Youth Mobilizing in the City of Jerusalem on a Cross Road: Changing and Teaching Ourselves

Statistics about youth engagement in Palestine has been showing a decline in youth participation. Youth has been stepping away from political parties and development organizations working with youth. Although they have been trying to have their own youth led initiatives, yet over the years they could not merge into a power that can make a change in their society. Knowing the history of youth engagement in Palestine the withdrawal of youth is an alarming issue. This research aims at presenting from a youth perspective, their perspective about their role, the challenges they face, and how they perceive their position in a larger field of actors. This research is part of a reflective process of youth community leaders in which they are trying to evaluate their previous approaches and develop a better practice of community organizing.

This research is based on Participatory action research with youth led organizing groups in the city of Jerusalem. A core group of youth leaders are part of the research team, and they are supported with their groups’ members for implementation. The research works on an issue recognized by all members of the core group to be the place for their intervention and community change. The intervention and making change process will include a continuous reflection process among young people to ensure the learning process, and the awareness about the previous and current practices, what works and what fails. Youth will be bringing their experiences from the various groups to polish, develop, and enhance their own model of community change. It will be built on their worldview and their capability to make it take place.