Children from Palestine participated in the presentation of a child-friendly version of the annual report to the Human Rights Council

On March 12th, the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children, Dr. Najat Maalla M’jid, presented and shared directly with children a child-friendly version of the annual report to the Human Rights Council for the first time. The provided translation into Arabic allowed children from ACT2gether Palestine to participate in this session, get insights into the reality of violence against children, and share ideas with their peers.

Mira, Karmel, and Yara were three children who participated in the event and later shared their experiences with the whole team. 

Mira Ibraheem

This meeting was the best experience I had in this field. Everything was great, the discussion and the inquiries. I liked the translation into several languages because this is sometimes an obstacle for some children from all over the world to participate in these events, so this was clever, I loved it. 

The meeting focused on children’s rights, I asked questions that aroused my curiosity, and all of them were answered by Dr. Nagat. It was like a school lesson, but never dull. After listening to this interview, I feel wiser. I liked how children’s rights were explained as a fundamental matter, the information shared about the problems children face, and getting to know people from different countries and what they suffer from. This was a very important and wonderful meeting, I wouldn’t mind attending another one soon.

Karmel Taqash

It was very good and educational. It showed me that we can make a change. I hadn’t realized how much kids worldwide suffer from violence, whether it comes from a romantic partner, a peer, or perhaps a stranger; these kids’ lives are harsh and heartbreaking. I love this topic, and I want to help. We should all have a voice in this to make a change, adults or children, it doesn’t matter. I learned from my younger peers, and they learned from me; it was a great conference, one I would like to be a part of and speak in someday soon.

Yara Ibraheem

The meeting was an excellent opportunity for kids like me to learn more about some things we were wondering about, like violence against children or how to deal with it, important information for every child to know. I really appreciated the information and learned a lot.

Such spaces are vital to opening doors for children to take part in important matters in society. Congratulations Yara, Karmel, and Mira, for your sharp participation in this session!

ACT2gether Palestine established connections with a new key partner

In line with the aim of encouraging  more partners to promote intergenerational work and cooperation, ACT2gether Palestine signed a new MoU with one of the famous Taekwondo Academy Soqoor Falastine / Ramallah. This alliance hopes to develop children’s skills in the physical and mental aspects, refine their personalities, encourage them to adopt a healthy lifestyle, and share their skills locally and internationally. 

Following  this agreement, an additional 15 children of different ages became members of ACT2gether Youth. Two meetings were already held with them, the first one to present L4WB-F and Act2Gether frameworks and the second one to plan future activities.

We are looking forward to starting working with them!