Child-led initiatives in the Middle East

Regional Trends: Middle East

In the Middle East, child-led research and reporting specifically stand out, given that organizations’ have had to limit their presence in the field, and children have access to other children. In some cases, these efforts respond to children as human rights defender programmes. 

With regard to violence against children, children are addressing the needs of children in street situations, sexual and domestic violence, and violence inside refugee settings, amongst others. Children are contributing to peacebuilding processes, and they’re also supporting the delivery of basic needs and accurate information about COVID-19. In Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, the State of Palestine and Syria, youth leaders in the medical fields filmed a video explaining to children the context of the pandemic. The video contained practical steps of how to stay safe. Overall, 5000 children were reached and encouraged to share the information with their communities.

In the region, there have been important efforts to adapt offline models to the online space, and to continue engagement despite confinement. In Lebanon, an organization has continued its work with ‘child champions’, despite restrictions due to confinement: “These champions are mapping out local tensions emerging in relation to COVID-19 and working with ‘Search for Common Ground’ to design strategic communications activities to address them. In addition, this champions’ network was mobilized to deliver a rapid response on COVID-19 and related tensions both online and in their communities”. 

Children, adolescents and youth are raising awareness around violence against children in refugee camps, through workshops where children are first trained on violence against children , and then they are the ones to educate adults back in their communities.