As a part of an unusual youth empowerment programme, Bashaer Othman, aged 15 and citizen of Allar, a village in the West Bank hills, is working as mayor of her town for two months.
Bashaer Othman, 15, is the first female mayor for the town of 9,000 residents. Photograph: Al-Arabiya
She could have spent the long, hot summer holiday hanging out with friends or helping at home. But instead, 15-year-old Bashaer Othman is making speeches, signing documents, chairing meetings, attending civic functions and meeting citizens as mayor of Allar, a small Palestinian town high in the West Bank hills.
Every morning Bashaer heads off to the municipal offices, where she has full control – except for financial matters – as part of an unusual summer experiment aimed at empowering young people.
For two months the regular mayor, Sufian Shadid, and his team of councillors have handed the reins of power to a group of teenagers. The adults are on hand to advise and guide, but the decisions are made by the youngsters.
Read the full story at The Guardian.
[من فلسطين] 