Within the exceptional circumstances which Deir ez-Zor has been facing since 2012, schools and universities have halted accepting students. Education has become a big challenge for youths in this area. Despite the stable security situation that occurred past 2017, age groups between 13 and 18 are still deprived from education.
As a result of this interruption, youth problems have increased such as their involvement in extremist groups, and exacerbation of dropouts which have become a realistic challenge in the area. Additionally, the negative outcomes have increased in two serious phenomena: recruitment of youth by extremist groups and proliferation of drugs intake, as well as the intolerant trends which affect the national belonging and civil identity.
In this context, JFL introduces this Initiative aiming at finding a safe space for male and female youths to express their perspectives and learn about cases that contribute to their civil awareness. Also, the Initiative strives to regulate youths’ efforts, empower them to submit their demands and needs, and defend their rights to education.
The Initiative targeted a group of youths (male and female) in western countryside of Deir ez-Zor which is under the control of SDF. The Initiative approach is based on youths’ participation in the change process by empowering them with necessary tools and skills. To achieve this, JFL held conceptual workshops to direct the attention towards aspects of human rights, citizenship, civil society, social participation, hatred speech, and discrimination. JFL organized round tables through which the Organization presented perspectives of youth and parents’, and perspectives of representatives of the Autonomous Administration, civil society organizations, and education syndicates.
Through this Initiative, JFL aspires to enhance the group work concept and focus on how effective this is for youth in Deir ez-Zor.
Read more: Deir ez-Zor Youths Right to Education
