17 October 2004

New York, USA: In nearly 100 countries, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) had organized local observances of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, 17 October, to underline the urgency of the fight against extreme poverty, which affects more than 1.2 billion people worldwide. People all over the world are finding innovative and diverse ways to mark the day, ranging from a marathon in Timor Leste, a theatre performance in Moldova, and a youth conference in Malawi, to a photo exhibition in Nicaragua and a piano recital in Algeria.

As part of these global observances, in a ceremony at UN headquarters in New York Friday, UNDP had honored the remarkable initiatives of five young people who have developed resourceful and innovative ways to combat poverty in their own communities.

Among the young volunteers, UNV Bader Zama’rah, of the West Bank, heads an organization called Sharek, which helps students in the West Bank with their schoolwork through a programme of Homework Centres and youth volunteers, serving to improve education in the region.

Efforts by these young leaders demonstrate that young people have the ability to be a major force in catalyzing change and taking direct action to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

“By honouring these five men and women, we are demonstrating the capabilities of young people around the world to tackle these global problems with inspiring and innovative approaches,” said UNDP Administrator Mark Malloch Brown. “From the founding of a national youth council in Panama to the training of HIV counselors in Papua New Guinea, projects spearheaded by energetic and enthusiastic young people can be replicated around the world and serve as a major force in achieving the "Millennium Development Goals."

Increasing educational opportunities for the fight against poverty
A 23 year-old lawyer specializing in civil law, Bader Zama'rah is a UNV responsible of coordinating the Project of Sharek Youth Forum, a young people's organization whose primary philosophy is that of self-help. Sharek provides a space where youth can come together, develop their ideas, display their creativity and implement projects for their respective communities. The non-partisan organization seeks ultimately to develop a network of youth from all organizations and regions along the West Bank and Gaza Strip. It also supports other youth organizations in project implementation and capacity building.

In 2003, the Sharek youth pioneered a programme to assist children younger than themselves through a series of Homework Centres in the northern region of the West Bank. They also engage university students to tutor small groups of children from local high schools in an after-hours setting. Each university student provides support in basic subjects such as mathematics, English, Arabic and science to a group of three to five children several times a week. In turn, Sharek pays the tutors' university tuition fees. The university students retain the same group of children over a period of time, developing a level of support and trust that has led to an improvement of the children's learning and psycho-social outlook. This is particularly significant in that, due to the current political situation in the West Bank, school children's educational attainment has suffered and the school dropout rate has increased. Sharek's leadership, recognizing that poor education aggravates poverty in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, sees its programme as contributing to the fight against poverty. Currently, 500 university and 2,500 high school students are benefiting from Sharek's programme.

UN Volunteer Bader Zama'rah is Project Coordinator of Sharek Youth Forum in the occupied Palestinian territory. Prior to joining Sharek, UNV Bader Zama'rah served as a programme coordinator at the Jerusalem Women Centre, and as a civil education trainer and head of the Law Students Club at his alma mater, Al-Quds University.