Meet and Greet our Y-PEERers

An interview with Anmar Khalid, a youth activist from Iraq, who has been involved in Y-PEER since 2009, and together with other young leaders initiated the process of establishing the Y-PEER network in his country 

“Y-PEER inspires you to inspire others.”

Can you describe your experience in Y-PEER, what challenges, barriers and successes have you faced during the period of being a Y-PEERer? How has Y-PEER influenced your life/career?

My first experience with Y-PEER was a peer education training workshop in 2009. Afterwards, my life took a different turn and this unique experience had a huge impact on my behavior, my personality and every aspect of my life. I was changing and evolving every day, and was always in the process of developing myself. I was one of the very first people in Iraq to receive a regional training and following that, together with my team, we initiated the process of founding the network in Iraq. This continued up until 2012 when we worked with experts from the American University in Beirut on a chain of workshops with the support from the UNFPA CO to create a training guide for the network in Iraq. We were successful and I took part in crafting the guide which tackled various issues that were especially important for the youth in Iraq. That same year, the Y-PEER international network and the UNFPA decided to start working on a structure for the national network in Iraq and I was appointed the focal point in charge and so attended the Y-PEER Global Advisory Board Meetings for the members of the network in different parts of the world.

I have been a part of leading initiatives for the youth in Iraq and organizing training workshops for the diverse youth in Iraq on peer education, in addition to training of trainers in peer education. Recently, a big part of the training activities was dedicated for the minorities and marginalized communities in Iraq including internally displaced people, refugees, and inhabitants of slum areas. As of now, I have been able to reach out and train more than 1500 young people from different parts of Iraq, in addition to refugees from Syria.

The biggest challenge we faced was founding the network in Iraq. Because of the dominance of youth and voluntary contribution in the network, young activists participating in its activities and running the network for the betterment of the youth, we were always in need of a more established and capable entity to embrace us and provide continuous support for the network. This was needed to preserve the sustainability of the activities and to create the network in the best possible form.

However, we were becoming more capable of combating and alleviating this challenge day by day because of the increased popularity and understanding of the concept and culture of volunteerism within the youth of the network, in addition to us gaining more experience with great support from the UNFPA . Moreover, our partners greatly increased in number and we became capable of expanding to everywhere in Iraq, and reach out to a notably bigger proportion of youth in the country. Currently, Y-PEER Iraq has become a part of who we are and, to me, it’s not a project, it’s a lifestyle. A positive and prosperous lifestyle!

What benefits does Y-PEER offer to young people?

Y-PEER with its variety of activities and trainings offers young individuals unique skills packed with a modification of behaviour for the better, in addition to enforcing their knowledge regarding relevant topics. Moreover, the Y-PEER agenda strives to render its beneficiaries different, effective and positive role models among their peers. The truth is Y-PEER is a new and exciting lifestyle that endorses all of the positive values that the network commits to from activism to positivity and others, and that gifts the youth it reaches out to with an adventurous method of loving and receiving love from others. At the end, Y-PEER is a celebration of youth's invaluable contribution to the growth and development of the community being a remarkable tool in team building and a influential factor in preparing a coherent, skilled and conscious generation of youth that is confident of its solidity and aware of its essence.

What can young people do better to contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals?

Today, the youth are privileged with great opportunities that should be taken advantage of, in order to rise up with the community and work for its welfare and realize the Sustainable Development Goals. There is nothing in this world that is not relevant to the youth in one way or another, and from that context we have to embark on a new journey of taking part in the process of decision making within the large organizations of today to achieve the correct execution of these goals. We're here to think, to know ourselves better, and to become acquainted with the fact that we exist and that we have a message in this life; a message and a mission to create a healthy and a positive life that the future generations can prosper from. The opportunity lies in front of us, and there's no other way but to seize it and enroll in today's battle and contribute to the design of the policies adopted for the establishment of peace and equality.

What is one thing you would have done differently being a Y-PEER member?

A man is successful when he allows his idea to be shared with others, endorsed by them, and incorporated in their behaviour.  Y-PEER pushes you to become the kind of person who contemplates the needs of others more often than his own, always wanting to give something back, something real and tangible that can leave a trace that the community can benefit from. These are the secrets of Y-PEER, they cannot simply reveal themselves upon request; you have to live them in order to actually know them. Y-PEER inspires you to inspire others.

What would you suggest that young people should do to become successful?

I don't want to suggest something they already know. I just want to ask them to be themselves, to know themselves, to appreciate it, and to believe in their abilities. Inside each and everyone of us, there lies a pioneer, we just have to discover that essence. All of this comes granted with faith, determination, patience, willingness, and planning. In the end, we should all know and admit that none of us knows everything and nobody knows nothing. We all have something to give, and we all have something to take. People learn from people; people learn when they're together. And the secret lies in learning and exploring life. Live it and love it.