MENA Youth Capacity Building in Humanitarian Action (MYCHA)

November 23, 2017

MYCHA is part of a global movement to promote the participation and leadership of young people in national, local and international humanitarian processes.

MYCHA is part of a global movement to promote the participation and leadership of young people in national, local and international humanitarian processes. The initiative aligns with ROTA’s strategic objective of supporting young people across various contexts to realize their full potential and contribute to the development of their communities. MYCHA contributes directly to Key Action 3 of the Compact for Young People in Humanitarian Action, which in turn contributes to Transformation 3F of the Agenda for Humanity.

Since 2005, Reach Out to Asia (ROTA) has strived to empower, engage, and support young people across various contexts to realize their full potential and contribute to the development of their communities. Sharing the view that youth must be recognized as critical actors during humanitarian crises, in 2017, ROTA along with partners from the Compact for Young People in Humanitarian Action launched the MENA Youth Capacity Building in Humanitarian Action (MYCHA) Initiative. Its goal is to catalyze local youth-led humanitarian action and generate evidence on appropriate methodologies for helping them gain the necessary capabilities to act effectively. Through this initiative, ROTA seeks to develop processes of capacity building which inspire and motivate youth to not only act, but also to recognize their potential as effective agents of positive change.

The Initiative’s Origins

Stakeholders across all sectors have answered the UN Secretary General’s call for a renewed commitment to humanity and are reforming how the international community addresses humanitarian need and suffering. This new Agenda for Humanity was established through a three-year consultative process which culminated in Istanbul at the World Humanitarian Summit (WHS). Since young people are a key demographic affected by crises, stakeholders recognized that youth must be significant and respected contributors within the reform process. A Global Youth Consultation was organized in by UNMGCY and ROTA in Doha in the lead-up to the WHS and a special session was convened during the Summit to ensure that their input and voice would help shape the Agenda first hand. The Compact for Young People in Humanitarian Action, an outcome of this process, has emerged as one of the key initiatives under Core Responsibility 3 of the Agenda for Humanity. This process and the resultant Compact have galvanized unprecedented momentum around the inclusion of youth in humanitarian efforts. More than 50 partners have so far joined the Compact, under which members pledge to align operations with the principles outlined within; take steps to support young people in humanitarian action; engage locally with young people where they have a presence, and report annually on their ongoing efforts.

The Components of MYCHA

MYCHA has six interrelated components. Each is designed to increase capacity among youth from crisis-affected contexts and to provide platforms for them to demonstrate their ability to contribute in positive ways. The development, refinement, and delivery of youth focused training content forms the core of the model. Components of the model have been synthesized into open source tools and resources which are replicable and adaptable by other agencies to meet their needs for engaging youth at the local level. One of the main tools developed under the initiative is a Facilitator’s Guide for Introducing Youth to Humanitarian Action (coming soon).