Working with Euro-Mediterranean Partnership (EUROMED) programs, URI MENA members were invited to participate in the Path to Active Citizenship training program in Manchester, United Kingdom. Held July 14-20, 2013, five members from Jordanian URI CCs, Quested Peace and Gathering of Happiness, along with 16 youth workers and organization leaders from the UK, Romania and Finland, participated in the program to learn more about social and political reforms.
The participants learned how to engage youth, community minorities, and civil society organizations in community building and becoming active citizens by giving back to their communities. Together, the group generated several ideas highlighting the importance of actively participating in community affairs such as crime prevention and neighborhood watches. They also learned how to contribute to political reforms in local communities by voting, joining a party or pressure group, and campaigning or standing for election.
During their visit, the participants also met with the Lord Mayor of Manchester at his office at Manchester’s City Hall. The Jordanian team presented the Lord Mayor with gifts, and URI MENA Regional Coordinator Mamoun Khreisat gave an introduction of URI, elaborating on the work of URI in MENA region and its ongoing efforts to promote mutual respect and peaceful political and social reform in the MENA region.
The Jordanian team also met with Manchester Youth Council and listened to their experiences in dealing with the diverse youth of Manchester. The team shared their own experiences as well, inviting the Manchester Youth Council to join URI Europe. It is the hope of URI MENA that the Youth Council canbenefit from URI’s extensive experience in uniting diverse people from all over the world and share their wisdom to create cultures of peace, justice, and healing for Earth and all of humankind.
