Empowering a New Generation: Young Activists Trained on Humanitarian Action Principles

Occupied Palestinian Territory ( OPt)-Ramallah — In a step toward empowering the next generation of humanitarian leaders, Global Platform Palestine (GPP) of ActionAid Palestine (AAP) in cooperation with members of Humanitarian Youth Group -Palestine (HYGP) organized a specialized “Young Humanitarian Camp”. This training camp brought together more than 15 young people from across West Bank who are currently active or wish to practice humanitarian work activities in the future. It aimed at quipping them with knowledge, skills, and tools to play an active and informed role in humanitarian response and recovery efforts. 

This camp is based on principles and guidelines of Compact for Young People in Humanitarian Action. The Compact for Young People in Humanitarian Action is an unprecedented and collective commitment of 60+ humanitarian actors working to ensure that the priorities of young people are addressed and informed, consulted, and meaningfully engaged throughout all stages of humanitarian action. The young people are not only seen as beneficiaries but as key actors and decision-makers in shaping more inclusive, responsive, and accountable humanitarian action.

Through interactive sessions, case studies, and group discussions, participants explored the following five pillars of the Compact principles. The first pillar focuses on services – Participants learned about promoting and increasing age- and gender-responsive and inclusive programs that protect and support the health and development of young people, including young women and men, girls, and boys affected by crises. Participants were engaged in discussion on the second pillar of Compact principles which is the Participation emphasizing the importance of systematic youth inclusion in all phases of humanitarian work, highlighting how young people can engage in decision-making, planning, and resource allocation processes at every level. The camp highlighted the third pillar which is about the capacity as an important element for strengthening the capacities of young people to act as humanitarian leaders, supporting local youth-led initiatives and empowering young refugees, displaced people, and those living in vulnerable conditions. The participants were introduced to the fourth pillar focusing on resources highlighting strategies to increase and track resources allocated to address the needs and priorities of adolescents and youth impacted by humanitarian crises, ensuring that funding truly reflects their realities. The final sessions discussed the fifth pillar which highlights importance of  data and collecting and using age- and sex-disaggregated data to better understand and respond to the diverse needs of youth in humanitarian contexts. These principles are essential for ensuring the humanitarian system addresses the needs of young people and facilitates their meaningful engagement in crisis response. 

The camp sought to provide participants with the necessary guidance and tools for practicing humanitarian work, especially in how to provide services to those most in need of them, how to raise and enhance the voices of young people when making decisions related to humanitarian response in emergency situations, how to access available resources, and how to self-care for activists at work.

Sona is one of the facilitators of the training highlighted the importance of training “This training is about trust and transformation — trusting young people’s potential and transforming humanitarian work to be more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable. Youth must not be on the sidelines; they must be at the center of humanitarian response.”

Participants expressed their commitment to apply what they learned in their communities, lead initiatives that prioritize youth needs, and advocate for greater youth inclusion in humanitarian planning and decision-making.

This training camp reflects ActionAid’s ongoing efforts to strengthen youth leadership and participation in humanitarian contexts, ensuring that the voices and actions of young people continue to drive positive change in times of crisis.

About ActionAid International
ActionAid International is a global federation working with more than 41 million people in over 72 of the world’s poorest countries. We strive to build a just and sustainable world where every person enjoys the right to a life of dignity, freedom, and a future free from poverty and oppression. We work to achieve social justice, gender equality, and the eradication of poverty.

ActionAid Palestine began its work in Palestine in 2007 to strengthen the resilience of the Palestinian people, affirming their right to freedom, justice, and self-determination. ActionAid Palestine implements several programs in collaboration with Palestinian communities, youth groups, and women, seeking to empower women and youth and enhance their active civic and political participation. The organization works to strengthen their understanding of rights, support collective action to address rights violations resulting from the prolonged occupation and improve their leadership capacities to exercise citizenship and hold authorities and other duty-bearers accountable.

For more information, please contact:
Riham Jafari
Communications and Advocacy Officer, ActionAid Palestine
Email: Riham.Jafari@actionaid.org