After two very difficult years brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, there has never been a better time to invest in culture, to allow creativity to thrive, and to enable the creative economy to build back our communities and societies better.   In 2019, Palestine was one of 16 countries selected to implement the project Re|Shaping Cultural Policies for the Promotion of Fundamental Freedoms and the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, which was implemented by UNESCO and generously funded by Sweden. The project is within the framework of UNESCO’s 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, and aimed to support Parties to the 2005 Convention to strengthen the human and institutional capacities of government actors and civil society to monitor and report on policies and measures that protect and promote the diversity of cultural expressions. A key element of the project was supporting beneficiaries to submit Quadrennial Periodic Reports on the implementation of the 2005 Convention. The project also prioritized facilitating discussion and cooperation across ministries and the public on issues such as gender equality in the cultural sector, media, diversity, and artistic freedom, amongst other topics. Despite the challenges imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic which broke out a few months after the project commenced, Palestine, through the Ministry of Culture, submitted its QPR in October 2020. The QPR referred to 55 cultural policies, programs and best practices implemented between 2017 and 2020 and which correspond to the provisions of the 2005 Convention. The QPR also highlighted the challenges facing the creative sector in Palestine and outlined future plans to overcome these and enhance the cultural scene. As part of the project, UNESCO Ramallah planned and carried out several initiatives and activities designed to boost the culture sector, particularly amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. On the latter, UNESCO conducted two studies on the Effects of COVID-19 on the Palestinian Culture Scene and Digital Culture in Palestine. These studies were carried out following a request from the Ministry of Culture to explore the possibility of investing in and utilizing various technical and digital means as an alternative to ‘in-person’ activities, to continue supporting and promoting Palestinian culture during COVID-19 and similar crises. These studies provided a set of recommendations which will help to design a contextualized national digital strategy for culture. In addition, UNESCO Ramallah and the Bethlehem Municipality collaborated to celebrate Bethlehem, the Arab Capital of Culture (2020), as well as the International year of Creative Economy for Sustainable Development (2021). This resulted in a study and a video that highlighted the most prominent cultural creative industries in the city and assessed their contribution to the local economy. The video and study findings were presented during a May 2022 symposium in Bethlehem. The event gave the floor to concerned stakeholders, including cultural practitioners and activists, so they could share their feedback and pinpoint not only the challenges facing the sector in Bethlehem, but also their recommendations to improve it.   As celebrating the International Year of Creative Economy for Sustainable Development was anticipated to run over an entire year, UNESCO recognized the importance of illustrating the concept of creative economy to ensure a better understanding of it at a national level. Therefore, UNESCO Ramallah organized a 3-week virtual training on Creative Economy in partnership with City, University of London. Through reading materials, podcasts, explainer videos and live sessions with the facilitators, the training tackled 3 different topics related to creative economy, namely its broad definition and understanding, policy related to creative economy and digitization. UNESCO Ramallah and the Ministry of Culture also organized a conference to discuss the status of culture post COVID-19 with cultural centers from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip and explore cultural policies and measures towards enhancing cultural industries and the digitization of culture. The conference that took place on 31 May 2022 was also a platform for UNESCO to nationally launch the 2022 Global Report; Re|Shaping Policies for Creativity – Addressing culture as a Global Public Good. The findings of the report and its Executive Summary were presented and discussed, as were the outcomes of the aforementioned studies on the Impact of Covid-19 on the Culture Sector and Digital Culture in Palestine. Lastly, within the framework of the project, UNESCO Ramallah sponsored four radio episodes that were broadcasted on 5 local radio stations addressing the various components tackled throughout the lifespan of the project, including the Global Report Re-Shaping Policies for Creativity and the experience of developing the QPR. The studies on the Effects of COVID-19 on the Palestinian Culture Scene and Digital Culture in Palestine were presented in another episode, and the third episode focused on gender equality in cultural policies and creative industries in Palestine. The final episode was in English and addressed the mandate of UNESCO in the Culture sphere and its role as a technical advisor on cultural policies The different components of the project and the various outputs and outcomes of the activities that were planned and executed during its lifespan clearly demonstrated the richness and diversity of Palestinian cultural expressions, and the potential they have in influencing development and sustainability at the national level. Yet the project also outlined the urgent need to revise cultural policies and re-think the cultural and creative sphere in a manner that enables the concerned stakeholders to address the challenges facing the cultural sector, and adopt the change needed to support the main actors in the sector and beyond. After two very difficult years brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, there has never been a better time to invest in culture, to allow creativity to thrive, and to enable creative economy to build back our communities and societies better. UNESCO will build on the conclusions and lessons learnt from the project and will continue to advocate for the fostering and advancing of the creative sector and cultural expressions in Palestine.

Today, the Ministry of Education, in cooperation with UNESCO and UNICEF, held a consultation ahead of the upcoming Transforming Education Pre-Summit happening in Paris from the 28th to the 30thof June, at which His Excellency Prof. Dr. Marwan Awartani, Minister of Education, will be in attendance.  This Pre-Summit is taking place in advance of the Transforming Education Summit (TES) happening in New York this September, when Palestine will then take its place amongst world leaders for the TES at the invitation of the UN Secretary General, António Guterres. The consultation, held in Ramallah, gathered stakeholders from across the education sector in Palestine with the aim of developing a shared vision for the future of education and strengthening both public and private commitment in pursuit of these goals. The audience heard remarks from the Minister for Education, H.E. Prof. Dr. Marwan Awartani; the President of the Global Campaign for Education, Mr. Refaat Sabbah; UNESCO Ramallah Head of Office and Representative to Palestine, Ms. Noha Bawazir; and Consutlation Coordinator, Prof. Dr. Mohammad Shuaibat.  Attendees then broke into groups to engage in productive discussions about key educational issues on the agenda for TES, including inclusive, equitable, safe and healthy schools; learning and skills for life; teachers and teaching; digital learning; and the financing of education. The discussions and inputs throughout this consultation process will help to inform the government’s statement due to be delivered at the Transforming Education Summit. The Transforming Education Summit is a crucial opportunity to renew global political commitments to education as a public good and ensure that it is recognised as a human right and foundation for peace and sustainable development. The Summit is happening at a time of unprecedented disruption to education globally, as the education sector continues to reel from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Speaking this morning, Ms. Noha Bawazir said: “The UNESCO International Commission on the Future of Education has called for a new social contract for education – one that can both deliver on the unfulfilled promises of the past, and transform the future.”  “There must be inclusive dialogue and meaningful engagement across stakeholders, especially with young people, students and teachers. This process in the lead up to the Transforming Education Summit gives us all an opportunity to ensure education is at the centre of political debate in Palestine. All girls and boys in Palestine must complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education.”  Ms. Bawazir concluded by saying: “While we celebrate educational achievements made in Palestine, we must focus on what remains to be done to achieve the targets under SDG 4, Quality Education. We look forward to the continuation of this inclusive process, including the focus group which will take place in Gaza next month, as we all take steps towards achieving SDG 4 and leaving no one behind.”     

FOR SHAHD* (11), A SCHOOL DAY LOOKS QUITE DIFFERENT THAN MOST CHILDREN OF HER AGE. I would rather go to regular school with other children, but the teachers and nurses at the hospital are very kind, and they make it okay. Shahd has a chronic kidney problem and needs frequent dialysis. Because of this, she is unable to follow a regular school routine. Instead, the school must come to her at Augusta Victoria Hospital. She attends classes with caring teachers who come to her bedside and make sure that despite her illness, she does not miss out on the opportunity to learn. To support children receiving long treatment in hospitals, the Ministry of Education has opened four “Determination Schools” in Palestine’s West Bank and within the framework of the Multi-Year Resilience Programme (MYRP) in Palestine, funded by Education Cannot Wait (ECW), UNESCO is providing support to all four of these schools. These determination schools provide flexible education to children unable to participate in regular classes at their local schools. The MoE recognizes that children who are hospitalized for prolonged periods of time are at a significant risk of falling behind in their studies. Determination Schools are currently operating in Augusta Victoria Hospital in Jerusalem, An Najjah Hospital in Nablus, the Palestine Medical Complex in Ramallah and in Beit Jala. These schools all provide personalized education to children receiving prolonged medical treatment. “The students we teach here are often sad and depressed, and many are deeply frustrated because they don’t understand the reason for their illness, or why they have to keep coming to the hospital”, says one of Shahd’s teachers, Hiba Sonokrot. “This is one of the main challenges. For this reason, we need to be very supportive and teach them in a different way. We need to be not only a teacher, but a friend and a mother as well”. UNESCO, together with MoE, is scaling up the support it provides to these teachers to empower them with the special knowledge needed to support affected students, including individualized plans, psychosocial support and inclusive education. This helps children to learn despite difficult circumstances and builds their long-term resilience and ability to return to the regular school system in the future. It is not only the children in hospital who face challenges. Teachers, nurses and families working closely with children who have a closed prognosis, or a low life expectancy are anxious and worried about the child’s future. To cope, the teachers themselves need specialized training and support to daily manage these stresses. In addition to health-related worries, the children and their families hold concerns related to travel through checkpoints: often they must travel far from their families, who are left behind in Gaza or the West Bank due to a lack of travel permits. This limits the number of supportive family members and loved ones who are present thus placing additional strains on all. Before beginning her treatment at Augusta Victoria, Shahd had been missing education because she did not want to go to school. Not only did her regular school not have a good support system for someone with her illness, she was also reluctant to attend because of the stigma that illness carries. Since she arrived at the hospital four years ago, however, she has learned to read and write and is almost up-to-date with her education. For Shahd and the other students at Augusta Victoria and other Determination Schools the future is uncertain. Some of them may face chronic illness for the rest of their lives; others may recover. In the meantime, this flexible provision of education helps to achieve important objectives. Attending classes and keeping up with learning creates an enhanced sense of normalcy and helps build resilience and hope for the future. Shahd* was supported by UNESCO as part of the Multi-year resilience programme funded by Education Cannot Wait.    *Name changed to protect identity    

"قراري بالتخلي عن وظيفتي المكتبية لممارسة ما أحبه والسعي لتحقيق حلمي وشغفي كان أفضل خيار اتخذته على الإطلاق. أصبحت شيف وبرعت في صنع الحلويات وهذا ما قادني إلى الشهرة على منصات التواصل الاجتماعي. كان هذا القرار بمثابة نقطة تحول في حياتي حيث حصلت أخيراً على دعم عائلتي التي اعترفت بإبداعي". حلا النبالي، شيف حلويات، رام الله.  تعرضت حلا، كما الكثير من الفتيات الفلسطينيات، لضغوط من العائلة والمجتمع للانخراط في مسار التعليم العام. منذ طفولتها عرفت حلا أنها تريد أن تصبح شيف (طاهية)، لكن الجميع من حولها لم يدعم حلمها. إلا أنها وبعد الانتهاء من دراستها الجامعية والانخراط في سوق العمل شعرت بعدم الرضا عن مسار حياتها، فاتخذت قرارها بتغيير مسارها المهني لاتباع شغفها بالطهي. قصة حلا قد تكون مثالاً للعديد من الشابات والشباب الذين يمرون بنفس التجربة، لهذا، تعمل اليونسكو مع شركائها الوطنيين على إعادة تشكيل الأعراف الاجتماعية السائدة من أجل خلق قوة عاملة مزدهرة وواعدة.  تؤمن اليونسكو بأن للتعليم والتدريب التقني والمهني (TVET) القدرة على زيادة فرص العمل، لا سيما بين الشباب، وتعزيز المساواة بين الجنسين، وتسهيل الانتقال العادل إلى الاقتصادات الخضراء والمجتمعات المستدامة.  وتماشياً مع تلك الرؤية، يقوم مكتب اليونسكو في رام الله حالياً بتنفيذ حملة لزيادة الوعي بأهمية التعليم والتدريب التقني والمهني كاستراتيجية لمكافحة ارتفاع معدلات البطالة بين الشباب الفلسطيني. وتهدف الحملة إلى ضمان تدريب الشباب وتمكينهم للحصول على فرص عمل لائقة، وفقاً لاحتياجات سوق العمل في فلسطين، مما سيساهم في التنمية الاجتماعية والاقتصادية والتكنولوجية.  بحسب الجهاز المركزي للإحصاء الفلسطيني للعام 2020، فإن نصف الشباب الذين تتراوح أعمارهم بين (18-29 عاماً) ليسوا في العمل أو التعليم/التدريب (منهم 43٪ في الضفة الغربية مقابل 67٪ في قطاع غزة)i. من خلال هذه الحملة، تعمل اليونسكو على تغيير الصورة النمطية عن التعليم والتدريب التقني والمهني، واستخدام قصص النجاح الواقعية لتوضيح دور وإمكانات التعليم والتدريب التقني والمهني في مساعدة الشباب الفلسطيني على بناء مستقبل مزدهر.  تضمنت حملة اليونسكو جلسات تفاعلية مع طلاب من كلا المسارين: التعليم العام والتعليم المهني. وقد شارك الآباء في هذه الجلسات أيضاً، نظراً لدورهم المؤثر في توجيه قرارات أبنائهم بشأن مستقبلهم. كما شارك في الجلسات ممثلين عن قطاع التعليم والتدريب التقني والمهني من المؤسسات الحكومية ومنظمات المجتمع المدني والقطاع الخاص.  تم تنظيم هذه الجلسات التفاعلية خلال شهري آذار ونيسان 2022 في الضفة الغربية وقطاع غزة، بالتعاون الوثيق مع الهيئة الوطنية للتعليم والتدريب التقني والمهني، ووزارة التربية والتعليم، ووزارة التعليم العالي والبحث العلمي، ووزارة العمل. وقد اشتملت على ثلاث جلسات حوارية تفاعلية (مناظرة) اختُتمت بقمة طلابية، وخمس جلسات توعية للطلاب في المدارس، وثلاث لقاءات مع أولياء أمور الطلاب ذوي الإعاقة الملتحقين حالياً في مسار التعليم والتدريب التقني والمهني. وقد هدفت جميع الجلسات إلى التعريف بأهم الفرص والتحديات في نظام التعليم والتدريب التقني والمهني، وكيفية معالجة هذه التحديات التي تؤثر على انتقال الشابات والشباب إلى سوق العمل. كما عملت هذه الجلسات على تسليط الضوء على توصيات الطالبات والطلاب والشباب ذوي الإعاقة وأولياء أمورهم حول كيفية تحقيق نظام أكثر شمولاً للتعليم والتدريب التقني والمهني في فلسطين.  على الرغم من أن الحكومة الفلسطينية قد خصصت الموارد للتعليم والتدريب التقني والمهني وحققت تقدمًا كبيراً ملموساً في هذا السياق؛ إلا أن نظام التعليم والتدريب التقني والمهني في فلسطين لا يزال يواجه تحديات تؤثر على فعاليته من حيث علاقته باحتياجات سوق العمل. فمن أهم التحديات التي تم تناولها خلال جلسات الحملة: عدم التوافق بين العرض والطلب بما في ذلك المهارات المطلوبة في سوق العمل؛ وغياب الترويج للتعليم والتدريب التقني والمهني كاستراتيجية رئيسية للتنمية الاقتصادية؛ والتقليل من قيمة التعليم والتدريب التقني والمهني، ومحدودية الموارد المخصصة للتعليم والتعلم؛ وعدم مأسسة الشراكات بين القطاعين العام والخاص، والأعراف الاجتماعية التي تؤثر على جذب الشباب نحو مسار التعليم والتدريب التقني والمهني.  ولضمان الوصول إلى فئات المجتمع الفلسطيني بفعالية أكبر، تم استخدام الوسائط المتعددة في الحملة من خلال بث الرسائل التي تعزز أهمية ربط المهارات الحياتية والرقمية وريادة الأعمال بالتعليم والتدريب التقني والمهني، حيث يتضمن محتوى الحملة مزيجاً من الإعلانات الصوتية والمرئية ومقاطع الفيديو الإعلامية وقصص النجاح الملهمة. كما وتوضح الرسائل التي ستُبث طيلة شهر حزيران 2022، تأثير التعليم والتدريب التقني والمهني على حياة الشابات والشباب من خلال زيادة فرصهم في الولوج إلى سوق العمل.  يتم تنفيذ هذه الحملة من خلال مشروعي مكتب اليونسكو رام اللهTVET4Future" “الممول من الحكومة البلجيكية من خلال -Enabel وكالة التنمية البلجيكية، ومشروع "تطوير التعليم والمهارات الرقمية من أجل التنمية المستدامة من خلال التعلم عن بعد في فلسطين" الممول من الحكومة اليابانية، وبتنفيذ من شبكة وطن الإعلامية.                     

" Following my passion and taking the decision to leave my office job was the best choice I have ever made. I became a pastry Chef where I excelled in making deserts that lead me to fame through social media platforms. This achievement served as a turning point where I finally obtained great support from my family who acknowledged my creativity." Hala Al Nabali, Pastry Chef, Ramallah.  Hala, like many others, was pressured by society to go into the traditional education track. Ever since her childhood, she knew that she wanted to be a Chef, but everyone advised her against it. So naturally, after completing her undergraduate degree and joining the work force, she shifted her career path and perused her passion for cooking. A lot of people can relate to Hala’s story. That’s why UNESCO works everyday with its national partners to reshape social norms in order to create a thriving work force.   UNESCO believes that Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) has the power to increase employment, especially amongst youth, promote equity and gender equality, and facilitate a just transition to green economies and sustainable societies.   In line with this, UNESCO Ramallah is currently implementing a campaign to raise awareness of the importance of TVET as a strategy to combat rising unemployment rates amongst Palestinian youth. The campaign aims to ensure that young people are fully trained and equipped to access employment, as per labour market needs in Palestine which shall contribute to the social, economic, and technological development.  According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics - PCBS in 2020, half of youth aged between (18- 29 years) are not in employment or education/training (43% in the West Bank compared with 67% in Gaza strip)1. Through this campaign, UNESCO is busting myths and using real-life success stories to illustrate how TVET has the power and potential to help youth in Palestine to carve out a prosperous future.  To date, the UNESCO campaign has involved interactive sessions with students from both general and TVET educational pathways. Parents have been involved in these sessions too, given the influential role they play in their children’s decisions about their futures. People from the TVET sector from governmental organisations, civil society and the private sector have also taken part in the sessions.   These interactive sessions across March and April 2022 were organized in the West Bank and Gaza Strip in close cooperation with the TVET Commission, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and Ministry of Labour. They included three debate sessions concluded with a students’ summit, five awareness-raising sessions with students in schools and three meetings with parents of students with disabilities currently on the TVET track. All sessions aimed to better identify opportunities and challenges within TVET, how those challenges are being addressed and how they affect young people’s transition to the labour market. In addition, the sessions have shed light on recommendations from students, youth with disabilities and their parents on how to realize a more inclusive TVET system in Palestine.  Although Palestine has committed resources to TVET and has made substantial progress; TVET system is still facing challenges that have impact on the effectiveness of the TVET system in terms of its relevance to the needs of the labour market. The mismatch between the supply and demand including needed skills; the absence of TVET promotion as a main strategy for economic development; devaluing of TVET and the limited resources for teaching and learning; the non-institutionalization of public-private partnerships and the social norms that affect attracting youth towards the TVET track are the main challenges addressed during the campaign sessions.    The multimedia element of the campaign aims to reach a much wider audience in the Palestinian community. The messages promote the potential of transversal skills, digitalization, and entrepreneurship, and the campaign content includes a combination of audio and visual advertisements, informative videos, social-media graphics, and inspirational success stories. The messaging illustrates the impact TVET has on young people’s lives, and how it can increase their opportunities to access the labour market. The campaign will be broadcast throughout the month of June 2022.  This campaign is implemented by UNESCO Ramallah within the framework of the projects: TVET4Future, funded by the Belgian Government through Enabel- Belgian Development Agency, and the project Developing digital education and skills for sustainable development through distance learning in Palestine funded by the government of Japan and implemented by Wattan Media Network.    

“Working on this project was an amazing opportunity as it allowed me to study the history and structure of the Ibrahimi Mosque. Many Palestinians are unfamiliar with the details of the Mosque, especially since access to most of it is restricted by security checkpoints.” - Mohammad Al-Talahmeh.  On 14 October 2021, UNESCO and partners celebrated the inauguration of the Old Hebron Museum after completing the rehabilitation of the abandoned historic building of “Palestine Hotel”. The Old Hebron Museum is now home to Mohammad At-Talahmeh and Walid Abu Aysha’s 3D exhibition that is intended to mimic the experience of visiting the nearby Ibrahimi Mosque.  The work of Mohammad and Walid - both students at the Palestine Polytechnic University - is meant to allow Palestinians to access and explore the beautiful architecture of one of the holiest sites in Islam, as most cannot access it in person. Although the Ibrahimi Mosque is in the West Bank city of Hebron, Palestinians are denied access to large parts of it due to restrictive measures imposed by the Israeli Authorities.    Architectural heritage conservation is very much connected to the safeguarding of the people’s narratives and preserving cultural ties.  “Working on this project inspired me to start incorporating traditional and historical details in my upcoming projects to give them character and identity.” Walid stated.  The Old Hebron Museum aims to share stories from Hebron with local and international visitors. The premises overlook the traditional and historic urban fabric of the Hebron/ Al Khalil Old Town, which has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 2017. Mohammad and Walid acknowledge that visitors have found their exhibition to be interesting and unique.  “A number of friends from the field of architecture and people interested in heritage have viewed the exhibition and have complimented it.” Mohammad says.  However, it is not just a great experience for the visitors. Walid explains how these types of projects provide young Palestinians with an outlet to be creative and innovative.   “It was great to participate in this experience, and I would do it again. Palestinian youth are so talented and creative, and spaces like these illustrate these talents and highlight how interested young people are in their heritage and history. I certainly plan to let other young people know about these types of projects and encourage them to get involved!”