Projects

The AMENDS Global Fellows facilitate positive social change across the Middle East, North Africa, and United States through a variety of high-impact initiatives. Our Fellows support children with autism in conflict-affected areas, bring potable water to indigenous women in Morocco through fog-harvesting, and translate Kurdish poetry across borders.

A few of our members’ projects are highlighted below; you can browse all of our work on our Fellows page and learn more about how we collaborate between initiatives through our Working Groups.

The Jerusalem Youth Chorus

The Jerusalem Youth Chorus empowers young Israeli and Palestinian singers to become leaders for peace in their communities by providing a space where they can engage one another in musical and verbal dialogue. Through a combination of music-making and interpersonal engagement, the Jerusalem Youth Chorus seeks to create a life-changing experience for its members.

The Science League

The Science League is an award-winning social enterprise increasing access to quality education for underprivileged children in Jordan. Through hands-on classes and virtual platforms for STEM learning, the League equips students with the skills they need for the 21st century and focuses on critical thinking and design methodologies. They have trained and mentored over 5000 students in seven cities.

Global Girl Media

GlobalGirl Media develops the media literacy of teenage girls and young women in underserved communities by teaching them to create and share digital journalism designed to improve scholastic achievement, ignite community activism and spark social change. By turning up the volume of girl’s voices, GGM strengthens substantive journalism to address historically marginalized voices.

 

 

Annual Events

In addition to our Fellows’ constant work on the ground, three major events happen each year around the world to build capacity within the AMENDS network.

Launch Summit

The start of the AMENDS experience is run by our sister organization, a student team at Stanford University. Each year, thirty young but proven changemakers from the Middle East, North Africa, and United States are selected from a competitive application process to present their work at a week-long conference focused on building skills, resources, and ideas. Learn more about how to become or nominate a delegate for the next AMENDS Summit on our “Get Involved” page.

Oxford Forum

In 2017 in response to increasingly closed US borders, the AMENDS Stanford Student Team and AMENDS Global Fellows formed a partnership with the Stanford in Oxford program. Every July, a group of AMENDS Fellows gather in Oxford, England, to further collaborations begun virtually during online meetings throughout the year, meet with the academic community in one of the world’s most famous universities, and re-energize in Stanford House’s beautiful gardens.

Regional Conference

The heart of AMENDS lies in transforming divides separating people into bridges supporting good ideas and positive transformation. Our Regional Conferences bring Fellows to a local community to continue working together and building their own initiatives while meeting with and supporting ongoing work in the host city. Previous locations include Koç University in Istanbul, Turkey. The next Regional Conference is scheduled for 27-31 December 2018 in Agadir, Morocco.

 

 

Working Groups

AMENDS initiatives span a great many issues, driving change in a number of arenas – from business savvy to political activism, health advocacy to heritage preservation. Our Working Groups bring together Fellows with similar interests to learn from each other, build resources, and share ideas. Through these Working Groups, we expand our influence in the Middle East and North Africa by fostering collaborations across organizations and countries. Monthly online calls allow Fellows to discuss current events impacting their sector and plan shared projects; biannual Forums bring the Groups together for program implementation and training. Working Groups also serve as a mentorship structure, both within the existing Network and for incoming members: Chairs attend the annual Stanford Summit to help new Delegates plan and present their AMENDS Talk.

Learn more about our impact by browsing the Working Groups and their affiliated Fellows below.

Science is the language of the intellect of society. Art is language of the entire human personality. —Naguib Mahfouz

Arts & Culture

Working Group
About
Arts & Culture

The Arts & Culture Working Group examines various modes of expression, establishing and strengthening connections across borders and different cultures. This Working Group aims to shed a light on musical, visual, literary, and multimedia work, communicating cultures of art and creativity between AMENDS initiatives. As Fellows, we aim to promote collaboration between existing and new initiatives, artists, and changemakers in the Middle East and North Africa. Fellows in the Arts & Culture Working Group make use of artistic and cultural approaches to tackle issues around the region.

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The more challenges you face in life, the more of life you experience. This lived experience gives one the influence to impact others’ lives. —Lubna Olayan

Business & Technology

Working Group
About
Business & Technology

An equitable and prosperous economy can support further social goals and aims. The Middle East and North Africa benefits from accelerated change due to technology’s influence. Through the Business & Technology Working Group, Fellows share best practices on how to promote their local economies and enact positive social change through business ventures. From ideation to start up, from a sketch to a product, from domestic to international, Fellows in the Business and Technology Working Group learn effective tactics and tools through rigorous training and practical mentorship. The Business and Technology Working Group provides Fellows with advanced modeling tools and specific strategies to manage their initiatives, navigate possible channels of expansion, and launch collaborations.

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One child, one teacher, one book, one pen can change the world. —Malala Yousafzai

Education & Empowerment

Working Group
About
Education & Empowerment

The Education and Empowerment Working Group promotes the growth of innovative initiatives that promote the value and practice of public engagement. We know that education is a primary pathway to empowering communities, directly supporting their equitable development. Offering training opportunities, building formal and non-formal knowledge, and boosting technical skills gives people control over their own destinies, reducing poverty and supporting equality in all its forms. The diversity of experiences, challenges, and regional know-how represented by Fellows in the Education & Empowerment Working Group allow for rich collaboration, adding value to and scaling up individual initiatives while encouraging joint projects.

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There's nothing more important than our good health - that's our principal capital asset. —Arlen Specter

Health & Environment

Working Group
About
Health & Environment

In an increasingly interconnected world, our health and environment are influenced by multiple, overlapping factors. The Health and Environment Working Group aims to identify and influence these factors to improve global health and sustainable prosperity. Our initiatives address global and personal health, climate change, mental health, and environmental justice through multi-faceted advocacy.

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When you deprive people of their right to live in dignity, to hope for a better future, to have control over their lives, when you deprive them of that choice, then you expect them to fight for these rights. —Rania Al Abdullah

Human Rights & Activism

Working Group
About
Human Rights & Activism

The Human Rights & Activism Working Group was created to empower initiatives working to raise awareness about issues of rights, public participation, and equality. We aspire to engage everyone in the struggle for global equity. The Group works by promoting communication between Fellows, so they might benefit from each other’s experience, share resources, and gain exposure to other movements around the world. Targeting areas and communities without access to fair legal systems, strong monitoring mechanisms, or sufficient representation, Fellows in this Working Group have accumulated an exceptional experience in the pursuit of their causes, and we want to coordinate, mobilize, and foster alignment and partnership between these movements.

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