KUWAIT : British Ambassador to Kuwait HE Stuart Laing Tuesday honored two Kuwait students for successfully completing internship stints in the British Parliament, in a simple ceremony held at the Lothan Youth Achievement Center (LOYAC) at Bayt Lothan. Ambassador Laing cited the students, Faris Farouk Al Obaid and Marzouq Abdulrazzaq Al Nisf, for the zeal and dedication they have shown in performing their assigned tasks during their internship and for setting a good example for the youth of Kuwait. The British Ambassador also lauded LOYAC for the vital role it plays in helping develop the youth of Kuwait not just by becoming responsible members of society but also in harnessing and developing their potential for future leadership roles through its various training and internship programs in cooperation with local and international entities both public and private. Both students personally thanked Ambassador Laing, on behalf of the British government, for the opportunity to learn first hand the workings of his country's parliamentary system which they said was a life-changing experience.
Obaid recounted his month-long stint working in the office of MP Emily Thornberry who represents the constituency of Islington South & Finsbury in the House of Commons; of the rare opportunity to hobnob with personalities such as former premier Tony Blair, John Prescott and Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa as well as ambassadors from the Middle Eastern countries. He also said that his assigned work did not only entail doing tedious office work but also involved outside office meetings with his MP; doing research work, letter writing, drafting press releases and campaigning for a by-election, among other things-adding, the work shadowing an MP and getting involved in aiding the running of an office gave him a "dramatic leap" forward, in personal maturity and thoughtfulness.
Stint
Marzouq Al Nisf, on the other hand, did various internships prior to his UK parliamentary stint: first, a six-week summer internship with Arabic daily Al Qabas in 2005 and with the UNDP in 2006. He said the four-week stint in the office of MP Khalid Mahmood gave him the opportunity to participate in various projects relating to parliamentary work and added the most memorable was his involvement in the All-Party Tackling Terrorism Group chaired by MP Khalid Mahmood himself, involving briefings from counter-terrorism experts, foreign diplomats and high ranking government officials, Ambassadors of Palestine and Morocco and the former Archbishop of Canterbury as well as the former British envoy to Iraq.
He described his internship in the British Parliament a very beneficial experience. One that helped him gain a better understanding of how democracy works in the world's oldest existing parliamentary system; giving him a rare insight into the job of a politician as well as the duties and responsibilities attached to the office. Obaid, the son of a Kuwaiti diplomat, was born in Paris, France and is a second year student at the American University of Paris where he is majoring in International Communications and International Affairs. Marzouq Al Nisf, likewise is a second year student at the University of Colorado in Boulder, Colorado, USA, majoring in economics and philosophy. Both expressed their gratitude and heartfelt appreciation to LOYAC who, in cooperation with the British embassy in Kuwait, made all what they have achieved possible.
When asked to point out some noteworthy features of the British Parliamentary system, both mentioned: mature and orderly; keeps an open line of communication with constituencies; and focused on real issues directly affecting their constituents, among many others. Faris Farouk Al Obaid and Marzouq Abdulrazzaq Al Nisf were later presented certificates bearing the seals of the British House of Commons, the British Foreign Office, the British Embassy and LOYAC, in recognition of their achievements, by Ambasador Stuart Laing in the presence of Fadia Al Marzouq, Secretary General, Fatouh Al Dalali and Lara Dardarian, Board Members, Lothan Youth Achievement Center (LOYAC).
By Boie Conrad Dublin
© Arab Times 2008
