" 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!”   

This has been an exceptionally difficult week for journalists in Palestine and beyond. Each year, UNESCO officially marks World Press Freedom Day on the 3rd of May. It is a day which celebrates the fundamental principles of press freedom, allows us to evaluate press freedom around the world, to defend the media from attacks on their independence and to pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the exercise of their profession. This year, UNESCO Ramallah marked the day with events in both Ramallah and Gaza, with partners from the European Union, the Palestinian Journalist Syndicate and Press House Gaza. On the morning of the 11th of May, as preparations were underway for the event in Gaza, the devastating news broke that veteran Al Jazeera journalist, Shireen Abu Akleh, had been fatally shot while covering conflict in Jenin in the West Bank. The shock and the grief were palpable in Gaza as the news spread. A household name in Palestine and across the region, many of the people present had grown up seeing Shireen on their TV, welcoming her into their homes as she reported on events across Palestine. A number of journalists spoke at the event about how Shireen inspired them and how much they had learned from her – especially women seeking to carve out a space in what can be a male-dominated environment. Many people at the event worked with her, both as fellow journalists and partners in advocating for a free press in a place where freedom of speech comes often comes at a price. Unfortunately, in Shireen’s case, she paid the highest price imaginable – as other Palestinian journalists have before her. First and foremost, UNESCO Ramallah’s most sincere condolences are with Shireen’s family, friends and colleagues as they process this loss. The Director General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, has issued a statement condemning Shireen’s killing and called for a thorough investigation that will lead to accountability. This sentiment is echoed by all of us at UNESCO Ramallah. UNESCO Ramallah is committed to continuing to work with our partners in Palestine in pursuit of a free press, and enhanced journalist safety. Palestinian journalists must be free to carry out their duties, hold institutions to account, and ensure that the public has access to reliable, accurate and up to date information.

A visit to the historic Al Khader Monastery and Tel Umm Amer in Gaza highlights UNESCO's support to restoring and preserving Palestine's rich cultural heritage. On 20 April, UNESCO Ramallah accompanied United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Palestine, Lynn Hastings, to visit Al-Khader Monastery and Children’s Library, and Tel Umm Amer, Monastery of Saint Hilarion, in Deir Al Balah, Gaza.  Al Khader Monastery is a place of many legends, and one of the oldest historic buildings in the Gaza Strip. Thanks to the support of Sweden and Switzerland, UNESCO has worked with partners to rehabilitate and breathe life back into the space and it now serves the community as a children’s library. The library is managed by Nawa for Culture and Arts Association and is helping to enhance access to quality and inclusive education for children in Deir Al Balah. The Resident Coordinator also visited Tel Umm Amer, the Monastery of Saint Hilarion, inscribed on the Tentative List of Palestine for sites that could be inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. It was the birthplace of Saint Hilarion, considered the founder of monastic life in Palestine. The site contains important ruins and artefacts, and has been undergoing extensive preservation efforts.  

In partnership with the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture of Namibia, UNESCO organized a Peer-to-Peer Learning Workshop on Policies for Creativity: Monitoring and Implementing the 2005 Convention for the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, which took place between the 29th of March and the 1st of April 2022 in Swakopmund, Namibia. Palestine was among the 15 participating countries represented in Namibia. UNESCO Ramallah and the Palestinian Ministry of Culture took part in the workshop which was designed to build on the results and achievements of the implementation of the EU/UNESCO project, Supporting New Regulatory Frameworks to Strengthen the Cultural and Creative Industries and Promote South-South Cooperation, as well as the Re|Shaping Cultural Policies for the Promotion of Fundamental Freedoms and the Diversity of Cultural Expressions project, both of which include Palestine as a beneficiary country. Through sessions and focus group exchanges highlighting cultural policies, stakeholders’ and inter-ministerial dialogue, gender, digitization, freedom of expression, artistic freedom, the status of the artist, and creative economy, the workshop served as a hub for the exchange of knowledge and experiences leading to mutual learning and understanding on the future of policies for creativity at local and international levels. More information on the workshop is available here: https://en.unesco.org/creativity/events/peer-peer-learning-workshop-policies-creativity

Ramallah, 30 March 2022:   Technical and vocational education and training (TVET) is a powerful tool to increase skills and employability, especially for youth facing barriers to accessing decent work. According to the Palestinian Centre for Bureau and Statistics in 2020, half of youth aged between 18-29 were neither in employment, nor education or training. UNESCO has been working alongside partners in Palestine to address this issue and enhance youth access to employment via the joint UNESCO-Enabel project, TVET4Future: “Increasing TVET Competencies for Youth in the Palestinian Labour Market”.  As part of the TVET4FUTURE project, a Consultation Meeting for the “Policy analysis, Needs Assessment and Project Document to develop the Palestinian Labour Market Information System” took place at the Ministry of Labour. The Minister of Labour, Dr. Nasri Abu Jaish, Head of Office and UNESCO Representative, Ms. Noha Bawazir, and Enabel’s Project Manager, Ms. Shari Ghyselen, all attended the consultation meeting. The purpose of the meeting was to present the scope of the assignment, identify expectations and an action plan, and consult on an agreed approach.   The outcomes of this meeting will help to strengthen the capacities of the Ministry of Labour and other relevant national stakeholders to formulate policies which harmonize the supply and demand of the workforce, reduce the unemployment rate, and grow the labour market. It will also contribute to the provision of reliable labour market information to policy makers, as the project will prioritise efficient data collection, and maintain electronic statistics to support planning, as well as monitoring & evaluation. Stakeholders, including employers, job seekers and the business community, will have enhanced access to reliable and specific information that will meet their needs.