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UNICEF and Generations For Peace expand successful Social Cohesion Programme to 40 communities across Jordan

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27 February 2017 – Amman, Jordan: The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and Generation For Peace have today announced an expansion of their Social Cohesion in Host Communities Programme. The programme, funded by UNICEF and with additional support from Jordan Olympic Committee, Samsung, and Manaseer Group, works in partnership with the Ministry of Youth (MoY) and the Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Development (JOHUD) in youth centres and community centres in urban centres and towns (host communities) with large numbers of Syrian refugees.

In these host communities, both Syrian refugees and Jordanian youth are under enormous pressures, and face heightened tensions and risk of violence, greater vulnerability, and high chances of resorting to negative coping mechanisms such as isolation, school drop-outs, child labour, and early marriage. Over the last two years the programme has directly involved 1,600 Jordanian and Syrian youth participants, female and male, in 16 communities in Ajloun, Amman, Irbid, Karak and Mafraq. Innovative sport and arts activities over a series of sessions provide 44 hours of quality participation time together, to foster greater engagement, acceptance and trust. Evaluations of the programme have provided evidence of positive impact: transformed capacities, strengthened relationships, social capital and resilience, and reductions in violence and vulnerability.

The programme is now expanding from 16 to 40 communities, and will involve 8,000 participants in 2017. The announcement followed the presentation by Generations For Peace Founder and Chairman, HRH Prince Feisal Al Hussein, of certificates to Generations For Peace youth leaders for their outstanding delivery of the programme over the last two years. The certificates marked the graduation of these youth leaders as Generations For Peace Pioneers, and it was especially motivating for them to receive their certificates from HRH Prince Feisal Al Hussein in person, in recognition of their dedication and hard work to support their communities and Jordan’s nation-wide response to the Syrian crisis.

Congratulating the Generations For Peace Pioneers, HRH Prince Feisal Al Hussein said: “As Generations For Peace Pioneers, you have shown that passion to lead change in your own community, and that determination to turn that passion into positive impact, to make a real difference in people’s lives. In partnership with the Ministry of Youth and JOHUD, with the incredible support of UNICEF, and with important contributions also from Jordan Olympic Committee, Samsung, and Manaseer Group, the expansion of the programme will build on your success and help us reach more vulnerable communities.”

HE Mr Robert Jenkins, UNICEF Country Representative for Jordan, said: “As the Syrian crisis enters its seventh year, the pressures and demands in Jordanian communities continue to grow, and we must do all we can to support all vulnerable children and youth in the Kingdom. The unique activities and mentoring support model of Generations For Peace are delivering result. UNICEF is delighted to support the programme’s expansion to reach even more Jordanian and Syrian refugee youth in vulnerable host communities that need our help the most.”

About UNICEF Jordan
UNICEF is working closely with the Jordanian Government and the civil society in improving the lives of children and women in Jordan. The current five year country programme (2013-2017) focuses on health, education, water and sanitation, protection and adolescent/youth empowerment, with a specific focus on reaching the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children and families in the country. UNICEF is responding to the Syrian refugee crisis in Jordan by spearheading vital services including water and sanitation, education, protection from violence, in addition to immunization and nutrition for children, women and men in refugee camps and host communities.

About Generations For Peace
Generations For Peace (GFP) is a Jordan-based global non-profit organisation founded by HRH Prince Feisal Al Hussein, dedicated to sustainable peace building and conflict transformation through sport, arts, advocacy, dialogue and empowerment.

By providing unique training and continuous support and mentoring to volunteer leaders of youth, GFP empowers them to lead and cascade change in their communities, promoting active tolerance and responsible citizenship and working at the grass roots to address local issues of conflict and violence.

Different contexts include inter-tribal, inter-ethnic, and inter-religious violence; gender inequality; post-conflict trauma response, reconciliation and reintegration; exclusion of minorities including IDPs, refugees and people with a disability; and challenges of integration in multi-cultural societies. Conflict sensitivity, and the full participation and empowerment of girls and women, are integrated into GFP’s approach.

GFP uses sport as an entry point to engage with children and youth, and our carefully-facilitated sport-based games provide a vehicle for integrated education and behaviour change. In addition to our sport-based approaches, GFP has also developed arts, advocacy, dialogue, and empowerment activities to support conflict transformation with children, youth and adults in different contexts.

In the last nine years, we have trained and mentored more than 9,025 volunteer leaders of youth in 50 countries and territories in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Europe. With our support, their ongoing programmes address local issues of conflict and violence, and have touched the lives of more than 230,880 children, youth and adults.

GFP is ranked 34th in the “Top 500 NGOs in the World” for 2016 by NGO Advisor and is the second highest-ranked peace-building NGO in the world. It is also the number one Jordanian NGO on the list. The ranking assesses non-governmental organisations according to innovation, impact, sustainability and strong partnerships.

GFP is also the only peace-through-sport organisation officially recognised by the International Olympic Committee.

Generations For Peace Media Team
Tel: +962 6 500 4600
Fax: +962 6 568 2954