Global youth unite at OIC High School Summit to advocate for ‘Just Cause of Palestine’

By Necva Tastan

ISTANBUL (AA) - Students from around the world engaged in discussions on various issues Friday on the second day of the International Model of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) High School Summit.

The summit, organized by the Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum (ICYF), is titled, “The Just Cause of Palestine: Establishing Permanent and Fair Peace.”

Yahya Dervis, chair of the Al-Quds committee at the summit, told Anadolu that the youth play a role in shaping the future, and emphasized their perspective and potential effect as future leaders and diplomats.

“The discussion on the Rafah Border stood out as a significant moment,” said Dervis, stressing that there are a lot of topics to be discussed.

“The most important point I think was the discussion about the Rafah border and whether it should be open or not and how to guarantee the security of people passing through the Rafah border,” said Dervis.

Emphasizing the “importance” of the OIC youth forum, he said: “It represents our solidarity as a Muslim world. We have delegates from 56 countries and all in one room, one committee discussing one problem.”

Omer Said Barsamoglu, vice chair of the Al-Quds committee, stressed the summit's significance in empathizing with Palestinian suffering.

“The main reason for us to attend this summit is to empathize with the Palestinian people and understand their pain and suffering,” said Barsamoglu.

“We are gathered here as young voices of the Muslim world so I hope everybody in here as expected is committed to today’s cause of Palestine so, we are focusing as best as we can do possibly,” he added.

Muhammed Ali Erzincanli, a delegate from the Al-Quds committee, highlighted continuous efforts to negotiate and establish a cease-fire.

Erzincali said the focus on resolving the Gaza crisis underscores the committee's dedication to finding effective solutions to the complex issues at hand.

Also, a Qatari student joining the disaster relief management committee highlighted the diverse suggestions and heated debates aimed at improving global disaster relief.

Expressing solidarity with Palestine, the student believed the summit could bring about “positive changes” for disaster relief and the Israel-Palestine conflict.

The four-day summit will focus on addressing oppression in Gaza, promoting science and technology cooperation among OIC member states, advancing disaster relief management, and tackling pressing social issues in the OIC region.

Model OIC is an academic simulation of the OIC that aims to educate participants on current trends in the theory and practice of international relations, effective communication and multilateral diplomacy.