Jordan Times
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Region’s youth share vision of
peace
By Mohammad Ghazal
PETRA — Students from countries across the region on Tuesday stressed the need
for young people to play a greater role in the future of the Middle East.
The youth sector forms a major part of this year’s Nobel laureates conference
with a plenary session held yesterday on the challenges in the region from the
perspective of younger generation.
The panel provided a forum for 17 Arab and Israeli students to share and express
their views and aspirations for the region. Arab countries represented included
Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Lebanon, Morocco, Kuwait and Egypt.
Participants told The Jordan Times they highly valued the chance to take part in
the conference.
“Today’s gathering is of great importance as we have the opportunity to display
our cause in Palestine and raise voices for it. Today’s gathering highlights the
great importance of the young because when you empower the young generation and
mobilise them, they can be the greatest and strongest agents for change,”
Nisreen Shahin from Bethlehem told The Jordan Times.
Shahin, who works for a peace organisation called One Voice, called on the
politicians to engage in constructive dialogue to settle their differences and
bring about an end to the suffering of the Palestinian people.
“We are like the rest of the human beings around the world. We just want to live
in peace and dignity with the rest of the globe,” said Shahin, a mother of two.
Kholoud Dergham, a young participant from Jordan who holds a BA in banking and
finance, echoed her remarks, stressing that the younger generation, if given the
opportunity, can make a major change as they are the leaders of the future.
Israeli law and business student, Assaf Wahrhaft, told The Jordan Times that the
meeting had provided him with the opportunity to meet Arab participants and
proved that youth can cooperate for a better future.
“All of us are here to show that we all want peace,” he said.