Palestine Refugee Agency Holds 5th Agency-Wide Student Parliament Workshop

Palestine Refugee Agency Holds 5th Agency-Wide Student Parliament Workshop

UNRWA School Parliamentarians and staff of the UNRWA Department of Education gather in Amman for a four-day workshop. (2023 UNRWA Photo)

From 15 to 18 June 2023, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) held the fifth student parliament workshop, where students representing all of the Agency’s fields of operation – the West Bank (including East Jerusalem), Gaza, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria – came together for a four-day workshop in Amman.

The workshop was opened by Dr. Julia Dicum, Director of Education, who welcomed the participants and thanked them for their key role in spreading a culture of human rights, democracy, respect, and tolerance, and voicing the students’ interests, successes, and concerns.

The workshop was an opportunity for the UNRWA school parliamentarians to get to know each other, exchange experiences, and discuss future workplans.

During the workshop, the participants explored topics such as human rights, democratic practices, leadership, communications, advocacy, and lessons learned. UNRWA student parliamentarian, Leen Sharqawi, talked about her intervention at the UNRWA Pledging Conference held on 2 June 2023 in New York.

US Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) Program Officer Jessica Pfleiderer spoke online to the participants, expressing PRM’s happiness at the success of the UNRWA student parliament and reconfirming their support to the activities.

The students discussed life-skills and well-being activities and agreed on action plans to guide the activities over the coming year.

Fifteen-year-old Khalil Mohammed AlLili from Gaza was elected the President of the Agency-wide parliament from among 15 candidates. Thirteen-year-old Lujain Ahmad al-Qaisi from Jordan was elected Vice-President, and Mahmoud Medhat al-Najar, a fifteen-year-old student from the West Bank, assumed the position of Parliament Secretary.

UNRWA Deputy Commissioner-General Leni Stenseth met the participating school parliamentarians and encouraged the students to advocate, represent other students and promote change for the future.

UNRWA began introducing student parliaments in its schools as part of its human rights education program in 2001. School parliaments promote a culture of respect and tolerance and play an effective role in schools and in the community.

Short Link : https://prc.org.uk/en/news/5827