To promote national volunteering among Jordanian youth, UNV organized activities in collaboration with UNDP and UNICEF Country Offices in Amman. These activities aimed at celebrating International Youth Day — are also seen as giving youth the ownership to achieve Sustainable Development Goals.
Under the theme of Intergenerational Solidarity: Creating a World for All Ages — UNV and UNDP hosted an interactive career mentoring clinic for Jordanian youth at the Heart of Amman Hub on 13 August 2022. Participants included 30 young people from UNDP’s Youth Leadership Programme, student ambassadors from Jordan, and national UN Youth Volunteers.
In partnership with King Abdullah II Fund for Development and a private sector telecommunications company, the event offered participants one-on-one sessions with employers and currently serving UN Volunteers. In addition, it was a platform for youth to improve their skill set, learn about market trends, and get information about volunteering opportunities so that they can be better prepared for their respective career paths.
Also in Amman, UNICEF and UNV hosted a youth-focused activity from 12 to 14 September 2022, which was attended by 18 national youth volunteers. The purpose of this three-day workshop — to improve interpersonal and communication skills, and promote volunteering for the 2030 Agenda. There was also a hands-on training to find innovative solutions for sustainable development challenges.
The first day of the workshop centered on learning different personality types, and key social skills such as active listening and positive dialogue.
Learning about different types of personalities was a very helpful exercise which helps me better understand others. When combined with the deeper knowledge I acquired from the sessions on communication skills, I hope this will help my future interpersonal interactions be more positive. -- Khalil Alostaz, national youth volunteer with Nahno platform.
The second day included a session on stakeholder mapping and an interactive exercise on communication styles. On the third day, an introduction to the 2030 Agenda was presented, followed by a discussion on innovative and localized solutions to achieve the SDGs.
We took a deep dive into leadership, volunteerism, and the SDGs, which I believe offers us the chance to help our society and build a more equal world. -- Joanna Zreineh, national youth volunteer and ambassador of Nahno Platform for National Youth Engagement and Volunteering.
The participants also had the chance to interact with former UN Volunteers, Ahmad Hijazi and Abdelghaffar Alawi, who shared insights about their inspirational volunteering journey and how it helped them move forward with their careers.
Be flexible when facing challenges in your career path. Don’t be afraid to take a step back or to start over. This might be what you need to move forward again, and with more momentum. -- Ahmad Hijazi, former UN Volunteer with UNDP Jordan.
Jordanian youth present a great, untapped potential for sustainable development in the region. Trainings such as the ones collaborated together with UNDP and UNICEF offer opportunities for youth to take on a more active role to achieve the SDGs.
We look forward to co-hosting more events of this kind with our UN partners in Jordan and across the region. Through volunteering, Arab youth can serve as a powerful accelerator of much needed positive change, and create a more equal and inclusive future. At the same time, volunteering equips the young with invaluable skills and experiences, which set them on the path to impactful lives. -- Ouarda Derafa, UNV Portfolio Manager in the Arab States.