Welcome to Kawaakibi Foundation’s final newsletter of 2024.
Celebrating Syrian Liberation
We extend our heartfelt congratulations to the people of Syria on their liberation from the Assad regime. Read our full statement here:
Kawaakibi Foundation
Insights
What next for MENA human rights in US Foreign Policy following the recent election? The recording of our recent event After the Vote is now available on Youtube.
Does the International Criminal Court’s decision to grant an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu really matter? Read Nadine Dahan's short analysis here.
Media Appearances
Our head of Communications Razan Saffour spoke and appeared on various outlets, including BBC and Aljazeera English, to discuss the rebel offensive from Idlib as it developed into the liberation of Syria. She also appeared on the Thinking Muslim podcast to discuss the Syrian revolution in its entire context.
Executive Director Ahmed Gatnash attended the Ethereum Foundation’s Devcon Conference in Bangkok. He spoke on systemic institutional collapse in the MENA region, and the imperative to build new models of governance for a post-authoritarian region, as well as discussing the failure of western liberalism on a panel.
Iyad El-Baghdadi addressed the Euromed 2024 Civil Society Conference, discussing hate speech, radicalisation and how to counter polarisation. He was interviewed by Peter Beinart (free preview available here) and on the Eon podcast to discuss the Assad regime’s fall, Israel’s military intervention in Syria, and regional implications.
Our Arts Director Khalid Albaih's exhibition, titled The Season of Migration to the North, opened at the Brescia Peace Festival - photos are available here. The exhibition retraces Albaih's career as a dissident and exiled artist and investigates themes of migration.
Khalid was also interviewed on Mehdi Hasan’s Zeteo about the ongoing genocide in Sudan, and the RSF’s massive campaign against Sudanese journalists, which has created a media blackout on the country.
Support our work for 2025
We are building on this year’s momentum and expanding our initiatives in the new year. Look our for:
- The Arab Tyrant Manual podcast
Our flagship podcast will be returning, centering voices from the MENA and ideas excluded from the existing discussions on our region's future. - MENA Bitcoin Hub
Rolling out our training course, helping activists and civil society in the MENA region to use Bitcoin to circumvent repressive financial systems and banking restrictions. - Research Program Launch
We have upcoming reports on disinformation, new approaches to treating PTSD, and the evolution of the activism paradigm of the region, as well as a new book to be announced.
Your support can help us continue empowering regional civil society, and pushing for a brighter future for the MENA region. Make a one-time contribution or set up a recurring donation to sustain our mission. Every contribution matters.