Art serves as an impactful tool for civic engagement, especially in mobilizing young people around civic issues, expressing cultural goals, and promoting awareness of rights. Various forms of artistic expression—such as photography, murals, street art, and public performances—allow young individuals to establish deep connections with their communities, encourage dialogue, and promote social change.
Integrating art into civic engagement initiatives enhances the messages conveyed and creates lasting visual symbols of the community’s values and ambitions.
More specifically the initiative aims to:
Amplify Youth Voices
- Help young people express their aspirations and ideas, creating more space to participate in their communities and assert their rights.
Promote Supporting Policies
- Generate momentum among decision-makers and stakeholders to enhance youth’s civic engagement as informed by their cultural contribution outcomes.
Background
Youth make up around 70% of Jordanian society, yet they often face barriers to participating in civic and cultural activities, decision-making, and activism. In response to these challenges, the Arab Renaissance for Democracy and Development (ARDD) launched the Al-Nahda Youth Network as a tool to push for the inclusion of youth under its programs and a platform of change that amplifies their voices and engagement, as well as provides them with the relevant resources to implement their initiatives.
ARDD’s work with the Cultural Committee of the Al-Nahda Youth Network´ has highlighted the impact of cultural activities in promoting civic engagement and social cohesion. By empowering young people and giving them opportunities to express themselves, they can fulfill their potential and become more active, influential members of society.
About “Hope is a Picture that’s Worth a Thousand Words” Project
With the support of the Swiss Embassy in Jordan, the project is being implemented as part of ARDD’s efforts to empower youth and create a vibrant youth-led social movement that upholds human rights as a core value. By mobilizing youth’s creativity and organizing impactful events, this initiative aims to activate youth civic and political participation through artistic visuals and engaging in discussions with them to encourage participation within their communities towards achieving positive change.
Advancing this mission, the Jabal Amman initiative: Past, Present, and Future Dialogues, Photo Contest, and Exhibition serves as another avenue for youth engagement. Participants will engage in dedicated dialogue sessions with field experts in urban planning, environment, tourism, and social and economic development. In addition, the photography competition aims to create a platform for youth to document the past and present of Jabal Amman and envision its desired future through their lenses.
