The UAB to host the "Multakana - Youth Voices For Peace 2023" forum
On 30 and 31 March, the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona will play host to the Multakana - Youth Voices For Peace 2023 Forum, a meeting for activists from different countries dedicated to working on peacebuilding processes.
Over 35 young people aged 19 to 35 from Catalonia, Syria, Kurdistan, Iraq, Colombia, Iran, Pakistan, Palestine and Italy with experience in human rights defense, at volunteering, academic and/or professional level, who are entering the world of activitsts and participate in social transformations will be meeting at the forum taking place on 30 and 31 March.
The Fundació Autònoma Solidària (FAS), alongside NOVACT, the International Institute for Non-Violence, and the Associació Kudwa, organise the “Multakana – مُلْتَقانا: Youth Voices For Peace 2023” forum to promote the role of young people in peacebuilding processes. Multakana means a "place of meeting" in Arabic.
This activity forms part of a project entitled “ASÎTÎ: Fomentant el rol de les joves desplaçades internes i refugiades dels conflictes de llarga durada de Síria i el KRI i de la joventut de les comunitats d’acollida de Jordània i Catalunya en la construcció de la pau i la consolidació de la democràcia i els drets humans a l'Orient Mitjà”, which is funded by the Catalan Agency for Development Cooperation
The forum is divided into two parts. The first part consists in a month-long activity in which participants attend an online course focusing on the following themes: “The Sociopolitical Context of the Mashriq Region” by David Perejil, journalist and international relations analyst; “Non-Violent Fight” with journalist Thais Bonilla; "Gender and Conflicts” with Nour Al-Hussen Villa, politologist and PhD student specialising in the civil society of war-torn Syria; “Climate Impact on Conflicts” with Moussa Bourekba, researcher at the CIDOB; and “Activists in Exile and Identity Transformation”, with Georges Azzi, activist for LGBTIQ+ rights at the KUDWA Association.
The forum will also allow participants to build networks, exchange experiences on peacebuilding and activism, and practise what they learn through online training capsules, as well as from the experiences of other fellow activists.
There will be 20 UAB students participating in the forum, 5 of whom hold UAB refugee grants for people from conflict zones and 10 volunteers from the FAS Welcome Refugee Programme. The organisers have also helped 2 young activists from Syria and Iraq with a grant so that they could attend the forum.
Form Programme at the UAB
The Forum will take place on Thursday from 9:30 a.m to 5:30 p.m. and on Friday until 3:00 p.m. at the faculties of Education and of Arts & Humanities at the UAB. The programme includes a series of workshops in which participants will study cases of peace activism and find solutions together; a debate with several activists and a group work spaces.
The language used will be English and all those participating will be able to have a mid-morning snack and lunch together. In addition, given that the sessions will be held during the month of Ramadan, prayer rooms will also be available.