Election of the first Youth Shadow Local Council in the town of Beit Omar

Beit Omar has experienced its first ever election for the Youth Shadow Local Council (YSLC). A total of 160 young people participated in this election. Of the 20 young candidates who ran for a position on the council, 13 were elected. The elections took place under the supervision of the municipality of Beit Omar and Sharek Youth Forum. This ensured a fair and transparent election process in accordance with democratic principles. The elections were carried out within the Be the Change program, which is funded by the United Nations Fund for Population (UNFPA).

The mayor of Beit Omar, Nasri Sabarneh, in the presence of members of the municipal council, announced the names of the winners of the elections. Of the thirteen youth elected, four are young women. The new council in Beit Omar is now officially composed of the following members: Firas Hilmi Mohammad Abu Ayyash, Safaa Mohammed Odeh El Alami, Mohamed Gamal Mohamed Brigat, Mirage Hatem Alqam, Akhalil Hamza Ahmad Khalil, Kamal Omar Bashir Abu Ayash, Mohamed Ibrahim Ahmed Akhalil, Mohamed Khaled Omar Akhalil, Issa Ali Awad, Ali Ahmed Abdel-Hamid Akhalil, Akhalil Hanan Mahmoud, Khaled Nayef Akhalil and Sally Mohammed Jamil Massif.

The YSLC promotes the democratic electoral process and the concepts of active citizenship. Furthermore, it encourages young people to take on an active role within their community, and enables them develop their skills and exercise their roles as true leaders in their communities. The council will strengthen the relationship between youth and society, and encourage the community, including young women, to also participate in this project and in future initiatives implemented by the councils.
The Program Manager at Sharek Youth Forum Wisam Shweiki, who has assisted in 12 other elections throughout the West Bank, stated that young people, through their involvement in the council, will develop a deeper understanding of the concepts of good governance, the democratic process and citizenship and the roles and functions of local councils. The experience will also provide them with the opportunity to exercise their rights and duties, and assume leadership roles. A key function of the councils is to strengthen the relationship and improve communication between the local councils and their citizens, in order to work together to address the issues, concerns and challenges facing them. Youth councils will work to respond to the needs of the local youth over the course of their elected term in office and provide them with enriching and valuable experiences.

For any queries or further information, please contact Sharek Youth Forum in Palestine
Phone No. 022967741
E-mail: info@sharek.ps
www.sharek.ps