On the occasion of International Youth Day, MA’AN Youth Centers in Khan Younis and Deir Al-Balah organized youth activities with the participation of more than 80 young women and men from among the centers’ youth friends. The activities were held as part of the Protection and Empowerment of Youth and Adolescents in the Gaza Strip project, implemented by MA’AN Development Center with funding from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
The activities provided a space for young people to speak about their realities, share their experiences, reflect together on the challenges they face, and explore solutions and ideas that they can lead themselves.
During the activities, participants engaged in discussion circles, youth dialogues, and group challenges aimed at developing innovative ideas and solutions to issues affecting their lives and local communities. These included the lack of employment opportunities, disruption to education, environmental challenges, and other issues impacting young people’s current realities and opportunities.
Young people also shared inspiring personal experiences and stories, developed a set of recommendations reflecting their perspectives and priorities, and addressed messages to youth around the world promoting solidarity and connection among young people across different contexts.
The activities also provided an opportunity for dialogue on the role that different institutions can play in supporting young people, strengthening their resilience and participation, and creating opportunities that enable them to turn their ideas and initiatives into tangible impact within their communities. The activities also included the screening of a short film documenting aspects of the reality of young people in the Gaza Strip and the challenges they face.
In the Gaza Strip, where young people face interconnected challenges affecting their present circumstances, opportunities, and future, providing spaces where they can express their views, share their experiences, discuss the issues affecting their lives, and participate in developing solutions that can contribute to positive change in their communities is increasingly important.
The discussions emphasized that addressing these challenges does not always begin with having significant resources, but rather with giving young people the opportunity to be part of the solution and transforming their voices, ideas, and experiences into a force capable of creating meaningful impact in their communities.
On International Youth Day, the activities at MA’AN Youth Centers conveyed a clear message: despite the difficult reality, young people in Gaza continue to have ideas, energy, and a strong desire to participate. They need spaces where their voices can be heard and genuine opportunities that enable them to turn those voices into action and meaningful change.
