Wilson Centre announces recipients of 2023 Agents of Change Youth Fellowship

Recipients of this year's fellowship work on topics related to climate change and youth leadership across the region and the wider world

Located in Washington, the Wilson Centre is one of the top think tanks in the US. All photos: Wilson Centre

Merissa Khurma, programme director for the Middle East Programme at the Wilson Centre, will be managing the class of 2023 fellowship recipients

Khalil Abu Allan is a faculty member at the West Bank's Hebron University

Josiane Atallah is a Fulbright Scholar

Nour Barakeh completed studies at the Higher Institute of Dramatic Arts in Damascus, Syria

Adina Halevi is involved in a number of development projects around Israel

Jezia Labidi is a researcher with several years' experience in nonprofit organisations

Hamza Saidi is a project co-ordinator for the Regional Programme on Energy Security and Climate Change, Middle East and North Africa, at the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung regional office in Rabat, Morocco

Gokce Sencan is a climate and water policy researcher based in California

Neeshad Shafi is an environmentalist and policy-oriented social change advocate

The Wilson Centre has announced the 2023 recipients of Agents of Change Youth Fellowship, launched with support from the UAE embassy in Washington.

The fellowship was created in recognition of the significance of the Middle East and North Africa region when it comes to climate response and the potential for youth leadership to shape a more sustainable, peaceful and prosperous future.

“I look forward to learning from the class of 2023," said Merissa Khurma, Middle East Programme director at the Wilson Centre.

The 10 recipients of the fellowship are young people from across the Mena region who are focused on topics related to climate change and youth empowerment.

"They are all young, energetic and committed to finding solutions to the myriad climate-induced challenges in their locales," Ms Khurma said.

"This class is diverse in its experiences, expertise and regional focus so the opportunities are tremendous to learn from each other, cross-pollinate and strengthen their network in the region to prioritize climate change on national and regional agendas."

Climate change around the world - in pictures

Engineers carry solar panels on to the roof of a property in Barcelona in September 2022. Spain and other Mediterranean countries have generated record amounts of power from wind and solar farms. Bloomberg

Smoke rises from brick factory stacks in Nahrawan, Baghdad. Tackling emissions from heavy industry is crucial to tackling global warming. Reuters

A boy stands near a flock of sheep as a sandstorm approaches in the Syrian countryside of Tabqa. Syria is among the countries most vulnerable and poorly prepared for climate change, which is expected to worsen. AFP

Mountains of smouldering rubbish at the Bhalswa landfill in New Delhi, India. Reuters

Greenpeace activists take part in a climate change protest in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin in May. AP

A man carries water bottles across the heavily polluted Negro River in Manaus, Brazil. About 35 tonnes of rubbish are removed daily from the river. AP

A helicopter drops water on a brush fire in California. Bloomberg

UN climate chief Patricia Espinosa speaks on the opening day of the Bonn climate change conference in Germany. Getty

Activists take part in a demonstration to raise awareness of global warming, during an event to mark World Environment Day in Kolkata. AFP

A helicopter drops water on a bushfire near a residential district in Athens. The fire forced residents to flee. AFP

A gauge measures water levels in the Rio Nambe river, in New Mexico. Ninety per cent of the state is experiencing extreme drought. Getty

Afghan refugees search for recyclable material from heaps of rubbish in Karachi, Pakistan. AP

A climate activist ties herself to the net during the semi-final tennis match between Croatia's Marin Cilic and Norway's Casper Ruud at the French Open in Roland Garros in Paris. AP

A dance group performs at a climate summit in Stockholm, Sweden. Getty

US climate envoy John Kerry talks to a delegate at the Stockholm 50 climate summit. Getty

A boat is stranded during low tide at the Chebayesh marsh in Dhi Qar province, Iraq. Reuters

A woman crosses a polluted river in Dhaka, Bangladesh. EPA

A man walks past an abandoned boat in the bed of a drought-affected reservoir on the outskirts of Sana'a, Yemen. EPA

Here are this year's recipients:

Khalil Abu Allan is a faculty member at the West Bank's Hebron University. An expert in spatial modelling techniques and groundwater sensitivity assessment in arid regions, he has focused on the role of youth in managing the environment and conserving environmental resources as well as the conservation and management of water resources.

Abdullah J Alfayadh is an international development and peacebuilding practitioner, currently serving as part of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq. He manages programming in support of community resilience and communal peace.

Josiane Atallah works with the International Rescue Committee in Lebanon and is a Fulbright Scholar. She has been involved in programmes focused on grassroots organising, sustainable solutions and development as well as education.

Nour Barakeh completed studies at the Higher Institute of Dramatic Arts in Damascus, Syria, and graduated from the Faculty of Pharmacy at Damascus University. She has spoken at a number of events on sustainability, refugee and migration issues and has written several plays on peacekeeping and relationship-building.

Adina Halevi is involved in a number of development projects around Israel and works on the conservation of open spaces. She has also worked on several projects focused on innovative wastewater treatment and improving water access for farmers in the West Bank and Jordan.

Eslam A Hassanein is an assistant lecturer at the Faculty of Politics and Economics at Beni Suef University in Egypt and has worked as a research assistant on a variety of projects at Zayed University in Abu Dhabi. Her research interests are focused on environmental economics, climate change and economic development.

Jezia Labidi is a researcher with several years' experience in nonprofit organisations. She is a junior expert in the monitoring, evaluation and project management for development organisations and a project specialist at the US Institute of Peace, managing peacebuilding, community-security dialogue and environmental governance projects.

Hamza Saidi is a project co-ordinator for the Regional Programme on Energy Security and Climate Change, Middle East and North Africa, at the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung regional office in Rabat, Morocco, managing the conceptualisation and implementation of dialogue programmes and training/workshop sessions on resource security and climate change-relevant topics for the Mena region in connection to the EU.

Gokce Sencan is a climate and water policy researcher based in California. Her areas of expertise include droughts, water management and the public health impacts of climate change in Mediterranean climates. She has worked on issues including urban drought resilience, agriculture, freshwater ecosystems, water markets, groundwater management and the energy-water relationship.

Neeshad Shafi is an environmentalist and policy-oriented social change advocate, working through the youth climate movement to affect change in environmental and climate policies in the Middle East. He is co-founder and executive director of the Arab Youth Climate Movement, Qatar.

The Wilson Centre is a non-partisan US policy forum that aims to tackle global issues through independent research and open dialogue to inform actionable ideas for the policy community.