MUHAMMADIYAH.OR.ID, YORDANIA – Muhammadiyah initiated the Palestine Peacebuilding Lab program, which aims to increase the capacity of the Palestinian youth community by strengthening skills, sharing knowledge, and fostering collaborative initiatives in building peace.
Muhammadiyah delegation visited the Community Peace Centre, Amman, Jordan, on Thursday (September 11). The representatives of Central Board of Muhammadiyah, i.e. Ahmad Imam Mujadid Rais, Muarawati Nur Malinda (Chairperson and Vice Chairperson of the Board of Department of Charity Management), and Yayah Khisbiyah (Secretary of Department of International Relations and Cooperation), as well as the trainees consisting of Palestinian youth who crossed the border from the West Bank to Jordan, the representatives of Jordanian youth, with local partner of Palestine Witness Centre, and the representatives from Board of Muhammadiyah Special Branch of Jordan, attended the meeting.
The delegation was welcomed directly by Omar Hashim Alkhalaileh, Head of the Jordanian Community Peace Centre, and discussed his experiences and thoughts on how the Jordanian government collaborates with civil society organisations in building and fostering peace, not only for the local but also for the international community.
Some important things discussed in the meeting included the importance of raising awareness to the younger generation to foster an inclusive and peaceful attitude through wasathiyah Islam (Islam as the middle way), as well as reviving the messages of peace from Islam as a religion of rahmatan lil ‘alamin (a blessing for all mankind).
If young people are constantly exposed to violence and negative messages, their actions will likely follow those influences. To counter this, community groups and schools should offer positive alternatives through social media, public platforms, and direct interactions that foster cross-cultural, interfaith, and intercivilisational exchange.
In the meeting, Yayah Khisbiyah emphasised that the visit is an important foundation for the Palestine Peacebuilding Lab training, held from September 10 to 14 in Jordan.
“We would love to conduct this activity in Palestine, but by God’s will, the visa permit from the Israeli authorities has not yet been granted. Therefore, we finally did this program in Jordan,” said Yayah.
Yayah also urged that this initiative is in line with Muhammadiyah’s humanitarian and da’wah mission.
“The Palestine Peacebuilding Lab is a tangible manifestation of Muhammadiyah’s commitment to assist the Palestinian people in strengthening their capacity, in the fields of education, social, and peace development. Despite the limited access, we still try to be with our brothers and sisters in Palestine through cross-border collaborative work,” said Yayah.
Yayah added that the meeting in Jordan will be an important foundation for continuing global cooperation and solidarity.
“We believe that peace and resilience can only be built if the community is empowered. Therefore, Muhammadiyah will continue to support peace efforts and sustainable development in Palestine,” she concluded.
