Mabrook al-Sameeni is a 25-year-old man who spent more than 18 months looking for employment before enrolling in the Yemen Employment for Education (YEFE) Workplace Success Course. The YEFE is run by the Education for Employment Foundation (EFE), an organization dedicated to linking unemployed youth with limited opportunity to jobs in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Support from MEPI has allowed the EFE to scale up its innovative models for youth employment in the MENA region. One of six children of a farmer and carpenter, Mabrook says that growing up in a small, traditional village did not prepare him for the new job market or economy. Mabrook spent nearly a year trying to secure employment at a local cement factory, but gave up in frustration and despair. He thought his last chance lay in the capital city, Sana'a, but after six more fruitless months, he finally made the tough decision to leave Yemen to work as a laborer abroad.
"My plan was to illegally cross the border to Saudi Arabia, which was the risk I was prepared to take, just to find work to help support my family,” Mabrook confessed. But this all changed when Mabrook saw an advertisement in a local paper offering job training at the Yemen EFE.
"The YEFE training was free. I had nothing to lose. I thought: ‘I've tried everything, so there will be no harm in giving this a shot.’” Mabrook spent two months in the Workplace Success Training Program, which taught him skills like teamwork, leadership, and professional behavior. He performed so well in his internship at the Arwa Plastics Company that he was quickly offered a permanent job as the Technical Produ ction-Line Operator.
Mabrook credits his success to the YEFE program, saying, “What I liked most about the YEFE training was the communication skills and interacting with others (teamwork). You see, in the society where I came from, it is important for us to learn these skills.”
Mabrook says his experiences have given him a new perspective: “I go to (my home town) every weekend for a day. I always talk about the importance of studying. In fact, I mention the importance of it more often now than I did before while I was studying. Because back then, even I doubted whether I would find suitable employment after I graduated.”
Mabrook encourages other youths in his community to look for unique opportunities like YEFE. In fact, his younger brother Ali was recently selected to participate in YEFE’s Pioneers Program, an intensive six-month course combining the International Finance Corporation’s Business Edge curriculum, English language training, IT training, and EFE’s Workplace Success program.
Women Mean Business!
Learn about MEPI’s Corporate Ambassadors Program
The Corporate Ambassadors program (CAP), a MEPI-funded cornerstone project of Vital Voices’ Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Businesswomen’s Network (BWN), develops women’s entrepreneurship in the MENA region by connecting high-level women executives from the United States with emerging businesswomen leaders from other countries. Recently, U.S. businesswomen visited Lebanon and Bahrain to network and exchange ideas on successful strategies for surviving today’s extremely challenging corporate world. Both conferences allowed for extensive dialogue between panelists and audience members and provided unparalleled networking opportunities, further promoting women’s role in business and entrepreneurship in the region. The CAP program makes use of Americans’ business expertise to build partnerships that lead to prosperity and greater women’s participation throughout the region.
Lebanon - Hotel Le Gabriel in Beirut was abuzz on the 25th and 26th of September with 200 professionals, two high-level U.S. women executives, and a panel of Lebanese business experts. Run by the Lebanese League for Women in Business (LLWB), the conference provided professional insights into the diverse elements of “Redefining Strategies during Crisis” and provided an opportunity for networking and learning. U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Michele Sison opened the session together with H.E. Ziad Baroud, Minister of Interior for Lebanon. The introduction was followed by three panel sessions featuring U.S. Corporate Ambassadors V. Sue Molina, Retired Partner, Deloitte & Touche, LLP, and Julie Bergman Sender, Executive Producer & Founder of The Cause Company and Balcony Films, in addition to respected business leaders from Lebanon.
Bahrain - Following the successful conference in Beirut, on September 28 and 29 the Bahrain Businesswomen’s Society (BBS) held its CAP event, “The Second Business Exchange Forum: Bahraini and American Experience,” which brought together BBS members, local and regional businesswomen and men, ministry representatives, and Bahraini parliamentarians. This two-day conference focused on building local understanding of the U.S.-Bahraini Free Trade Agreement, government procurement incentive programs, supplier diversity programs initiated by the private sector, and the support services available to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) from the U.S., Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia. U.S. Ambassador to Bahrain, Adam Ereli, offered introductory remarks, and the three U.S. Corporate Ambassadors - Luz Hopewell, Director of the International Trade Office of the U.S. Small Business Administration; Linda Denny, President of the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council; and Geri Swift, Founding President of the Women’s Business Development Center – led interactive workshops.
Biographies of the Corporate Ambassadors are available on the MEPI Alumni website:
https://mepialumni.state.gov/bwn_ambassadors_bios_09.pdf
Egyptian Youths Delve into Local Politics
Egypt - The Egyptian Association for Dissemination and Development of Legal Awareness (EADDLA), a Cairo-based NGO that promotes human rights and empowers citizens to participate in the political decision-making process, recently completed phase two of its project on “Promoting and Strengthening Democratic Practices in Egyptian Political Parties.” From February to October, 2009, 120 young representatives of eight Egyptian political parties, including teachers, social workers, journalists and students, studied political party organization, election organizing and monitoring, campaigning, and holding elections in democratic systems. The goal of the MEPI-funded project is to strengthen democratic practices of political parties and encourage political activism among youths in Egypt.
In the first phase of the project, EADDLA developed a training manual that included a wide range of research papers on capacity-building and development of leadership skills. Following this first phase, participants took part in intensive training courses that covered a wide range of topics, including leading advocacy campaigns, fundraising for political parties, the concepts and principles of successful networking, and how media contribute in the building and strengthening of communities’ trust in political parties. Phase three, already underway, will guide participants through the process of creating a network of young political party activists.
MEPI Local Grant Advances Rule of Law and Labor Protections in Oman
Oman - With the assistance of Oman-based experts and MEPI funding, Omani law school professor Dr. Rashed Al Balushi completed a Practical Judicial Guide (PJG) on Labor Law issues in Oman for judges, lawyers, workers, businessmen, and other interested parties. The first-of-its-kind guidebook was developed as part of the MEPI local grant called “Strengthening Labor Protections and Rule of Law: Labor Rights Guides for Judges and Workers.” The PJG is now being used as a reference source at Sultan Qaboos University Law School. Pending approval of the Oman Ministry of Information, the guidebook will also be distributed to labor/employee unions, lawyers, judges, and law professors throughout Oman.
The guidebook is the result of more than a year of planning and cooperation among MEPI, the U.S. Embassy in Oman, and the Legal and Judicial Sectors in Oman. Preparing a guidebook that explains the specifics of Omani labor law was not easy, and this was the first such attempt in the Arab world, Dr. Rashed noted. The PJG is written in very simple terminology so people from every cross section of Omani life, including judges and workers, can easily understand the information in it.
Workshop Advances Civic Values, Positive Work Ethic Among Kuwait’s Youth
Kuwait - Local activists in Kuwait are promoting work ethic and civic responsibility in the Gulf state, where some fear a lackadaisical society is threatening the country’s identity and leaving its youth behind. Zawaya, a Kuwait-based non-profit organization, is raising public awareness on this issue, with support from a local grant from MEPI, through youth-targeted workshops, media campaigns, and cultural programming. In early 2009, the MEPI local grantee kicked off its public awareness campaign, honing in on values such as tolerance, respect for the law, respect for others, integrity in the workplace, and the protection of public resources in Kuwait.
In addition to workshops and other grant activities, 15 young Kuwaitis, with the help of Zawaya staff, held a successful summer 2009 cultural event/youth talent show called “Corners of Passion Brought to Life.” The show highlighted values of tolerance, pluralism, respect for the law, and dedication to work. As part of their multi-targeted approach, Zawaya also produced a four-and-a-half minute television advertisement with 40 local celebrities endorsing values such as respecting the law and the opinions of others. Zawaya’s advertisement was launched on Kuwait’s nine television channels in February.
“It’s not a problem with the youth. It’s an overall problem we are suffering from,” said Rana al Khaled, the general manager of Zawaya, in a local media interview. “There is no investment in values such as tolerance, having a work ethic, and being a good citizen. We believe involving the youth will have an impact. It’s like ripples in the water…our objective is to try and focus on the individual in society. We believe every individual has the power to change, and these attitudes can be infectious."
25 Women Recognized for their Commitment to Promote Liberty and Tolerance in Jordan
Amman, Jordan - On September 26, 2009, the Online Activism Institute’s (OAI) Jordanian partners held a graduation ceremony to honor 25 women who successfully completed one or more of the Institute’s civic leadership courses. Launched in February 2009, the Online Activism Institute (www.activisminstitute.org) run by the Center for Liberty in the Middle East (CLIME) and funded by MEPI, provides web-based training, mentoring, and resources to empower women leaders in the Middle East and North Africa. This Arabic-language program is operational in Egypt and Jordan and has provided training for 90 women with its flagship online course, “Create Your Activism Plan.”
Hisham Dairanieh and Samer Libdeh, both Regional Mentors for OAI, hosted the graduation ceremony at the Marriott Hotel in Amman, Jordan. The event began with an opening statement from Samer, who displayed a video of congratulations from Eleana Gordon, Executive Director of CLIME and one of the founders of the Online Activism Institute, and other members of CLIME. Hisham delivered the main address at the ceremony, which highlighted OAI’s accomplishments over the past year and the motivation for the Institute’s founding - a desire to help women activists in the Arab world change their countries for the better. He also gave program graduates a demo of the new self-paced version of the “Create Your Activism Plan” course, which will be live on the OAI website by mid-October.
Following the ceremony, four participants gave speeches describing how the OAI had helped them; see below. The graduation ceremony closed with a reminder that even though training may have ended, the participants’ and trainers’ relationships will not.
Shireen Yacoub’s Graduation Address
(translated from the original Arabic)
Participant in the “Create Your Activism Plan” workshop and two rounds of “Sharpening Your Political and Campaign Skills” mentorship with Karen Johnson
My name is Shireen Yacoub; I am a lawyer and an activist in the field of human rights, as well as a member of the Arab Organization for Human Rights and many other associations that work on spreading awareness of women’s issues.
At the start when I applied to join the workshop in the spring, I thought the training would be traditional, like any other workshop, and that the trainers would be the same as any other trainers – that once we finished the workshop and get our certificates, our relationship would end. But the Online Activism Institute and its trainers proved me wrong, as they were with us even after the workshop and mentorship finished.
This training had a great effect on my life. Before, I had goals, plans, and visions; [but] they were all just thoughts. I knew achieving them would take a lot of time, but with Karen and Samer’s help, I was able to translate these thoughts into reality.
Through my work as a lawyer, I noticed that a lot of women, even highly-educated ones, don’t know about the simplest of their rights. So my activism plan called for starting a legal aid unit to help women get their rights in Jordanian courts in accordance with international agreements, in addition to offering social and psychological help to women in need of it.
The goal of the training was change, and this change really happened with me. After the training and with Samer and Karen’s help, I conducted field studies and did strategies to translate my plan into reality. Now I am in the process of establishing a center to offer legal help and information about human rights. You will be invited to the opening shortly. Through the OAI, I’ve also met a number of activists who have been very supportive of my ideas and my cause.
Finally, I’d like to thank the OAI for giving us this opportunity to create the change we want to achieve. I’d especially like to thank Samer and Karen, who have been a source of inspiration and help to me the whole time.
Mirvat Awamleh’s Graduation Address
(as written by the participant)
Participant in the George Washington University leadership course
Dear participants, mentors and coordinators,
This rich opportunity or journey we have shared and lived together has given us more insights about who we are, where we are , where we are heading , and what we have to do - in order to mark a change in our environment, society or working atmosphere. In fact, this is the core of the two-month course we had. Its aim was to help us better recognize our potentials which make us viable and effective female members in our society. We have learnt how to live through the eyes of others, how to appreciate differences, how to spot and identify our points of strength and weakness. All of this was taught to us, so as to grow and become effective leaders who enjoy distinctive and remarkable qualities.
We are indeed so very proud of the knowledge we have obtained, be it political, social, environmental, commercial, or educational. This course has helped us draw or envision our future road map, which will be our holy personal account and record to become leaders who are able to create a stark change.
We are now more aware and confident of our potentials, our hidden or misled potentials that dwell inside each one of us, around us and out of our system. We are now able to walk the talk, and able to cherish what "we" together can do and change, and not what "I" alone can create. This understanding of the concept of leadership and change is our driving force to become the tool of a feasible change.
To wrap up, our pursued desire of change or leadership will remain something dreamable, unless we all translated this dream into a reachable action or plan. By doing so, our notions, ideas and hypotheses will be liberated, cherished, and our pursued goals will come true. Thus, I believe that it is now the right time, after each one of us has been equipped with the sufficient knowledge and motivations, to best use the energy she has within and it is the time to break the chains that might strain her creativity and block her away from the desired change she yearns to create.
With this I end my speech, and I wish every participant the best of luck!
Thank you all, and may God bless you.
Zina Alami’s Graduation Address
(as written by the participant)
Participant in the “Create Your Activism Plan” workshop, George Washington University leadership course, and “Sharpen Your Political and Campaign Skills” mentorship with Karen Johnson
Good morning. My name is Zina Alami and I am a university teaching fellow.
While reading a daily Jordanian newspaper, by the end of the previous year, I was attracted to an eye-catching advertisement with the title: “A call for ladies who are interested in public work.” I knew that I am interested in that because I want to help my society and to fulfill my self esteem in doing so. After contacting the Interaction Forum, I became even more interested in joining the program, as I always sought to use my abilities, talents and passions to develop my community. I have always been looking for a program which can help me use my leadership traits effectively.
Even though I neither had any written plan nor a clear aim, but what I knew properly was that I want to develop my community. I assumed “correctly” that this is the program that I have been always seeking. This is indeed the program that will help me start on my journey by improving my political abilities and developing my personal and leadership skills. I want to become an effective leader in my society and reach out to the people, to talk to them and attempt to reform some negative phenomena in our community.
The first workshop, “Creating Your Activism Plan,” introduced and helped me to create my personal activism plan. It also assisted me in setting my goals and objectives, understanding my civic environment and learning to develop effective messages. Because I make living by working as a University teaching fellow, I know well and have a passion that we need to reform education in our beloved country that is why my activism plan was/is about education and its reforming.
Later on, I was really lucky that I enrolled in the second program; the leadership course offered by The George Washington University. Our mentor was Professor Kathleen Schafer. This course introduced me to my leadership style and my personality traits. After the course I could determine my positive traits and my points of weaknesses. I also could know the leadership styles and personalities of others. It was an important course that I benefited from to refine my activism plan, and to make new relations that helped me during my next steps.
After I participated in the previous two workshops, I had the opportunity to get a one-to-one mentoring and coaching course. The course title was “Sharpen your political and campaign skills”. My Mentor was Ms. Karen Johnson. Dealing with Karen gave me an opportunity to ask her advice about how to manage my campaign. She offered practical suggestions about how to best implement my strategies. The program assisted me in identifying what really needs to be changed. I consider the one-to-one mentoring course as the course that worked on evoking the enthusiasm inside me. I got more motivated and energized. Ms. Karen helped me write a more specific detailed leadership plan. Because Ms. Johnson and Mr Samer Libdeh, helped me accessing what is really needed in the society. Ms Karen also contacted many concerned American organizations, to seek support and suggestions.
After the mentorship, I started thinking in a different way; I wanted to start a project that was not started in our country. Education is a very fertile field that has many sections. So I decided that I will concentrate on education from the first beginning; from the pre-schools and the kindergartens (KG). In Jordan the nurseries, the KGs and the pre-schools are not well supervised, this field is somehow ignored and forgotten. Parents and the community do really need to know what our kids are doing for more than 8 hours a day. Curricula have to be well studied, teachers have to get excellent training. The schools have to have excellent physical structures. This age (under 6 years old) is a very critical age and these years are the most important years in an individual’s life. These are the years of creating the personality and shaping the character. Accordingly, and as a start, I thought that neither a company nor a corporate can help me. I am thinking about establishing an NGO. An NGO that is concerned with: education in pre- schools, the issues of nurseries and pre-schools, the health of the kids “physically and psychologically”, the curricula that are taught in the pre-schools and many other related subjects.
My dream is to rise up all of the Jordanian kids in healthy environments in model pre-schools.
Thank you for good listening.- On September 26, 2009, the Online Activism Institute’s (OAI) Jordanian partners held a graduation ceremony to honor 25 women who successfully completed one or more of the Institute’s civic leadership courses. Launched in February 2009, the Online Activism Institute (www.activisminstitute.org) run by the Center for Liberty in the Middle East (CLIME) and funded by MEPI, provides web-based training, mentoring, and resources to empower women leaders in the Middle East and North Africa. This Arabic-language program is operational in Egypt and Jordan and has provided training for 90 women with its flagship online course, “Create Your Activism Plan.”
Hisham Dairanieh and Samer Libdeh, both Regional Mentors for OAI, hosted the graduation ceremony at the Marriott Hotel in Amman, Jordan. The event began with an opening statement from Samer, who displayed a video of congratulations from Eleana Gordon, Executive Director of CLIME and one of the founders of the Online Activism Institute, and other members of CLIME. Hisham delivered the main address at the ceremony, which highlighted OAI’s accomplishments over the past year and the motivation for the Institute’s founding - a desire to help women activists in the Arab world change their countries for the better. He also gave program graduates a demo of the new self-paced version of the “Create Your Activism Plan” course, which will be live on the OAI website by mid-October.
Following the ceremony, four participants gave speeches describing how the OAI had helped them; see below to read these speeches. The graduation ceremony closed with a reminder that even though training may have ended, the participants’ and trainers’ relationships will not.
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