ActionAid Palestine to Support Youth Initiatives Strengthening the Right to Play for Children in Jordan Valleys under COVID-19
Jordan Valleys-West Bank-ActionAid Palestine(AAP) supported a youth initiative implemented by the team of volunteers in the area of Jordan Valleys in partnership with the Right to Land Coalition (RLC) and Alternative Information Center (AIC).The initiative focused on organizing recreational activities and theater performances targeting around 200 children in 4 Bedouin communities in the Jordan Valleys including (Bardalah -Fasyal-Arab Al-Ka’abneh- Ibzeeq).The team of the initiative that consists of 7 people put the similes on the faces of the children who suffer from marginalization and psychological stress due to the lack of recreational activities and entertainment facilities. Children enjoy those performances that aim to raise their awareness about COVID-19 considering social distance and safety measures.
This initiative is part of the efforts that AAP and its partners exert in responding to COVID-19 in Occupied Palestinian Territory (oPt) through AAP’s programme of “Civil and Democratic Participation of Palestinian youth. Supporting this initiative aims to empower youth to implement community activities, build their leadership capacities and strengthen their skills in organizing recreational activities for children that could help them to enjoy their right to play and learning.
More than 65,000 residents who live in this area suffer from home demolition, land confiscation, destruction of agricultural lands and livestock, settlers’ violence. The also experience psychological stresses resulting from the fears of forced displacement if Israel implemented its annexation plan in Jordan Valleys that includes 27 communities which compromise 30% of the area of West Bank.
One of the members of this initiative, Ala’a Srouji (31 years old) said: “ engaging in this initiative has impacted my personality giving me the opportunity to serve those communities and help those children and support their right to play similar to the rest of the children of the world. Leading this initiative with my colleagues helped us to build our skills of coordination and networking in the field of designing interventions for children who are exposed to violations on daily basis and enhance our skills in assessing their needs”.
Background Information
ActionAid
ActionAid is a global federation working for social justice and gender equality and eradicate poverty. ActionAid works worldwide to empower people living in poverty and exclusion with focus on women’s rights .ActionAid works directly and closely with communities, civil society organizations, women movements and social groups and movements and other allies to tackle root causes of poverty and oppression. ActionAid deliver grassroots programmes to utilize efforts of global struggle movements working for a just, fair and sustainable world. Based on human rights-based approach and women rights’ principles, ActionAid seeks to fairly re-distribute powers through solidarity, empowerment, awareness campaigns and creating alternatives to ensure that everybody enjoys the right to a life of dignity, and freedom from oppression.
ActionAid in Palestine (AAP) is a part of that federation which started its work in Palestine in 2007 to strengthen the resilience of Palestinian People as ActionAid believes that they should enjoy their rights to freedom, justice and self-determination. AAP implements a number of programs through its engagement with communities and women and youth groups seeking to empower them and enhance their influential civil and political participation to understand their rights and undertake collective activism to address the protracted rights violations resulting from the prolonged occupation of Palestine. AAP works simultaneously to enhance their leadership capacity and knowledge to practice their citizenship in holding authorities and other duty bearers to account.
For more information, please contact
Riham Jafari
Coordinator of Advocacy and Communication in Gaza Strip and West Bank
Mobile:
+972 (0) 595242890
Office:
+972 (0) (2) 22 13 137
Email: