Mentor Arabia – empower young people to avoid drug abuse
by Denise
Nanni and Milena Rampoldi, ProMosaik. In this interview we would like to invite
you to visit the World of Mentor Arabia,
an organisation whose vision consists of empowering Arabic children and young
people to make them able to decide for their future. And they should be capable
of opposing to drugs and risky behaviour. The organisation works in Lebanon and
works in different countries of the Arabic world. Would like to thank Aline for
the detailled answers to our questions.
world and at which age young people are more likely to be at risk of drug
abuse?
more vulnerable and who lack the appropriate support systems that would enable
them to make healthy choices. The main risk factors include lack of education,
wars and conflicts, unemployment and lack of self-confidence and emotional
stability among young people. Drug use and abuse are public health
problems that could affect anyone regardless of age, gender, ethnicity,
religious affiliation or socioeconomic class. Younger people, especially
teenagers, and those who lack access to education are considered more
vulnerable to using drugs.
far?
Mentor Arabia faces a monumental task in trying to halt the spread
of this fast growing and deadly phenomenon in the Arab region. This task cannot
be achieved alone; it requires the help and cooperation of various parties,
such as governmental and non-governmental institutions, experts, educators,
parents, religious leaders, businesses, media and many more.
all the Arab countries that we cover. This responsiveness varies from full
partnership, to national ownership of our programs, and to complementing
each other’s role be it prevention or rehabilitation and protection.
the provision of safe and secure environments for our children and youth are
vital to the success of any strategy or initiative.
campuses. The purpose of encouraging art work is to contribute to the concept
that creativity and artistic expression can play a significant role both in
raising awareness of the personal and community tolls caused by substance
abuse, and addiction. Thus spreading a movement of prevention across the
society.
for young people to express their perception of the problem and solution.
dialogs, can teach, and can change perceptions.
order to prevent risky behavior?
We envision a drug-free Arab world where children and youth are
given the opportunities to lead healthy lives. Mentor Arabia’s role is to
empower youth to make healthy choices and resist drugs.
Skills” approach is vital in drug use prevention, and our work has been
centered around empowering youth through the development of their life skills as
a primary means of prevention of risky behaviors. Furthermore, the role of
parents and teachers is essential, not only because they are crucial members of
a young person’s support network, but also since they represent the entry
points formany prevention programs, them being in the home and at school.
The work of parents and teachers and the community at large is seen as
complimentary to that of enforcement and control.
capacities, thus boosting their self-esteem makes them less vulnerable to use
drugs in the future or to adopt risky behaviors. We believe that adopting best
practices that are evidence-based and proven to be successful in other parts of
the world, in addition to emphasizing collective work and partnerships, and
monitoring and evaluating programs to assess impact, documenting lessons
learned and disseminating knowledge are all key in effective prevention
programs.
There is so much that needs to be done and we must all get together and work
together. Through solid and collaborative partnerships with government and
civil institutions, and by working closely on ground with parents, educators,
children, youth, and with the support of the media, we can repel the spread of
the drug phenomenon in the Arab world. It will take time, but if we work
together, hand in hand, we will succeed in protecting our children and youth
and in developing our communities.
how?
One of Mentor Arabia’s principle missions is to build the capacity
of national organizations, whether private, governmental, or non-governmental,
to adopt and carry out drug prevention programs at the national level. Instead
of perpetuating dependencies, Mentor Arabia works to capacitate institutions
and create sustainability in drug prevention by forging strong partnerships
with solid and active national entities on the ground that can own the programs
at the national level in the future.
