Reflections on Obama Visit to West Bank Youth Center

Last month, IREX Country Director and Senior Technical Expert Naser Al-Ardah, had the privilege of participating in President Obama’s visit to a youth center in West Bank. In an interview with IREX’ s Communications Manager, he offers his thoughts on the historic visit and the challenges and opportunities for youth in the region.

What was the significance of the President’s visit to the Youth Development Resource Center (YDRC) in Al-Beirh?

In my view, President Obama’s visit to one of the YDRCs located in Al-Beirh-Ramallah carried the following three important meanings.

1. Youth are important for the US Foreign Policy. The President directly engaged with representatives of the Palestinian youth and discussed with them the challenges that lay ahead. He learned firsthand about youth aspirations and obstacles on the way forward. I think he genuinely wanted to understand what it takes from a foreign policy perspective to revive hope among the youth on the Palestinian side, and find ways to work with youth to help turn their vision for their future into reality.

2. Youth are at the core of achieving real and lasting peace, and justice for Palestine. The President met with the leaders of the Palestinian and Israeli side, met with the youth at the USAID-funded Youth -Development Resource Center (YDRC) and then went straight to the convention center in Jerusalem to speak with Israeli youth about the roles youth on both sides can and should play in their own communities and with their own leaders to achieve peace and justice. In his speech to the youth on the Israeli side, the President referenced his visit to and meeting with youth at the YDRC. He suggested that peace can only be accomplished if it comes from the people on both sides not by merely a well-thought of peace process design. The President sent a clear message to the leaders of both sides about the youth being at the core of the US administration’s engagement in building real peace.

3. Innovation and youth entrepreneurship should be invested in. President Obama highlighted the importance of economic and social innovation as a fundamental element for an integrated youth development approach. It reflects the direction in which the US administration will continue to engage with youth in the region as part of the development and implementation of the USG foreign policy in this region.

What did the youth present think of the event?

The youth at the YDRCs in the West Bank thought that the fact that President Obama made the time to visit, meet, and listen to them carefully indicated his understanding of the important roles youth can play for the prosperity of their society and that this is part of the foundation we all need to build for peace and state-building. The youth also thought that this is an outstanding opportunity for them to speak from the heart about the challenges they face living under occupation.

Looking forward what challenges and opportunities exist for youth development in West Bank?

Challenges are numerous resulting from two facts – one is the occupation and the restrictions result from it; and second is the lack of opportunities for youth to realize their potential and be able to contribute their talent, develop their skills and grow their potential in their country. In his Jerusalem speech, President Obama outlined some of the challenges but he also highlighted how these can be turned into opportunities if we all work together. Youth in Palestine need to be brought to the center of society where their talent and entrepreneurial spirit and skills can be turned into great opportunities.

This is what IREX will be doing in the coming years working on the USAID Partnerships with Youth Programs in the West Bank. Through the five-year USAID-funded program in the West Bank, IREX will introduce its innovative and integrated youth development approach that will expand on the YDRC model that President Obama visited. IREX and its partners will work closely with USAID West Bank and Gaza and in partnership with the youth of Palestine to develop and implement a Palestinian version of Positive Youth Development and Service Learning, leading to social and economic innovation initiated, developed and implemented by the youth in well-established YDRCs across the West Bank. IREX and USAID and their partners will create new eight Youth Development Resources Centers in the West Bank and will build a network of youth centers in rural areas as well.