This week’s Partner of the Week is Mobaderoon. This initiative based in Syria was founded in 2009. At its core, its mission is to build trust and understanding to support and sustain peaceful coexistence.
To mitigate social conflict induced by economic or socio-political instability within groups and communities, Mobaderoon offers a range of integrated programmes aimed at creating safe spaces for dialogue among Syrians from diverse backgrounds to build trust, establish common ground and promote the exchange of ideas on social change. Simultaneously, these programmes build the capacities of youth, women and civic activists in community development, active citizenship, and peacebuilding. Moreover, to disseminate their peacebuilding values they have established partnerships with civil society and community-based organisations, which have enhanced peer support among geographically dispersed members, volunteers and partners. Ultimately, these programmes and consultations are aimed at individual, group and institutional initiatives to help them realize their potential as advocates of positive change, and work with different age and demographic groups to build human and social capital to establish sustainable peace in Syria.
The implementation of Mobaderoon’s peacebuilding mission has been brought to light alongside the self-understanding and self-exploration sessions in Damascus. These sessions focus on conflict management and resolution to sustain and strengthen peaceful coexistence. At the heart of these sessions, there are inspired young participants that have been exposed to the values of financial literacy. The driving question for the youth is, “How can we invest our resources in an initiative that meets the community’s need?” This pushed forth the activation of economic activity and the revival of heritage. It was small-scale project, but its impact is large and sustainable, with an annual planning for the revival of the region’s heritage bazaar.
Our Partnership
Mobaderoon initiatives decided to partner with Aflatoun International in 2018, to implement the Life Skills and Financial Education for Peace package. Mobaderoon is very proud of its impact and its ability to recruit and lead the community.
The partnership has contributed significantly to the exploration of the abilities and resources of children and young people within their environment. It has created a courageous environment for self-expression, it has increased awareness on social responsibility, and it continues to support the community’s ability to solve problems through empowering decision-making strategies. In addition, it has revived the importance of planning for the community’s future by creating different spaces of exchange of financial knowledge amongst sharing other enriching expertise. The societal need for this collective project has driven community awareness and, through this partnership, social and financial education has managed to help sustain and create a socially cohesive society.
Real Impact in Students and Communities
“One of the young men at the start of the self-expression club was shy, not participating much and being bullied in his school. As he always remained alone, no one heard him and no one listened to his views, but the sessions of understanding and self-exploration and finding a safe space for expression helped him to get rid of shame and interact with his community and express his opinion and we have noticed great changes in the personality of the young man”
During Global Money Week, the students planned sessions to transfer concepts of saving and spending, financial literacy and life skills to their friends in school and in the neighborhood and facilitated these sessions. These sessions had an impact as the young people attending these sessions made their savings books and began sharing their savings plans on a monthly basis.
