In partnership with the EU, the Danish Red Cross, Jordan Red Crescent and the IFRC: PRCS organizes training for peer educators on ‘Youth as Agents of Behavioral Change’

 Amman- 19/3/2016: PRCS- Youth Department launches Youth as Agents for Behavioural Change (YABC)peer educators training in Amman, Jordan during which young volunteers fromPRCS branch Lebanon and Jordan Red Crescent will exchange experiences and views and train to implement YABC activities.

The aim of this training which will be held from 19 to 26 March 2016, in cooperation with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies(IFRC) and the Danish Red Cross(DRC), and funded by both the EU and the DRC, is enabling the Palestinian youth in Diaspora Lebanon and Jordan in practicing non violence and peace among the youth, gain relevant skills in the training topics, build their capacities in the field of conflict resolution and get them better acquainted with activities under the projects and drafting their action plans.

Representatives from Jordan Red Crescent (JRC), the PRCS HQ project staff, the YABC trainers in addition to the fourteen youth volunteers nominated by their branches will be attending the training.

In her opening speech, Rania Suaifan, JRC head of youth, welcomed the participants and enhanced the YABC initiative which it’s developed by the IFRC, she said: “personal conviction is the change that will enable individuals to make changes in others”.

She added: “The PRCS, JRC partnership in the youth programs existed since three years and this enabled youth from different districts to exchange expertise”.

Mahdi Aljamal, PRCS Head of Youth Department welcomed the participants from Lebanon and Jordan and adding on the importance of an enhancedpartnership between the two national societies, and the tremendous logistic support provided by the IFRC  and the generous support from the EU.

He added: “this training has an importance in building the national society’s young volunteer’s capacities in the field of change and reaching out for the most vulnerable underprivileged youth in the communities”.

He also dedicated this training to Maha Al-Rshaida the JRC youth volunteer in Ajloun branch who passed away in February 6th-2016.

(Youth as Agents of Behavioral Change is the IFRC’s global initiative on the promotion of social inclusion and a culture of non-violence and peace. Created in 2008, it is implemented in the field by more than 1800 trained peer educators from 127 RCRC National Societies today. This programme enables trainees to deeply internalize the Fundamental Principles and strengthen their self –efficacy, i.e. readiness and ability to put the Fundamental Principles and humanitarian values into action in their everyday life, creating long-term effects. Additional positive impacts are enhanced efficiency and resilience of YABC trained volunteers and staff, reflected in improved service delivery.

“The consistency with which the YABC initiative leverages the Red Cross Red Crescent Fundamental Principles and humanitarian values to deliver transformational changes of attitude and behaviour, cross-culturally and on a global scale, in an extremely short period and sustained over a long time, makes it an outstanding model of best practice in peer education internationally and a worthy benchmark for behaviour change interventions inside and outside the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.”

End.

For further information on the partnership projects, please visit the following website: http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/index_en.htm

For further information on the YABC initiative, please visit:

http://www.ifrc.org/en/what-we-do/principles-and-values/youth-as-agents-of-behavioural-change-yabc/