AMMAN — In an initiative aimed at fostering dialogue and mutual understanding, youth from Ma’an and Gaza Camp convened in Amman on Saturday to engage in a day of storytelling, reflection, and shared exploration of identity and belonging.

 

Held at the Hurras Youth Space in Jabal Naser, the full-day event was organised by Al Qantara Centre and Hopes for Training, Education and Development, with support from the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ).

 

It brought together 30 young participants aged 18 to 30, and was deliberately scheduled between World Refugee Day and World Humanitarian Day, a symbolic setting for a gathering focused on identity, belonging, and shared human experience.

 

The programme invited participants to engage in storytelling, creative expression, and open conversations, creating space for youth to set aside societal expectations and speak honestly about who they are.

 

“This is a human meeting, one that embraces unpredictability, vulnerability, and honesty,” said Mohammad Ahmaro, Education and Youth Advisor at GIZ, in an interview with The Jordan Times. “There’s room for both discovery and silence as the group works towards messages and recommendations for a more pluralistic society.”

 

Ahmaro noted that the gathering aimed to foster genuine dialogue among youth, allowing them to express their identities without the constraints of social labels, particularly those shaped by legal status or geographic background.

 

“It’s about breaking down stereotypes and engaging in conversations that challenge predefined categories,” he said. “Through that, youth from different regions can begin to explore the common challenges they face.”

 

Central to the programme, he explained, is the concept of identity. “When we speak about identity, we also uncover the shared cultural threads that connect us,” he said, describing the initiative as part of a broader methodology aimed at building meaningful connections across divides.

 

Ahmaro also underscored the importance of non-traditional conversations; those that fall outside formal frameworks. The programme partners, he added, are grassroots organisations committed to meaningful youth engagement.

 

“When young people listen to each other’s stories, it opens up space for deeper self-understanding. Through that process, individuals begin to locate themselves more clearly.”

 

He added that storytelling prompts emotional connection, and connection, at its core, is a profoundly human experience.