From Gaza to Brussels: SDF’s Advocacy for Youth, Peace, and Security in the Mediterranean
16 April 2025 | Brussels, Belgium
The Social Developmental Forum (SDF) participated in the Euro‑Med Youth Dialogue—titled “ALF4ThePact Public Event on the Youth, Peace and Security Agenda in the Mediterranean”, aligning its longstanding advocacy efforts, for instance, the #PalestiniansLivesMatter campaign and SDF’s efforts to foster civic and political engagment of youth with the conference’s Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) objectives, particularly in the Middle East. The event, organized by the Anna Lindh Foundation in collaboration with the Union for the Mediterranean, convened over 20 youth leaders, practitioners, and policymakers to inform the EU’s upcoming Pact for the Mediterranean with youth perspectives on peace and security. The event was structured into three thematic sessions—focusing on conflict impacts, the security chapter of the Pact for the Mediterranean, and best practices for advancing the YPS agenda—culminating in a youth‑led open floor. SDF’s Communications Officer, Atta Khaled, represented the organization in the third session, sharing both successful strategies adopted by SDF and the MENA Coalition for Youth, Peace and Security, and the pressing challenges that threaten meaningful youth participation.
The event opened with remarks by Nasser Kamel (Secretary General, UfM) and Josep Ferré (Executive Director, ALF) before moving into three 45‑minute panels, each moderated by ALF Secretariat officers. The first panel highlighted Youth Perspectives on Mediterranean Conflicts, where young analysts discussed the impacts of the Algeria‑Morocco, Israeli Occupation of Palestine, and aggression on Lebanon on youth, emphasizing YPS pillars such as participation and reintegration. In the following session on “How the Security Chapter of the Pact for the Mediterranean Should Look Like,” panelists conveyed concrete recommendations for embedding YPS in the EU’s security framework under the Pact. The event was concluded by a panel on the “Lessons Learned and Best Practices on Advancing the YPS Agenda in the Mediterranean,” where civil society representatives—including SDF’s Communications Officer, Atta Khaled—showcased successful local and regional practices and identified barriers to effective YPS implementation. Following up, an open floor session allowed participants to comment before concluding with networking over lunch.
SDF and the YPS Agenda in the Middle East:
SDF is dedicated to empowering youth in sustainable development and peacebuilding across the region. Central to SDF’s current efforts is the #PalestiniansLivesMatter campaign, which amplifies calls for justice, dignity, and human rights for Palestinians. Building on its grassroots work in Gaza, SDF has steadily integrated the YPS agenda into its programming, collaborating with regional coalitions to bolster youth participation, protection, and partnerships, such as the MENA Coalition on YPS and the United Network for Young Peacebuilders (UNOY). In late 2024, SDF contributed to the launch of the MENA Regional Strategy on YPS and actively participated in the Global Forum on Youth, Peace and Security, highlighting its commitment to operationalizing UN Security Council Resolution 2250 in the Arab world.
Read: SDF Participates in the Global Forum on Youth, Peace, and Security
Atta Khaled, SDF’s Communications Officer—who holds an MA in Global Conflict and Cooperation from the University of Birmingham represented the Forum in the third session, bringing firsthand expertise in mobilizing the YPS in Palestine. Drawing on SDF’s collaboration with the MENA Coalition for Youth, Peace and Security (MENA4YPS), Atta highlighted community‑driven approaches to youth protection, preventive partnerships, and reintegration programs in Gaza and the West Bank.
“I was glad to share how SDF and MENA4YPS have fostered youth networks for participatory peacebuilding. Yet we face persistent challenges: limited funding, movement restrictions, and the urgent need to protect youth from conflict‑related trauma. True implementation of the YPS agenda demands that policymakers not only talk about youth inclusion but invest in our empowerment on the ground,” Atta said.
“We are proud to take part in the Euro‑Med Youth Dialogue, which underlines youth agency as central to regional security and the Pact for the Mediterranean,” the UfM Secretariat
The Euro‑Med Youth Dialogue was a crucial event to advocate for translating high‑level YPS resolutions into concrete, youth‑crafted insights for the EU’s Pact for the Mediterranean. SDF’s active engagement demonstrates both the potential and the hurdles of youth‑led peacebuilding in the MENA region. Moving forward, sustained investment and policy follow‑through will be essential to ensure that young voices not only influence but drive the region’s security agenda.
