Al Mubadarah: Arab Empowerment Initiative introduces mentoring program for women in Palestine.

Distributed by the www.ArabAmericanNewsWire.com

Press Release

Date: September 25, 2011

Contact: Victor Shiblie

               1-301-502-8555

Al Mubadarah: Arab Empowerment Initiative introduces mentoring program for women in Palestine.

WASHINGTON DC— Social media uses are evolving beyond Facebook and Twitter, as human ingenuity continues to define this dynamic digital stage.

Al Mubadarah: Arab Empowerment Initiative, with partner organizations, is presenting one vision for social media’s next phase through connecting people and building more prosperous communities.

The organization is recruiting entrepreneurs with at least five years of business development experience for the Cherie Blair Foundation Mentoring Women in Business Program.  Participants will engage entirely through the Internet using Google technology tools that enable real time connection and collaboration.

By recruiting established successful business leaders worldwide, the mentoring program will support Al Mubadarah’s mission of developing stronger ties between the global Arab Diaspora and the Arab World.  Al Mubadarah develops its programing around the needs and aspirations articulated by Arabs in the Middle East and the Diaspora.

Entrepreneurs recruited by Al Mubadarah for the Cherie Blair Foundation Mentoring Women in Business Program will connect with entrepreneurial women in the West Bank who seek technical assistance and moral support for launching their business plans. Al Mubadarah will pair mentor and mentee with the hope and goal that a synergy will form between the two since they will meet online regularly, develop trust, network and discuss business concepts.

Candidates from diverse backgrounds with ethnic and cultural ties to the Middle East are especially encouraged to apply to serve as mentors for the Palestinian women. Exchanges between participants in such a program create the opportunity for Arabs to learn from, and about, one another while engaging though shared cultural references and traditions.

“The role of social media is hard to ignore, but it is the connections with people and the sharing of knowledge in a mutually beneficial way, that we’re promoting here,” said Al Mubadarah President and CEO, Hazami Barmada. 

As events in the Middle East have unfolded over this past year, Barmada says she has already observed that there is a strong interest among those from the Arab Diaspora who have wanted to give back to the region but were unsure where to start.

“Palestine is in the minds and hearts of many Arab people. This is linking global Arab professionals back to the Arab world,” Barmada said. “This gives people a tangible way of helping Palestinian people: by participating in systematic community and professional development while being remote.”

As the program gains speed, Al Mubadarah will recruit Al Mubadarah Fellows for women mentees throughout the region. Mentors and mentees will connect using online forums and other communication modes, including email and chat. Mentors bring knowledge and expertise that could help women mentees better understand steps they can take to strengthen and improve their businesses. Mentors and mentees must agree to meet for at least one hour every two weeks over the course of 12 months. 

Al Mubadarah Advisory Board Member, Arab League Ambassador to the United States Dr. Hussein Hassouna, applauded the initiative for creating stronger linkages between Arabs worldwide and those in the Arab World.

“This is a great initiative that helps building bridges between people in the Arab World and Arabs abroad,” Hassouna said.  “It allows them to share their experiences, learn from each other and work together.”

As more Al-Mubadarah fellows join the team, Al Mubadarah intends to burnish its credentials as a global exchange platform for Arabs.  Using Internet technologies with information sharing capabilities, is just one way Hassouna said that Al Mubadarah will continue to take steps in examining, and addressing the loss of talent and expertise from the Middle East due to immigration. 

"I hope that in the days ahead, Al Mubadarah will continue enlarging its membership and gain support.  It is only through dedicated and collective efforts that this initiative can achieve valuable tangible results."

For more information visit arabempowerment.org.