Young activists examine models to implement a resistance economy

Birzeit University’s Center for Development Studies and the Youth Partnership Forum organized a symposium on youth cooperatives in Palestine as an alternative for a resistance economy on June 9, 2022.

Held on campus, the symposium aimed to broaden the knowledge on agricultural cooperatives for being a strategic source of economic survival and a self-sufficient economy. The speakers emphasized the importance of building a self-sufficient economy that guarantees fair distribution of income, provides equal access in the public sphere and secures social equality for all people through its production process.

During the symposium, Imad Sayrafi, director of Birzeit University’s Center for Development Studies, explained the meaning of cooperatives, the history of cooperative work in Palestine and the current challenges facing implementing cooperative models in Palestine.

A number of young activists participated in the symposium, sharing their experiences in forming cooperatives. They showcased their structures and the challenges they faced, especially those related to their impact on social change and creating new, resilient models in the Palestinian community.

The speakers included Samer Karajeh, representing Ard il Ya’s cooperative from the village of Safa, Ghassan Al-Najjar, representing the Ard o Zar’ cooperative in Burin, and Faten Assa, representing the Juthoor al Shams cooperative.

The symposium also included a short video focused on various youth cooperatives, produced by the Partnership Youth Forum.