WeAreMENA: A Historic Moment for the Middle East & North Africa

This past week something extraordinary happened, at a time when our region feels more divided than ever. In Paris, the WeAreMENA Network was officially launched: a bold coalition of 15 moderate youth organizations from across the Middle East and North Africa, choosing cooperation over fear, dialogue over hatred, and a shared future over despair.

After 4+ years of hard work, courage, and hope - including two years of war - 15 moderate youth organizations from across the Middle East and North Africa came together in Paris to launch this groundbreaking network.

Educators from Dror Israel and Dror’s associated youth movement, Hanoar Haoved Vehalomed (NOAL), the only Arab–Jewish–Druze youth movement in Israel, helped found this initiative. Their long-standing commitment to shared society and youth leadership has shaped the foundation that WeAreMENA stands on today.

Re-Humanization stands at the core of the network: seeing the other fully while staying proud of who you are.

The gathering brought together young leaders from Israel, Syria, Morocco, the UAE, Palestine, Jordan, Kurdistan, Cyprus, Azerbaijan, Turkey, and more. Many traveled despite significant personal risk. One Syrian participant explained: “I’m a Syrian who opposes Hezbollah and Hamas, and I speak about it online. They label me a ‘Zionist Arab,’ and I pay a very heavy price for it. I’m not doing this for Israel. I’m doing it because terror threatens my people and the entire world.”

Participants signed a Vision Statement crafted over six months by a diverse five-person team from across the region.

Hearing these stories face-to-face was a powerful reminder that there are people across the region who still choose courage, even when it comes with real consequences.

The idea for WeAreMENA began years ago with the Dror Israel educators and founders. The launch was originally planned just before the war, until October 7 changed everything. When the team suggested trying again this November, it felt almost impossible to imagine sitting together to talk about a shared future. But partners across the region insisted that giving up was not an option, and they showed up.

NOAL’s CEO and Dror Israel educator, Nitsan Rosenwaks, signs the Vision Statement on behalf of Hanoar Haoved Vehalomed.

During the gathering, Ambassador Eric Danon captured the moment perfectly: “WeAreMENA embodies something rare: the passage from dream to responsibility. You are proving that peace is not an illusion — it’s a discipline.”

The Dror Israel and NOAL delegation, represented by Shadi Habiballa, Samir Asad, and Nitsan Rosenwaks, played a central role. NOAL’s unique structure as a movement of Arab, Jewish, and Druze teens embodies the kind of shared society that many in the region are striving to build.

Rosenwaks and her fellow Syrian conference participant (face blurred for security reasons) leading a small-group discussion.

The launch in Paris is only the beginning. The network is already developing collaborative plans for 2026, a year we hope will shift from conflict to rebuilding. Most importantly, WeAreMENA has shown that throughout the Middle East and North Africa there are young leaders who still dare to believe in a better future for all our children.

This is the start of something new and deeply needed, and we are proud to be part of it.

🔗 Read more in the Ynet article:

'Easy to talk about war, difficult to talk about peace': Summit brings together young