From Campus Collaboration to Real Advocacy Skills (2024)

During 2024, as the war and humanitarian situation in Gaza intensified, Sharek Youth Forum worked with UNFPA and Palestinian universities across the West Bank and Gaza to create a practical, high-quality learning opportunity that connected academic knowledge to real-world advocacy. The result was “Defenders”—a Model International Court of Justice (ICJ) Simulation designed for law students and delivered with full university support, demonstrating how higher education partnerships can translate into impactful youth engagement.

“Defenders” brought together 40 law students from all WB universities , organized into teams named after Gaza governorates and camps (including Rafah, Jabalia, Shuja’iyya, Khan Younis, and Gaza) to ensure the focus remained on representing Gaza’s realities rather than competing as individual universities. Through a structured one-month learning journey, participants moved from training to practice—developing legal reasoning, drafting, and advocacy skills grounded in international humanitarian and human rights law.

The programme combined online learning and coaching with three intensive in-person training days, including to prepare students for courtroom-style presentation and argumentation. Participants engaged with experienced legal and diplomatic experts, receiving detailed feedback Moot Court practice on evidence-building, structured legal writing, and persuasive argument delivery. The final simulation was hosted at the Moot Court of Al-Istiqlal University in Jericho, where students presented their cases before a panel of legal academics specializing in law and international law.

Beyond the event itself, the success of “Defenders” reflected the strength of the university partnership model. Universities supported outreach, participation, and coordination—creating a national platform where students could learn collectively, engage professionally, and apply their knowledge under real standards. Assessment results and expert feedback indicated clear growth in participants’ ability to apply legal principles and argue cases effectively, strengthening youth readiness to contribute to rights-based advocacy.

Through “Defenders,” Sharek and its university partners demonstrated that—especially in times of crisis—higher education spaces can become bridges to meaningful public engagement, enabling young people to take an active role, build credible skills, and represent their perspectives with professionalism on national and international platforms.