Workshop Themes
Arraba – Jenin | Saturday, April 12, 2025
As part of its ongoing efforts to empower Palestinian youth and amplify their voices on national and societal issues, Dou' – The Palestinian Foundation for Dialogue and Development, in cooperation with Arraba Community Association and Khutwa Community Development Association, organized a youth dialogue workshop in the town of Arraba, located in the Jenin Governorate.
The workshop brought together 20 young men and women from various communities across Jenin, and was facilitated by Yafa Atatrah, Chair of Dou’s Board of Directors. It aimed to provide a safe space for youth to discuss critical national challenges and collectively articulate a more just and representative vision for the future.Participants engaged in open dialogue around three core themes:
- Current national challenges
- Youth aspirations
- The roles youth can play in driving change
1. Current National Challenges
Participants unanimously identified the ongoing genocide in Gaza and the Israeli policies of annexation and settlement expansion in the West Bank, including Jerusalem, as the most pressing existential threats to Palestinian identity and rights.
Additional key challenges raised included:
- The persistence of political division and its impact on social cohesion and national unity
- Shrinking civic and political space for youth expression and engagement
- Weak official media and its limited ability to uphold the Palestinian narrative
- Signs of normalization with the occupation and erosion of the national spirit
- The absence of democratic processes and popular representation
- The marginalization of the Palestine Liberation Organization and the dominance of the Palestinian Authority
- Economic hardship and high unemployment
- Erosion of social justice and the rise of favoritism
- The role of civil society organizations that often utilize youth more than they genuinely engage them, with a tendency to conform to donor-driven agendas
2. Youth Aspirations
The participants outlined a shared vision of what they strive for:
- Ending internal division and achieving true national unity
- National liberation and the establishment of a democratic Palestinian state that protects rights and freedoms
- A reformed education system grounded in Palestinian identity and national priorities
- Guaranteeing the right of return for Palestinian refugees
- Economic revitalization, especially through support for the agricultural and industrial sectors
- Promoting social justice, equality, and civil peace
- Ensuring meaningful and fair youth representation at both national and international levels
3. Youth Roles in Driving Change
Participants proposed three youth-led initiatives as practical steps toward change:
🔹 "The Land Is Our Most Precious Asset" Initiative
A campaign to highlight the devastating impact of Israeli violations on Palestinian agriculture, while offering viable solutions to support farmers’ resilience.
🔹 "Freedom Is a Decision" Initiative
Focused on raising youth awareness of their rights and how to defend them through advocacy campaigns, policy dialogues with officials, and the development of policy papers and recommendations.
🔹 A National Youth Initiative to End the Division
This initiative would launch with a National Youth Conference bringing together youth from diverse backgrounds and political orientations to formulate a realistic action plan aimed at pressuring political actors to reconcile. This would be accompanied by empowerment programs to strengthen youth leadership and demand equitable representation in national institutions.
Message from the Workshop
“Palestinian youth do not need others to speak on their behalf — they need real spaces to express themselves, organize, and lead change with awareness, responsibility, and purpose.”
This workshop marked another step forward in elevating youth voices within the national discourse and creating tools for meaningful influence beyond token representation.