From Perceived Distance to Direct Youth Engagement

Building meaningful engagement with official institutions is essential for youth participation—yet some spaces are often seen as distant or difficult to access. One of Sharek Youth Forum’s most impactful successes has been strengthening cooperation with the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates and transforming this relationship into a practical pathway for youth engagement.

Despite the perception that the Ministry is a closed space, Sharek succeeded in building sustained communication and coordination—establishing direct links not only with the Minister, but also with ambassadors, diplomatic circles, and relevant departments. This cooperation became a cornerstone of Sharek’s Diplomatic Youth Academy and its international models and simulations, creating real opportunities for young people to interact with diplomacy in practice.

Through structured engagements—such as policy dialogues, diplomatic briefings, roundtable discussions, and mentorship-style sessions—youth moved from observing diplomacy from afar to engaging with it directly. Over 200 dialogue meetings were held with Palestinian ambassadors and diplomats, as well as representatives from other countries—bringing young people into conversations that are usually out of reach. These sessions created space to discuss the most pressing challenges facing Palestinian youth, youth visions for the future, national priorities, and key issues related to supporting the Palestinian cause and strengthening the Palestinian narrative internationally.

Most importantly, this partnership helped change a long-standing impression. Many young participants expressed that, for the first time, they felt closer to the Ministry and better able to understand its role and mechanisms. By giving youth direct access to diplomatic spaces and building their confidence to speak professionally, Sharek helped transform diplomacy into a more accessible field—where youth are not observers, but informed contributors and credible voices for Palestine on international platforms.