On the occasion of International Youth Day ActionAid Palestine to Stress the importance of Increasing Active Participation of Youth and Building Green Skills for Green and Sustainable Palestinian Economy
ActionAid Palestine to Stress the importance of Increasing Active Participation of Youth and Building Green Skills for Green and Sustainable Palestinian Economy
Hebron - Palestine -ActionAid Palestine (AAP) joined international and local organizations for International Youth Day which falls on 12th of August each year. On this occasion, AAP stresses the importance of developing the technical, professional, life and green skills of youth to activate their role building their country and its green economy and strengthening the resilience of Palestinian people. International Youth Day is a special day recognized by the United Nations General Assembly to bring attention of the international community to youth issues and celebrate their achievements, potentials, creativity, passion and ability to make change in their societies. This occasion offers a space to listen to the voices and demands of young people and raise awareness about the importance of activating and increasing their political, civil, social, and economic participation.
The theme for International Youth Day 2023 is "Green Skills for Youth: Towards a Sustainable World” to highlight the important role youth play in facing the climate crisis in a context in which the world is witnessing transition towards a green economy. This transition requires activating the role of young people and building their capacities and green skills to increase their participation in preserving the environment, their economic contribution and saving their planet.
This day comes at a time when Palestinian youth aspire to participate in democratic processes, such as holding general elections, social activism, national dialogues, and discussing the enactment of laws and legislation. However, the illegal practices and policies of the Israeli occupation and the shrinking of democratic and civil space hinder the realization of these dreams and aspirations. These practices also include military aggression, displacement policies, arbitrary arrest, settlement, and the illegal blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip for more than 16 years. These policies impede the movement, freedom, safety, security, intellectual, political, and social development, and economic participation of young people. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, unemployment rates constitute the biggest challenge for the youth (aged 18-29 years old), as these rates reached 59% among females and 32% among males and were the highest in Gaza Strip compared to the West Bank (75% and 30%, respectively).
Despite those difficult conditions, Palestinian youth continue to contribute to strengthening the resilience of the Palestinian community and showing their potential and creativity in many areas, including response to natural and political disasters, preservation of the Palestinian land and environment, technological innovations, community leadership and profitable and community entrepreneurship.
ActionAid Palestine works through its various programs and local and international partners to support Palestinian youth by raising their awareness about their political, economic and social rights and empowering them in many areas, including green skills, to increase their active participation and take the initiative and take actions and measures for transition to green economy and response to the climate change crisis so that they can be empowered to mitigate its impact on the environment and Palestinian society. AAP works on cultivating the skills of young people and provide them with the necessary knowledge of climate issues and environmental awareness and support many green youth initiatives to enhance their leadership roles and help them overcome unemployment and create a sustainable green economy. Supporting these initiatives contributes to building their capacities to find innovative solutions to environmental issues, lead climate action, and organize lobbying and advocacy campaigns to raise awareness of their local community and their peers about adopting environmentally friendly practices.
ActionAid Palestine's approach of addressing youth issues focuses on implementing specialized leadership, technical, vocational and life trainings. AAP offers youth opportunity to participate in forums and conferences at the local and international levels to exchange experiences with their peers around the world and build alliances and networking to support the Palestinian cause and support common youth issues. In this context, AAP established the Youth Humanitarian Action Group to enhance the youth's ability to respond and prepare for disasters, emergencies and new shocks, and to network with international youth groups to raise international awareness about the Palestinian cause.
AAP calls upon the institutions of the international community and the United Nations Agencies to practices pressure on Israel to respect the rights of the Palestinian people and to stop violating the rights of all of its, including youth, women and children. ActionAid Palestine also calls for increasing the political participation of youth in decision-making centers in accordance with international resolutions related to the "youth, security and peace" agenda, especially UN Security Council Resolution 2250 highlighting the important and main role of youth in achieving international peace and security, as it urged the governments of world countries to involve young people in decision-making processes, especially in communities suffering from conflicts and armed conflicts.
Background Information
ActionAid in Palestine (AAP) is a part of global federation working for social justice and gender equality and eradicate poverty in more than 45 countries around the world. AAP 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 Palestine
Mobile:
+972 (0) 595242890
Office:
+972 (0) (2) 22 13 137
Email: