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Newlyweds or Children?
Inspiring words from the Pan-African Youth Forum
We are all immigrants
We are all immigrants, don’t be ashamed. We all came from different lands and mountains. We established civilizations across our borders and we moved beyond oceans to discover the unknown. We are all immigrants, don’t be ashamed. It’s in our nature to wander, to move and to walk across wide lands and limitless borders. Deep down the oceans, where ancient ships sleep, you can see it yourself. Every part of the ship would tell you a story of a human, who was looking for new discoveries and new opportunities. My country Tunisia is 3000 years old; it has witnessed the movement of Amazigh tribes...
A Merry Christmas?
I've been reading a lot about the world war, and it's really fascinating. Most history junkies know that on the Christmas of 1914, smack-dab in the middle of World War I, there were a series of ceasefires along the western front. Soldiers crossed enemy trenches unarmed, to shake hands, exchange gifts and they even went as far as to sing Christmas carols together. Alfred Anderson, the last known surviving Scottish veteran of the war, vividly recalled Christmas Day in 1914: “I remember the silence, the eerie sound of silence. Only the guards were on duty. We all went outside the farm buildings...
A well informed adolescent
I am passionate about preparing adolescents and youth, the people that will inherit the world in a couple of years, regarding challenges that we are facing now, such as health, poverty, gender inequality and lack of quality education. My community based activities since 2014 contribute to the objectives of the sustainable development goals by providing young people the knowledge, actions, values and communication skills needed to contribute to their overall development, thereby empowering them to make healthy life choices. These choices, decisions and actions would promote universally shared...
Broadway's butterflies
Amadi was sitting on the floor with his classmates, it was an English class. Their teacher was a volunteer from UNHCR, she was perfectly nice and helpful. Amadi was reading his homework when she stopped him and asked: "When you grow up what do you want to be Amadi?" He stood up on his feet and simply answered: "Before thinking of the future we have to first figure out how to deal with our present, and for the moment I want to be a butterfly; to wear my wings, to stand on the Broadway stage and to be a butterfly. She smiled "And why a butterfly?" she asked. "Butterflies are beautiful and they...
A dream across the border line
Only five steps towards the border line and now only two are left to look through the barbed wires. His name is "Kid", he is only 10 years old, he is young but old enough to realize that the sky above his head is divided into two; where he stands is emptiness and there across the line is Home. Now they stopped calling him "Kid", since the day they crossed that line he became "Refugee". It's been two years now, he was only eight when he left his home. At first he couldn't understand why all of a sudden the sky started raining fire and why instead of the flying white birds there are those black...
You(th) are the future.
Today, I wanted to write about us, youth. Young people are the greatest agents of change in a society. To be young is definitely one of the most beautiful times in a person's life. You are full of energy, dreams and have so many aspirations. But there are many challenges too. We live in a busy world, many things have changed, including views and expectations. Some adults think that today's youth are a generation addicted to technology, that do not want to work and only focus on having fun. These stereotypes seem to be deeply rooted in some cultures, appearing to us time after time. And the...
Youth Day: what does it mean to be a young person in 2022?
I invite young people to fail, a lot
This #YouthDay, let’s make our voices heard!
#YouthDay: Hope for Change
I was born at the turn of the century. We're now in the 22nd year of it. At 22, fresh out of graduate school, I find myself standing at a dangerous precipice beyond which lies the realm of discouraged adulthood. By discouraged, I mean defeated. Where the burdens of the world seem too much for one person to concern themselves with. Where the spark of youth, that determination and grasp of today's issues that I consider as deeply personal and fundamental to my existence, become subject to the rallying call of "it is what it is". I find myself staring at that degenerate abyss of resigned...
Western Balkans diversity #YouthDay
I think there is no other place with such a history of nationalism hate as the Balkans and former Yugoslavia. We all have harsh history with each others. Wars after the break of Yugoslavia spread hatred and chauvinism that lead us to the state where a lot of people are afraid of each other. Xenophobia is present in every country, because our political leaders have taught us, in the past 30 years, that that phenomenon is normal. They wanted us to hate each other, because it was easier that way for them to rule. Nowadays, we, as a young people, are aware of this problem and the harm it can cause...
Stop! And Listen To The Youth #YouthDay
The fate of the future lies in the hands of the youth. Then, why are we so underestimated? In conjunction with #YouthDay, I'm writing this blog to acknowledge those who have a desire to change the world for the better. Moreover, I'm writing this to shed light on the struggles of young people we've failed to overcome. Finally, I'm writing this to stress how important it is to amplify the voices of people, no matter how old they are. How often do you see younger people being taken seriously by the government and society? I have watched numerous viral videos and read countless headlines regarding...
#YouthDay
In honour of #YouthDay, I'm sharing my opinions and views on the power of young peoples voices. •What are your hopes and struggles as a young person? Let me start off by telling you my story. Back in 2020 I had a personal silencing experience where my voice was held inferior by an adult, purely because of my age. That feeling of defeat is an experience I wish upon no one. After some time I realised silencing was happening all around me. I believe we still live in a culture that teaches children to only respond when spoken to. #PowerOfVoice is our superpower, an no opinion or voice should be...
Peace: It's Importance to us!
What is Peace? Peace itself is a very beautiful and a powerful word. Peace simply means being in a place, where no hatred exists and every corner is filled with love, care and respect; where conflicts are handled peacefully. Peace is a Human Right and it's a Right for Everyone! Why Peace is so important? As peace is a basic human right, it is very, very important that we are have peace in all the possible aspects. For example, peace in policymaking processes, peaceful diplomatic relations with other nations etc. Should we add Peace Education to our education system? Well, yes, we should add...
Islamophobia and terrorism
It is really unfortunate how people judge fellow human beings on the basis of religion, culture and identity. I believe that Islamophobia is mainly a result of terrorist activities done by terrorist groups like ISIS and Taliban, who do hold a pan-Islamic ideology, but no one should not forget that Syrian and Afghani soldiers fighting against these terrorist groups are also Muslim. An example of Islamophobia is when a person drove a van through a Muslim crowd coming out of Finsbury Park mosque after prayer and yelled '' I will kill all Muslims". This attack took place on the 18th of July, 2017...
Eradicate poverty by ending conflicts
For the last three years till June 2017, I was contracted to work for a commercial bank in a Sub-Saharan African country. I worked for the bank as a credit analyst for small businesses. With an educational background in business and experience working in the banking sector on microfinance, I came to the following realization. Small businesses in Sub-Saharan Africa are often faced with a slow, stagnant growth and lack of peace and harmony between owners and stakeholders. The three years working with the financial institution brought me to consider these somehow ethical questions: Why is there...