In a Nov. 16, 2012, speech, AMIDEAST President and CEO Theodore H. Kattouf underscored the vital role of education in ensuring a successful outcome of the revolutions in Egypt and elsewhere in the Middle East and North Africa. Addressing the joint annual benefit of the National Arab American Medical Association (NAAMA) and Egyptians Abroad in Development (EAD) in Chicago, he said, “A bright future for the region is one in which its many young men and women are able to improve their life circumstances and realize their dreams of political and social inclusion. The region must create many more jobs, but it must also prepare youth to have English language, IT, and critical thinking skills required in a 21st century global economy that is increasingly knowledge-based and high tech.”

In a little over a year, the Arab Women's Entrepreneurship Project (AWEP) — an AMIDEAST partnership with Citi Foundation to expand opportunities for entrepreneurship training for women in the Arab world — completed a first round of training and recently launched a second one. In all, nearly 150 women from six countries — Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, the UAE, Egypt and Jordan — are participating in these initial efforts, which are being implemented with generous support from Citi Foundation.

The effects of gender inequality are pronounced among the poor who live in marginalized communities of Cairo — some not far from AMIDEAST's offices in the center of the city. Young women in these neighborhoods find it difficult to overcome longstanding social and economic barriers in order to benefit from the access to education, jobs, and other resources that large cities typically offer.

Washington, DC/Dubai, UAE, October 9, 2012— AMIDEAST and Citi Foundation announced today the launch of the second phase of the Arab Women’s Entrepreneurship Project (AWEP) designed to empower women entrepreneurs across the MENA region, and provide them with the necessary tools for success and sustainability, hence integrating them into the global economy.

The project, which commenced in 2011 as a joint program between AMIDEAST and Citi, will be implemented in Morocco, Lebanon, Egypt and Jordan during this second year. It is expected to benefit 80 women entrepreneurs from underserved backgrounds, at the rate of 20 per country.

AMIDEAST strongly condemns the offensive film that has inflamed passions across the Middle East and abhors, as do the vast majority of Americans, the hateful intentions behind it. Such actions must not be allowed to undermine the bonds of friendship that exist between Americans and the peoples of the Middle East. AMIDEAST likewise strongly condemns the senseless violence that caused the deaths this week of four American diplomats in Libya, who were there to assist the Libyan people rebuild their country. Peaceful demonstrations are a right, but there is no justification for violence.

Alexandria, Egypt, July 31, 2012 — AMIDEAST is pleased to announce that Adham El Batal from Alexandria, Egypt, is this year’s recipient of the David Mize Scholarship, a prestigious award that will cover his four years of undergraduate studies at the University of Michigan. The award, which was established in 2007, is named in honor of former AMIDEAST/Egypt country director David Mize in recognition of his leadership in the field of international education and is made possible by an Egyptian-American businessman who is an alumnus of top U.S. educational institutions.

Some American students may have thought twice about travel and study in the Middle East or North Africa when the Arab Spring began sweeping across the region in 2011.  One year later, enrollments in AMIDEAST’s study abroad programs are up across the board, especially in Egypt, Jordan, and Morocco, as young Americans seek out in-region opportunities to hone Arabic language skills and improve their understanding of the region’s dynamics.

Washington, DC, July 9, 2012―AMIDEAST is pleased to announce that the Union for the Mediterranean labeled its Skills for Success project at its regular Senior Officials Meeting, which took place in Barcelona, Spain, on June 28, 2012. The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), a multilateral partnership encompassing 43 countries from Europe and the Mediterranean Basin, promotes sustainable development projects in and among its member states.

After a project receives the UfM “label,” the UfM Secretariat facilitates its promotion, especially its financing needs. Once the project is launched, the Secretariat monitors its implementation, ensuring that criteria required for obtaining and keeping the UfM “project label” are being met.

Eight Deserving Students Win Scholarships for U.S. Study;
Four DKSSF Scholars Graduate.
 

AMIDEAST is pleased to announce that eight outstanding young men and women have received full scholarships covering their undergraduate studies through the Diana Kamal Scholarship Search Fund (DKSSF), an AMIDEAST initiative that seeks to open doors to educational opportunity by matching highly qualified, deserving Arab students with scholarships from U.S. institutions.  Barnard, Bryn Mawr, Concordia, Grinnell, and Wilson Colleges, and Adelphi, Harvard, and Vanderbilt Universities awarded the scholarships to the four men and four women, who come from Gaza, Jordan, Lebanon, Tunisia, and the West Bank.