Making AMENDS: Stanford initiative connects youth leaders from Middle East and the US

By Farha SZ

“How do we inspire a generation imbued in a sense of ‘separation’ – from our environment, from our bodies, from each other? A generation in a region gripped with more narratives of separation than shared connection?” I asked Baris Akis, Strategic Director of AMENDS (American Middle Eastern Network for Dialogue) and an undergraduate student at Stanford University.

“We bring diverse individuals in one table and help transcend ego and prejudices to connect at a humane level – it sounds simple but it’s powerful start” said Akis.

Co-founded by two students at Stanford in 2012, AMENDS is a non-profit, collaborative student initiative created to cultivate deeper understanding within and around the MENA region while supporting a generation of leaders, enkindling transformational social and economic development in the region.

“We design our conference program focusing on the personal growth of delegates and the projects they’ve started or involved with. This year the conference is vital because the interaction between the fellows and delegates gave wider opportunities for sharing knowledge, ideas and practices,”said Akis.

Held from March 21-26, the fourth annual conference brings 25 young, visionary trailblazers of the Middle East together to develop key skills, network with industry leaders and share their innovative initiatives with a wider audience. Historically, the event is held at Stanford University. This year, the meeting was held at Koç University in Istanbul, Turkey. Organizers believe the diversity present in the platform, in terms of socio-economic, ethnic/national gender background, is a profoundly powerful and has remarkable potential for impact.

Delegates were offered workshops on social entrepreneurship, organization scaling and replicating, design thinking, and creative fundraising. They also engaged in panel discussion with themes in education, policy and governance, environment, social activism and social entrepreneurship.

Mohammad Bawazir, 21, Yemen’s delegate started “Talents Of Hadramout”(ToH) an arts and culture initiative in Mukalla, Yemen providing unique talent and youth skill enhancement opportunities.

“Yemen’s gifted and talented young people face passive resistance by their families and the society. This is due to lack of awareness, appreciation and trust in arts to create a positive change in the society, said Bawazir, Founding team member of ToH.

One of ToH’s current objectives is to train 100 talented Yemenis in various fields of entrepreneurship, entertainment, youth development and advocacy. Bawazir and his team started this project because they simply felt neglected and under-explored a country where nearly unemployment stands at 60 percent among youth and almost 54 percent of the total population lives below the poverty line. The initiative also helps community members get full study scholarships in their fields of talent (Music, Graphic Design, Animation, Directing and Acting).

Bawazir feels this is a start of a cultural revolution in Yemen – though quite ambitious, he is determined to prevail over any obstacles, be it war, drones or internal political instability.

AMENDS also serves as a channel to garner more inter-regional dialogue amongst delegates and not just American-Middle Eastern interaction.

“Despite located in close geographical proximity in the region, we have had delegates with very limited knowledge about neighboring countries,” said Akis.

Akis’s observation is echoed by various studies and reports pointing towards low economic, cultural and social exchanges and cooperation among ME countries. Historically, the MENA region has had the lowest share of inter-regional trade as a percentage total trade despite the fact that they share a spiritual, linguistic, cultural and historical common ground. Substantial evidence shows there are impactful benefits for trade integration within the region and its effect on youth and women unemployment in a region where youth unemployment rates are highest in the world.

Akis’s believes the interaction at AMENDS serves as a base for greater opportunity cross-border collaboration and hopes to see marked impact over time.

“The vision is to create long-lasting connections among delegates in a format optimal for them and we hope to see these cross-cultural connections and cross-border collaboration morphing into beneficial outcome for all of us in the region and beyond” added Akis.

As one delegate best put it, “Stories matter, people matter. Let’s hear the people, let’s humanize each story.”

Learn more about the AMENDS initiative and follow them on Facebook and YouTube to find out more about their inspiring work.