The world we have created poses enormous challenges for our youth. At the same time, we have developed technology that allows for innumerable opportunities to create change. Youth are at the forefront of instrumentalizing and applying this technology to advance its inherent possibilities. This issue of This Week in Palestine highlights how young Palestinians are living up to the challenges they face, engaging both on their own initiative and supported by various local and international organizations. They tackle a wide range of social and environmental issues, help improve services and develop the economy, and encourage entrepreneurship among their peers, overcoming the many obstacles they face while living under difficult circumstances.
TWiP wishes to thank UNDP for its financial support of this issue! Our thanks also go to the authors this month: Abeer Al Yazji, a civic engagement and economic empowerment specialist who manages UNDP programs in Gaza; Nasim Kullab, an environmental engineer who currently manages the Gaza branch of Al-Nayzak Organization and Ahmed Mortaja, a psychologist and active community leader; the members of the Youth Advisory Panel under the leadership of United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA); the International Committee of the Red Cross; seventeen-year-old Griffin Abdo who has raised tens of thousands of dollars to support Gazans; Dr. Yara Dahdal, the projects manager at Nature Palestine Society; Suhail Khoury, the general director of the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music; Bader Asalwa, a virtual and augmented reality developer, consultant, and trainer; Dawoud Zahran, the founder of MISSION and an Oxford University alumnus; Fawaz Samara, the co-founder and CEO of Nabeeh platform; Ali Dreidi, a financial and investment professional; Bader Alzaharna, the INSPIRE22 Youth Teams Leader in Gaza; Hamzeh Ghosheh, the founder and CEO of Naviatx; Jehan Helou, an executive committee member of the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY); Masa Sabbah, the founder of Om Safa, an online system that supports a sustainable lifestyle; Mai Obaid, a developer who works with UNRWA at UNICC; Samah Ramadan, a program assistant at Mercy Corps, Gaza Sky Geek’s Freelancing Academy; Enas Al Matour, a computer science graduate who has embarked on a career of freelancing technology advice; and Lour Dahleh, a tenth-grade student activist for women’s rights.
Our Historical Personalities of the Month are the Gazan educators Shafik and Wadi’ Tarazi, our two Books of the Month are Nine Quarters of Jerusalem and The Cobblestones of Jerusalem. The Artist of the Month is the ensemble Banat al-Quds (Daughters of Jerusalem). Where to Go takes you to The Youth Village near Kufr Ni’meh. Enjoy the events of this month, among which are quite a few concerts by Al Kamandjati music school students.
From the entire team at TWiP, we wish a blessed month of Ramadan and a happy Easter to all who are celebrating these occasions. We also hope that our next issue will come out in a more peaceful world!
Sincerely,
By Tina Basem
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