Above: The Showcase in Jordan provided a platform for 15 young people who participated in the Young Cities programme to network and present the impact of their youth-led initiatives to 65 multi-sectoral stakeholders.
Showcase events are a cornerstone of the Young Cities programme. They elevate young people as critical actors in addressing key community challenges, while providing an opportunity for them to connect with local, national and international leaders so that all groups can advance their mutual interests. The Showcase in Jordan provided a platform for 15 young people who participated in the Young Cities programme to network and present the impact of their youth-led initiatives — addressing COVID disinformation, cyberbullying, and the inclusion of people with disabilities — to 65 multi-sectoral stakeholders.
In addition to amplifying their peacebuilding work, the event gave the youth groups the opportunity to advance the sustainability of their projects by fostering potential partnerships that can further their impact. Other attendees with whom the youth participants were able to network included representatives from the Norwegian Embassy and the Ministry for Local Administrations, civil society leaders from youth centres and NGOs, academics from the University of Jordan and Royal Scientific Society, and start-up investors from the private sector.
Notably, both the Mayor of Zarqa and members of the WANA Institute stressed that the Young Cities Showcase event was an important reminder that young Jordanians are crucial to present and future efforts for peace and social cohesion. Below are key takeaways from the Jordan Showcase. The event provided a critical opportunity to enhance cross-sectoral networks and galvanise constructive dialogue on how to best tackle community challenges collaboratively. Involving young people in these discussions and giving them a platform is central to the success of such events.
Representatives from the Ministry for Local Administrations also specifically encouraged the teams to contact the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which regularly provides funding to new local organisations and initiatives. Similarly, youth-focused civil society organisations offered their support and offered future collaboration, sharing upcoming training opportunities that could be of potential interest to the youth groups. The Showcase mixed formal presentations and panel discussions with informal networking opportunities and interactive exhibits led by the youth participants on their initiatives.
