New WeAreMENA Research Presentation Event On the Role of Youth in the Middle East and North Africa in Advancing Regionalism Research Presentation Event at the Bundestag, Germany – Berlin Article photographed from DW Arabic website: “While the foundations of normalization are shaking, Arab and Israeli activists and politicians gather in Berlin to defend spaces of dialogue and understanding” بينما تهتز قواعد التطبيع، يجتمع ناشطون وسياسيون عرب وإسرائيليون في برلين للدفاع عن مساحات الحوار والتفاهم
We were pleased to see WeAreMENA (WRM) featured in a recent Ynet Global article highlighting the civil society actors working to build stronger regional connections across the Middle East. The article presents WRM as a network connecting youth organizations from Israel, the Middle East, and North Africa, and as part of the broader effort to turn meaningful encounters into long-term partnerships among organizations, educators, and young leaders across the region.
In a powerful Ynet feature by Ben-Dror Yemini, a delegation of Moroccan Muslim educators—organized by WeAreMENA (WRM) in partnership with Mimouna—traveled to Auschwitz to deepen their understanding of the Holocaust. Their journey reflects a broader and often overlooked reality: a new generation across the Muslim world seeking knowledge, empathy, and connection. At a time of rising demonization and conflict, these young leaders represent a bottom-up movement for dialogue, historical awareness, and a shared future between Jews and Muslims.
In the midst of escalating conflict across the Middle East, WeAreMENA Director Tom Vizel was interviewed by Sky News Arabia (سكاي نيوز عربية) on the critical role of moderate youth in shaping the region’s future. Highlighting the work of WRM—a network of organizations across MENA—Vizel emphasized how young leaders are advancing dialogue, resilience, and cross-cultural cooperation, even in times of war, as a foundation for long-term regional stability.
When I joined the European Union Visitors Programme, I arrived in Brussels at a moment of deep uncertainty in my own region. What I did not expect was that this visit would sharpen, rather than suspend, the questions I carry in my work, about cooperation, identity, and the role of young people in shaping a different future.
The Women Champions for Change (WCC), a partner organization of WeAreMENA (WRM), recently hosted a regional webinar on Women, Voice & Narrative in partnership with FNF Jerusalem, bringing together diverse voices from across the MENA region. We are proud that Wisam Ziadeh, CEO of Takadumת a WRM member organization and Miryam Younne, the WRM communications team participated in this meaningful discussion, which highlighted the role of women’s storytelling in promoting empathy, dialogue, and cross-cultural cooperation.
As part of our network spotlight, we are pleased to highlight a recent interview on Abramundi (in French) featuring Simon Suleymani — a Kurdish human rights activist, journalist, and filmmaker, and the learder of a member organization in the WeAreMENA network. In this conversation, Simon shares his personal journey from political persecution and imprisonment, and share about his work advocating for Kurdish rights and cultural preservation through journalism and cinema. The discussion explores themes of exile, resistance, and the future of peace in the MENA region, including the role of regional cooperation and what Simon describes as an “Abrahamic” framework for coexistence.
