Building Inclusive Communities through Virtual Exchange

The objective of this project is to empower youth to become aware of different cultural realities and engage as active citizens in their local and global communities. The project is designed to foster constructive dialogue in communities with a view to help societies resolve differences from a confrontational approach to one defined by cooperation and understanding. The project focuses on young men and women with a post-secondary degree in Jordan Morocco Pakistan Egypt Libya Turkey and Tunisia. Key activities include: (1) a virtual dialogue program for some 3 500 youth participants which facilitates dialogue with the goal of cultivating knowledge and confidence to become civically active; (2) online trainings designed to develop dialogue skills to mobilize communities; and (3) community dialogue sessions with the goal of tackling contentious community issues such as youth participation in peace-building decision-making gender equality and prevention of radical beliefs.

The expected results for this project include: (1) improved engagement of post-secondary aged men and women from a variety of backgrounds in Jordan Morocco Pakistan Egypt Libya Turkey and Tunisia; and (2) increased number of opportunities for peaceful intra- and inter-communal dialogue.