YOUTH LEADERSHIP UK STUDENT RESIDENTIAL PROGRAMME

THE CONCEPT

OneVoice Europe is seeking to empower a new generation of students and young people by giving them the skills they need to engage with their peers of various different viewpoints and to exercise them in favour of advocating for solutions. The objective is to create an approach that builds a solutions-focused discussion about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: “Not what is true about the past, but what is useful for the future”.

PROGRAMME OVERVIEW

The programme is for up to20young people who are aged between 18 and 25 on 7 September 2015 and will be held inCentral London. The first day will involve activities that will include dialogue with members of civil society in both Israel and Palestine, and which aim to open them up to two differing historical narratives and their intricacies. This is to highlight the complexities of the conflict and the idea that, although it is important to understand people’s perspectives on the past, the solution to the conflict will not be found through an attempt to reconcile those narratives.

The next stage of the programme will be to turn towards the practical realities of the current situation by spending one intensive day meeting with political decision makers and business people from the UK and from the region, who operate within the conflict situation. The students will have the chance to ask questions and gain a broader understanding of some of the major issues surrounding the conflict from influential actors in government and society. Other likely topics covered include international institutions, settlements, extremism, and student activism.

There will be a full day of practical skills-building will follow on from this. This will include debriefing exercises and debating and speaking skills, to advocate forsolutions to the conflict that fulfil the core interests of both Israelis and Palestinians. Watch previous years here:

20122013

SELECTION CRITERIA

By way of selection process; all applicants will have to complete a short application form. All the applications will then be reviewed to establish a list of approved participants from a variety of different views and backgrounds.

2014 PROGRAMME ITINERARY

Day 1: 8 Sept / Day 2: 9 Sept / Day 3: 10 Sept
Focus of the day’s events: / Understanding narratives. / Developing an understanding of the current nuances of the conflict and various solutions. / How to Promote dialogue and skill-building.
Morning: 10.00am-13.00pm / Introduction and welcome by Sharon Alsoodani, we will begin by getting all participants to say why they have come and why the conflict matters to them. This will be followed by a training session led by Sharon Alsoodani giving some basic background to the subject and the chance to interact with a Palestinian and an Israeli speaker. / Day out meeting political leaders in and around Westminster. / Conflict resolution training workshop exploring zero-sum and non-zero-sum methodology, and components of conflict, then applying those principles to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Afternoon:
14.00pm-15.30pm / Discussion about narratives and values; We will have religious leaders from the three Abrahamic faiths shed more perspective on the religious side of the issue and the historical perspective. / Day out meeting political leaders in and around Westminster. / Public speaking and debate training, providing hands-on understandings of the tools needed.
Afternoon 2:
16.30pm-18.00pm / Speaker on the economic background to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. / Day out meeting political leaders in and around Westminster. / Debate training continued.
After dinner activity: / ‘Get to know your roommate’ exercise and exploration about human identity – something that is central to successful methods of conflict resolution. / Pair walks debrief. / Concluding ceremony and drinks reception, providing all participants with a certificate. Member of OVE board of trustees to give closing speech and present awards. Parents/guests invited. Everything to conclude by 8pm.