Together We Stand

[ 39 ] By youth, for youth: towards an inclusive humanitarian agenda Nahla F. Abu-Eissa, Advocacy Specialist; and Esker Copeland, Youth and Education Specialist, Reach Out to Asia S ince its inception in 2005, by Her Excellency Sheikha Mayassa Bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani under the auspices of the Qatar Foundation, Reach Out to Asia (ROTA) has strived to empower, engage and support young people in crisis-affected contexts to realize their full potential and contribute to the develop- ment of their communities. Sharing the view that youth must be recognized as critical actors in rethinking the global humanitarian architecture, ROTA partnered with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs to support young people from across the world in having their voices heard on this important issue. The World Humanitarian Summit Global Youth Consultation (WHSGYC), held in Doha, Qatar in September 2015, was an event arranged by and for youth to gather their input on humani- tarian challenges and solutions. The historic event was conceived to allow the views of youth to be incorporated into the United Nations Secretary-General’s report on humanitarian action and into the overall recommendations for the World Humanitarian Summit. The consultation provided a platform for youth to enhance their knowledge on current global and regional chal- lenges to meet humanitarian needs, facilitated discussions on youth contribution to humanitarian actions, and created a space to foster increased collaboration between youth organizations. Youth constitute a significant proportion of the populations impacted by crises. In Lebanon, Syrian youth constitute at least 16 per cent of refugees. During disasters and conflicts, youth are a particularly vulnerable group. Such fragile conditions can have long-term effects on their individual and social development. Young females and children are among the most vulnerable; however, all youth find themselves separated from social and community networks with the attendant loss in education, health Image: ROTA – Mohamed Al Amri WHSGYC participants made their voices heard on humanitarian themes T ogether W e S tand