Bethlehem / PNN /
The Aida Social Youth Centre, in cooperation with Palestine News Network (PNN), has concluded a training course under the “Young Citizen for Podcasting” programme, held over two and a half months to train a group of children and young people in podcast development and production skills and to highlight stories and experiences from the local community.
Over several weeks of training, participants received practical instruction in content development, recording, filming and production before completing the course by producing a series of podcast episodes addressing a range of topics and experiences.
During the closing ceremony, podcast episodes presented and produced by boys and girls taking part in the Young Citizen programme at the Aida Youth Centre were screened.
Four episodes were produced and will be broadcast through the platforms of PNN and the Aida Social Youth Centre. The children focused their episodes on influential figures in camp life, aiming to allow younger generations to learn from their experiences.
Amira: ‘The Young Citizen programme began as a modest ambition and has grown into a community leadership initiative’
Mundhir Amira said the “Young Citizen” programme began as a modest ambition aimed at creating young leaders capable of expressing their dreams, aspirations and concerns. Over previous training cycles, however, the programme has expanded into media, institutional leadership, public opinion and community engagement.
“The Young Citizen has become big,” Amira said, explaining that being “big” is not measured by age but by the scale of the impact a person can have on their community. He said participants had acquired tools that enable them to lead themselves, express their concerns and respond to the events affecting them.
Amira, head of the Aida Youth Centre, said the challenges and changes facing Palestinians at the regional and international levels require new tools. He described media as one of the most important tools that can help Palestinians make their voices heard and defend their causes.
Amira highlighted the particular circumstances of Aida refugee camp, amid what he described as growing risks facing Palestinian refugee camps. He cited developments in the Jenin, Tulkarm and Nour Shams camps and elsewhere, stressing the need for greater media coverage of issues affecting the camps.
The head of the Aida Youth Centre said participants in the Young Citizen programme represent a model of engaged citizens capable of addressing people's concerns, presenting them and influencing public debate.
He recalled the campaign to defend the camp's football field, in which camp residents helped collect about 380,000 signatures and disseminated information about the issue through media outlets and social media platforms, eventually contributing to the halt of the demolition process. He described the outcome as a “major victory.”
Amira said the real victory lies in equipping a new generation with the ability to carry forward the issues of the camp, the community and the homeland. He said the challenges facing Palestinians extend beyond confronting the occupation to include children's, youth and women's rights, democracy and community participation.
At the end of his remarks, Amira renewed his thanks to Palestine News Network (PNN), describing it as a partner and supporter of the centre in bringing its voice and the issues of the camp to a wider audience. He also praised PNN's contribution to highlighting stories about children and young people, as well as activities and initiatives carried out by the centre and camp residents.
Jadou: ‘We are ready to continue working together to produce regular Young Citizen episodes’
During the closing event, PNN Director Monjed Jadou said the conclusion of the “Young Citizen for Podcasting” course marked the culmination of weeks of training and work. He praised the efforts made by trainers and participants in producing the episodes.
Jadou said media today takes many forms, including podcasts, which provide an opportunity to present stories, experiences and different models of life. He noted that Aida camp is rich in stories and experiences worth telling, whether in education, social affairs or politics.
The PNN director said the programme should not end with the completion of the course and the receipt of certificates. Instead, participants should continue producing content and developing their skills. He called on the Aida Youth Centre and the popular committee to continue supporting young people and children and enabling them to pursue work in the field.
Jadou said PNN was ready to work with participants to produce new episodes by providing support with recording and filming and publishing their work through the network's platforms. This, he said, would allow participants to reach a wider audience while continuing to develop their media skills.
The PNN director praised the cooperation with the Aida Youth Centre, which gave the network an opportunity to deliver the course and meet a group of young men and women who showed strong enthusiasm for podcasting. He stressed the importance of building on that interest and turning it into a sustained and productive experience.
Jadou also thanked the Aida Youth Centre and its staff, as well as Amjad Al-Khawaja and Saed Zayboun, and trainers Fairoz Odeh and Omar Al-Amour, in recognition of their efforts in training and supporting participants throughout the course.
Al-Azzha: ‘We hope the younger generation will carry forward the message of their ancestors and stand by their rights’
Meanwhile, Saeed Al-Azzha, head of the popular committee in Aida refugee camp, praised PNN's efforts to cover events inside and outside the camp, as well as its role in training young men and women in media work.
He also commended the work of the Aida Youth Centre and its programmes, including the “Young Citizen for Podcasting” programme, which concluded with the graduation of its participants.
Al-Azzha said the programme was particularly important because it encourages young people to learn about the refugee issue and investigate the events and issues affecting the camp, while introducing them to modern media tools and ways of using them to communicate their voices and concerns.
He said the importance of the programme extends beyond Aida camp, giving participants an opportunity to move towards broader coverage of issues affecting Palestinian refugee camps and to produce content documenting their experiences and communicating their narrative to Palestinian audiences and the wider world.
Saeed Al-Azzha, head of the popular committee in Aida camp, thanked PNN, the management and staff of the Aida Youth Centre, saying the centre's ideas and initiatives contribute to supporting young people and advancing the issues of the camp and Palestinian refugees.
Al-Azzha concluded by stressing the importance of continuing such training programmes to strengthen the capabilities of the younger generation and open broader opportunities for them in modern media and content production — not only in Aida camp, but as a model for documenting and communicating the Palestinian refugee experience from camps across Palestine and the diaspora.
At the end of the ceremony, the Young Citizen for Podcasting course concluded with the graduation of a new group of young men and women. Certificates were presented by the administrations of the Aida Youth Centre and PNN, the head of the camp's popular services committee, and trainers and supervisors from the Aida Social Youth Centre.
The graduates now have the skills to use modern media tools and to produce content addressing the issues and rights of refugees and refugee camps, as well as broader Palestinian community concerns. Their experience marks a starting point for further creativity, media production and storytelling.
