Four young members of Jordanian CCs participated in the "Right to Choose" Erasmus + Youth Exchange in Napoli, Italy during the period of the 20th to the 27th of September, 2015, along with youth participants from civic society organizations from Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, Spain, Malta and Italy. The exchange aimed at gathering young people from different cultures and backgrounds to develop solidarity with refugees and migrants, promoting tolerance among young people and fostering social cohesion in their communities. Young participants were engaged in a simulation activity to understand the migrant’s journey and challenges. That has introduced the participants to the best practices of dealing with migrants and integrating them into the hosting community. The simulation activity included living the migrant’s journey, job searching, integrating with European culture and other daily life details. The ultimate aim was developing a social guide on how to deal with young migrants and creating a friendly space for them.
Farah Ismail, a Jordanian participant, said, "We really lived the hardships and suffering of refugees and migrants throughout several real activities; I will not forget the experience of climbing the Mount Vesuvius (active volcano), where we walked over 15 km to simulate the difficult journeys that immigrants and refugees take in search for a safe place and better life. Other memorable activities were related to direct interaction with public, specially demonstrating the posters we prepared on the rights of immigrants and refugees in the streets of Napoli."
The Jordanian participants actively participated in the youth exchange and shared the Jordanian long experience in hosting hundreds of thousands refugees from Palestine, Iraq, and Syria. They presented URI best practices in engaging and integrating young refugees into the Jordanian community through the community service and capacity building activities.
Finally, the project, which was mainly organized by the Italian NGO "Arciragazzi Portici,” was funded by the European Commission Erasmus + Directorate of General Education and Culture.
In love and peace,
Mamoun Ahmad, Bayan Qtishat, and Farah Ismail
