Future Foreign Policy is a student and graduate led initiative that was set up to engage young people in a fresh and innovative forum for progressive policies, and allow them to promote their ideas on the future direction of UK foreign affairs. By communicating, contributing and cooperating with a variety of political decision makers and professionals in the field, students can shape the world they live in, become mobilised around key international issues, and fight for the policies and campaigns they believe in.

Initially starting out as a blogging forum to monitor key international issues and decisions facing the UK government, our student and recent alumni contributors will produce robust policy research and writing to drive change and provide associated progressive UK policy papers to the national and international campaigns they are passionate about. These policy papers can then be presented to policymakers, advocacy groups and political decision makers across the board. This form of engagement allows bright young people to become involved in political activism, powered by fresh thinking and innovative student ideas.

Future Foreign Policy’s official launch was in January 2012. In the wake of difficult times for UK graduates trying to break into the public sector, foreign policy and think tank research, FFP was set up to utilise a new generation of young people’s political ideas that may have otherwise been lost. By making meaningful moves to engage young people in politics, FFP recognises that young people can do a lot more than help with campaigns, they can put their energy into their own ideas, provide beneficial research and create an impact on the future of UK international affairs. By putting our belief in young people, we in turn allow them to directly experience the influence progressive ideas can have to generate positive change in the world we live in. By giving students this empowerment, they themselves can go on to become the new political thought leaders of the future.