Rihab Sandouka/ Palestine: Coordinator of the Palestinian Network for Early Childhood Development

12 October 2026 

There are people we meet only a few times, yet they leave a lasting impression. This is how Dr. Youssef Hajjar will remain in my memory.

Dr. Youssef, one of the founders of the Arab Resource Collective (ARC) and the Arab Network for Early Childhood Development (ANECD), has passed away. He was one of those who held the cause of childhood as a humanitarian and national cause, believing that defending a child’s right to freedom and a dignified life is an integral part of the struggle for a freer and more just humanity.

I first met Dr. Youssef many years ago, and I still remember how his progressive thinking, his liberating spirit, and his unique perspective on humanity, childhood, and society captivated me from that very first encounter. There was something about his conversation that compelled you to listen and reflect, revealing a man who held his convictions with sincerity and depth.

Then, years later, we met again at one of ANECD conferences, this network that has always united us, people from different Arab countries, with a shared concern and a single heart, despite our different homelands and experiences.

Then, I will never forget this moment when Dr. Youssef’s voice rang out with a song that ignited our Arab longing and awakened that profound sense of belonging, freedom, and shared destiny. It was not just a song. His voice that day carried something of his soul, his faith, and the homeland that resided within him. At that moment, I realized even more clearly that I was in the presence of a truly patriotic man, free in thought and conscience.

Today, as I hear the news of his passing, that exact moment returns to me: Dr. Youssef is singing, we are listening, and the distances between our homelands momentarily fade away.Farewell, Dr. Youssef… Your voice will remain present, and your memory will remain warm in our hearts and minds.