On November 11th, 2025, in the heart of Paris at the historic Ronceray Opera Hotel, WeAreMENA celebrated the formal launch of its regional network with a memorable evening gathering. Delegates from across the Middle East & North Africa, diplomats, academics, youth leaders, and partners from Europe and the Gulf joined together for an event dedicated to hope, connection, and regional cooperation.
The gala reception was co-hosted with AJC and marked by two defining moments:
the collective signing of the WeAreMENA Vision Statement, and
the ceremonial announcement of the new MOU between WeAreMENA and the Emirates Scholar Scientific Research Center, establishing a long-term framework for research and youth cooperation across the region.
Among the distinguished guests was the evening’s keynote speaker, Ambassador Éric Danon, one of France’s most accomplished diplomats.
Who Is Ambassador Éric Danon?
Ambassador Danon’s career spans more than five decades and includes some of the French Republic’s most sensitive diplomatic, strategic, and political posts. He served as:
- Ambassador of France to Israel (2019–2023)
- Ambassador to Monaco
- Ambassador to the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva
- Deputy Director for Political Affairs & Security (Quai d’Orsay)
- Director of Strategic Affairs, Security & Disarmament
He is recognized internationally for his expertise across diverse fields: security, geopolitics, arms control, health strategy, and multilateral diplomacy.
Ambassador Danon has been awarded some of France’s highest honors, including:
- L’Ordre national du Mérite
- Légion d’honneur
Beyond his formal diplomatic work, he is known as an educator, lecturer, and thinker shaping the next generation of practitioners in European international affairs.
His presence—and his message—offered a powerful endorsement of civil society leadership in shaping the future of the Middle East and North Africa.
Keynote Address by H.E. Amb. Éric Danon
(Full text as delivered at the WeAreMENA Paris Summit)
WeAreMENA Paris Summit
Remarks by H.E. Mr Eric Danon, Former Ambassador of France to Israel
Ronceray Opera Hotel, Paris, November 11, 2025
Good evening, everyone.
What a pleasure – and what a privilege – to be here tonight, among so many young people who believe in dialogue, in action, and in hope.
Thank you to WeAreMENA for bringing us together. And a special word of friendship to Ambassador Joshua Zarka – his presence tonight says it all: bridges can be built, even when politics falter.
We are here because we share one conviction: that the Middle East and North Africa deserve better than despair.
Let’s face it – the region is at a crossroads.
Never has it been so young, creative, connected – and yet never has it faced such pressure: political, social, environmental.
But youth is not the problem. Youth is the solution.
Examples: Look at the EcoPeace “Green Blue Deal” between Israel, Jordan and the Palestinians – trading water for solar energy. Look at the hydrogen corridors linking Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Israel to Europe. Or at startups from Casablanca to Dubai saving every drop of water through smart irrigation.
These projects tell one story: the future is already being built – by cooperation, not by conflict.
And that’s exactly what WeAreMENA stands for: a new generation choosing hope over hate.
A word about France. France has deep roots in the region – historical, cultural, human. But that relationship must evolve. It can’t rely only on governments or memories. It must live through people – through networks – through you.
I’ve seen it myself: city partnerships – Lyon with Haifa and Ramallah – and university exchanges between Sciences Po, Jerusalem and Nablus. And tomorrow, we’ll have the gala dinner of Ben Gurion University France with top participants (which I am involved in as I’m the honorary President of this association).
Quiet projects, far from the headlines – but they build trust. They rebuild confidence. They make peace imaginable again.
Peace does not start with treaties. It starts with people.
With joint schools in Jerusalem. With hospital partnerships across the West Bank. With environmental projects along the Jordan River.
Those small steps are the real infrastructure of peace.
They don’t wait for a political solution. They create the conditions for one.
That’s why civil society is not soft diplomacy – it’s hard work.
It’s where the future is shaped – one handshake, one project, one friendship at a time.
So, what now?
I see three challenges for your generation.
First, let ideas and people move freely. For instance, we need an Erasmus of the Mediterranean – so students from Tunis, Tel Aviv, Beirut, Amman can learn and dream together.
Second, link innovation with inclusion. Technology means nothing if it doesn’t serve dignity. Imagine a regional startup fund for clean energy and water – co-funded by Europe and the Gulf. That’s cooperation with purpose.
Third, defend the art of listening. Listening is not weakness – it’s leadership. Art, culture, dialogue – like tonight – are the first bricks of peace.
WeAreMENA embodies something rare: the passage from dream to responsibility.
You are proving that peace is not an illusion – it’s a discipline.
It’s built patiently – through encounters, through courage, through respect.
As a diplomat, I’ve seen how fragile peace can be. But I’ve also seen how unstoppable it becomes when societies take it into their own hands.
So tonight, let’s remember this:
Every time we choose curiosity over fear – conversation over resentment – partnership over prejudice – peace moves one step closer.
If, from this evening, one new friendship, one new idea, one new project is born – then WeAreMENA will have already succeeded.
Thank you.