Exciting

GUESS WHO IS AN FIA INTERNATIONALLY ACCREDITED F1 JOURNALIST!

It has to be done in capital letters.  ALHAMDULILAH!! I just received an email from an amazing friend, mentor and F1 journo whom I write for, Richard.

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In writing.

So, thanks to all the tireless support from Richard (by the way, we just launched the new even-more-beautiful-and-functional website, check it out here!), whose website I have been contributing to for a few years now, I will be travelling to the Grand Prix as an accredited journalist inshallah!

This means paddock access, interviewing drivers, hopefully some behind the scenes photographs for you all, sleepless nights trying to write copy, hanging out with cool cats and people that are way cooler than I am, bringing the hijabi fashion to F1... 

It's going to be awesome, INSHALLAH.  I will keep you updated every step of the way, inshallah.

Let's see how this goes!!!

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Exciting Business! The Y20 Project.

A couple of hours before appearing on the #QandA show on Monday, I noticed a number of missed calls from a private number, but without any messages left. Curious... When I eventually answered, it wasn't a stalker or an invite to join a bank heist crew as I had suspected.  Instead, it was a lovely lad from the Prime Minister's Office!

Thus, the news.

G20

Wait: some background first!

The Australian Government has announced that is will be hosting the Y20 alongside the G20 that is being held in Brisbane in 2014.

The Group of Twenty (G20) is the premier forum for its members economic and financial cooperation. It brings together the world's major advanced and emerging economies, representing around 85 per cent of global GDP.

The idea of the Y20 is to give youth and young people a voice in these international discussions.  As per the media release:

The Y20 will gather young leaders from the world’s twenty largest economies for an exciting exchange of ideas. It will help build skills and networks, and identify the most pressing economic challenges and opportunities facing young people today.

In order to prep for this, the Government has put together a team of young people to plan and manage the Australian Y20.

Guess who made the cut Alhamdulilah?!

It is an absolute honour and exciting responsibility and I am completely stoked to be part of literally a dream team of people from around the nation.

Chaired by the amazing Benson Saulo, the Director of the National Indigenous Youth Leadership Academy, the other members are:

• Ms Samah Hadid (NSW) • Mr Scott Limbrick (VIC) • Mr Ehon Chan (QLD) • Ms Amanda McKenzie (ACT) • Ms Holly Ransom (WA).

Ehon is an old friend and so I am even more stoked - his work always inspires :) Holly and Samah are also inspiring acquaintances and I am looking forward to meeting and working with Scott and Amanda.

We were selected for our backgrounds in various sectors and I will be focusing on the area of energy inshallah.

This is an awesome opportunity and I want to make it as open and genuine as possible. If you have ideas or are interested in contributing in some way, please get in touch and let me know your thoughts! The idea is to be as engaging and representative as possible and get the energy/innovation of young people up to the international stage - here is a chance!

I can't wait to work with this group and you all on this and will keep you posted!

Check out the official media release here.

 

The Search is ON!!

Last year I had the absolute honour of being named one of Australia's 100 Women of Influence (and the joint Winner of the Young Leader's Category!!). It has introduced me to amazing women around the country and is a fantastic initiative.

The search is now on again! Do you know any ladies that you think are influential? Nominate them today!

afr

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AFR: "The national and international search for Australia’s most inspiring and influential women in 2013 is on. The annual Financial Review – Westpac 100 Women of Influence Awards recognise and amplify the outstanding efforts of women across Australia’s economy and society. And in 2013 the momentum behind them is growing.

Launched in 2012 by then-Prime Minister Julia Gillard, the awards were aimed at celebrating their contribution to developing a diverse, vibrant and prosperous Australia.

The awards cover 10 categories: board/management, innovation, public policy, business entrepreneur, diversity, young leader, global, social enterprise/not-for-profit, philanthropy and local/regional.

The inaugural awards in 2012 clearly struck a chord, attracting support and entries from around Australia. At the time Westpac chief executive Gail Kelly said they were an opportunity to acknowledge the significant contribution women make in building a more sustainable economic and social future.

“These awards are a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the success and achievements of women across Australia and we look forward to starting the search again this year.”

“Westpac is proud to continue its support of the 100 Women of Influence awards. It’s an important way to acknowledge the significant contribution that women are making to achieve change in their local communities, businesses and society more generally.”

Financial Review Group chief executive and publisher, Brett Clegg, said: “Westpac and AFR want to acknowledge and take pride in powerful female leaders across all aspects of our society.

“Being involved at the inception of this initiative has been a great source of pride personally and for the Financial Review. This is an incredibly impactful and powerful awards program and there’s no better partner from our perspective than Gail and the Westpac team.”

A woman of influence is someone who can demonstrate collaboration within and beyond their field, and a wider circle of influence than through their direct role.

They exert influence by contributing to women’s advancement across society and economic life, and to Australian communities through collaboration and mentoring and not settling for the status quo.

Nominations were shortlisted and assessed by a panel of judges against a range of criteria, including the nominee’s personal and career achievements, contribution beyond their direct role and their mentoring and support for other women.

Nominations to the 2013 100 Women of Influence awards are open this Monday July 8 and close on Sunday August 18. Entries can be submitted online at www.afr.com/100women."

Read the rest of the article on the AFR here!

Excited? The Sydney Writers' Festival is on!

The Sydney Writers' Festival looks insanely awesome this year!! Are you going to be there?

There are the likes of Barack Obama's Chief Digital Strategist, Anne Summers, Ruby Wax, Slam Poetry... ahhhh! I am so excited!

Are you going to be there? Who are you excited to see??

If you are free and around, maybe you can pop by and check out lil ol' me talking about big ol' issues like Women and Power and a "young lady's survival guide to life on the rigs"...

Should be fun ;)

 

 

Reporting to you from #Wien!

Guten Tag from Vienna!

Just landed in the beautiful Austrian capital city, and seeing, for the first time in my life, SNOW! (Allow me a reflective moment of pure bliss...)

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Ah, now then, a little exciting news!

The reason for being in this delightful cultural city? The most humbling honour of attending the United Nation's Alliance of Civilisation's (UNAOC) Annual Global Forum, as well as the preceeding Youth Event.

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The UNAOC is a political initiative of the Secretary General of the United Nations, its primary aim being to improve understanding and relations among people throughout the world and by doing so, hopefully counter polarisation and extremism. The global forum is the main event of the year where issues of importance to UNAOC's agenda (youth, media, education and migration) are discussed and presented, to then inform activities and initiatives globally as well as potentially be implemented by UNAOC itself.

The Youth Forum is designed to ensure that the youth perspective is communicated; young people aged 18-35 from around the world come together for a day or two to discuss the relevant topics and present a communique to the larger global forum.

The topic this year is quite interesting - 'Responsible Leadership in Diversity and Dialogue'.

Given the times we are living in, the question of what exactly 'Responsible Leadership' is, is an apt question indeed...

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As a representative of Youth Without Borders, I look forward to the experience being a productive, challenging and inspiring few days and hopefully one with outcomes which we can action and use to empower others. Whether through the UNAOC framework or through our own organisations, it is important that activities such as these produce viable and tangible benefits for communities.

I will be keeping you all updated via my twitter (@yassmin_a) and this very blog, so stay tuned to learn all about all the latest, including interesting ideas, discussions and people at the event! It will almost feel like you were there...

Bye for now.... or Auf Wiedersehen!

 

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Joining the Richard’s F1 Team!

 

I am excited to let you all know that I am now a writer with the fabulous motorsport blog, Richard’s F1!

Richard's F1

Check out my intro here…and I look forward to seeing you on the site!

Yassmin will be taking over the reins of our already very popular V8 Supercars coverage from our journalist Geoff Burke, who will be freed up to assist in more Formula 1 feature article writing.

Additionally, Yassmin will also contribute a host of feature and media review articles forRichardsF1.com, which she will be looking to share with our many readers worldwide.

Images from Richard’s F1