As Part of the "Youth Connectivity – Podcast" Project.. 4 Youth Initiatives Selected for Implementation in Irbid

Al-Azzam added that the municipality bases its strategic vision on the utmost importance of meeting with youth and listening to their demands, to work on embracing their initiatives and ideas and turning them into projects whose impact is felt by the local community and youth.

He praised the philosophy of the "Collective Decision-Making" event, which builds bridges of communication between decision-makers, youth, and the local community, and contributes to formulating priorities and identifying societal needs in a joint manner.

Al-Azzam concluded his remarks by emphasizing the municipality's adoption and support of the outcomes of the collective decision-making events, stressing the need for youth to continue presenting proposals that would innovate sustainable societal solutions to the challenges facing society.

For his part, the General Manager of the We Rise for Sustainable Development Center, Amer Abu Dalou, reviewed the center's journey and fields of work in political empowerment, economic empowerment, and digital media, affirming that genuine development stems from within communities with the participation of their members in identifying their needs and contributing to finding appropriate solutions for them.

Abu Dalou added that the "Youth Connectivity – Podcast" project comes in alignment with the national directions led by His Majesty King Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein, and supported by His Royal Highness Prince Hussein bin Abdullah II, the Crown Prince, to empower youth and enhance their participation in development and decision-making.

He continued that the project reflects the vision of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, Prince Hussein bin Abdullah II, may God protect and preserve him, in the National Council for Future Technology, which aims to develop digital skills among youth and employ technology and digital media in serving societal issues.

Abu Dalou explained that the "Collective Decision-Making" event represents a pivotal stage in the project, as it allows youth to present the societal issues they have worked on researching and analyzing over the past period, and discuss them directly with decision-makers and stakeholders, thereby enhancing the presence of local community priorities in dialogue with relevant institutions and bodies.

Abu Dalou pointed out that the event seeks to engage decision-makers, the local community, and youth in defining societal priorities, as participants will be given the opportunity to vote to select 4 core issues out of 6 presented, to adopt them and turn them into developmental initiatives on the ground.

During the event, participants presented societal issues to decision-makers and the local community. The "Your Awareness is Your Safety" team addressed the challenge of rising electronic fraud and extortion crimes, while the "National Frequencies" team touched upon the issue of the weak connection of the younger generation to the Jordanian national identity.

The "Hidden Pressure" team presented the issue of rising levels of anxiety and psychological stress among Yarmouk University students, while the "From Project to Brand" team reviewed the difficulties facing youth owning entrepreneurial projects in Irbid Governorate.

Furthermore, the "Say It Right" team addressed the issue of journalistic coverage of issues concerning persons with disabilities in the media, and the "Safe Steps" team concluded the presentations by addressing the issue of weak traffic safety elements in front of Bani Obaid schools.

The results at the conclusion of the collective decision-making event announced the victory of the "Your Awareness is Your Safety" team in fourth place with 19 votes, while the "Say It Right" team came in third place with 20 votes, the "Safe Steps" team secured second place with 23 votes, and first place went to the "From Project to Brand" team, which won 26 votes.