As 2024 comes to a close, we’re reflecting on the momentous year at AMEL. Through a variety of innovative initiatives, nearly 2000 young changemakers built their knowledge and skills in AMEL programs this year, while hundreds have engaged with AMEL diplomacy and issue education actions.
We began the year expanding the AMEL Sudan Democracy Action Project (AMEL-SDAP, with support from the National Endowment for Democracy. We launched the Sudan Democracy Lifeline Fellowship, a nonresidential research program for young Sudanese democratizers. Sixteen activists built their knowledge and skills in researching, writing and revising evidence-based publications during the training phase of the Fellowship. Seven activists went on to the research phase of the program, creating and refining publications that explored critical issues for Sudan’s future, while helping to enrich international issue education efforts. Building knowledge of young Sudanese was also done through replication of the AMEL-SDAP online courses on Democracy and on Human Rights/Peace. Between two cohorts, more than 750 Sudanese youth participated in the courses. The team also conducted online training for 300 young Sudanese changemakers eager to build their knowledge and skills for effectively engaging with the international community. Finally, AMEL-SDAP leveraged its position to fill critical gaps between the international community and the grassroots youth-led humanitarian efforts (such as Emergency Response Rooms) in Sudan. In particular, we convened a series of online meetings to share success stories and practical guidance on how international entities can support these innovative local humanitarian responses.
In parallel, we launched the first 2024 cohort of the AMEL Institute regional training program, engaging more than 220 young African and Middle Eastern changemakers in online lessons covering topics from Holocaust education and genocide prevention, to democracy and mental health. AMEL capitalized on the Spring cohort’s success by launching a Summer cohort, covering the same curriculum and leveraging even greater participation from across the region. In total, over 450 young regional leaders participated across the two cohorts, with 282 completing the full requirements for a certificate. More than 40 Alumni assisted in the Spring and Summer programs, serving as Mentors who guided participants through the program and helped to foster peer-to-peer learning and networking. Meanwhile, AMEL has engaged the wider Alumni network on an ongoing basis through webinars and professional development opportunities. Following the Summer cohort, the Alumni international community now counts more than 1200 members from all across Africa, the Middle East and the Global North.
During the year, AMEL also launched two new initiatives to assist displaced Sudanese given the immense suffering caused by the ongoing war and its ripple effects. The first project focused on piloting a tech-powered innovative approach to improving the mental health and well-being of displaced Sudanese youth. Meanwhile, the second project included a partnership with the Refugee Platform Egypt to provide legal assistance to Sudanese refugees in Egypt, as well as an online pilot program to build solidarity and empowerment among displaced Sudanese activists. Through the two projects, hundreds of Sudanese affected by the war were provided direct assistance, while tens of thousands were reached with critical mental health information.
Throughout the course of the year, AMEL also worked intensively to address gaps in the international diplomacy and policy spaces by informing and providing subject matter expertise to international institutions and top diplomats, policymakers and security experts in the U.S., Europe and the Middle East. Topics included human rights, regional security, conflict mediation and crises in Africa and the Middle East, among others.
All in all, it was an action-packed year with more projects and impact than ever before. While pushing the limits of the quantity of people AMEL reaches, we have not compromised on quality, holding ourselves to stringent standards that focus more on outcomes, rather than outputs. We look forward to further expanding our reach and impact in 2025 and are so grateful for your support throughout these transformational times.