. She was elected for the Youth Local Council of Eastern Bani Zaid in Palestine, a member of the assembly of the UN Women gender innovation program-AGORA, and a member of the Global Youth Task Force on Beijing 25, and recently was selected as a member of task force on the Generation Equality Compact on Women, Peace and security and Humanitarian Action.

Ryan is the Deputy Wales Lead for the Future Leaders Network. Since he started volunteering with his local youth forum in Merthyr Tydfil in 2017, eventually becoming its Chair, it has become Ryan’s goal to devote as much of his life to the inspiration and empowerment of young people. Everything that he has done in the last three years has been aimed towards enhancing the potential of young people, whether it be through the youth ambassador scheme with Public Health Wales, acting as a Wales representative for the British Irish Parliamentary Assembly, or in his current post as Deputy Wales Lead for FLN. Ryan has been guided in his work by his unmoving support in the Wellbeing of Future Generations Act, which guarantees that every public agency is obligated to conduct its work with the common goal of fulfilling the seven sustainability goals which ensure the safety, happiness, and health of the people of the future. He is also guided by the UNCRC, particularly Article 12 which guarantees that all young people have a right to a voice in all public decisions, no matter how big or small. My career ambitions are comparatively modest as I work towards qualified teacher status: it is true that teachers are the single most important professionals in guiding young people – regardless of financial background, race, ethnicity, religion, belief, talent, and ability – into a bright and exciting future.

During her years of experience, Her Excellency Hessa Tahlak held prominent positions in different government, semi-private, and nonprofit organizations. Her roles varied from strategic planning, research and studies, marketing, development, and community service.

HE Hessa currently holds the position of Assistant Undersecretary of Social Development at the Ministry of Community Development, and Chief Innovation Officer. Of her most notable achievements during her time at MOCD, she founded a volunteerism axis within the ministry, alongside execution of projects pertaining to The Year of Giving which included 13 projects, policies, and laws. In addition, she is a member on the board of directors of Dubai Foundation for Women and Children and the Emirates Gender Balance Council.