Young heroines: Hafiza Qasimi wins sponsorship award for commitment to MV!

Young heroines: Hafiza Qasimi wins sponsorship award for commitment to MV!

Rostock has a reason to celebrate: Hafiza Qasimi and the Youth Speaks initiative as well as Gut Fellerson have won the “Young Commitment to One World MV” sponsorship award. The prize, which is endowed with 500 euros each, was awarded at the opening of the “weltwechsel” event series in the Rostock town hall. The aim of the prize is to make the commitment of young people visible and to appreciate it, which is more necessary than ever given the challenges of our time.[Rostock Town Hall]

Hafiza Qasimi, the 26-year-old who has lived in Rostock since 2023, is an inspiring example of perseverance and commitment. She fled Afghanistan, where she worked as an artist and gave painting lessons to children and women. In Rostock she is planning to found an artist collective that will inspire young people about global justice and social change. Their initiative, which is committed to increasing the visibility of the migrant community, is supported by various campaigns and empowerment training[Rostock Town Hall].

A cultural focal point

Gut Fellerson in Borrentin is not only a place for art, but also offers numerous art workshops for young families. Promoting such cultural contact points is an important step in developing creative potential and strengthening a sense of community.[Rostock Town Hall]

This year's “weltwechsel” event series has the motto “A divided world?” and includes around 70 different formats, including workshops, readings, film evenings and discussion groups. Over 40 initiatives and associations coordinate these varied events together. Funding comes from Engagement Global, the North German Foundation for Environment and Development and various other supporters.[Rostock Town Hall]

Youth engagement and global challenges

This initiative is part of a larger network that also promotes young engagement in other regions such as North Rhine-Westphalia and Austria. In North Rhine-Westphalia, the network invites young people to get involved in a globally just and sustainable world. This is where people like Gifty, Feras, Klaas and Svenja come into play, who offer support in developing ideas and are active at engagement fairs and workshops.[One World Network NRW]

In addition, the “Global Districts” project is being launched in Austria by Südwind Tirol, which is aimed at young adults between the ages of 15 and 30. The aim is to sensitize them to civil society engagement and to enable them to develop local projects and get actively involved in their communities. This also includes creative activities, workshops and digital campaigns to raise awareness of global justice.[Development.at]

This shows that the commitment of young people is an important building block for a fairer world. The initiatives in Rostock, North Rhine-Westphalia and Austria are outstanding examples of how collaboration and creativity can bring about real change. But that's just the beginning: collective efforts and a clear vision are crucial to continuing to advance social change and global justice in the future.