The Second Jerusalemite Youth Forum recommends investing energy to protect Jerusalem

Article by the Palestinian News and Information Agency – Wafa

The Second Jerusalemite Youth Forum recommends investing energy to protect Jerusalem

Jerusalem 11/22/2020 WAFA- Participants in the second Jerusalem Youth Forum, after its activities, this evening, Sunday, recommended that the youth of Jerusalem be invested to protect Jerusalem and protect its youth from the occupation that targets them with drugs, and other societal ills.

Participants stressed the importance of promoting the principle of equality, non-discrimination and equal opportunities among young people through access to job opportunities, and encouraging investment and work in marginalized areas “C” to confront the idea of ​​annexation and reduce unemployment.

The forum recommended developing students’ awareness of the importance of e-learning and encouraging them to interact through electronic lectures, and devoting the value of in-depth and continuous dialogue between institutions in creating a special awareness of identity and between intellectuals and researchers.

The forum was held on the Zoom electronic platform, under the title “Palestinian Youth and the Sustainable Development Goals”, with the participation of the Ministry of Jerusalem Affairs, Burj Alluqluq Social Center Society, the NGO Network, Al-Quds University, Sharek Youth Forum, and the Association to Save the Future Youth.

The forum discussed the peculiarities of the Palestinian case for identity in Jerusalem, the Palestinian case in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and ways to support young generations to achieve sustainable development.

Jerusalem Affairs Minister Fadi Al-Hidmi said, “We have a real and strategic plan and direction, and in real partnership with all active institutions, initiatives and sectors that deal with youth. The challenges are many and the difficulties are more, but on the other hand the youth are the hope of transforming and translating slogans on the ground.”

For her part, the forum’s journalist, Mai Abu Asab, spoke about the Palestinian youth who have always possessed the ability and transformed difficult conditions for success and restoration of hope from the midst of this devastation, calling for the attendees, spectators and participants in the session to stand a minute of silence and respect for the sake of the imprisoned youth who sacrificed the most beautiful days of their lives.

 The Executive Director of tBurj Alluqluq Social Center Society, Muntaser Idkadek, affirmed that Palestinian youth will remain the main goal of our work at Burj Al-Luqluq Community Society, and on this day we crystallize our work after more than a month of intense dialogue sessions by announcing 3 winning initiatives, and here let me thank the Fund The United Nations Population for its support for this forum, the Jerusalem Youth Forum, which included all Palestinian youth in all of its locations.

The representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Christine Blockhouse, said at the forum: “We at the United Nations Fund believe that the younger generations are the basic component, and we have 10 years left to achieve the sustainable development goals, which are not easy, especially poverty.”

She added, “We support institutions that deal with different youth issues, and we need the potential of youth to achieve the goals of sustainable development.”

The representative of Al-Quds University in the forum, Iyad Lafi, said that young people in Jerusalem need more efforts to continue than in the rest of the Palestinian areas. Regarding the recommendations, we hope to achieve the recommendations of the Jerusalem Forum, and from here I say that we at Al-Quds University have a social responsibility to complete the role and achieve the recommendations.

The Executive Director of the NGO Network, Doaa Qurei, said, We in the NGO Network have a mission to deepen the goals of sustainable development and deepen the role of youth in public policy-making. Our role was to support the various youth initiatives in the three axes covered by the forum, and one of the most important goals is the eradication of poverty. Our case here was to allow Palestinian youth to express their capabilities, creativity, and contribution to achieving development goals and their societal contribution through initiatives.