Graduate news Law graduate who travelled to Iraq wins volunteering and humanitarian awards Seja Majeed (Law, 2007) has received two prestigious awards for her highly-influential voluntary work, both in the UK and overseas.
Seja was named the v-inspired most inspirational volunteer for Greater London in 2009, and was also shortlisted for a national award as one of the UK’s most inspirational volunteers. The accolade, awarded by v, the leading charity supporting young people’s involvement in volunteering, recognised Seja’s Cosmetic Hives project, a series of skills workshops to help young people break into the media and fashion industries. The project was funded by v’s youth volunteering fund, v-cashpoint. Along with fellow alumnus Rui Jorge Octavio (Business and Management, 2009), Seja was one of four volunteers chosen to front v’s ‘Good for Nothing’ campaign in 2009, which aimed to challenge negative stereotypes surrounding today’s young people. Rui created a v-cashpoint-funded comedy club, Grab Your Mike, to provide young people with opportunities to develop their confidence and performance skills. Seja’s wider volunteering activities have comprised a range of innovative and sometimes sensitive projects relating to issues of global significance, and she received an Ambassador for Peace Award from the UK Universal Peace Federation in recognition of her humanitarian work in Iraq. Seja travelled to Iraq in 2007 in collaboration with the Rainbow Collective Film Company, to deliver humanitarian supplies and record informal interviews with those trying to lead a normal life in the aftermath of war. The resulting film, entitled Baghdad Holiday, attracted attention from several prominent broadcasters, and the journalist and presenter Jon Snow commented: “It’s a brilliant piece...very moving... beautifully shot and edited...I love it”. She has also worked on Amnesty International’s Anti-Death Penalty programme, where she handled extremely sensitive and highly confidential matters including 300 death row cases. Her projects for the coming year include a live interview with Sir David Nicholson, director of the NHS, on behalf of the SocialBreakfast website which seeks to get young people involved in politics. Seja is currently continuing her studies in Law, and also has a diploma in screenwriting, but her goal is to enter politics. She says: “A little self belief and encouragement is all you need to make an impact in life. Sometimes we go through a lot of hardships, but once we overcome them the rewards can be plentiful. Brunel University certainly made me believe in my abilities, and because of this, I aim to create a lasting change for us all.” www.vinspired.com www.sejamajeed.webs.com