YOCOPAS
Meet - Connect - Act
YOCOPAS – Youth Organized Collaboration of Peace and Sustainability
We strive to create a diverse and inclusive community of local and international students and educators in Grades 10–12 who work together to advance peace and sustainability in the region. Through dialogue, shared learning, collaborative projects, and cultural exchange, YOCOPAS empowers young people to become compassionate leaders and active global citizens. The conference provides a platform for students to raise their voices, exchange ideas, build friendships across borders, and develop real tools to create positive change in their communities and beyond.
Who are we?
YOCOPAS, Youth Organized Collaboration of Peace and Sustainability, is a youth-led platform for dialogue, peace, and sustainability. Organized and driven by students, the initiative creates a network of young people and educators in the region and beyond. Students from Israeli schools, NGO’s—both Jewish and Arab—as well as from international schools abroad come together to: meet, connect, and act.
They learn from one another and break down barriers shaped by conflict and division. YOCOPAS seeks to deepen understanding of the complex realities surrounding us by fostering meaningful encounters, collaborative projects, and cross-cultural dialogue, empowering young people to work together toward a more just and sustainable future.
Why do we do it?
We believe in the power of stories to foster understanding and inspire meaningful change. By bringing together passionate young people from around the world, we create spaces for cultural exchange, reflection on identity, and collective action toward a more sustainable future. Through collaboration and creativity, participants learn to bridge divides, challenge assumptions, and build stronger, more connected communities.
How do we do it?
We bring together bright, emerging young leaders from around the world and provide them with the platform, tools, and mentorship to explore cultures, identities, and sustainability through storytelling. This takes place through the YOCOPAS Conference, a unique experience alongside interactive workshops, collaborative initiatives, and ongoing leadership opportunities. Together, these experiences empower participants to turn ideas into action and create meaningful impact within their communities.
What is the movement?
YOCOPAS is a global youth movement that brings together curious, passionate young leaders to explore cultures, identities, and sustainability. By providing a platform, resources, and mentorship, we empower participants to create impactful stories, collaborate across differences, and become changemakers in their communities through our Docathon, workshops, and ongoing leadership programs.
YOCOPAS 2025
In a world shaped by division, YOCOPAS invited the participants to cross the lines that separate us and rediscover the unifying power of storytelling.
Guided by EMIS values: cooperation, peace, active citizenship, and community, participants were encouraged to explore how stories move freely where borders cannot, dissolving barriers both visible and unseen.
The conference was opened by Mr. Assaf Zamir, First Deputy Mayor of Tel Aviv–Jaffa, a city that embodies the spirit of this theme. Home to a richly diverse population of Jews, Arabs, refugees, and communities from around the world, Tel Aviv–Jaffa stands as a living example of how diversity, dialogue, and shared responsibility can overcome challenges and strengthen community life. His words set the tone for a conference rooted in coexistence, service, and hope.
10th Anniversary: Special Workshops & Hands-On Storytelling
To celebrate EMIS’s 10th anniversary, we hosted special workshops that combined reflection, creativity, and practical media skills. One highlight was the “Borders of Media” workshop, which invited students to explore how media—from journalism to film both create and break down boundaries between people, cultures, and truths.
In a world where information travels faster than ever, and so do bias and misinformation, students examined how stories are shaped by platforms and power structures. They explored how media can become a tool for connection, empathy, and positive change. The session encouraged students to reclaim storytelling as a borderless form of human connection, showing that the way a story is told can either divide or unite us.
What Students Explored
- How borders are built or broken through language, headlines, and representation
- How visual storytelling can foster empathy—or create distance
- How responsible storytelling allows people to become narrators, rather than subjects, of their own stories
YOCOPAS 2025 reclaims storytelling as a force for justice, reconciliation, sustainability, and peace. Each story becomes an act of courage against silence, a bridge toward understanding, and a spark for meaningful change. Together, we are not only sharing stories, but we are shaping futures. YOCOPAS 2025 aimed to empower young people to emerge as change makers, carrying stories that travel far beyond the conference and into the world, where they can inspire action, compassion, and lasting impact.
YOCOPAS - Hands-On Film Creation
Students worked with international mentors to create short films (2-3 minutes) on themes of borders, peace, and identity. These films premiered at the conference, giving students a platform to express their ideas creatively and collaboratively.
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