Twelve UNAOC Fellows from Europe and North America are now gearing up for their trip to North Africa and the Middle East!
By Paloma Haschke
From the Maghreb to the Gulf peninsula, twelve young leaders are now embarking on a journey across a region where history is unfolding. Every single day of the program is going to be rich in learning and in exchanges. The UNAOC’s Fellowship Program focuses on creating opportunities for young leaders, across the Arab world and the West, to increase mutual understanding through experiential learning and direct interaction with civil society.
Last month, fellows from the Middle East and North Africa traveled to the US and Europe to meet leaders from international organizations, civil society, media, and political institutions.
The second group of UNAOC Fellows from the West is now heading to North Africa and the Middle East on Monday October 24.
With its first stop in Rabat, Morocco, the group will meet with some of UNAOC’s partners, including representatives of ISESCO, the National Council of Human Rights, students from Al Khawayn University and the British Council. The fellows will also have an opportunity to engage directly with leaders of Moroccan civil society and UNAOC alumni fellows about ongoing changes in the country. After this, they will travel across Morocco to further immerse themselves in the country’s culture and experience its tremendous diversity.
From there, the group will fly to Egypt where they will meet with the League of Arab States, which is a partner to the UNAOC, alongside journalists and young leaders involved in shaping the future of the region. The group will also interact with alumni of the Fellowship Program who are currently living in Cairo and Alexandria.
Through a number of seminars focused on intercultural dialogue, the fellows will also have the opportunity to talk and exchange their views with their hosts on the current events in the Arab world. Beyond the meetings and conferences from which they are going to learn a lot, the fellows will also be given a chance to experience the richness of the country through visits to cultural and historic sites.
Finally, the group will travel to Qatar, a state that has emerged as a key player in the recent events that are transforming the region. they will visit the Al Jazeera’s headquarters and meet with religious leaders and civil society leaders. The visit to Qatar is being organized by the Qatar committee for the UN alliance of Civilization.
Bringing back home their experience, the fellows of both groups will then join a network of young leaders. Together they will continue to work on building a bridge between cultures and civilizations.
You can follow them in this trip with reading stories and checking some photos on our fellowship blog and on our facebook!
