Through the programme, offered in both Arabic and English, participants will gain skills in digital literacy, entrepreneurship and climate-resilient business practices, with a focus on building micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in agribusiness and innovation to address food insecurity and poverty.

The training programme will be delivered in three phases:

• Phase I: Resilient Growth for Prosperous Futures (September 2024 to February 2025)– A comprehensive online training on entrepreneurship, innovation, and digital skills, including lessons from Hiroshima’s post-World War II reconstruction.
• Phase II: The Resilient Squad (March 2025) – A one-week online boot camp followed by a two-day virtual hackathon. The top 20 participants will move on to Phase III.
• Phase III: Resilient Futures for Peace and Prosperity (March 2025) – A virtual conference where participants will present their project proposals for evaluation.

This programme aims to inspire participants to “build back better” by fostering sustainable business ideas that address pressing challenges such as unemployment, food insecurity and social inequality.

Empowering Women and Youth

UNITAR strongly emphasizes inclusivity, particularly in encouraging women’s participation. Empowering women is crucial for rebuilding and strengthening communities. Despite challenges like unstable internet connectivity, the women participants have already demonstrated leadership by organizing webinars, leading discussions and contributing to the programme’s success.

Challenges and Opportunities

Though enthusiasm for the programme has been high, participation from conflict-affected regions remains limited. Ongoing violence and instability have prevented some individuals from accessing the training, particularly those in heavily affected states. To mitigate these challenges, the programme has utilized low-bandwidth solutions and in-person coaching to make it more accessible, despite technological and logistical barriers.