Change Makers Group: A Model of Youth Leadership Advancing Dialogue, Accountability, and Humanitarian Response During the War

Occupied Palestinian Territory – Gaza Strip – Amid the escalating humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip caused by the ongoing war since October 2023, ActionAid Palestine continues to support its local partners in strengthening the leadership role of Palestinian youth through the project "Enhancing the Leadership and Influence of Palestinian Youth, Especially Young Women, for Resilient, Just and Green Communities," funded by the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA).

The work of youth group “Change Makers” , a youth initiative led by the Palestinian Developmental Women Studies Association (PDWSA), ActionAid Palestine's local partner, demonstrates the importance of investing in young people's capacities and empowering them to lead community responses, strengthen accountability, and actively participate in decision-making processes.

As part of this effort, the Change Makers Group has been implementing a series of community awareness sessions targeting young women and men in central Gaza. These sessions aim to strengthen social cohesion, promote a culture of dialogue, reject violence, and reinforce the values of peaceful coexistence. Using participatory approaches, the sessions encourage young people to exchange experiences and jointly develop solutions to the challenges facing their communities, reinforcing their role as leaders of positive change during times of crisis.

The group has also continued facilitating community dialogues through a series of youth-led planning sessions that bring together young people, decision-makers, and humanitarian actors. These discussions focused on the role of youth in humanitarian action, exploring how young people can move beyond implementing activities to becoming genuine partners in planning, decision-making, leadership, monitoring, and accountability.

The sessions brought together representatives of civil society organizations, humanitarian agencies, and technical experts, creating an open platform for direct dialogue on strengthening meaningful youth representation within the humanitarian system. Participants stressed the importance of ensuring youth engagement across all stages of the humanitarian response from identifying needs and designing interventions to programme implementation, quality monitoring, and community accountability, helping to build a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable humanitarian response.

In line with ActionAid's belief that sustainable solutions emerge from communities themselves, a series of focus group discussions was organized within youth incubators to analyses community needs and identify local priorities. These safe and participatory spaces enabled young people to develop ideas for community-led initiatives based on needs they identified through dialogue with their communities. The outcomes of these discussions will serve as the foundation for implementing youth-led initiatives that strengthen social cohesion, expand civic participation, and improve public services and community spaces.

The Change Makers Group also organized a planning session entitled "Youth and the Labour Market: From Empowerment to Employment Opportunities," bringing together young people and representatives of the Palestinian Employment Fund to discuss employment and vocational training opportunities, access to services, transparency and integrity in recruitment processes, and mechanisms for strengthening accountability in service delivery. These discussions helped bridge the gap between young people and service providers while enhancing youth capacity to claim their rights and contribute to developing employment-related policies and programmes.

As part of its efforts to strengthen community participation, ActionAid Palestine also supported a dialogue session on the role of Popular Committees in supporting youth and local communities. The discussion explored ways to strengthen partnerships between youth and the Popular Committees to respond to growing community needs amid the challenges affecting UNRWA services. The session highlighted the importance of integrating young people into community initiatives, harnessing their skills and energy to strengthen community resilience, and building more sustainable partnerships with local institutions.

ActionAid Palestine believes that young people, especially young women, are not merely beneficiaries of humanitarian assistance, but essential partners in leading and shaping humanitarian action. These initiatives provide practical examples of implementing United Nations Security Council Resolution 2250 on Youth, Peace and Security, which recognizes the vital role of young people in promoting peace, security, social cohesion, and sustainable development. By creating safe and democratic spaces for youth to express their priorities, influence policies, and contribute to initiatives that shape their lives and the future of their communities, these activities demonstrate ActionAid Palestine's commitment to youth leadership, locally led humanitarian action, community accountability, and meaningful dialogue with decision-makers. Ultimately, they support the transition of young people from recipients of aid to leaders and influencers who design, guide, monitor, and evaluate humanitarian responses while contributing to more resilient and just communities.

About ActionAid International  

ActionAid International is a global federation working with over 41 million people living in more than 72 of the world's poorest countries. We envision a world characterized by justice and sustainability, where every individual has the right to a dignified life and freedom, and a world free from poverty and oppression. We strive to achieve social justice, gender equality, and eradicate poverty.  

ActionAid Palestine began its work in Palestine in 2007 to strengthen the resilience of the Palestinian people, believing in their right to enjoy freedom, justice, and self-determination. ActionAid Palestine implements several programs through its engagement with Palestinian communities and youth and women’s groups, aiming to empower women and youth and enhance their active civil and political participation to understand their rights and undertake collective action to address the rights violations resulting from the prolonged occupation, in addition to improving their leadership capacity and practicing their citizenship in holding authorities and other duty bearers accountable. 

For more information, please contact:  

Riham Jafari   

Communication and Advocacy Officer at ActionAid Palestine   

Email: Riham.Jafari@actionaid.org