Press Release
Business and Civil Society Leaders from the Middle East and North Africa Meet in Casablanca to Enhance Entrepreneurship and Plan for Social Change
February 1, 2008
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Business executives and leaders of civil society organizations from across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) gathered in Casablanca in January for two programs designed to mobilize resources and advance partnerships and opportunities in the region. The programs are funded by the Middle East Partnership Initiative of the U.S. Department of State and managed by the Beyster Institute at the Rady School of Management, University of California, San Diego.
January 20 through 30, 20 prominent entrepreneurs and executives took part in the Middle East Entrepreneur Training (MEET) program, an intensive training and networking program for the region’s entrepreneurs and business leaders. The participants represented a variety of sectors including information technology, communications, healthcare, retail, agriculture, design and finance. The program featured interactive instruction led by entrepreneurs and academics from the U.S. and the MENA region, focusing on case studies and real-life insights on topics such as leadership, innovation, teambuilding, marketing and financing for growth.
The graduates of this program now join over 250 alumni of previous MEET programs who continue to collaborate and work toward the goals set during the programs through the MEET alumni website and at alumni events, including a conference planned in Jordan in June.
Amidst the MEET executive program, a coalition of 28 influential leaders from both business and civil society sectors reconvened to kick off the implementation of advocacy action plans which they created at an initial workshop in September in Jordan. The coalition identified practicable yet ambitious projects to advance five causes: anti-corruption, good governance, environmental awareness, freedom of information, and equal rights for women. Each project team includes representatives from business and civil society organizations who are committed to pooling skills and resources to take an entrepreneurial approach to reaching their advocacy goals. At the follow-on workshop, MEPI committed a total of $1.2 million in funding to execute the five projects.
The Middle East Partnership Initiative is a presidential initiative created in 2003 to support economic, political and educational reform efforts in the Middle East. More information is available at www.mepi.state.gov.
The Beyster Institute at the Rady School of Management, University of California, San Diego focuses on training, education and consulting to advance employee ownership and entrepreneurship. The Institute is extensively involved in promoting entrepreneurship and regional economic development worldwide. The Institute serves as the key center for entrepreneurial thought and activity at the Rady School and is the only such university-based center to integrate both employee ownership and entrepreneurship. Visit www.beysterinstitute.ucsd.edu for more information.
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