Welcome to Novar
A Global Youth Policy and Diplomacy Network
What Is Novar?
Novar – Global Youth Policy and Diplomacy Network is an independent, youth-driven platform dedicated to giving young people a seat and a say in shaping the policies that govern their lives. We believe policy is not written in isolation — it is crafted through dialogue, informed by experience, and guided by diplomacy. Our mission to make diplomacy accessible to young people, enabling th5em to shape the policies that define their future through meaningful and constructive dialogue.
Through meaningful dialogue, policy-focused research, and collaborative action, Novar cultivates a culture of informed and empowered youth participation, bridging communities, institutions, and global agendas to create tangible impact.
Our Story
Who We Are
Novar Network is a youth-led initiative redefining how young people engage with diplomacy and policymaking. Born from the halls of the University of Birmingham, we are now a growing international network of students, thinkers, and changemakers united by one belief — that young people deserve not just to be heard, but to help shape the decisions that govern their lives.
What We Do
We bring youth voices into the heart of dialogue, diplomacy, and policy. Through global conferences, focused forums, leadership programs, and collaborative research, Novar creates opportunities for young people to exchange ideas, develop skills, and influence real-world outcomes.
Our approach is simple yet profound: dialogue is our method, diplomacy our language, and policy our impact.
Our scope of activism includes:
- Dialogue & Influence: Structured conversations where youth engage with experts, policymakers, and peers to shape ideas into actionable insights.
- Policy & Knowledge: Programs that build analytical skills and understanding of how policies are made, so young people can actively influence the rules that govern society.
- Global Collaboration & Participation: Opportunities to connect across borders and contexts, ensuring youth voices are heard in both local and international decision-making.
Our Journey
Every movement begins with a question — ours was simple yet profound:
What would the world look like if young people were truly part of shaping it?
Novar was born from the belief that diplomacy and policy should not be the language of the few, but the shared conversation of the many — especially the youth whose futures are written by today’s decisions. From this conviction, our journey began: creating spaces where dialogue leads to understanding, and understanding leads to change.
Through years of learning, collaboration, and courage, we’ve grown from an idea into a network — connecting young thinkers, activists, and leaders across borders. Today, Novar operates on two intertwined fronts:
Novar Global
Our global work brings youth together from around the world to engage in policy dialogues, diplomacy forums, and research collaborations that address shared challenges — from peace-building and governance to climate, education, and social inclusion.
Novar Focused
At the same time, we recognize that some regions face deeper exclusion and urgent realities that demand focused engagement. Through Novar Focused, we dedicate special attention to contexts such as Afghanistan, Ukraine, and Palestine — where youth voices are most vulnerable yet most vital.
Together, these strands form the fabric of our vision: a world where young people are not just future leaders in waiting, but present actors shaping the policies and diplomacy that define their generation.
Our Next Steps
At Novar, progress is not an event — it’s a journey. Guided by our mission to make diplomacy accessible to young people, we are constantly creating new spaces for dialogue, collaboration, and impact. Through upcoming conferences, forums, and workshops, we aim to give youth the tools and platforms to engage meaningfully with global issues and influence the policies that shape their lives.
Our next steps reflect more than plans — they represent our ongoing commitment to bridge the distance between conversation and change.
Our Upcoming Events:
Our Voices and Views
Dialogue doesn’t end when the event does — it continues in thought, reflection, and writing. Voices & Views is our digital space for youth perspectives from across the globe: essays, commentaries, and reflections that challenge assumptions and spark meaningful discourse. Here, young thinkers explore policy, diplomacy, and identity through their own lenses — proving that ideas, when shared, can bridge worlds and inspire action.
Novar's Raison d’être -The What, Why and How of our Existence
Rafiq Khalili, Founder and Director, Novar
When I began my postgraduate studies at the University of Birmingham in 2024, I was as eager to engage in extracurricular activities as I was to achieve high grades. The route to academic success was clear: study hard, spend long hours in the library, research until your head spins, and power through with caffeine.
Youth in Policy: From Tokenism to True Inclusion
Novar Insights Board - October
For too long, youth have been invited into policy rooms as decoration — symbols of inclusivity, rarely agents of change.
They’re asked to “represent” a generation, but seldom empowered to reshape the systems they inherit.
Our Future
Novar is more than a network — it’s a movement of thinkers, dreamers, and doers who believe that the future must be written with young people, not for them.
To be a Novarian is to stand for dialogue over division, diplomacy over distance, and policy shaped by empathy, evidence, and inclusion.
We are building a global community of students, young professionals, and emerging leaders who share one conviction: that youth voices matter in shaping the code of our world. Whether you want to contribute ideas, lead projects, or help organize initiatives, there is a place for you within Novar.
Join us — bring your insight, your energy, your courage. Together, we can turn conversation into influence, and vision into reality.
Ready to step in?
Become a Novarian today and help us lift the barriers to youth diplomacy and policy participation.
Our Team
Meet and contact the people behind Novar — a growing network of thinkers and builders driving youth diplomacy forward. Our team brings together youth from diverse backgrounds, united by one belief: that inclusion and conversation are the cornerstones of progress.
We’re always eager to connect with new collaborators, mentors, institutions, and supporters who share our vision.
Whether you have a question, a proposal, or simply wish to connect, we’d love to hear from you.
You can reach out or write to us here, and we’ll make sure your message finds the right person.