Wasla youth in Yalla Challenge
Monday, November 16, Wasla participants took part in Yalla Challenge, where 40 participants received extensive training on the mechanism of selecting issues appropriate for advocacy campaigns and developing plans within a specific strategy. After three consecutive days of thinking and planning, 3 advocacy campaigns were chosen based on the campaign vision and the efficiency of the submitted plan, to be implemented in the next stage.
Nareman Hwaihi, project coordinator, said that the challenge is one of SDF’s activities which aims to enhance the role of young people in making a real impact and change in their societies, and involving them in social change processes.
Hwaihi explained that the campaigns varied between social and youth issues that would reflect the strength of youth and their ability to change being the most influential group in society.
Participants agreed that their experience in this challenge was unique, starting from it being their first experience in a similar event and ending with promoting the inclusion of persons with disabilities in social change, especially in light of the discrimination they suffer from.
Mahmoud Abu Odeh, one of the participants in the challenge worked with his team to create a campaign to affirm the right of persons with disabilities in independence promoted by the challenges they face and the negative view toward them in the community.
On his experience in the challenge, he said: “Through my participation in Yalla Challenge camp, I got to know more about the concept of digital advocacy and how we use these campaigns to pressure decision-makers to change reality, especially with regard to issues of persons with disabilities and their rights to independence and to make their own decisions without facing any obstacles. It was a great experience with an enthusiastic atmosphere and after campaign idea got first place in the evaluation of the jury and electronic voting, I have a great passion to implement it. ”
The spirit of competition and the need to make a real change prompted Haya to participate in the challenge, as she described her participation saying: “It was a wonderful experience. I learned how to think in an unconventional way and got to know the basics of digital advocacy campaigns. After the challenge, I will use this information with my team to successfully implement our campaign. ”
This training camp comes within Social Developmental Forum vision to enhance the role of youth in the local community and has been implemented in its various programs including Wasla.