TL^2 - Todays Learners, Tomorrows Leaders

This episode discusses racism in the medical field and the inherent bias that has impacted the lives of many Black people.  We talk about how deep-rooted racism actually is from the technology in the medical field to books taught at medical schools.  We bring facts, figures, and statistics to back up our points and personal experiences.                  

In this episode, Nawal and Amal discuss the cost of living in Great Britain and the consequences of millions of people being forced to rely on food banks and choose between heating or eating. They discuss government failures and more needing to be done for those being pushed to desperate measures. Furthermore, we ask what we would do if we were in the government. 

In this episode, I am joined by Salwa Hassan and we discuss a range of topics from Black History Month, education, media and current affairs. We talk about the importance of drawing on ethnic writers, historians and musicians in the school curriculum in order to be more inclusive. Feel free to join the discussion by following our social media platforms and commenting and sharing. 

In this episode, Nawal and Hafza discuss what is currently happening in Pakistan, the floods, lack of media coverage and climate change. We tackle questions such as why the Western countries are ignoring it and what desperately needs to happen now? . We also talk about Queen Elizabeth's passing and a summary of her Majesty's reign: all the prime ministers she saw in her time.  Be part of the conversation by following our social media accounts, Twitter: @YELcollective and Instagram: yelcollective

In light of World Refugee Day, this episode focuses on Nawal and Amran's journey to the UK as child refugees. They discuss definitions, policies, controversies, and traumas related to Refugeehood and how they relate to their lived experiences. Tune in to begin to understand how the creation of the 'hostile environment' has impacted the everyday lives of refugees.

How would you rate this Black History Month? Listen to the reflections of three Black people as they share their views about BHM 2021. They also discuss their identities outside of blackness and touch on what it means to be “Black British.” Recounting some memorable moments from this Black History Month, the episode ends with each person sharing their wishes for further Black History Months. What would you like to see happening next year in October?

Do you feel that you can bring your full self to work? What does that mean and what does it even look like, more so is it even realistic? These questions and personal anecdotes are shared in this month's episode. Three young women from different backgrounds share stories of times when they felt excluded in the workplace as well as times when workplaces took proactive steps to be inclusive. They also share tips and suggestions on how workplaces can do better to be genuinely inclusive. 

Being able to move countries is either a privilege or a quest for a better life. With June being Refugeee month, this months episode explore the migration story of four young people from different backgrounds. This episode also questions the government policy of a ‘hostile environment and those currently in charge of pushing forward this government policy. Each person then reflects on whether the UK has given them a better life and what that even looks like. The end of the episode explores a project with the guests about migration.

Everyone has mental health, with the month of May being ‘Mental Health Awareness Month’, this episode discusses the nuances of mental health specifically from racialised perspectives. Listen to how we as young people are coping under the current conditions. We touch on the pressures of capitalism and its effects on racialised communities. As well as sharing some of our tips on how to build resilience during these trying times through, self-care and community care. 

2020 was a monumental year, if a global pandemic wasn't enough we saw a number of protests come to the forefront of mainstream media. Many were confronted with the uncomfortable truths of the lived realities that many people face from, Nigeria, to the USA to India. This conversation includes four Black women who reflect on the protests that occurred over the past year. Also, they discuss the role the media has to play in bringing awareness to global topics. The episode rounds off with tips and insights into who each person remains informed about Global affairs. Listen to this episode to hear more about the protests that occurred across the world.

What does it mean to be a young Black woman in the 21st Century?

As we celebrate International Women’s Day we wanted to shine a light and reflect on Black womanhood. Four voices take us through their perspectives of womanhood, including sisterhood, community and finding their tribe. Though they share the same race, their upbringings and cultures make for a diverse and interesting conversation, with a lot more left unsaid than said.

The discussion also explores a more critical perspective of the ways in which Black women can sometimes harm each other.

A sisterly and thoughtful conversation about the highs and lows of Black womanhood between Gen Z and Millennials 

“Self-love says I love you and self-care says prove it”

Since it is February and the month of love, four of the young leaders discuss what it means to love themselves. They talk about what does self-love mean and how they practise it. With the backdrop of the pandemic, they found new and innovative ways to show up for themselves. Additionally, how has COVID impacted their relationships with friends and families? There are a variety of tips and insights into practical ways to incorporate authentic self-love practises into your life. From journaling to meditation to exploring spirituality, this episode shows a slightly vulnerable side to the lives of our leaders.

2020 was unexpected but with the knowledge learnt from last year how are young people approaching 2021?

In this episode, four of our young leaders reflect back on 2020 with life under lockdown. From completing university to moving work online, each person brings a unique perspective about how they managed during the pandemic.

They discuss the pressures of being predictive, surviving burn out and adjusting to virtual life. Also sharing tips they picked up on how to thrive despite lockdown. It is an episode of reflections, lessons and wisdom and the episode rounds off with their goals and hopes for 2021.

This episode features three of young leaders, Barbara, Katie and Leonie discussing the usage of the term ‘BAME’ (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic). In recent years the term BAME has come under greater scrutiny as campaigners and citizens have expressed their discomfort with the idea of lumping diverse groups together under one terminology. There have been critics who say that is usually is used to cover up the statistical failings of one group and another may be overrepresented. Furthermore that it is not effective in tackling inequality or underrepresentation as different groups require different approaches. In this episode, we discuss how we personally feel about the term, some recent examples of how it translates into other contexts and also the alternatives to BAME. Hosted by Baraba, we hope to bring some nuance about the practicalities and realities of referring to diverse groups. 

In our pilot episode, we introduce the current members of the Young Emerging Leaders Collective. These are the vices that you will hear across the podcast. Coming from a diverse background the following episodes will feature individuals who are most passionate or best informed to bring to you interesting and insightful conversations. We hope to give nuanced and thoughtful discussions on issues, challenges and topics that impact our lives as young people from the UK.

Follow along and we hope you learn something new or consider a new angle.