Iraqi Refugee Solidarity Initiative
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About [Edit]
Since 2003, more than 4 million
Iraqis have been uprooted as a result of the violent unraveling of their
country. Of those, approximately 2 million are internally displaced within Iraq
and another estimated 2 million have sought refuge in surrounding countries.
According to the latest estimates, more than 750,000 Iraqis have settled in
Jordan, which according to UNRWA (the UN Palestine refugee agency) already hosts
approximately 1.7 million Palestinian refugees, making this small country host
to the largest refugee population in the Middle East. As conflict and violence
continue in Iraq, the humanitarian crisis faced by Iraqi refugees, in Jordan and
other countries, has remained largely ignored by most of the world outside of
the Middle East.
For more
information on this issue: www.globalyouthconnect.org/country_jordan
With this
context in mind, Global Youth Connect, the Jordanian Community Development
Center in Sweileh, and the Jordan Red Crescent have joined together to launch an
Iraqi Refugee Solidarity Initiative. Through this initiative, GYC, CDC and JRC
will help build and support a community of youth activists interested in working
together to address the Iraqi refugee crisis in Jordan.
Program Activities:
This joint initiative
will bring together 30 youth (ages 18-30) from Iraq, Jordan and the U.S. with
the goal of better understanding the root causes of the crisis, placing it
within a larger regional and global context, and identifying concrete ways in
which they can take steps towards addressing the situation. The initiative will
take place over a 6-month period, incorporating a series of distinct yet
interconnected elements, including: a peer learning community in Jordan,
community engagement and outreach, and
an evaluation and reflection retreat.
Peer Learning
Community
July 25 - August 18,
2008
The first phase of the initiative will bring together 30
participants from Iraq, Jordan and the U.S. (10 from each country) for three
weeks in Amman, Jordan. As part of a peer learning community, participants will
engage in dialogue, build skills in conflict transformation and human rights
activism, and engage in a joint fieldwork project and action
planning.
Community Engagement &
Outreach
August 19, 2008 - January 2,
2009
After the initial three-week learning
community in Jordan, participants will spend several months organizing creative,
follow-up activities in their own communities to address the Iraqi refugee
crisis.
Evaluation & Reflection
Retreat
January 3-4,
2009
At the end of the program,
participants will once again come together to evaluate and reflect on their
action efforts, reconnect with other participants and identify next steps. For
U.S. participants, this weekend program will take place at a retreat center in
upstate New York.
Program Costs: While
GYC and its partner organizations in Jordan will help underwrite the costs of
this program, U.S. participants will be expected to contribute and/or fundraise
$2,500 to help cover the costs of running this program. In addition to this,
participants will need to cover their international airfare and some other
expenses associated with their participation in the program. Please see
detailed information and fundraising guide available on our website for more
information: www.globalyouthconnect.org/participate.
If you are interested in supporting
this initiative, please consider making a donation: www.globalyouthconnect.org/donate
Thank you very much for your
assistance. Please do not hesitate to contact us at (845) 338-2220 or contact@globalyouthconnect.org
with any questions, concerns or if you would like additional
information.
