Following the successful creation of the Jordan Youth Vision 2030, the project supported its execution through the development and implementation of local initiatives by the youth themselves. Throughout the project, young people were not only empowered to become active citizens and take responsibility for their local communities, but also became key players in the development of the Jordan Youth Vision. The project contributed significantly to laying the necessary foundation to enable a comprehensive and far-reaching realization of the Jordan Youth Vision.
This project was divided into two work packages (WP) that worked in parallel. WP 1 provided a series of training workshops on local community development that enabled youth to turn their ideas for change into concrete initiatives. The initiatives were implemented at the community level leading to the realization of the Jordan Youth Vision 2030. Work package 2 focused on an enabling institutional set-up for civic engagement. The main objective of work package 2 was the creation of three Youth Friendly Spaces in three different governorates. These spaces represented easy access to relevant expertise and more information on civil society participation and allowed youth to gather in a progressive and innovation-friendly environment where new ideas for civic engagement could flourish.
Duration | 01.03.2020 – 31.12.2021 | |||||||||||||||||||
Locations | 5 governorates in Jordan (Ajloun, Irbid, Al Zarqa, Amman and Karak) | |||||||||||||||||||
Participants | more than 150 participants: municipality staff, other local stakeholders, partners, CDS, MOTIVE, audience. | |||||||||||||||||||
Beneficiaries | ca. 4.000 | |||||||||||||||||||
Budget | 424.720,92 EUR | |||||||||||||||||||
Project Goals
The objective of the project was to provide Jordanian youth with the knowledge and skills needed to launch local initiatives. The initiatives were carried out at the community level and ultimately led to the realization of the Jordan Youth Vision 2030. The project also sought to empower Jordan's civil society youth to create three Youth Friendly Spaces in three different governorates. This enabled youth to become focal points for civic engagement in their communities. These spaces provided access to information on civil society participation allowing youth to come together to enhance civic engagement.
Target Groups
Main target group: Youth from Civil Society Organizations in Jordan.
Key actors within the project: Representatives of state actors and relevant Ministries, local civil society organizations and representatives of private and media sectors.
Activities
Project activities included two training workshops that prepared participants to go through the process of developing drafts of their initial ideas for implementing community-led initiatives on the ground. The most impactful 2020 initiatives were scaled up, giving continuity to the development of the vision. The project included structural planning meetings to organize Youth Friendly Spaces and CSO Centers to create a sustainable platform for locally developed initiatives. Finally, measuring the impact of the local initiatives was done by an evaluation workshop followed by a closing event
Outcomes / Achievements
The project supported positive civic engagement as it built capacity among key civil society actors (trainers) and subsequently trained and encouraged young people (aged 18-35) to bring their interests and new ideas into the development and presentation of alternative problem-solving approaches, and to become aware of opportunities to participate in decision-making processes.
As a result, the project created youth-friendly spaces, as well as a self-sufficient and independent national center (CSO Hub), so that the trainers prepared during this project would pass on the results and the general idea of experiential learning in sustainable structures. The Civil Society Hub contributed significantly to the long-term development of Jordanian civil society, offering training workshops, legal assistance, networking events and potentially becoming the point of contact for all young people wishing to become personally involved in their communities. A final positive outcome was the creation of communication channels between official decision-makers and civil society actors.
