As part of its ongoing efforts to support adaptive and locally grounded approaches to development, the Arab Renaissance for Democracy and Development (ARDD), through its network, the Al-Nahda Youth Network, convened a focused online workshop on crisis management on April 8, 2026.
The session brought together youth leaders and representatives of civil society organizations working in the youth development sector. It provided a space to reflect on practical responses to complex and evolving challenges, with particular attention to sustaining community-focused work under conditions of uncertainty. Discussions addressed elements of critical thinking, risk awareness, and adaptive planning.
The workshop combined conceptual framing with practical application. Participants engaged in scenario-based exercises exploring different types of crises, including organizational disruptions and broader contextual shocks. The sessions introduced tools for risk mapping, stakeholder coordination, and decision-making under pressure, while also examining approaches to communication and continuity planning during emergencies.
Facilitated by Mr. Bara’ Obaidat, a practitioner in leadership and management with experience across Jordan and the Gulf, the workshop adopted a participatory format that encouraged peer exchange and grounded reflection on real-world scenarios.
As Miral Murad, Kidoze Times CEO, one of the participants stated, “The workshop reinforced that regardless of one’s professional background, there are always vital lessons to be uncovered in a crisis, especially as we navigate an increasingly unpredictable global landscape.”
Obaidat also reaffirmed that “True resilience is not a reaction triggered during an emergency; it is a structural foundation built long before the crisis arrives. The rigor we apply today to planning, training, and simulation is precisely what translates into tomorrow’s protection for our communities and institutions.”
The workshop was implemented as part of the Al-Nahda Youth Network’s participatory capacity development framework, one of the network’s core areas of engagement for the 2026–2027 cycle. Within this framework, the network, as one of ARDD’s platforms, works to strengthen the capacities of youth actors and civil society organizations through collaborative learning, structured dialogue, and practical skill-building.
The Al-Nahda Youth Network aims to connect youth actors with civil society practitioners and institutions across the Arab region, with a growing emphasis on more coordinated and sustainable forms of engagement. This includes advancing partnerships, supporting knowledge exchange, and fostering approaches that link youth participation to tangible and local context-responsive outcomes.
