Partners

The Middle East Youth Initiative was launched in 2006 as a collaborative project between the Wolfensohn Center for Development at Brookings and the Dubai School of Government, with the goal of accelerating the international community’s ability to better understand and respond to the changing needs of young people in the Middle East.

In 2007, the Initiative joined in partnership with Silatech to launch the Taqeem Initiative, which aims to promote impact evaluation of youth programs in the Middle East and to harness the potential of social enterprises and innovative youth programs.

Collaborations have also taken place with the Issam Fares Institute, Ashoka, the Syria Trust for Development, the American University of Beirut, the American University of Cairo, the American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt, INJAZ Al-Arab, NASEEJ, and others.

The Dubai School of Government is a research and teaching institution focusing on public policy in the Arab world. Established in 2004 under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai, the school aims to promote good governance by enhancing the region’s capacity for effective public policy.

Toward this goal, the Dubai School of Government collaborates with international institutions such as Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in its research and training programs. In addition, the school organizes policy forums and international conferences to facilitate the exchange of ideas and promote critical debate on public policy in the Arab world. The school is committed to the creation of knowledge, the dissemination of best practice and the training of policy makers in the Arab world.

To achieve this mission, the school is developing strong capabilities to support research and teaching programs including:

Applied research in public policy and management
Masters degrees in public policy and public administration
Executive education for senior officials and executives
Knowledge forums for scholars and policy makers

Silatech is an innovative social enterprise. The word Silatech (Your Connection) comes from the Arabic word silah, meaning connection, and this concept defines what we do at every level. Silatech was established to address the critical and growing need to create jobs and economic opportunities for young people. The initiative promotes large-scale job creation, entrepreneurship, and access to capital and markets for young people, starting first in the Arab world, where the highest rate of youth unemployment exists.

Silatech was founded in January 2008 by Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al-Missned with broad support from other regional and international leaders.

Wolfensohn Family Foundation

The Wolfensohn Family Foundation established the Wolfensohn Center for Development at Brookings, which from 2006-2010 carried out rigorous, independent research and analysis on how to lift people out of poverty and create a better future for today's youth. This initiative has concluded. Starting in January 2011, James D. Wolfensohn and his family continue their active engagement with the Middle East Youth Initiative and provide direct support to the project as it transitions to a new location in the Middle East.