2020 has been a year of tragedy mixed with hope.
Millions have been experiencing great loss due to COVID-19 and its ripple effects; yet the pandemic has also galvanized so many to reach out, break down barriers and build a better future.
As the year comes to a close, we are reflecting on some of the many moments of hope that brightened 2020 at AMEL:
Developed an innovative new training curriculum in Communication & Leveraging New Media together with journalists and practitioners from the Middle East and Africa (MEA) to fill needs identified by AMEL Institute pilot participants.
Trained more than 200 activists from more than 30 MEA countries using the new curriculum, featuring lessons on storytelling, new media campaign planning, communication for advocacy, graphics for social media, videomaking and public speaking.
Engaged with activists and supporters from the AMEL Community and broader public through webinars and briefings on a variety of hot topics throughout the year, from Sudan-Israel relations, to COVID-19 and disinformation.
Supported the continued development of the Inter Jewish Muslim Alliance (IJMA), a coalition of American Muslims and Jews who come together for the common purpose of replacing stereotypes and division with knowledge and understanding.
Elevated the voices of activists in international campaigns around Human Rights Day, Elimination of Violence Against Women Day and Democracy Day together with partners including the National Endowment for Democracy and International IDEA.
Launched, together with activists from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), Advocates for Gender Equality, an initiative that raises awareness and sparks discussion on gender issues through videos, articles and webinars.
Created culturally- and linguistically-sensitive educational content on COVID-19 and disseminated through targeted outreach to millions of young people across Africa and the Middle East, so far reaching over 13 million people in 25 countries in 7 languages.
Partnered with the National Endowment for Democracy to create an innovative training program on building and sustaining democracy in Sudan, which will empower 5,000 young leaders there in 2021.
Developed the Global Allyship Curriculum featuring top activists and experts on human rights, democracy, entrepreneurship, non-violent movement-building and allyship, including professors from Stanford, Brown and Harvard.
Empowered 130 incredible young leaders from Algeria, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia and the U.S. with the Global Allyship curriculum, building their skills and life-long allyship with fellow young leaders from across the globe!
Thank you for being part of the AMEL Community this year and for helping to build a more inclusive and rights-based future for all!