Human Rights and Democracy Media Center- SHAMS, salutes Palestinian youth wherever they are; the youth who picked a generous and sacrificial demeanor and beared the load of pain and suffering over the years. Youth were always the vanguard in the battle of confronting the Israeli colonialism project in Palestine. The youth had sacrificed their lives and the best years of their ages for the sake of their homeland and the freedom and dignity of their nation. The Palestinian youth had been always a revolutionary generation that seeks freedom and life in dignity and love of their homeland and national just question. The Palestinian youth are facing, daily, the occupation’s machine of murder and oppression and face the false bills of charge in front of the Israeli mock military courts. The Palestinian youth are suffering inside Israeli cells and prisons. Yet, youth are committed to their principles and values despite the horrible attacks of the Israeli jailers and the dark prisons, in which they are held custody. Palestinian youth had sacrificed tens of thousands of martyrs, injured, and prisoners in their battle to defend their nation’s right to freedom and liberation from colonialism.
SHAMS Center emphasizes the necessity to care about the youth sector in Palestine as youth represent a valuable human capital. Youth should be protected and developed and there should be an investment in them as they represent half of the current time but the full future. There is a need to develop national plans and strategies to empower youth in general regardless of their origins and backgrounds, to be able to participate in the public sphere, socially, economically, and politically. To achieve that youth should be represented in the leadership of all the institutions that work for youth. There is a need to ensure youth representation within the leadership of the Palestinian political parties. Additionally, there is a need to ensure involving youth in the leadership of the CSOs as well as the leadership of the official institutions to contribute to building a future that responds to youth’s needs and future ambitions. There is a need to work towards achieving a more stable future for youth where their right to development and prosperity is guaranteed.
The Center considers adopting the International Youth Day by the United Nations, as a step forward towards recognizing youth’s rights and supporting them and their initiatives. In this regard, the United Nations General Assembly approved in its resolution numbered 54/ 120, to adopt August 12, to be the annual International Day for Youth. The General Assembly responded to the recommendation presented by the International Conference of Youth Ministers (Lispone 8- 12/81998) and identified August 12 to be Youth International Day. Declaring an International Day for Youth is a manifestation of the United Nations’ commitment to supporting youth and serves as a clear message to all governments to increase support for youth and recruit all efforts to realize the developmental goals that contribute to improving the quality of life of youth. Likewise, it is a message to the various countries, especially the Third World Countries (including Palestine) where youth represent the majority in these countries, to work to achieve political sustainability and improve the quality of life of youth.
SHAMS Center urges for adopting a modern progressive discourse that promotes the values of democracy and human rights, among the Palestinian youth. The required discourse should give attention to youth and utilize their innovative capabilities as well as enhance the culture of democracy and accept the other concept within the local context. There is a need to eliminate hate speech and incitement among the Palestinian youth as such discourse and rejecting the other, had been noticed recently as a phenomenon among some Palestinian youth groups. There is a need to work on involving youth within the community by providing them with work opportunities (considering gender perspective) in cooperation with the various actors within the community: public, civic, and private sectors. There should be recognition of the connection between training and education to prevent excluding youth. There should be a focus on supporting the organizations led by youth, mainly led by young women and executing projects that contribute to empowering youth.
SHAMS Center would like to remind all the official and civic institutions of the United Nations Security Council Resolution (2250/ 2015) about youth, peace, and security, which was released with the consensus of all the UNSC members. In this regard, SHAMS Center urges strengthening youth’s participation in the various decision-making circles on the local, regional, and global levels, to utilize youth’s role in solving and preventing conflicts. The Center emphasizes the necessity to protect civilians (including female/ male youth)against armed conflicts as well as protecting them during the periods of post-armed conflicts. The government and the official institutions should work to develop policies and strategies to achieve development and support the national economy. There is a need to elevate with youth’s education and vocational training to enhance their economic participation. At the same time, there is a need to involve youth in various community civic and political structures to achieve development and prosperity.
The Center urges the various official and civic institutions ad the decision- makers, to recognize the role of youth as actors within the process to elevate with the community. Youth should be allowed to contribute to drawing the future vision and objectives that are capable of developing a better life for youth. Providing youth with the opportunity for a better future would contribute to achieving stability and sustainable development within the Palestinian community. Enabling youth to participate in the public sphere would contribute to achieving real political, economic, social, and cultural development within the Palestinian community. Youth are the builders of the community and its prosperous future. Youth serve as an energy and are ready to give the maximum they can to contribute to developing their community.
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