Palestinian youth are the most disadvantaged stratum in the Palestinian society. Many young Palestinians are detached from the Palestinian Authority and its institutions due to lack of communication between the two parties and understanding of the issues of youths and the mechanisms of such institutions. The ripple effect of the young Palestinians’ lack of participation creates a vacuum in Palestinian politics, as a result, this stratum is left unrepresented with no significant skills developed to lead tomorrow’s Palestine.

Project Summary: Sharek aims to train knowledgeable students from 5 student councils, in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on the skills that aid them in becoming advocates, decision makers and acting upon youth needs and violations. These skills include tolerance and respect of diversity, presentation, critical thinking, and public service. Out of 125 students, 25 will advance to obtain higher level skills like diplomatic communication, negotiation, conflict resolution, peacebuilding, public and foreign policy, and multilateralism and global cooperation. The trained youth diplomats will have the opportunity to conduct an exchange program between them and the EU Youth Parliament to exchange information and experience. Lastly, well achieved and outstanding young diplomats will be presented with an internship opportunity at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.