.jpeg)
The Mossawa Center Successfully Concluded Workshops for University Students Addressing Challenges of the New Academic Year
The Mossawa Center recently completed a series of preparatory workshops aimed at university students and activists. These workshops were designed to tackle the challenges anticipated with the commencement of the new academic year. Costandi Gargoura, the Community Programs Coordinator, highlighted the importance of these sessions: "In response to the increasing incitement against the Arab community, we facilitated workshops and dialogues. These created platforms for meaningful conversation about the struggles university students face during wartime, especially concerning the violation of freedom of expression. Preparing students for the upcoming phase, ensuring their readiness to rejoin classroom settings, and setting expectations for the first post-war day at universities were our primary objectives."
The inaugural day of the workshop series commenced with an introduction to the Mossawa Center and its objectives, followed by a dialogue session on legal accountability and freedom of expression. This session saw the participation of esteemed lawyers Sari Khouriey and Hussein Manna.
A notable second workshop was conducted by Jafar Farah, the director of the Mossawa Center, and MK Aida Touma-Suleiman. They discussed the implications of the recently approved war budget on university students and emphasized the fundamental need to address the state budget's structure.
An informative tour was organized for the participants in the historic Arab neighborhood of Wadi Nisnas in Haifa, offering students a unique educational experience.
Dr. Warda Saada and Saleh Agbaria from the Student Emergency Body led a workshop focusing on post-war scenarios, preparing students for potential future challenges and appropriate responses.
The first day concluded with talks by Professor Salim Zaroubi, Suha Salman Mousa (the executive director of the Mossawa Center), and Dr. Mohammad Khatib. They discussed the broader challenges faced by young people in the Arab community, including recent discussions among youth about migration.
On the second day, workshops were tailored to the students' specific fields of study and interests. These sessions delved into various areas of the Mossawa Center's work:
Media as a Means of Influence: Led by journalist Ghassoon Bisharat and Hussein Halaj, the Mossawa Center's media coordinator.
International Advocacy and Resource Mobilization: Featuring Waseem from the Musalaha Association Nasser, Rawda Marqus of the Mossawa Center, and Ibrahim Khaliliye from the Center's International Media Center.
State Budget & Economics for University Students: Jafar Farah and
Mohammad Abulil from the Mossawa Center's Economic Unit Center conducted this session.
Legal and Parliamentary Advocacy: Facilitated by lawyer Alia Zoubi and Nibal Abu Ardat of the Mossawa Center.
Community Organizing: Led by Costandi Gargoura and Hussein Mreisat from
the Emergency Coalition for Arab Associations.
The workshops concluded with the formation of a collaborative network among university students from various institutions. This network aims to coordinate and cooperate with civil society organizations, local authorities, and political parties.
Sofia Nasra, the coordinator of the youth group, emphasized the significance of these workshops. She highlighted the importance of preparing university students and young people for dialogues that empower them to express themselves effectively. This preparation is particularly crucial to counteract the provocations expected from the racist right in university settings.
