A unique Fulbright initiative, developed in partnership with Islam’s oldest university, is building bridges of interfaith understanding, while giving concrete expression to President Obama’s call in Cairo in 2009 for broader engagement between the United States and the Muslim world.

A new training initiative, developed in partnership with OCP Groupe, is focused on addressing the difficult problem of youth unemployment in Morocco.  Young people in Morocco are particularly vulnerable to chronic unemployment.   One out of three youth between the ages 15 and 24 in Morocco’s urban areas is unemployed, but the highest unemployment figures are found among high school and college graduates, reaching a rate of nearly 60 per cent.  Moreover, nearly eight out of 10 youth ages 15-24 have never worked or have been out of work for a year or longer; and the longer these youth remain outside the workforce, the harder it is for them to break out of this vicious cycle.

Nada Rehan (left) from the West Bank is excited that her dreams of study in the United States are coming true.

Growing up in a refugee camp in the West Bank, Nada Rehan faced limited opportunities for higher education. The bright young Palestinian woman had excelled in her studies and stood out for her energetic leadership in youth community service activities. But “there was no way for me to go to college ... because my parents cannot afford it,” says Nada. Today, though, the high school senior is thrilled to have received an “amazing” scholarship from Mt.  Holyoke College, making her college dreams come true.

A mobile library project in the West Bank is giving students new opportunities and something special to get excited about. Three mini-libraries created by AMIDEAST with funding from the Boeing Company are currently making a “reading road trip” to primary schools in the West Bank.

Women account for nearly half of Oman’s population, but make up about one percent of its top leadership. A community leadership program, implemented by AMIDEAST with funding from Shell Development Oman LLC, has sought to enable Omani women to advance their leadership potential and play a greater role in their communities. 

Tourism workers acquire language and cross-cultural communication skills that will help them ultimately provide better customer satisfaction.

 Just as spring semester was starting for the 53 American undergraduates enrolled in AMIDEAST programs in Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, and Morocco, events intervened to give them a lesson in history that they’ll never forget. 

Tourism workers acquire language and cross-cultural communication skills that will help them ultimately provide better customer satisfaction.

At historic Helnan Palestine Hotel, where “service with a smile” is the order of the day, staff members are studying English.

Teacher and students in the Taghyeer program.

In Arabic, taghyeer means “change” and that is the goal of a new youth program in Al Mokattam, one of Cairo’s poorest neighborhoods. 

“The workshop presents a great opportunity to meet diverse people, whether fellow participants, facilitators, or guest speakers," observed Layal Roumani (far right).

“Vision is not only creativity or a dream; it is how you make that dream come true,” Lebanese entrepreneur Nadim Saikali advises aspiring entrepreneurs in a training program recently launched in Lebanon.

AMIDEAST/Tunisia conducted its first aviation English class 17 years ago. Today, it is teaching more than 800 pilots and air controllers in aviation English and is emerging as a regional hub for testing proficiency in this specialized area.