Young people gain more from an experience when they are actively involved. Direct youth involvement offers potential benefits to young people, both those who help to develop programs and those served by the programs, as well offering benefits to the organizations. Programs for youth which are developed with their full participation can be highly effective in empowering young people and building their skills.
Youths (16 – 25) in Palestinian society compose around 27% (Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics - PCBS) of the population, while children (those 15 or younger), soon to become youths, compose about 42% (PCBS) of it. They are future leaders who should be invested in. The long-lasting occupation has made many people, especially youth, apathetic and their previous optimism about the future of Palestine is fading. Young Palestinians often feel powerless, marginalized and alienated from decision-making processes which affect their lives and future.
The JAI is a program of the East Jerusalem YOUNG Men's Christian Association (YMCA) and YOUNG Women's Christian Association (YWCA) of Palestine. Therefore, youths should always be involved as key stakeholders in the JAI and its two mother organizations.
We target international and Palestinian youth communities, since we believe that young communities in any society are the most effective agents of change. We encourage youth to be active members in advocacy efforts which work to achieve peace with justice and create a better reality for all.
The JAI works to empower youth in society by building their capacity for greater participation to work towards a democratic, free and peaceful civil society with equal opportunities for both genders. Empowerment also focuses on equipping them with effective advocacy tools so that they can communicate the Palestinian cause to the international community, as well as understanding other global causes – working towards Global Citizenship. JAI believes that youth must play a central role in global gatherings and share their fears, grief, dreams and ambitions and influence decision makers to act for a better future.
According to our vision of being open to society and responding to the social needs of different groups, we work hand in hand with young people in organizing various activities. Our work with youth is open to both genders and all religions and in various areas, to encourage the Palestinian youth to participate in social development, and promote the concepts of justice, peace, democracy and human rights.
This aims at enabling youth to share and exchange experiences on both local and international levels, increase the role of youth in activities locally and internationally, create young leaders, enhance the role of youth in society, spread the concepts of democracy, peace and justice among youth.
This program targets the feeling of helplessness among Palestinain youth in order to give a platform for them to be empowered and regain their confidence in themselves as they do in their own generation.
Youth can be the power of lobbying to address issues that range from local social services to national issues on poverty, unemployment, democracy, national concerns and even politics.
Training in the fields of civics, leadership Lobbying and advocacy, is a must and it definitely gives the tools needed for better influence and greater impact. It is educating the Palestinian youth in order to serve their national aspiration of independence and freedom.
This program works for the information, education and mobilization of Palestinian youth and works with them for launching different campaigns and initiatives, using different tools, and executing different activities to raise awareness and become advocates for Just Peace.
PYEM is a voluntary gathering of Palestinian Christian youth, working under the umbrella of the YMCA-YWCA Joint Advocacy Initiative, and does not substitute or compete with any of the Christian youth organizations/groups working in Palestine.
The gathering works, primarily, on fulfilling the Christian vision and activating the Palestinian Christian community' national role in the Palestinian society and cause, towards achieving peace with justice and building a democratic pluralistic society, dominated by the principles of social justice and the respect human rights and dignity.
Working with the Christian youths, and the various Christian youth groups, to unite visions, enhance ecumenism, and support the religious, social, and cultural local programs, based on the general Christian, humanitarian, and national principles, to develop the Palestinian Christian' national role in serving the Church, the homeland and human being.
Activating and strengthening the role of Palestinian Christian youth in the service of man kind, the Church, the society, and the Palestinian cause.
Young Peace Performers (YPP) is a FK funded exchange program initiated by YGlobal (YMCA/YWCA Norway) partnering with various YMCAs and YWCAs, including the Joint Advocacy Initiative. Each year 20 youth between 18 and 25 from 7 countries come together for 8 month, travel to various countries, to fight and advocate for justice and peace through shows and workshops.
Students exchange programs were established with a number of schools and students' groups. Through such exchange the JAI works with Palestinian schools and students, train and empower them to communicate Palestine from a teenagers' perspective, who then travel to respective international schools and receive internatiobal schools' global classes in Palestine and at their schools, with the facilitation and organization of the JAI.
Fours students' exchange programs already running with the YMCA-YWCA Rønningen Folkehøgskole in Norway; Nørre Nissum Efterskole, Dronninglund Efterskole and Midtsjællands Efterskole through DanChurch Aid in Denmark.
The JAI coordinates and facilitates the participation of JAI, YMCA, YWCA youth in international youth events and gatherings worldwide, to communicate Palestine and life under occupation from youth perspective, promote and encourage people to take actions and join the JAI advocacy work and campaigns.