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Sumerian Peace Poetry from Year of The Poet (Vol 53)
By: Kimberly Burnham
Tags: Peace, Sumerian, Iraq, Poetry, Middle East

Featured in The Year of the Poet May, 2018 Volume 53.

Sumerian Words

Shi — the breath of life

breathing life into writing and poetry

thousands of years ago

Utukagaba — Water and the light

established at the gates of the waters

in the fertile crescent of modern day Iraq



Melammu — Bright

awe-inspiring luminosity creating

knowledge and wisdom

Adannu — Time meeting at the appointed time

sixty minutes in an hour

360 degrees in a circle

Rabu — To compensate or make great

civilization but also wars

leading to the end forgotten until recently

Inu — Eye

what beauty did you see

in the world around you

Akalu — Eat

did you eat that which brought

satisfaction and gratitude

Nahu — Calm down

what did you dream of at night

in peace and darkness

Sinnisnartu — Woman Singer

singing out loud

the earliest written poetry

Sumerian, Iraqi poetry with Kimberly Burnham, Photo by Saad Salim on Unsplash

Cosmopolitan Babylonian Peace

In the land of Babylonia

and Mesopotamia lived great

nations supplanting each other

one merging into another

wars brought change and adoption

borrowing knowledge words

and ways of living in war and peace

Sumerians wrote early words

“nahu” to calm down and feel the peace

in the quiet moments “suharruru”

experiencing safety “salamu”

in a language now extinct

with no relatives

Supplanted by the Akkadians

naming peace and amity

“salimu” for the male face of peace

“silimu” for the female side

in an Afro-Asiatic language similar to Arabic

saying “salaam” and Aramaic

A language spoken in liturgy

and in modern day Iraq

“shlamaa” or “shlam” or “silha”

in Aramaic which once dominated

the more formal Akkadian

Only to be pushed aside by a Persian

migration of Indo-Iranian peoples

who call to peace by the names

“solh” “sulh” and “ashtee”

in the language of Rumi

One poet supplanting another

sharing words and thoughts

before war pushed them aside

always hoping their words would last

forever

Time Enough

How much time

do we need

if we only had 60 seconds

in every moment

each breath brings life

to 60 minutes in an hour

courtesy of the Sumerians

with their sexigesimal system

seeping out in time and space

while 500,000 clay tablets

hold more secrets

buried in the sands of Iraq

over thousands of years

The Year of the Poet Volume 53 May 2018, Inner Child Press, Poetry Posse, Kimberly Burnham, Sumarian, Iraqi peace.

Originally published in The Year of The Poet (Vol 53) at http://www.innerchildpress.com/the-year-of-the-poet.php on May 1, 2018.
Top 4 Simple Middle Eastern Desserts and Beverages Taken In Winter
By: Ibrahim K
Tags: Cooking, Food, Recipe, Culture, Middle East

Winter is my favorite season, which has its own style when you’re gathering with your family, drinking your favorite hot chocolate cup and warming yourself near the fireplace.

During this season, we look for warm beverages and sweets. Many cultures have specific dishes and desserts that are made on special occasions.

I’m going to share with you these 4 middle eastern warm desserts and beverages that are usually made in winter. They are warm, easy, and quick to prepare:

Salep, By Derya Aktalaş From Flickr

1- Salep (Sahlab)

It’s a kind of beverage made from the starch of Orchis with milk, which is popular in Levant, Egypt, and some districts in the Arab gulf.

Recipe:

Orchis flour or cornflour. (1 tsp per glass)

Milk.

Sugar (to taste)

Topper (nuts and cinnamon)

How to prepare it:

Add the milk and flour with sugar together in the pot. Keep stirring until it boils. Serve in cups. Garnish with nuts, coconut flakes, and cinnamon.

Photo by Ngô Trọng An from Pexels

2- Cinnamon tea (Einer)

It’s a beverage made of cinnamon sticks boiled in water, in addition to sugar, and topped with nuts.

Recipe:

Cinnamon sticks (4–5 sticks in a pot. You can add more if you want a stronger taste).

Sugar.

Nuts.

How to prepare:

Add the cinnamon sticks with sugar to the water pot. Then keep it on a low flame until it boils. Garnish with nuts.

Photo by arogeh32 from Flickr

3- Rice pudding (Roz bel-Haleeb)

Despite the minor differences, it’s popular in many countries. It’s a dessert made of rice and milk, which is the meaning of its name (Roz Bel-Haleeb).

Ingredients:

Rice (half cup, for 6 persons).

Milk (4 cups).

Sugar (half cup).

Minced pistachio.

How to make:

Wash the rice and rinse it. Put the rice in a pot. Pour the milk and keep it on a low flame. Stir continuously until it boils. Keep it boiling for around one hour, so the rice gets cooked. Keep stirring every 10 minutes. Serve it in bowls and garnish with pistachio.

By o0_raw3a_0o from Flickr

4- Sweet Vermicelli (She’reyeh)

This is a dessert that’s famous in the Levant and particularly in Palestine. It’s simply vermicelli prepared with sugar. It’s best to eat it while it’s hot.

Ingredients:

1 cup of short Vermicelli.

4 tablespoons of vegetable oil.

30 grams of butter.

3 cups of water.

3/4 cup of sugar (or to taste).

2 spoons of rose water.

How to prepare:
Kaleidoscope: Marred but Proud
Tags: Civil War, North Africa, Cultural Heritage, Architecture, Middle East

War and conflict lead to chaos and destruction, no doubt about it. But how often, do we associate it to art and artists? It is merely a matter of perspective, or perhaps I should say, narrative.

Art beholds stories. When it changes its appearance, it becomes a sequel to the story before, and a prequel to the story which time will give birth to afterwards.

To stand tall, after everything is in ruins around you is an art itself. To hang on, after withstanding attempted destruction, and watching everything surrounding you ravaged and reduced to rubble, is mastery at the art of survival. So in a way, it can be said that art, which witnesses decimation around it but survives, evolves into an artist.

This very special story will speak of art the world no longer pays heed to. Works of art which grew to become artisans: the architectural wonders of the Middle East and North Africa marred by wars.

This piece is dedicated to those buildings. They may be reduced to a shadow of their former glory, but they still stand tall. To those who stand, as witnesses to the legacy of the cities turned to ashes. To those who declared that standing they shall remain, as a reminder of those beautiful flourishing cities, and as symbols of our pride. Standing they shall remain, as a reminder of where we came from, and of what we lost.

Palestine

Falasteen: forget the art and cultural heritage, even blood is cheap. Despite a brutal occupation, the remnants of some architectural artworks remain, as symbols of the ruthlessness.

The Great Mosque of Gaza

The Great Omari Mosque tells the story of Gaza’s civilisation and cultural history as it is believed to stand on the site of a former Philistine temple and a later 5th Century Byzantine church. It has acted as an important landmark ever since it was built.
Inji Aflatoun
Tags: North Africa, Artist, Art, Middle East, Painters

Inji, Source: Safarkhan Art Gallery

Inji Aflatoun was one of Egypt's most skilled and known painters. She was born in 1924 , to a French-aristocratic family that she described herself, as “semi-feudal and borgeois”, her father being an entomologist and her mother owning a dress and tailor shop in Cairo, which also happened to be the first one run by a woman. This is important.

Ta’mol, Inji Aflatoun Source: Google Arts and Culture

She started painting at the age of 15 and joined the Lycée Français du Caire, the French Lycee in Cairo, where she came to know of Marxism and became versed in it. She would also take classes from Kamel el-Telmissany, one of the leading artists of the time and founding member of the Art et Liberté group, who introduced Aflatoun to the idea of “Art and Freedom”. A movement that involved the use of Cubism and Surrealism as an outlet and tool by communism-leaning intellectuals and artists.

Mathbahat Dinshaway (The Dinshaway Massacre), Inji Aflatoun. Source: Google Arts and Culture

She went on to join Iskra, a communist youth party, in 1942.

Aflatoun was one of the first women to study at the art department of the University of Cairo. Along with communism to protest the imperialist government, she was strongly drawn into feminism, encouraged, perhaps by the example of her self-sufficient mother.

In 1945, Aflatoun was a founding member of the “ligue des jeunes femmes des universities et des institutes” (the League of Young Women in Universities and Institutes), a group that campaigned heavily for gender equality. She was the one who represented the League at the first conference of Women’s International Democratic Federation in Paris during the same year.

Along with her fellows - other women intellectuals and activists — she continued to promote left wing politics and anti-colonial ideology, in both Egypt and Europe.

Ahlam Almuetaqala (Dreams of the Detainee), Inji Aflatuon. Source: Google Arts and Culture

She wrote two political pamphlets in 1948 and ’49, titled “Eighty Million Women with Us” and “We Egyptian Women” respectively, on gender and class oppression in an effort to bolster the position of women and propagate peace.

Prisoners , Inji Aflatoun. Source: Google Art and Culture

In 1952, when Gamal Abdel-Nasser overthrew the Egyptian monarchy, Aflatoun was arrested amongst his anti-communistic actions and imprisoned. In 1963 was she released and from then on, with the communist party dissolved, she reserved her life for art and painting, which she did till her death in 1989.
Circles, Cyber Espionage Group Worked with 25 Countries to Achieve their Agendas
By: Cyber Gulf
Tags: Africa, Nso Group, Circle, Middle East, Cyber Espionage

In a recent report published by the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab titled “Running in Circles: Uncovering the Clients of Cyber-espionage Firm” gave a detailed explanation of how the telecom surveillance company, Circles, has deployed its platforms across Africa, helping state security departments to snoop on communications of opposition, journalists, and protestors.

It’s worth noting that Circles is an important ally of Tel Aviv-based NSO Group, which became globally known last year for the Pegasus spyware scandal after it was reported to have been used to exploit a vulnerability in the popular WhatsApp app to spy on opposition organizers in several countries.

Going by the report, Citizen Lab used internet scanning and found a unique signature associated with the hostnames of Check Point firewalls used in Circles deployments. This scanning enabled security researchers to identify Circles deployments in at least 25 countries.

The governments of the following countries are likely to be a client of Circles: Australia, Belgium, Botswana, Chile, Denmark, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Equatorial Guinea, Guatemala, Honduras, Indonesia, Israel, Kenya, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, Peru, Serbia, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Vietnam, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Circles is already known for its selling systems to exploit SS7 vulnerabilities, and claims to sell this technology exclusively to nation-states and was founded in 2008, acquired in 2014 by Francisco Partners, and then merged with NSO Group. According to leaked documents, Circles customers can purchase a system that they connect to their local telecommunications companies’ infrastructure, or can use a separate system called the “Circles Cloud,” which interconnects with telecommunications companies around the world.

Earlier in March 2020 “The Guardian” reported that Saudi Arabia appeared to be “exploiting weaknesses in the global mobile telecommunications network to track citizens as they travel around the US.”

Documents filed as part of a lawsuit against NSO Group in Israel purport to show emails exchanged between Circles and several customers in the UAE. In 2015, IntelligenceOnline suggested that Circles started a bogus phone company called “Circles Bulgaria” to facilitate interceptions around the world.

Circle work in the same pattern as NSO Group and it is likely possible that its systems are all purchased by key actors in the Middle Eastern region too.
Egypt: Three human rights activists released from prison
By: The Foreign Journal
Tags: Egypt, Politics, Middle East, Democracy, Human Rights

By Jacob Coffelt

Image courtesy of: Spencer Davis

According to the Egyptian initiative for personal rights (EIPR), Gasser Abdel-Razek, Karim Ennarah and Mohamed Basheer were arrested on November 3rd for “spreading false news” as well as for “joining a terror group”.

The three human rights activists were working for the EIPR when they were arrested after performing a public interview about human rights in Egypt with foreign diplomats. Something which is not explicitly outlined as an illegal activity in Egypt, hence the unrelated charges.

The EIPR released this statement on Thursday regarding the release of their staff:

“Gasser, Karim and Basheer were let go directly from Tora prison. Unusual. They are now either home or on the way home.”

While their release is surely a welcomed site, this incident is not isolated and will likely continue to happen so long as minimal pressure is applied by the international community.

Even when Italian student Giulio Regeni was brutally tortured and murdered by the Egyptian security services, the public outcry was short lived and ended with Italy now being one of the biggest developers of Egypt's energy resources. Italian energy group Eni being the one who discovered Egypt's largest natural gas field in 2015.

So it seems that despite verbal warnings from the EU (namely the EU parliament resolution of March 10th, 2016) calumniating in an arms embargo. Which considering the fact that as of 2020, Italy is still exporting hundreds of millions of euro’s worth of military equipment to Egypt despite any real answers to the murder of Giulio Regeni, probably wasn’t all that effective.

Despite Egypt constantly being in the spotlight for human rights violations such as the arrest of these activists, they still manage to maintain a positive enough public appearance to prevent any real pressure from the international community to reform. In other words, Egypt will continue to carry out these basic violations of human rights so long as President al-Sisi is in power and he can get away with it.
Indonesian Migrant Workers Fall Prey To Human Trafficking
By: The Workers Rights
Tags: Poverty, Syria, Human Trafficking, Indonesia, Middle East

Indonesian migrant workers have been falling prey to human trafficking rackets in the Middle Eastern countries. Amidst the fight against Covid-19, the According to the lady diplomat in the Indonesian government, Retno Marsudi “In November, atleast 43 Indonesians were repatriated to Indonesia.”

The first lady to be appointed as the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Retno Marsudi said has confirmed while speaking to the media that, “Forty of them were repatriated by the Indonesian Embassy in Damascus, Syria, on November 27, 2020, while three others were sent back home by the Indonesian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on November 30, 2020.”

It is shocking to see that the migrant population that primarily comprises women has been exploited to such circumstances. While the Middle East countries like UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar continues to follow the Kafala system of employment in various degrees, Syria has a dilapidated government after repeated years of civil war.

Ironically, Indonesia has a moratorium policy in place with regards to migrant employment in Middle Eastern countries. However, private agencies lure poor Indonesian workers and send them off to the various Middle Eastern nations. On its part, Indonesia has been trying to coordinate with the Indonesian Migrant Worker Protection Agency (BP2MI) and the National Police to catch such illicit agencies.

However, women continue to run to Middle Eastern countries through syndicates to get work as maids and caretakers. As it is, these countries are known to mistreat workers with low payrates, no leaves, threatening of punishment if they ask for change in employment, etc. Attempts of escape through water routes have been thawed at several occasion to Malaysia as well.

According to human rights group, there is a need for more robust form of control than only the moratorium policy that has not been that effective since 2015.

According to the World Bank Group, as the largest economy in South East Asia, it is also one of the poorest. Till date, out of a population of around 270.2 million, about 26.42 million Indonesians still live below the poverty line. This is one reason why women continue to get lured into taking up jobs abroad, even if that means indulging in dangerous waterway travel that means greasing the palms of syndicates and using illegitimate migrant paperwork.

https://www.theworkersrights.com/indonesian-migrant-workers-fall-prey-to-human-trafficking/
The Middle East and Gender — myths and reality
By: Ann Hawkins
Tags: Middle East, Gender

Annabel Harper is an Executive Leadership Coach and Facilitator, and a Middle East specialist.

In this 18 minute talk Annabel shares some fascinating insights into what is happeneing in the region and how conversations are the answer to increasing gender equality and gender equity.

For her recently published book “Shujaa’ah: Bold Leadership for Women of the Middle East”, Annabel interviewed aspiring and new women leaders in the region, covering the cultural complexities of faith and gender and what organisations need to do more of, what women could be doing more of for themselves and how the Leadership paradigm in the region has to be different from typical Western traditional approaches.

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If you’d like to share your talent, passion or fun topic (no sales pitches), pick a date (Fridays 1–2pm) add your name and topic to the list and we’ll be in touch.

Register to watch future events at: https://www.drivethenetwork.com/events/category/ed-talks/
Israel PM designs an ‘official’ visit to Egypt to examine monetary issues
By: Brett Kinnunen
Tags: Prime Minister, Egypt, Israel, Middle East, Netanyahu

Things have been changing in the Middle East since the time of the standardization of relations between the United Arab Emirates and Israel. The dynamic of the Arab world is quickly changing with more nations opening their fringes for Israel like Bahrain.

Presently another nation to have ventured forward in setting up more grounded bonds with Jerusalem is Egypt. Egypt was among the main nations to have perceived the Jewish state and have an open relationship with it. In any case, there was a great deal to be talked about on authentic grounds between the two nations and with the Arab state making a stride towards Israel, Cairo has chosen to venture up its game.

According to the source’s affirmation to the Jerusalem Post, Israel is hoping to reinforce its monetary bonds with Egypt. The authorities from the two closures are examining different conceivable outcomes before the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu makes his official visit to Cairo where he will allegedly be gathering the Egyptian partner Abdel Fatah al-Sisi.

In the coming days, there probably will be where various potential outcomes with respect to the monetary organizing of the two nations will be examined. The discussions will likewise talk about the development of business openings between the two.

Netanyahu consistently had an uncommon bond with the Egyptian public and the pioneers. Take the 2010 gathering with then-president Hosni Mubarak for instance. The two chiefs examined an assortment of issues going from opening up an immediate exchange stage among Israel and the Palestinian Authority to additional political arrangements in the Arab world.

Be that as it may, the time the gathering occurred was a basic one as a strained climate encompassed the Egyptian domain. Not long after the visit, the then President was toppled. Following this meet, in 2016 a gathering was arranged from Netanyahu’s end just to have been dropped by the Egyptians after the energy serves torn down the Jewish state.

After a year, the gathering was again fixed however not in one another’s nations but rather in New York. Despite the fact that the two chiefs met a recognizable frustration from Israel’s end was the nonattendance of its banner behind the seat. Just Egypt’s public banner was available there. The gathering managed approaches to reestablish the harmony cycle said one of the representatives.

Two years back as well, a few reports guarantee that the two chiefs met in Cairo after Sisi welcomed the Israeli Prime Minister. He supposedly remained there alongside a couple of protectors and consultants and went to a feast breaking the Ramadan quick. In any case, there is no official affirmation on this visit nor the subtleties of the gathering are known in broad daylight.

This time, nonetheless, the top of the Jewish state intends to visit Cairo formally with the means to talk about efficient issues.
The Flaws of Democracy
By: Bilal Arsal
Tags: Middle East, Politics, Democracy, Third World

I’m not here to tell you that dictatorships are much better than democracy. That would be a different discussion. There are 2 fundamental problems here.

The first problem is that no leadership will own the state of the country. Every leadership will blame the previous leadership for taking the country the wrong way and the next leader would do the same. I live in a third world country in the middle east/Asia region. There is a severe political divide, and this is due to the widely varying agendas of political parties. This puts us in an awkward position. Every five years when the leaders change, so do their policies, and unlike dictatorships, this takes up a huge portion of their time, as every move, bill, law or motion has to be passed by getting approval from various bodies. This time taken to change the heading of a nation could be used to implement policies that help prosper.

Another major issue with democracy stems from the same issue. The President or the Prime minister is indeed the highest authority but he or she does not have absolute control until an emergency is declared, which is generally rare and unorthodox. Every move by the leadership would be challenged by others in the government, resulting in many legal battles. I can relate to this by the problems in my country, Pakistan. Our constitution is strong, however, due to this age of technology and digital advancements, we lack behind on our laws governing cybersecurity and ease of conducting business online. We face a stern issue that due to the unstable security situation perceived by potential investors, we have a hard time generating foreign revenue, making us rely on the International Monetary Fund and other countries’ investment to survive. Our laws make it extremely hard to start a business in Pakistan and subsidies are little to none when compared to others in the region. The current leadership is unable to change that since they do not understand the needs and requirements of the new generation, but more importantly, are faced with extreme reluctance and disapproval by conventional politicians, who don't think about the future.

I would like to explain these points by reference to a boat out at sea. It moves in uncharted waters, with limited supplies. Every day, the captain of the boat changes and orders the boat to move in the opposite direction. The next day, the captain orders the boat to move in the opposite direction, again. Now, as you can see, this will render movement pointless, even when finite resources are being utilized. Furthermore, let's also assume that the captain’s orders are being ineffectively followed to represent battles within a single government. This makes the leadership of the boat look stupid, and this is the case with many democracies around the world.

Lastly, I would state that this is not the case with many efficient democracies in the world. Many democracies are well-coordinated and realize the modern demands of people and politics. Everyone has their opinion, this was mine.
Reconsidering Democracy
By: Shey Abdu.
Tags: Security, Monarchy, Politics, Middle East, Democracy

Growing up in an ‘absolute monarchy’ with limited freedoms and severe surveillance has historically had its downside — but I still choose to live under an absolute monarchy than a democracy in these unstable times. In theory, a democracy recognizes an individual’s right to freedom, and gives its citizens an equal voice to ensure a fair form of governance while creating a system of balanced powers. But what happens when you give a voice to the bigots, the prejudice, the radicals, and the xenophobic? Where does freedom of speech stop, and hate speech start? Even worse — what happens when prejudice translates into a nationwide policy? Or when an Islamophobic politician is elected to become prime minister of a country with around 195 Million Muslims? In reality, democracies have also enabled bigots to translate their prejudices into nationwide policies. And this is only one of the few ways I believe democracies have failed.

As a Muslim who grew up in an Islamic nation, I would like to present the example of “radical Islam”; so-called “jihadism”, which many Western states struggled to adequately respond to, as they have underestimated the reality of it being a homegrown threat — rather than a foreign threat. There are many factors that play into the inadequacy of response, including these states’ democratic nature. Due to the reality and necessity of freedom, and the accountability of government in the eye of the public; democratic governments have struggled to track radicalizations, monitor it, and treat it as a homegrown threat, rather than a foreign threat. Indeed, many Islamic absolute monarchies, such as the UAE, which is governed by many aspects of Sharia law, have not witnessed any large-scale terrorist attacks. But how? Being a non-democracy means that government can take decisive action without answering to the public, and without going through lengthy bureaucratic proceedings. Plus, living under a monarchic regime means we have limited freedom of speech and extreme surveillance. When someone begins to exhibit symptoms of extremism, they are immediately interrogated and monitored to prevent any spread of radical rhetoric. Some might object under the flag of “freedom”, but in a world where we are under continuous threat by radicalism, school-shooters, and increasing crimes, security and safety takes precedence over the western definition of “freedom”.

I am not claiming that absolute monarchies are superior to democracies, but I stand against the claim that democracies are better. Indeed, in theory, democracies should be the better form of governance; but the lack of adequate foundation and institutions in which democracies should be built on forces us to reconsider. During these times, I had reached the conclusion that humans are not predisposed to democracy, and that it is necessary for them to be managed.
Abraham Accords are not a Betrayal of Palestinians
By: Camera On Campus
Tags: Peace, Israel, Middle East, Abraham Accords, Palestine

By Josh Beylinson, 2020–2021 CAMERA on Campus Fellow

For the first time since 1994, several Arab countries have fully normalized their diplomatic relations with Israel.

This wave of normalization started with the Abraham Accords, a joint statement between the United States, United Arab Emirates and Israel that marked the beginning of normalized diplomatic relations between the UAE and Israel. Over the next few years, analysts expect Sudan, Bahrain and the UAE to exchange embassies with Israel, form new social and economic ties and even establish direct flights. Despite this improvement, some Palestinian leaders have claimed that “several … Arab countries have betrayed the Palestinian people and the Palestinian issue.”

Fahmi al-Za’areer — an official from Fatah, an organization led by Mahmoud Abbas, the current president of the Palestinian National Authority, claimed that Arab countries are no longer “defending and helping the Palestinians in their struggle against Israel.”

al-Za’areer’s choice of words to blame the plight of the Palestinians on Israel and cast the normalization of diplomatic relations with Israel as “betrayal” is ironic. It is an attempt at deflection, meant to draw attention away from decades of corruption and repression under the PNA and an attempt to deny Israel the recognition it deserves as a full member of the Middle Eastern community.

The Palestinian leadership may disapprove of Arab-Israeli diplomatic relations, but Israel should not be ostracized by the international community for the Palestinian leadership’s own refusal to make peace. Israel has attempted to make peace multiple times, but Palestinian leaders have crushed every attempt.

Click here to read the rest on the CAMERA on Campus blog
16 start-ups from the MENA region selected for BigBooster Season 5!
By: The Next Society
Tags: Start Up, North Africa, Bootcamp, Innovation, Middle East

Who are they?

Discover the projects of THE NEXT SOCIETY Mediterranean innovators who are joining the BigBooster adventure!

AbuErdan

AgriEdge

AKYAS Sanitation

Al diagnosis vision

Azr Technologies

Carers

Cure Bionics

FoodSight

Iris Solutions

Jasmine

LiveLoveRecycle

Proteinea

Speetra Design Studio

SgharToon

Viavii

Winshot

What do they benefit from?

The start-ups will first participate in Lyon’s digital Booster Camp: 4 intensive days of exchanges, workshops, coaching, speed-meetings with experts and mentors to sharpen their value proposition, pitch, and international strategy.

After Lyon’s Booster Camp, the winning start-ups will continue the adventure until May 2021. Personalised support will bring them to Boston (United States) or Lyon, Manchester, Turin, Lodz, Frankfurt, Barcelona (Europe) by giving them the keys to understanding these markets thanks to their mentors and by connecting them to local decision-makers and partners.

The ANIMA — BigBooster partnership

In 2017, ANIMA Investment Network, leader of THE NEXT SOCIETY initiative, joined forces with BigBooster intending to expand the opportunities offered to Mediterranean entrepreneurs within the framework of the project co-financed by the European Union. Although the project did not foresee any collaboration on the 2020 edition, the BigBooster team wished to welcome new projects from the MENA region as the level of maturity of the start-ups and their innovative aspect fit perfectly with the objectives of the booster camp.

In 2019, 7 of the 20 start-up finalists selected to go to Boston (final phase of the acceleration programme) were part of THE NEXT SOCIETY community.

On 16 and 17 November 2020, a two-day Booster Camp was also organised in Lebanon by BigBooster and Berytech as part of THE NEXT SOCIETY: BigBooster Lebanon.

For more information: BigBooster
Kafno: the Great Famine of Mount Lebanon
By: Vincent Grujic
Tags: Genocide, Famine, Ottoman Empire, Middle East, Lebanon

Death Toll & Aftermath

Over 200,000 people were starved to death by the Ottomans, which was over 50% of the population of Mount Lebanon.

The Mount Lebanon famine caused the highest fatality rate by population during World War I.

The Young Turks, especially Djemal Pasha would use the same barbaric methods to starve out the Lebanese on Armenians that were death marched to Syria under his watch during the Armenian Genocide.

Works Cited

How The Ottomans Forced Half The Lebanese Population To Starve To Death — The 961 2020.

The War of Famine: Everyday Life in Wartime Beirut and Mount Lebanon (1914–1918).

Reconstruction the Disastrous History of the Lebanese Famine — Al Jadid 2015.

Safer Barlik: Famine in Mount Lebanon During World War I — Louise Farshee.
A golden opportunity for women to step into the conversation
By: Jen Owen
Tags: Leadership, Women In Leadership, Female Leadership, Women In Business, Middle East

A golden opportunity for women to step into the conversation

Debates about gender parity and gender politics continue to be a hot topic globally and have kept the subject of women and leadership at the forefront of business conversations. There is now growing interest in the Middle East with regards to how women can take more advantage of the new business opportunities that are opening up to them. The pace of change in the region has been fast, and as more women come into the workforce, they are beginning to find their collective voice; demanding equal opportunities on a much larger platform than previously.

The growing potential for female leaders against the backdrop of the region’s rich and vibrant culture is explored in Annabel Harper’s new book, ‘Shujaa’ah, Bold Leadership for Women of the Middle East’, in which she reveals how women can take better advantage of the openings which are emerging.

Annabel is an Executive Leadership Coach and Facilitator with a deep interest in the development of women in leadership in the Middle East. Drawing on her vast experiences of working in the region, Annabel delves into the meeting of traditionalism and modernism, exploring how women can create their own style of leadership by blending their skills with the unique culture of the Middle East.

Annabel also addresses the prerequisites for organisations in the region to maximise their female talent pipeline, reminding the reader that progress is not one-sided. She argues that it is imperative for both women and men to collaborate in order to build more inclusive and diverse organisations which are fit for the future.

Women’s voices are at the heart of the book and ‘Shujaa’ah’ speaks not only to young women of the Middle East who have career ambitions but cannot move forward, but also to organisations to help them understand what they could be doing more of. It also urges Middle Eastern men to step up to the challenge, because ultimately, none of the changes that need to happen will be effective if they aren’t involved too.

Shujaa’ah is an essential read for anyone who is looking to better understand the evolving role of female leaders in the Middle East. Described as both a ‘must-read for women in leadership’ and an ‘enlightening read for men’, Annabel hopes that Shujaa’ah will help to challenge long-held unconscious bias towards gender inequality in the Arab world.

Publication date: 24th November 2020

ISBN: 9781784529277

£12.99 / $17.95
Russia and Turkey arouse against European slants
By: Brett Kinnunen
Tags: Russia, Emmanuel Macron, European, Middle East, Turkey

Correspondence assumes an inexorably significant function in the approaches of every nation and, most importantly, in international relations. Every nation appreciates the help of public media and TV, yet an ever-increasing number of governments are depending on promulgation on unfamiliar media to coordinate popular assessment and advance their plans. With the extension of Russia into Africa and the Turkish intercession in Libya, these elements have gotten progressively obvious. To such an extent that we can discuss the digital war.

The battle for the triumph of North Africa and the Middle East isn’t restricted to undermining the foe strategically or monetarily yet has as of late utilized progressively mean strategies. Like the phony news about the Covid, which could harm economies and alarm financial specialists in numerous nations. The European Union correspondence administration, in May 2020, distributed a point by point report on counterfeit news produced by Russia and Turkey against Europe, just as inadequate strategies to forestall disease. In any case, this was not the principal scene, yet rather it is a framework effectively inherent and known.

In 2016, the European Parliament passed a goal in which it sounded caution over the enemy of European publicity by Russia and Turkish-upheld Islamic fear based oppressor gatherings. “Promulgation looks to contort reality, to excite dread, to introduce questions, and to partition the European Union,” peruses the goal, endorsed with 304 votes in favor, 179 against, and 208 abstentions.

Concerning Moscow, the goal focuses on that after “the addition of Crimea and the animosity on eastern Ukraine, numerous nations are completely mindful of the disinformation and control by the Russian Federation,” said rapporteur Anna Fotyga, a Polish moderate.

The French President Emmanuel Macron blamed Russia and Turkey for seeking after a methodology pointed toward aggravating enemy of French feelings in Africa, exploiting the “post-provincial revile.” Macron’s assertions arrived in a meeting distributed Friday by the French-talking paper “Jeune Afrique”.” There is a technique followed, now and then executed by African pioneers, however principally unfamiliar powers, for example, Russia and Turkey, playing on the post-pilgrim scourge,” said the top of the Elysée. He likewise showed that “a considerable lot of the individuals who speak loudly and make video cuts, distributed in the French-talking media, they are debased by Russia or Turkey.”
Under Joe Biden, US eyes Middle East policy overhaul
By: Mark Mcfadden
Tags: Middle East, Joe Biden, News

US President-elect Joe Biden has signaled his intention to re-engage with the global community to tackle the Mideast’s greatest challenges. Experts say he will need to confront the risks posed by Russia, Iran and Turkey.

Biden tells world leaders ‘America is back’

https://www.cwu.edu/ce/sites/cts.cwu.edu.ce/files/webform/Among-Us-Hack-Always-Imposter-AMONG-US-MOD-MENU-23-November-2020-Video.html

https://www.cwu.edu/ce/sites/cts.cwu.edu.ce/files/webform/FREE-V-BUCKS-GENERATOR-NO-SURVEY-REQUIRED-CLAIM-FREE-V-BUCKS-TODAY-23-NOVEMBER-2020-VIDEO.html

https://www.cwu.edu/ce/sites/cts.cwu.edu.ce/files/webform/ROBLOX-FREE-ROBUX-GENERATOR-FOR-ROBLOX-WORKING-METHOD-23-NOVEMBER-2020-VIDEO.html

Countering Russian creep

One country that could further pressure Iran into fresh negotiations concerning its nuclear program is Russia. However, Moscow also poses its own set of challenges to a Biden presidency.

Over the past four years the Trump administration has been reluctant to criticize or sanction Russian operatives, intelligence personnel or Kremlin-linked firms, as they operated with relative impunity in the Middle East.

Over the summer, there was little response to Russia allegedly placing a bounty on US soldiers’ heads. When the news broke in late June, Trump denied he had been informed. However, US officials told local media that the information had featured in his intelligence briefings.

Read more: Russia encroaches on US war industry in Middle East
Lebanon Independence Day
By: Joie Cooper
Tags: Independence Day, National Day, Middle East, Lebanese, Lebanon

Lebanon is passing through difficult times currently, but will surely recover soon and resume its glorious position. Happy Independence Day! Long live Lebanon!
Iraq — Saudi Arabia outskirt crossing returns following 30 years
By: Hira Menon
Tags: Border, Iraq, Middle East, Saudi Arabia

On Wednesday, Iraq and Saudi Arabia re-opened the Arar fringe crossing for exchange without precedent for a very long time, as indicated by the Iraqi Border Ports Authority proclamation. High authorities, including the Iraqi Minister of Interiors and the Saudi diplomat to Iraq, gone to the Arar opening function, where a line of freight vehicles was going to since Wednesday morning, officially restarting the exchange between the two nations.

As indicated by the assertion, a mission from Riyadh was to open the Saudi Arabian side of the fringe entry, which will be available to the two merchandise and individuals. Arar stayed shut since 1990 after the two nations cut ties following previous Iraqi pioneer Saddam Hussein’s attack in Kuwait.

Relations outlived rough since the 1990s and didn’t progress after Saddam’s overturning in the 2003 US-drove animosity, as Riyadh saw the new Shia-ruled political gathering with a question because of their connections with its territorial foe Iran. A defrost began in 2017 when then Saudi unfamiliar pastor Adel al-Jubeir visited Baghdad — the first such mission in quite a while — trailed by a Riyadh visit by then-Iraqi head Haider al-Abadi.

As “Saudi Gazzette” revealed, the two nations consented to an arrangement to return the fringe crossing by the choice of the fourth meeting of the Saudi-Iraqi Coordination Council hung on Nov. 10. During the virtual meeting of the chamber meeting, Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman and Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi received the noteworthy goal.

The principal business flights returned between the two nations, and pioneers started talking about Arar, with prominent US agent Brett McGurk in any event, visiting the section in 2017 to advance its reopening. But those undertakings were consistently halted, with Arar just free on a couple of seconds minutes to permit Iraqi strict explorers following right after them to Mecca for the blessed Hajj.

The current Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi should have a nearby relationship with the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed canister, Salman. In May 2020, al-Kadhimi was to travel to Saudi Arabia on his first unfamiliar excursion as the top of the Government, yet the arrangement was canceled ultimately as the Saudi King Salman was hospitalized. He still can’t seem to make the journey, albeit Iraqi clergymen have gone to Riyadh to meet their analogs. A high-level Saudi board likewise went to Baghdad toward the beginning of November.

Talking during the service, Emir Prince Faisal accentuated that the launch of the outskirt entry would reestablish the relations between the two countries and would introduce another period helping the basic interests of the charitable Iraqi and Saudi individuals. The emir anticipated the port being a feeder of monetary collaboration between the two nations. He applauded the endeavors of the Saudi-Iraqi Coordination Council in introducing incredible skylines for a joint effort.
Business in ME may get affected due to recent rise in carding and data leakage
By: Cyber Gulf
Tags: Data Leakage, Covid 19, Middle East, Carding, Help Ag Security

Analysts from Help AG security measured 500 percent rise in risk regarding carding from January to June 2020 compared with 2019,report revealed by cyber security company.

Cyber threats had a tremendous impact on businesses as they suffer from financial loss, damage of goodwill, reputation, lawsuits and loss of future sales or exposure of intellectual properties.

Carding is a term describing the trafficking of credit card, bank account and other personal information online.

Tremendous five-time increase in carding alerts was ascertained through scans of public sources as well as information sharing platforms and deep internet sources with information compiled by botnets and underground markets. Stolen details included recovery date, BIN code, card number, card expiry, source, card brand, card type, issuing bank, and country of the issuer. The highest impacted sectors include aviation, logistics, and retail, the report adds.

Security analysts from cyber security company reported a massive 183 percent rise in data exposure threats amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Data leakage is the unauthorized transmission of data from within an organization to an external destination or recipient.

The most impacted sectors include healthcare, government, aviation, logistics, retail, and energy and utilities.

There was also an almost 50 per cent increase in hacktivism risk alerts following analysis of monitored hacker groups’ advertisements on social networks (hacktivist profiles and groups), media (local, sectorial, and syndicalist), petition and signature platforms, information sharing platforms and manifestos (pastes). The highest impacted sectors include healthcare, government, aviation, logistics, retail, and energy and utilities.



These high rated threats are an unfortunate reality of the Covid-19 era, hence knowing and guarding against your enemy is now more important than ever before,” said Stephan Berner, chief executive officer at Help AG.

“Our report details the various risks organizations must be aware of as well as all aspects of digital risk protection covering proactive identification, validation, response, and remediation. The risk management cycle is never ending but remains critical for business continuity,” he added.
An Unnecessary Woman: Book Review
By: Elizabeth Michael, Kwinlizzy
Tags: Lovestory, Art, Middle East, Beirut, Books And Authors

In an unnecessary woman, Rabih Alameddine opens the window into the life of blue-haired, 72-year old Aaliya.

She walks us through the streets of Beirut, first, from the confines of her home, introducing us to her family and the people through her solitary existence.

Aaliya, the unnecessary woman, gives a rustic monologue of her life, paints a picture of Beirut as a city both tormented and loved. She also reminds us through her divorce and fierce loyalty to her apartment, of her desire to be something and to also be left completely alone.

Through Aaliyah’s voice, Rabih makes one feel like you know absolutely nothing while also swimming in a sea of knowledge.

An unnecessary woman is not a book that panders to the notion of what a good novel should be because Aaliya is a woman whose entire life is built on abstracts.

Fewer books have truly rocked me the way an unnecessary woman did because I feel so much kinship with Aaliya, her choices when it came to her work, her insatiable love for books, and her naivety towards her art.

@kwinlizzy on twitter

@forgedbywords on Instagram
Europe and the US join hands to counter Erdogan’s aggressive Middle East policy
By: Akshay Prasad
Tags: Turkey, Mike Pompeo, Erdogan, Middle East, United States

On Monday, for a discreet meeting described as a “courtesy” visit, French President Emmanuel Macron received US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. The two met to discuss numerous topics, including Turkey’s aggressive foreign policy, global security threats, attempts to counter violent extremism, Iran’s “destabilising” actions and Hezbollah’s “malign impact” in Lebanon.

In his recent interview with the French daily Le Figaro, Pompeo said, “French President Emmanuel Macron and I accept that the recent actions of Turkey have been very violent…” Europe and the United States must work together to persuade Erdogan that such acts are not in his people’s interest.

Turkey as a whole has been a matter of concern, particularly for European leaders. Turkey’s broad and intrusive policies have been the perpetrator of the Middle East region, ranging from Mediterranean oil exploration, the militarization of Libya, the sponsorship of ISIS, the financing of militias in Syria to the support of Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with Armenia.

For its increasingly aggressive foreign policy, Pompeo slammed Turkey and expressed concern about its growing military capabilities, although he did not mention whether or not Ankara would continue to be part of the North Atlantic Alliance.

Macron accused the Turkish president last month of seeking a bellicose approach to NATO. In addition, he added that tensions in the region could be overcome if the Turkish president respects France, respects the European Union, respects its principles, says no lies and does not commit insults.”

Late Macron had struggled to cool down the situation with Muslim nations as things became tense after heated rhetoric after the assassination of French teacher Samuel Paty, who showed caricatures of the prophet Muhammad to his students along with other cartoons to explore the idea of free expression.
South of Syria is ready to reconcile!
By: Ibragim Al-Masri
Tags: Middle East, Daraa, War, Syria

committee members

In November, in southern Syria, a meeting of prominent figures of the Daraa province was held with the aim of forming a new political body called the “Joint National Committee in the South of Syria”, which will represent the interests of the residents.

The tasks that the committee sets itself: to end conflicts with the government; restore security in Daraa province; release detainees and stop arrests; improve the socio-economic situation in the southern provinces.

This is a big step towards reconciliation and settlement of the conflict in the southern region. The opposition is ready to compromise with the government, because the main thing is the safety of civilians.