At the start of its journey, the Media Unit at Sheba Youth Foundation struggled with limited technical resources and a lack of essential media equipment. Additionally, the foundation faced challenges in working with production companies due to high costs and the complexity of coordination with service providers. These obstacles hindered the Media Unit’s ability to produce high-quality content and impeded efforts to achieve effective media sustainability.

Through the Oxfam grant, the foundation received comprehensive support to strengthen its media capabilities. The project included specialized training for the Media Unit, featuring intensive courses in photography, video production, and content writing. These sessions, conducted by professional experts, provided the team with practical and professional skills that significantly enhanced their performance.

In addition to training, the project supplied the Media Unit with a complete range of professional equipment, such as cameras, audio devices, and tripods. This support empowered the team to document activities and produce high-quality visual content independently, without relying on external production companies. This transformation enabled the foundation to save both time and costs while elevating the quality of its media outputs.

The project’s impact extended beyond skills and equipment development. It positively influenced the foundation’s overall performance by boosting its presence and influence on social media platforms. This improved online presence allowed the foundation to effectively communicate its messages to a broader audience, thus strengthening its ability to achieve its strategic goals.

This project turned the challenges faced by the Media Unit into growth opportunities. The team became more efficient and professional, contributing to the foundation’s vision of sustainability and enhanced media operations. The Oxfam grant project serves as a tangible example of how investing in local capacity-building can yield sustainable and impactful results within the civil society sector.

The idea of the project is rooted in the “Youth Platform for Peace,” an independent national youth initiative established in 2020, comprising youth components from various Yemeni governorates. This platform serves as a dynamic space that enables young people to express their views and actively participate in creating sustainable solutions to local conflicts and challenges. In 2021, the “Youth Support Group” (YSG) was launched under the platform’s umbrella to unify the efforts of youth collectives and strengthen their role in promoting community peace.

The “Empowering and Building the Capacities of Youth Components” project focuses on restructuring and strategically organizing the platform to better equip it to address challenges and achieve its objectives. The initiative implements a series of integrated activities that combine training and practical application, equipping youth with the tools needed to lead mediation processes and resolve conflicts. The training sessions cover diverse areas, including community dialogue skills, peacebuilding, and the development of policy papers that support youth participation in local decision-making processes.

In addition to training, the project offers youth the opportunity to implement community interventions aimed at resolving four local issues in targeted governorates. This allows participants to apply their acquired skills practically, contributing to the improvement of their communities. The project places particular emphasis on enhancing youth participation in politics and decision-making, with a focus on ensuring women’s involvement as an integral part of these efforts.

The project is implemented across nine Yemeni governorates: Aden, Taiz, Dhamar, Hodeidah, Sana’a, Marib, Ibb, Lahj, and Shabwah. This geographical scope demonstrates a commitment to reaching as many young people as possible while addressing the unique challenges and needs of each governorate.

One of the project’s key outcomes is the enhanced coordination between various youth components within the platform, facilitating unified efforts and harnessing their collective energy to address societal challenges effectively. The project also aims to strengthen the capacities of participants, aged between 18 and 45, enabling them to play significant roles in fostering peace and driving community development.

Waad Network was established as one of the initiatives under the umbrella of Sheba Youth Foundation, aiming to create a supportive environment where young people can gain the knowledge and skills necessary to become influential members of society. The network is dedicated to empowering youth, especially girls, by enhancing their leadership capabilities and enabling them to take on pivotal roles in driving development and fostering positive change. The initiative emerged in response to the pressing need to prepare a new generation of young leaders capable of effectively contributing to building sustainable communities and addressing ongoing challenges.

Waad Network Capacity-Building Project

The “Waad Network Capacity-Building Project” marks a significant step towards empowering young boys and girls in Yemen by equipping them with the skills and knowledge needed to become effective leaders within their communities. This project, implemented by Sheba Youth Foundation with support from Purposeful, focuses on developing leadership and communication skills among Waad’s young members.

Spanning over three months, from August to October 2024, the project targets 30 young boys and girls, aged between 12 and 19, who are members of Waad Network in Taiz Governorate. The project aims to strengthen their leadership and communication abilities, critical skills that will open new opportunities for them to participate in decision-making processes at both local and national levels.

The project also includes the creation of a dedicated digital platform for Waad Network within the Sheba Youth Foundation’s website. This platform will provide a permanent digital space to showcase Waad’s activities and outputs professionally, facilitating connections with donors and potential partners. This digital presence aligns with the network’s vision of adopting modern tools to enhance visibility and engagement with the community.

Workshops serve as a cornerstone of the project, featuring two-day training sessions for 15 young girls and a similar session for 15 young boys. These workshops will focus on leadership, communication, and collaboration skills, offering participants hands-on, comprehensive training. By building these essential skills, the project aims to empower participants to effectively contribute to community initiatives and development projects.

The project is expected to bolster the confidence of young boys and girls, enabling them to assume leadership roles within their communities. Additionally, it seeks to strengthen Waad Network’s identity as a platform that combines training and community-driven change, paving the way for a brighter future where youth actively participate in shaping sustainable development.

Funded by Save the Children – Yemen (SCI-Yemen), the project aims to activate the participation of young people and women in strengthening social cohesion and building a safer and more stable environment.

The workshops witnessed broad participation from decision-makers, representatives of local authorities, civil society organizations, the private sector, and media professionals. During the sessions, the results and recommendations of a research study led by 30 researchers from the three governorates were presented. The study focused on analyzing the role of youth and women in promoting social stability, identifying challenges they face, and exploring opportunities to enhance their contributions.

The research study provided valuable insights into how youth and women can be empowered as active participants in decision-making processes, thereby supporting the development of more cohesive and stable communities. The workshops included in-depth discussions of these findings and recommendations, emphasizing the need to translate them into practical programs and activities that enable youth and women to play a more significant role in fostering social stability.

The workshops were characterized by a dynamic exchange of ideas among participants, who shared innovative perspectives on mechanisms to implement the recommendations. These discussions highlighted the importance of developing initiatives that enhance the roles of youth and women across various sectors. Additionally, the dialogue underscored the critical need for collaboration between local entities, civil society organizations, and the private sector to ensure the project’s sustainable impact.

Funded by Save the Children – Yemen (SCI-Yemen), the “Youth and Women Participation in Social Stability” project represents a significant milestone in engaging youth and women in pathways to development and peace. The initiative reflects Sheba Youth Foundation’s commitment to fostering opportunities for meaningful participation and supporting sustainable efforts to build peaceful and stable communities in Yemen.

Transforming Challenges into Concrete Opportunities

Through their active engagement in the Women’s Empowerment Project, aimed at enabling women to participate in peacebuilding and enhancing social cohesion, and promoting gender equality and human rights, these women have demonstrated exceptional ability to turn challenges into tangible opportunities. They did not merely talk about the problems but utilized each experience to enhance their capabilities and acquire the necessary skills to overcome difficulties.

The journey began by activating the concept of self-development, where they worked on enhancing their skills and understanding the mechanisms of social interaction. The initiative, funded by Oxfam and implemented by the Sheba Youth Foundation team, was the key that opened doors to positive change for them.

They achieved this remarkable transformation by directing their energies toward making effective impacts, becoming drivers of change in their communities. They provided living examples of how they turned their challenges into unique opportunities, demonstrating their ability to achieve the positive change they had long dreamed of.

Participation in the focused group discussions (FGDs),  with local authorities and forum dialogues was a crucial stage in this journey. Their leadership and effective communication skills stood out during these events. By maximizing the benefits of these activities, these women were able to shape strong and innovative visions for the future.

Overcoming Challenges and Achieving Positive Change

Women initiated the formation of the “Sheba Youth Women for Peace” forum, which has become an effective catalyst for change in their lives and surroundings. These women had to overcome cultural and social challenges to create safe spaces that enabled them to speak about their experiences and confront challenges effectively.

The forum consisted of 32 women and girls, representing diverse backgrounds and ages. These spaces were particularly significant, allowing women to share their experiences, challenges, and aspirations. After establishing the forum, members designed unique logos for each forum, reflecting their identity and vision.

Women organized small community events, such as a bazaar for women owning small businesses, to showcase their products and engage with the local community. They also invited women from other villages to participate and advance their businesses, encouraging them to take part in local decision-making and contribute to community activities.

These women demonstrated remarkable leadership skills during the organized focused group discussions (FGDs), transferring these simple experiences in session management into positive motivation for participants. Through these activities, these women gained more confidence and self-appreciation, acquiring new skills and knowledge that they could apply in their personal and professional lives.

Overcoming Challenges and Achieving Positive Change

Women have embarked on forming the “Rural Women for Peacebuilding Forum,” which has become a pivotal force for effective change in their lives and surroundings. These women had to overcome cultural and social challenges to create safe spaces that enable them to speak about their experiences and effectively confront challenges.

The forum consisted of 32 women and girls, representing diverse backgrounds and ages. These spaces were particularly significant, allowing women to share their experiences, challenges, and aspirations. After the formation of the forum, members designed unique logos for each forum, reflecting their identity and vision.

Women organized small community events, such as a bazaar for women who own small businesses, to showcase their products and engage with the local community. They also invited women from other villages to participate and progress in their work, encouraging them to participate in local decision-making and contribute to community activities.

These women demonstrated excellent leadership skills during the organized focused group discussions (FGDs), transferring those simple experiences in session management into a positive motivation for participants. These women gained more confidence and appreciation for themselves, learning new skills and knowledge that they can apply in their personal and professional lives.

Positive Transformation

Through the Women Empowerment Project, funded by Oxfam and implemented by the Sheba Youth Foundation, women in rural Taiz have managed to turn their challenges into catalysts for change and development. We have witnessed a positive transformation in their lives, with a powerful impact extending to their communities. This story reflects the effectiveness of the partnership between donors and implementers in achieving tangible results, embodying hope for building a better and brighter future for women and girls in Taiz Governorate.

Ama opened her heart to the opportunity for innovation and personal development by participating in one of Sheba youth’s courses through the link that facilitated her joining. Here, the genuine desire to explore the profound understanding of peacebuilding concepts and conflict transformation emerged.

Amidst an interactive and participatory atmosphere, Ama actively engaged in the training course, gathering valuable insights into the art of dialogue and the skill of understanding that paves the way for peacebuilding based on comprehension and collaboration. This moment was the turning point that shaped the foundation for developing her understanding of social matters and peacebuilding.

Through interaction with specialized trainers and exchanging ideas with fellow participants, Ama flourished and benefited from their diverse experiences. She acquired new skills in communication and conflict resolution, deriving a broader vision of how youth can play an effective role in societal change

Effective Contribution to Transforming Reality

After grasping the fundamentals of peacebuilding through the courses at Sheba youth, Ama began utilizing this knowledge effectively to bring about change in her community. She gained the ability to transform local conflicts into new opportunities for communication and understanding by facilitating effective dialogues and focal discussions that brought conflicting parties together.

Ama led motivational and awareness campaigns for participants in her sessions, using tools of effective dialogue and conflict transformation techniques. Building on the peace concepts acquired from the training, she initiated ongoing efforts to promote a culture of peace and coexistence in her social environment.

The dialogue sessions and discussions were not just symbolic acts but real opportunities to bridge different perspectives and build communication bridges. Ama also contributed to using peace as an effective tool for conflict resolution and promoting understanding among community members.

Despite the challenges and resistances, Ama’s nation continued to direct its efforts towards achieving positive change. It organized awareness campaigns within its community, addressing issues of peace and the importance of understanding between different generations. Ama’s nation succeeded in engaging broad segments of society, particularly the youth and women, in these efforts, making it a role model in the field of peacebuilding.

Training Future Generations

Ama took it upon herself to share that knowledge with others. She trained six women and girls from her community, where they benefited from the knowledge and skills in peacebuilding and conflict transformation. This qualitative course in  Shamayatayn was a prime example of how Sheba youth Foundation has influenced and empowered her, turning her into an effective agent for positive change.

In this manner, Ama transformed from an individual who benefited from the training provided by Sheba youth into a development leader in her community. She carries with her the principles of peace, dialogue, and policy-making skills. Thanks to the impact of the Youth of Sheba youth, Ama succeeded in transforming herself and her surroundings into a better reality.

Transition towards Leadership and Impact

Ama’s journey with Shabab Saba training courses did not stop at simply acquiring knowledge; rather, she saw it as an opportunity to transform this knowledge into a positive impact that extends to future generations. Her supervisory journey began by training six women and girls from her community, transforming them into a strong, inspirational women’s team capable of actively contributing to peace-building.

Making an Impact in Al- Shamayatayn:

Ama’s contribution to the community manifested through the organization of a transformative workshop in the Al- Shamayatayn region. This workshop was not merely a training event; it became a transformative journey for the participants. Skills in peacebuilding and conflict transformation emerged as everyday tools, shaping new visions of collaborative leadership and contributing to positive change.

Disseminating the Vision:

Ama directed the workshop towards crucial societal issues, addressing peace, women’s rights, and community challenges. Women and girls who underwent training gained an understanding of the effective roles women can play in peacebuilding and development.

To empower young people practically and provide them with the ability to engage in community work, we implemented Sheba Youth Internship Program 2022, in which we trained 4 young people in the fields of media, finance, logistics and coordination.

The internship lasted for six full months, during which the trainees worked side by side with the Foundation’s team and gained qualitative skills and knowledge.

This project aims to strengthen the capacities of member institutions of the Youth Peacebuilding Platform and members of the Youth Support Group in the fields of conflict resolution and peacebuilding.

The first activity of the project included the establishment of a training camp for representatives of 16 organizations that are members of the Youth Peacebuilding Platform, in the areas of conflict resolution for peacebuilding.

The upcoming activities include the implementation of 16 training courses that will be implemented by the participants in the camp, after their return, to other youth, and peer training, in which each member organization of the platform undertakes to train another organization with the most important skills it possesses.

In its second track, the project includes the preparation and advocacy of a general policy paper by the Youth Support Group, and the holding of two training courses for members of the group in the areas of the United Nations Peacebuilding Mechanism and the writing of UN briefings and reports on youth.

In pursuit of real and effective participation of women in peacebuilding processes, specifically in local mediation, we are implementing this project, which aims to empower, qualify and enhance the capabilities of ten young women by giving them tools, concepts and skills related to local mediation, in addition to introducing them to the experiences of local mediators to benefit from.

40 women and young women benefit from this project, and we implement it with the support of the United Nations Women and in partnership with the Adalah Center for Human Rights Studies.

During the last period, we held a training course for 10 young women in mediation and negotiation skills, as the first activity of the project, which also includes the production of a film about mediation efforts undertaken by women in Taiz governorate, and a general policy paper on the same subject.
A workshop will be held within the framework of the project to launch the public policy paper and the project film.

Gaining awareness of their rights is not the only achievement achieved by the women who were targeted by the Women and Peace Project. The biggest achievement for them was their ability to form the Rural Women’s Peace Forum in the districts of Al-Ma’afer and Al-Shamayatain.

The Women and Peace Project, which is implemented by the Saba Youth Foundation for Development, with the support of the Danish Development Agency and in partnership with Oxfam, formed the Rural Women’s Peace Forum as an outcome of the “Gender Leadership of Women-Led Organizations/Civil Society Organizations in Al-Ma’afer and Al-Shamaytain Districts” that targeted rural feminist activists, with Representation of civil society activists in the two directorates.

The formation of the forum came as one of the necessary tools through which the voice and issues of rural women can be delivered to decision-makers and the negotiating table, with the need for a formation that enhances and facilitates women’s participation in conflict resolution and peace-building at the local level, in addition to pushing women’s development needs files to donors and the private sector and the official authorities.

The forum consisted of the 14 rural women targeted in the workshop, including 9 women from Al-Ma’afer and 7 from Al-Shamayatain, in order to deliver the voice of rural women, raise the effectiveness of the role of rural women as an essential element, enhance their participation in peace-building and in various societal fields, and direct public policies, and aims to raise women’s awareness rural women politically and economically, and to promote the principles and concepts of human rights among rural women.

The forum will work on protection programs (awareness – psychological support – protection), rights programs, advocacy, conflict resolution, mediation, economic empowerment programs and businesswomen, provided that it is expanded to include a larger number of rural women from different regions of the districts of Al-Ma’afer and Al-Shamayatain.

Areej Al-Absi, one of the women residents of Al-Ma’afer who obtained education but did not get the opportunity. Although she graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Arabic language education and was born in 1995, and her tireless attempts to participate in community activities, she was unable to overcome the obstacles of society and its limited view of women, which is This deprived her of many rights, some of which she was unaware of, especially since she is the mother of a child and lives with her family in Al-Ma’afer. Areej was persistently weaving her story in search of an opportunity that would enable her to open the doors of communication with the local authorities in the Al-Ma’afer district – in the southern countryside of Taiz, until an announcement knocked on her door to apply for the Women and Peace Project, which is being implemented by Sheba Youth Foundation for Development, with the support of the Danish Development Agency (DANIDA) and in partnership with Oxfam.

Areej Al-Absi, who lives in Al-Nashma area, the center of Al-Ma’afer district, says: “The Women and Peace project opened the doors for me to contact and communicate with the local authorities in the district and the governorate, as well as with the women participating in the peacebuilding process who have reached the second track or the track one and a half.”

A Unique Change

Regarding the change made by the Women and Peace Project in her life, Areej says: “My view of peacebuilding projects has changed, and it has introduced me to the importance of the peacebuilding process in the current period“. “This project raised my ambitions to think about participating in the second track instead of focusing on the first track only, and made me try to participate in the local authority and participate in applying to the women’s affairs department in the directorate.” She adds.

Areej attributes all these changes to the awareness she gained during the project’s workshops, explaining: “It changed my level of awareness in the human rights and legal aspects, especially in the participation of women and youth in the peacebuilding process, through the The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and Resolutions 1325 and 2250“.

An Important Shift

The Women and Peace Project was able to highlight and transform the role of Areej Al-Absi from a community activist to a “role more important than just dealing with society and meeting its needs,” she says, adding: “I began to seek a position that would enable me to participate in the management of the district, and I also sought to reach to the position of participation in shaping the public policy of the country“.

The Rural Feminist Peace

Not only that, the most important achievement for Areej is the formation of the Rural Women’s Peace Forum, which was formed by the project in the districts of Al-Ma’afer and Al-Shamayatain, adding: “I was able to meet and network with rural women, and form a network of good relations with active women and women activists and influencers in the field of peace and community mediation.”

Areej asserts: “We established the Women’s Peace Forum, which we seek to make it the unified voice of rural women, and through it I can achieve a lot, as well as by participating in important meetings with donors, in order to advance the peacemaking process“.

They Also Have a Role

Areej did not forget to convey what she learned to other women, as she sent them a message saying: “The role of women in community mediation and peace-building is not just talk or something superficial, but rather it has weight and results,” stressing: “Your weight as a rural woman gives your role a great weight, especially.” If the activism and opinion you hold represent a lot of women in your village”.

Sheba Youth Foundation for Development continues to implement the Women and Peace Project in the districts of Al-Ma’afer and Al-Shamayatain in the countryside of Taiz Governorate, which it is implemented with the support of the Danish Development Agency and in partnership with Oxfam.

The first workshop of the project aimed at providing women with sufficient awareness of women’s rights and international conventions regarding them, and how women participate in peace-building for 20 participants from the districts of Al-Ma’afer and Al-Shamayatain.

The second activity of the project aimed at strengthening the capacities of local authorities in the targeted districts through a workshop on how to benefit from the human rights-based approach in taking into account gender, whether during planning, implementation or needs assessment for 20 women, 24 representatives of the local authority in the districts and 2 representatives of Executive offices in the province.

The third activity focused on the involvement of women in the targeted districts by ten women and six representatives of civil society organizations, and training them in the participatory approach, building alliances and networking, the International Conventions of Women’s Rights and an overview of peacebuilding to come out with a plan to prepare a list of needs and a plan to strengthen the capabilities of civil society organizations to contribute to strengthening Gender leadership.

In the fourth activity, Sheba Youth Foundation implemented community forum sessions (safe spaces) with two sessions in each directorate focusing on economic empowerment, women’s and children’s rights, gender, and community participation. The sessions targeted 24 women, displaced persons, and marginalized and vulnerable groups.

The workshops included sessions to transfer experiences and expertise by hosting three women leaders to inform the targeted women about their experiences in building peace and community participation.

The upcoming project activities will include the implementation of specific interventions that meet the needs of the target groups, in addition to community awareness campaigns.

The Women and Peace Project aims to enhance communication between social influencers of women and women’s organizations and institutions and between local authorities and members of the local authority at the local level to enhance the participation of women, girls, youth and marginalized groups in setting priorities and in decision-making for peace and security in the districts of Al-Ma’afer and Al-Shamayatain.

The young journalist Hana Jamal – in her twenties – was not able to accept the opinions she opposes, and although she respects others, she had not acquired the skills of dialogue and debate, until she joined the youth debate project implemented by Sheba Youth Foundation for Development in partnership with Manasati 30.

Security and Specialty
“Because it is the opportunity that I have always wished for, which is to join training courses in the art of debate, being a fan of the art of debate and a follower of YouTube debates, as well as a media student.” This is how Hana Jamal justifies her joining the project, adding: “Mastering the art of debate supports me in my field, so I wanted to be trained in this art and to master it.” and its application as a societal culture.
Hana believes that “any training affects the trainee,” stressing that the debate training she received in the project made her follow chronic plans, and “made me more committed and respectful of time, other opinion, and difference.”

Opportunities
The training corrected the skills of the participants in the project in “many arts, namely the art of recitation, body language, research and investigation, and the art of persuasion and listening” according to Hana, who acquired many theoretical and practical skills, as she confirms.
Participation here in the project opened the door of opportunities for her, explaining: “I got opportunities in many trainings after the debate training that introduced me to the audience.”

Message for the Girls
Hana, who is now striving to become a regional debater, sent an important message to the girls saying: “Whatever the obstacles and priorities are, you must leave room for yourself to develop them in any training courses that benefit you, and you must seize any opportunities that are presented to you, and apply in the courses that are offered on social networking sites.”
Hana concludes by saying, “We need active women in society, so do not stop at one side or in one field“.

Sheba Youth Foundation for Development implemented the Youth Debate Project, which aimed to enhance the capacities of 12 young women and men in the field of debate and body language, and to promote the values ​​of dialogue and debate.

The project included training 12 young women and men in debate skills and body language, and holding a youth debate on the ability of women to play the role of community mediator just like men.

The debate, which was held as part of the campaign to support the mediation of Yemeni women, which aims to support women’s mediation in societal issues and in a way that contributes to building societal peace, was attended by approximately 250 youth, media professionals and university students.

After the two teams presented their thesis, the loyalist team won over the opposition team, according to the decision of the jury, which consisted of the debate coach Ahlam Al-Maqaleh, the debater and the international arbitrator Hamza Al-Turjumi and the local mediator, Maeen Al-Obaidi.

The event aimed to spread the culture of dialogue and discussion among young people and enhance community support for women’s participation in society and their involvement in various areas of life and to play positive roles in various issues and fields, most notably societal mediation.

Sheba Youth Foundation implemented this project in partnership with Manasati 30 and within the Talk platform program.

At the inauguration, Sheba Youth Foundation for Development stressed the importance of the project, which comes in its second version, following the success of the first version of it, which was implemented in the past year 2021.

The speech delivered by the Foundation’s Media Assistant, Muhammad Al-Huraibi, mentioned the success of the first version of the project, which was the formation of three community councils to support local authorities in resolving disputes in the districts of Mudhaffar, Al-Qahera and Salah, in addition to the success of implementing three qualitative interventions to resolve community conflicts in the targeted districts. .

The Foundation’s speech referred to the great efforts made by the Foundation’s team to achieve its vision of building a stable society in which youth and women enjoy peace, development and sustainable coexistence.

The Deputy Director of the Social Affairs and Labor Office, Mr. Fuad Al-Faqih, in his speech at the inauguration, with the efforts of Sheba Youth Foundation for Development, and its continuous keenness to implement projects that have a real impact on society in Taiz Governorate, while ensuring the active and continuous involvement of youth and women.

Sheba Youth Foundation for Development launched the project with two training sessions in community dialogues, network building and management of awareness campaigns for twenty young men and women from representatives of community councils in the three districts of Taiz city and the Youth Alliance of Political Parties in the governorate.

Participants in the project received a lot of knowledge and skills in community dialogues and network building, and gained new experiences in managing awareness campaigns.

Following the conclusion of the two training sessions, the Foundation announced the launch of the Sanad Network, which combines the three community councils and the Youth Alliance of Political Parties into one component, the first of its kind in Taiz Governorate.

Wala’a Obaid, a young Yemeni woman, who was among those whom are accepted for the Youth Initiative project to combat disinformation in Yemen, says: Wala’a: “My digital background was okay, so that the matter turned into a very different form, and I became more cautious and careful in dealing with everything that is digital and I sensed the dangers of the digital world that are absent from me and from many girls and women,” she added: “After contemplation and going through the training course that transformed me into a conscious woman capable of dealing with electronic risks, I decided to start the turning point from our home, especially my sister and my mother, with direct awareness and discussion that took place between us until my father joined us, whose view was brief about everything that is digital & dangerous for children only, and the topic does not require great awareness in dealing as it thought by him, to correct his belief and discussed it in more depth and modified the prevailing concept.

Turning point

The controversy between family members was a turning point for her and made her more excited to benefit her female peers, adding: “I started from my circle of acquaintances with girls and women, and I created a WhatsApp group, made continuous awareness publications, transferred the knowledge that I benefited from, and responded to the inquiries of the members.” For the group, which was numbered 40 members from different groups and different backgrounds.

Awareness of knowledge

Humankind is a being that needs knowledge and awareness throughout his life non-stop, and each of us must sense our role and feel our responsibilities towards our society and our country, as she said enthusiastically: “I decided to spread the information that I have through a larger and expanded way, and I started from the idle Facebook Messenger group to re-spread hope in it and spread digital information and methods of protection Informatics and how to verify misleading information so that the number of women and girls became more than 360 members. I also corrected any information and we discussed it and clarified its dangers in society.

Positive stretch

She added: “To expand the circle of awareness, a special group for women and girls was created on the Facebook platform, which was numbered 1098, and awareness publications were made, so that the group will be a free platform that reaches to the largest number of women who struggle with the dark world and the fear that controls them due to the spread of the phenomena of penetration, phishing, immoral acts towards them, and the exploitation of the conservative society surrounding them, the customs and traditions that may be a killing tool in the event of falling into any kind of digital problems that may exceed their privacy as users in the digital world, which is black and threatening to their presence because of the look of shame and disparagement that affects many of them and pursues them, as it is limited to males more broadly, according to the societal view that allows them everything, even in smart devices and social media.”

Highlighting

I was contacted by one of the international radio stations after the spread of the phenomenon of hacking and blackmailing women and girls through the platforms concerned with Yemeni youth and women, which showed the dangerous side of such extraneous phenomena that destabilize public security, as she said, adding in a low and sad tone: “I was very upset about what was happening and often some girls turn back to me to help them, especially since hacking and extortion are on the rise daily, as well as the lack of a culture of using electronic devices in a safe manner, so she spoke in the radio interview about what is happening and the necessity of raising the awareness of women and girls, especially since they are in a society that instills fear and terror in them from parents and society as a whole and also from deciding to talk openly about what they are exposed to unfortunately. She also conducted direct trainings, targeting the largest segment of women and girls, and the importance of creating platforms that mean protecting them and activating strict laws to curb such abuses. “Through the training course, I became more able to protect my accounts on social media and safely use my mobile phone, and I was greatly affected by what this contributed in strengthening my confidence and avoiding anything that poses a risk to my data.”

There is no doubt that influence spread out, especially in awareness and enlightenment processes, and this usually happens during trainings that target women and girls and enhance their societal roles and contribute to limiting the spread of misinformation.

Hamza says: “Before joining the program, I did not have much experience or basic means and tools to work according to my continuous desire to combat disinformation and educate people about the importance of verifying news before believing or publishing it,” noting that the project gave him “the necessary information and sufficient experience, in addition to tools and training.” The skills we have learned are able to launch into my goal of protecting society.”

Border-crossing Effect

He was not satisfied with acquiring knowledge, as he began to transfer it to the environment in which he lives, and by the means he found available. Hamza says: “Immediately after the end of the project’s training program, I began to transfer knowledge and experiences to the environment in which I live, using the available means, realistically or digitally.”

Hamza’s initiative enabled him to implement a number of voluntary training courses in the field of combating misinformation and digital security for many young men and women from his local community, but his broader launch is the one in which he crossed the borders to be able to transfer knowledge to the youth of other Arab countries, which he talks about by saying: “Perhaps the most prominent These courses are a training course in digital safety and combating misinformation, which was implemented in cooperation with the Arab Youth Academy, where approximately 53 young men and women from about 13 Arab countries participated in the course.

Youth Responsibility

Hamza attributed his joining the project to his desires resulting from the reality in which he lives in a society full of great chaos with false and misleading information in general. Among these battles they are fighting is the media war, in which each party seeks to win public opinion and spread rumors and information that may often be false or fabricated, and there is no doubt that this has negative effects on society and people in general.

He stressed: “We are facing a population whose social media is owned by more than half of the it, and within one click, false and misleading news can be spread with ease. From false health reports to misleading religious and cultural concepts, to violence against individuals or groups, misinformation spreads and continues to spread, through All digital means, so my desire was launched from a youth responsibility to stop these rumors and misinformation and limit their spread. To combat misinformation and protect society from its spread.

Great Response and Need

Hamza received a great response from the young people he trained or from the parties that cooperated with him to spread awareness of the importance of combating misinformation, pointing out that this impact was positively reflected “through their desire and request to repeat such trainings with other young people, and many interacted by spreading some of this knowledge on social media. Social media and some were sending me messages that he shared in WhatsApp groups.

The positive impact that Hamza felt made him believe in “the impact of all that I provided in order to achieve my goals in the field of combating misinformation and protecting society.”

“The results that I saw in all of what I mentioned above generated in me a greater desire and a stronger ambition to continue in this field while expanding the horizon of my ambitions and continuing to acquire the necessary experiences and knowledge in order to continue the journey,” says Hamza, concluding his speech with certainty by saying: “My motivation has become to continue with this project.” The Anti-Information Anarchy Project is more serious and enthusiastic, hoping that we will actually contribute to achieving its great goals.

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The Foundation, as a local partner in Yemen, is implementing this project among 11 international partners of Karama International in the Middle East and North Africa.

The project aims at knowing the needs of adolescent girls and designing programmatic interventions commensurate with the empowerment and development of the capabilities of this group of society.

The Foundation carried out a hearing session for 15 girls under the age of eighteen, in addition to a number of webinars with girls from other partner countries in the project. The Foundation also participated in the establishment of the Waad Network for young girls from all the countries targeted by the project.

Waad Network is interested in empowering young girls and enhancing their leadership skills, as well as promoting the role of girls in the field of climate change.

This project is implemented in partnership with Karama International

The number of attendees reached 600 from different social groups, half of whom were females.

This project was implemented in partnership with YWT, and funded by the European Union Delegation.

The text of the briefing

,Madam President, Distinguished Members of the Council

 At the beginning, I would like to thank the Government of Norway for giving me the opportunity to give this briefing on behalf of Sheba Youth Foundation for Development (Sheba), a local youth-led foundation through which I work with many young people and women in order to achieve security and peace in my country, Yemen, which has been afflicted by war for more than 7 years.

I am Ola Al-Aghbari, a young woman from Yemen, and like me are thousands of Yemeni youth and women who are on an unsecured land from shells and air strikes, but we insist on continuing and working every day to promote community coexistence and achieve peace and security in Yemen. I am here to give this briefing on the efforts of women and youth in the process of peacebuilding in Yemen and the situation in my city, Taiz, and about our efforts in the local mediation to make a difference in the lives of the local people whose suffering is on the rise while receiving no support or backing from any party.

,Madam President, Ladies and Gentlemen

Through Sheba Youth Foundation and due to our belief in the importance of the role of youth and women in resolving community conflicts, and due to the weak performance of the local authorities because of the war, we have formed community councils that work to resolve conflicts that occur among people on a daily basis. These youth councils have become important references for society in resolving conflicts and alleviating tensions..

But the role of youth is not limited to working only at the local level, but it also extends to hopes and aspirations to work at the national level and participate in the peace negotiations that are taking place between the parties to the armed war. Therefore, in this regard, Madam President, we have recently, in cooperation and partnership with a large number of youth organizations and coalitions from various regions in Yemen, launched the first youth support group, which aims primarily to push the voices of youth at the national level by lobbying for the formation of a youth advisory council that works with the office of the UN envoy to Yemen so that Youth’s visions can reach the negotiating tables; this work arises from our belief that peace negotiations on the Greater homeland should not be limited to the parties to the armed war, but it should also include non-armed groups such as youth, women and civil society.

These are the efforts made by youth and women every day on the ground, which if we stopped to make, the problems would have worsened more and more and we would have lost many of our friends and loved persons in the war. These efforts, which are not highlighted by the media only interested in the war and destruction in Yemen, prove that youth, women and civil society are able to participate in the peacebuilding process. Thus, they need your support and also the support of the international community to maximize their effects, and ,too, to be a step in the right path towards achieving Security Council resolutions, especially 1325 on Women, Peace and Security and 2250 on Youth, Peace and Security.

,Madam President, Ladies and Gentlemen

I am from Taiz City. I have traveled for longer than 120 kilometers for eight full hours on the road down to the south to reach you here so as to give this briefing. This trip would have taken less time had it not been for the closure of the main roads. I passed through bumpy roads and dangerous mountain paths that are constantly cut off either due to accidents of vehicles and heavy transport trucks, or because of torrential rains and rockslides in rainy seasons, all of which are accidents that often cause casualties among civilians.

As for the other road east of the city, many citizens in Taiz, before the war, used to travel through it from one side of the city to the other in a period no longer than ten minutes, but today this main road is closed and we now need at least six hours to arrive. Such alternative sub-roads have become real death journey paths for all those passing through them including the commercial convoys, humanitarian crews, travelers, patients, students and workers who work in facilities located at one edge of the city while reside at the other. So, this is what makes people’s lives dark and cruel, and adds more severe torments to their suffering, which turned Taiz into a repulsive environment coinciding with the exit of medical competencies and large capitals, and even international and local organizations that moved their centers of work to Sana’a and Aden and left this city to die more than seven years ago.

Until this moment, Taiz is still suffering from road closures, lack of services and neglect, which is the worst stage the city has gone through, and I stress here that despite this suffering that more than three million people endure every day, Taiz is off the spotlight. Politicians have paid no attention to it, nor has it been at negotiating tables, nor was it able to draw the conscience of the world to what is happening in it, despite addressing its case under the item “Understandings on Taiz” approved by the Security Council in Stockholm Agreement under Resolution 2451 of 2018.

,Madam President, Ladies and Gentlemen

Women, youth and civil society in Taiz City are making a lot of efforts to reopen the main roads closed due to the war and to reactivate basic public services. Women and youth have carried out several mediation campaigns to reopen roads since 2015. These campaigns required a lot of efforts, all of which were unfortunately unsuccessful in opening a safe road for civilians, especially for women, children and sick people; so people of my city keep living, for their seventh year, in a besieged city that literally lacks the basics of life.

Concerning the file of the provision of basic services, especially the provision of water service; we, as local male and female mediators, with the help of a coalition of local actors, have restored some wells that were under the control of military forces, which restored water service to some neighborhoods that have been deprived of it for seven years. And we are still mediating between the various parties to ensure the re-flow of water to citizens in the city, and so far we have seen that the parties have responded well to the efforts of the mediation team, and there is a clear willingness to cooperate to find solutions. If this mediation succeeds in restoring the flow of water to citizens, it will be one of the most important successes of the civil society since the outbreak of this protracted war.

Again, I very well appreciate this invitation to brief the Security Council, and as a person coming from the ground, I emphasize that our efforts as youth, women and civil society will not stop in the process of achieving stability and peacebuilding, and here I would like to share with you and the international actors a set of recommendations that support our efforts and work in the field:

1.    Stressing the active participation of youth, women and civil society organizations that express the interests of the vast majority of Yemenis in peacebuilding mechanisms through the formation of a Civil Society Support Room and a Youth Advisory Council to consult and coordinate with the office of the UN Secretary-General’s envoy to Yemen.

2.    Working with and increasing support for youth-and women-led civil society organizations, and building their capacities with genuine empowerment programs so they can effectively participate in the process of peacebuilding.

3.    Focusing on supporting young women, for this group is not clearly and tangibly included in the group of male youth, nor in the group of women to whom international support is currently directed.

4.     Directing support for the convening of the “Understandings on Taiz” committee, which is one of the outcomes of Stockholm Agreement in 2018, to include civil society working in mediation to reopen the main roads for citizens in Taiz City.

5.    The presence of a focal point between the local mediators and the office of the UN envoy to Yemen.

,Madam President

I hope that Taiz, with its humanitarian and political dimensions, will be present on the agenda of international actors in the future, as they can add inputs to resolving the Yemeni crisis file. I stress the importance of supporting our role as youth, women and civil society in the process of achieving security and stability in Yemen.

…Thanks

20 active male and female young participants in the community were selected and qualified in a qualitative training program that included:

Political Participation

Digital Advocacy

Digital Security

After they completed the program, the third generation of the project implemented an advocacy campaign for the cause of opening roads in Taiz Governorate via the platform they started “Sada Platform“.

The project was implemented in partnership with Friedrich Ebert Foundation – Yemen Office

PartnersYemen supported Ola Al-Aghbari, a young Yemeni civil society female leader who heads Sheba Youth Foundation (Sheba), to address this problem. Ola started negotiations with local authority and military actors so that the wells management is transferred to the local authority in Taiz. Soon after, however, Ola came under attack by some radical mosque preachers who spoke against the initiative citing that “People who allow a woman to lead them are doomed.”

To overcome this challenge, Ola sought the support of influential local figures and political party leaders in the city. After consultations with them, she agreed with them to form a committee that included a prominent tribal leader, a representative from the local authority, a representative from the Chamber of Commerce, a local female mediator and lawyer, and a highly respected local caricaturist. The mediation committee members were selected based on their status and influence. With Ola’s facilitating, the group managed to convince the military commanders to hand nine water tanks to the Office of the Ministry of Water and Environment (OMWE) in Taiz city. So far, military actors signed agreements to hand over six water wells one of which is now officially under the control of OMWE.

During this mediation process, the mediation committee reached out to the governor of Taiz and engaged Taiz security who agreed to deploy security men to guard the water wells after they are handed over to the local authority. The OMWE had major shortage in budget that they could not make a commitment to maintain the water network. Additionally, OMWE happened to have 16 water trucks in its backyard that were donated by the King Salman Center for Humanitarian Relief. The trucks where not in use due to lack of budget to pay for drivers and fuel. The mediation committee came up with a creative idea and convinced the OMWE to rent the water trucks to a private company and the money of the rent would go to cover the administrative fees for OMWE and to pay salaries for the security personnel guarding the water wells. To ensure sustainability, part of the agreement was also that OMWE will start charging beneficiaries for water so that it can use that to fund its operations.

This initiative not only gave access to 41 thousand residents in Al-mudhafar, Al-qaherah, and Sala districts but also support governance structures in the governorate so that they can deliver services. As the director of OMWE noted “Thanks to the successful mediation by Sheba Foundation, taking control of the water tanks is a first step to revive the role of the Water Authority so that it can better serve the people.” Colonel Adnan Al-Saqaf, the deputy director of Taiz police, committed to protect the water tanks.

The success of this initiative created a demand and support for similar interventions. Several civilians and community leaders demand Sheba Youth Foundation to continue its mediation efforts to bring public facilities under the control of the local authority. The director of National Water Resource Authority (NWRA), a government entity that manages water resources in the city, praised the Women-led Committee mediation efforts and requested that Sheba Foundation negotiate the release of the NWRA headquarter which is currently occupied by a military force in the city. “There were several local initiatives to free the water facilities before but all of them failed. However, there are tangible and sustainable results on the ground led by Sab’a Youth foundation and we hope that continues” Toran Al-hadad, one of the participants in the initiative, said. Female activist Ashwaq Al-Saqqaf said that mediation like these can also convince military actors to evacuate schools and government facilities.

The intervention created confidence in the role of women in the society. In the words of Jamal Al-Maghrabi, a participant in the initiative, “Taiz would have been better off if members of the local authority were women.” In the words of Ola “As women this initiative gave us prominence. One of the military commanders [we talked to] said that this is the age of women not men.”

• Youth Platform for Peacebuilding
• Youth Peace and Security Pact
• Yemeni Young Leaders Network
• Aden Youth Consultation
• Wa3i Youth Platform
• Youth Voices Council for Peace and Security
• Civil Alliance for Peace

The meeting ended with the formation of Youth Support Group – YSG, which aims to ensure the engagement of youth in peacebuilding processes.

The meeting came within the framework of seeking to implement the recommendations of the policy paper of the lost path… involving youth in the first track of peacebuilding, which included recommendations to form a youth group to pressure the involvement of young people in the first track of peacebuilding operations and to form a youth advisory group for the office of the UN envoy in Yemen.

The seven youth components are currently implementing a broad advocacy campaign to engage youth in peacebuilding processes.