27.04.2023 - As part of improving their participation in decision-making levels, a number of Palestinian youth and REFORM met with Mr. Ramzi Rabah, a member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organisation.
During the meeting, the young activists discussed the obstacles they face in participating in the decision-making process and public institutions of the state and parties. They spoke about the decline of the centrality of the Palestinian cause at the international and national levels, the deep gap between various societal components and the stagnation of various representative institutions as a result of the democratic process. The meeting also discussed the Palestinian division and the decline of the Palestinian cause at the international level. The young participants stressed on their entitlement to participate in all official and party-representative frameworks.
Mr. Rabah said that “Palestinian youth have the skills that enable them to be active partners in policy-making and decision-making. They have the full right to be empowered in this role that meets their aspirations, hopes and dreams”. At the end of the meeting, Mr. Rezeq Atawneh, the Project Coordinator at REFORM, called for the necessity of empowering Palestinian youth to participate and to implement their demands at various levels.
This meeting is implemented within the Symposia project, which is implemented by the Palestinian Association for Empowerment and Local Development - REFORM, funded by Diakonia, Swedish Development Aid (Sida). The project aims to enable politically and socially active Palestinian youth to lead an interactive dialogue with members of the Executive Committee of the Palestinian National and Central Councils - PLO through a dialogue platform in which the youth’s perceptions, aspirations and legitimate demands enhance their participation in the management of public affairs. This is presented to the decision-making bodies in the associations of the Palestinian political system. The participation is displayed in the form of discussions of draft policies that policy makers are preparing and discussing topics related to various aspects of political and social life.
End of statement.
