Zeyed Limbada, Umar Hussain and Mohammed Koya representing the Bolton Council of Mosques youth forum were invited to a unique opportunity to attend a conference in Leeds engaging young people of all faiths to build dialogue between government; guest included Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, The Rt Hon Hazel Blears MP and other community leaders.

Speaking ahead of attending the event Hazel Blears said:

I am delighted to be taking part in the Young Muslim Advisory Group's (YMAG) first national youth conference. This group is part of our long term vision to empower young people to shape the society they live in by being active citizens and making a positive contribution - the conference, I am certain, is the first of its kind.

The young people attending the conference had the opportunity to question the Secretary of State and also to take part in a number of workshops and discussions on a whole range of issues including:

• Preventing violent extremism - to help inform young people about everything central and local government are doing to prevent violent extremism - any misconceptions and concerns about this issue will also be discussed
• How young people can become active in their local community - helping young people understand how to kick start their own community involvement by showcasing good examples from around the country
• Building bridges between different faiths - to help develop understanding between young people of different faiths and no faith by addressing myths and preconceptions that may exist
• The impact of foreign policy on young people - looking at how foreign policy is interpreted by young people and how it may affect their attitudes
• Understanding the police - looking at the attitudes and relationships between young people and police and how any barriers between the two can be overcome.