Iraqi Refugee Solidarity Initiative

Global Youth Connect — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 15:14:03 GMT

Since 2003, more than 4 million Iraqis have been uprooted as a result of the violent unraveling of their country. Of those, approximately 2 million are internally displaced within Iraq and another estimated 2 million have sought refuge in surrounding countries. According to the latest estimates, more than 750,000 Iraqis have settled in Jordan, which according to UNRWA (the UN Palestine refugee agency) already hosts approximately 1.7 million Palestinian refugees, making this small country host to the largest refugee population in the Middle East. As conflict and violence continue in Iraq, the humanitarian crisis faced by Iraqi refugees, in Jordan and other countries, has remained largely ignored by most of the world outside of the Middle East.

For more information on this issue: www.globalyouthconnect.org/country_jordan

With this context in mind, Global Youth Connect, the Jordanian Community Development Center in Sweileh, and the Jordan Red Crescent have joined together to launch an Iraqi Refugee Solidarity Initiative. Through this initiative, GYC, CDC and JRC will help build and support a community of youth activists interested in working together to address the Iraqi refugee crisis in Jordan.

Program Activities: This joint initiative will bring together 30 youth (ages 18-30) from Iraq, Jordan and the U.S. with the goal of better understanding the root causes of the crisis, placing it within a larger regional and global context, and identifying concrete ways in which they can take steps towards addressing the situation. The initiative will take place over a 6-month period, incorporating a series of distinct yet interconnected elements, including: a peer learning community in Jordan,
community engagement and outreach, and an evaluation and reflection retreat.

Peer Learning Community
July 25 - August 18, 2008
The first phase of the initiative will bring together 30 participants from Iraq, Jordan and the U.S. (10 from each country) for three weeks in Amman, Jordan. As part of a peer learning community, participants will engage in dialogue, build skills in conflict transformation and human rights activism, and engage in a joint fieldwork project and action planning.

Community Engagement & Outreach
August 19, 2008 - January 2, 2009
After the initial three-week learning community in Jordan, participants will spend several months organizing creative, follow-up activities in their own communities to address the Iraqi refugee crisis.

Evaluation & Reflection Retreat
January 3-4, 2009
At the end of the program, participants will once again come together to evaluate and reflect on their action efforts, reconnect with other participants and identify next steps. For U.S. participants, this weekend program will take place at a retreat center in upstate New York.

Program Costs: While GYC and its partner organizations in Jordan will help underwrite the costs of this program, U.S. participants will be expected to contribute and/or fundraise $2,500 to help cover the costs of running this program. In addition to this, participants will need to cover their international airfare and some other expenses associated with their participation in the program. Please see detailed information and fundraising guide available on our website for more information: www.globalyouthconnect.org/participate.

If you are interested in supporting this initiative, please consider making a donation: www.globalyouthconnect.org/donate

Application Deadline: March 21, 2008

Global Youth Connect's Blog

Iraqi Refugee Solidarity Initiative