The gathering aimed to explore how to achieve the three strategic goals of URI-MENA, aligning with URI’s overall 5-year strategy (2025-2030). Focusing on key challenges, the meeting addressed how to:
1. Meaningfully expand URI-MENA network.
2. Attract more young people, particularly students, to join the URI mission.
3. Increase women’s participation and leadership in the MENA region.
4. Reduce all types of violence in MENA region.
To achieve these goals, the Regional Leadership Team (RLT) carefully selected participants, ensuring effective youth and women representation. Former Trustees were also invited to share their valuable experiences.
The gathering agenda encompassed:
• Reflections on URI’s Peacebuilding Partnerships (PPPs)
• Interactive workshop on “Youth & Religions: Facts and Trends,” analyzing challenges and obstacles to youth engagement in interfaith dialogue. The workshop also discussed the impact of social media and the evolution of religious identity.
• Presentation by Daniel Aqleh on “Christians in the Middle of Conflict”. The session focused on the significant impact of the ongoing conflict in the Holy Land on the lives of Christian Palestinians.
• Review of URI’s 5-year strategy.
• Development of Strategies to Contribute to the URI-MENA Work Plan 2025-2030
Participants focused on developing strategies to address three key areas:
1. Network Expansion and Enhanced Connectivity: This area emphasized strategies to grow and engage more youth and women within the URI-MENA network.
2. Learning Ecosystem for Collaborative Action: This focused on creating a supportive environment for collaboration and knowledge sharing among network members.
3. Violence Prevention Initiatives: This area explored strategies to prevent violence through interfaith dialogue and action.
To address these areas, participants were divided into groups and utilized the Problem Tree methodology to identify root causes, effects, and potential solutions for each challenge.
• CC Pledges: Each participating Cooperating Community (CC) made pledges to contribute to URI MENA’s Work Plan for the next five years.
• Interactive session on “Moving from Religious Tolerance to Religious Pluralism,” followed by group work to explore the stages of this journey.
• Review and improvement of the URI MENA Work Plan for the next five years.
