URI MENA

We are hiring

URI just launched its Global Content Creator & Social Media Ambassador Program! Looking for young storytellers (18–35) to capture and share the everyday peacebuilding work happening across our 1,300+ Cooperation Circles worldwide.

It's a paid, 9-month role (renewable) — stipend, training, Canva Pro, and mentorship included.

Deadline: August 1, 2026 (deadline coming soon!)
How to apply: Send your full application to [email protected], subject line "GCC Application [Name + Region]"

More info: uri.org/employment. Please share with anyone who'd be a great fit, and know that every share helps!

Reach out individually, by email, to a few talented young people you know who'd shine in this role
Pass it along to anyone else from the Global Call who should see it
Thank you for everything you bring to this network.

Warmly,

URI just launched its Global Content Creator & Social Media Ambassador Program! Looking for young storytellers (18–35) to capture and share the everyday peacebuilding work happening across our 1,300+ Cooperation Circles worldwide.

It's a paid, 9-month role (renewable) — stipend, training, Canva Pro, and mentorship included.

Deadline: August 1, 2026 (deadline coming soon!)
How to apply: Send your full application to [email protected], subject line "GCC Application [Name + Region]"

More info: uri.org/employment. Please share with anyone who'd be a great fit, and know that every share helps!

Reach out individually, by email, to a few talented young people you know who'd shine in this role
Pass it along to anyone else from the Global Call who should see it
Thank you for everything you bring to this network.

Warmly,

☕ Celebrating Stories of Impact at the URI MENA Cultural Café ☕

This past weekend, URI MENA had the pleasure of bringing together Cooperation Circles and Individual Members from across the MENA region for a meaningful Cultural Café – Storytelling Session. Together, we celebrated the inspiring work, achievements, and lessons learned during the first half of 2026.

A heartfelt thank you to the Cooperation Circles that joined us and generously shared their inspiring journeys:

🌿 The Association of Egyptian Female Lawyers, Egypt
🌿 Oyoun Masr Association, Egypt
🌿 Desert Bloom, Jordan
🌿 Sahel Foundation, Mauritania
🌿 The Abrahamic Reunion, Jerusalem
🌿 We Participate for Peace, Jordan
🌿 Shoura for Building National Consensus (Shoura BNC), Jordan
🌿 Bond for Community Development (Bond Network), Syria
🌿 Zero Waste Tunisia, Tunisia
🌿 Aden Circle for Arts, Dialogue, and Peacebuilding, Yemen
🌿 Salam Shabab, Morocco
🌿 Glimmer of Hope, Morocco

We would also like to extend our sincere appreciation to the URI Individual Members who joined the session and enriched our conversation. Your voices are an essential part of our growing community.

Thank you to everyone who participated and helped make this Cultural Café a memorable and inspiring gathering. We look forward to continuing this journey together.

Join us today at 6:00 PM Jordan Time
☕ You're invited to the URI MENA Cultural Café! ☕

Dear Jordanian Cooperation Circles,

Join us for a Storytelling Session, where we'll celebrate the achievements of the first half of 2026 and hear inspiring stories from CCs across Jordan.

📅 Saturday, July 18, 2026
🕕 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
📍 URI Office / Online

If you are joining online, you can use the Zoom link below:

🔗 https://uri-org.zoom.us/j/83428438249?pwd=6s77zymyE2E7vPIj6Vz8nJ1OMbTmdV.1

We look forward to hearing your stories and celebrating your impact together!
______________

☕ ندعوكم لحضور المقهى الثقافي لليواراي ☕

أعزاءنا أعضاء دوائر التعاون في الأردن،

يسرنا دعوتكم للمشاركة في جلسة سرد القصص (Storytelling Session)، حيث سنحتفي بإنجازات النصف الأول من عام 2026، ونتبادل قصص النجاح والخبرات الملهمة بين دوائر التعاون في الأردن.

📅 السبت، 18 يوليو 2026
🕕 من الساعة 6:00 مساءً حتى 7:30 مساءً
📍 مكتب URI أو عبر الإنترنت

للانضمام عبر زووم، يرجى استخدام الرابط التالي:

🔗 https://uri-org.zoom.us/j/83428438249?pwd=6s77zymyE2E7vPIj6Vz

MENA NextGen Peacebuilders Fellowship – Social Project Management

🌱 Turning ideas into sustainable action. 🌱

On July 12, 2026, URI-MENA successfully hosted the final training workshop of the preparatory phase of the MENA NextGen Peacebuilders Fellowship.

Facilitated by Mamoun Khreisat (MBA, PMP), the session equipped fellows with practical project management skills to transform their peacebuilding ideas into impactful community initiatives.

💡 Building a Project from Vision to Sustainable Impact 💡

The workshop guided fellows through the process of transforming an idea into a sustainable community initiative. Participants learned how to identify and assess community needs, develop a Theory of Change to define the pathway from activities to impact, and apply the Logical Framework Approach (Logframe) to translate their ideas into well-structured, measurable projects.

Together, they worked through the five essential project phases:

🔍 Initiate – Identify community needs and define a clear vision for change.
📝 Plan – Develop realistic action plans and allocate resources effectively.
⚙️ Execute – Implement activities while engaging partners and stakeholders.
📊 Monitor – Track progress, measure results, and adapt where needed.
🌱 Sustain – Ensure long-term impact through community ownership and continuous learning.

🚀 What's Next?

With the training phase now complete, the fellows will begin developing their own grassroots projects, applying everything they have learned throughout the fellowship to create meaningful impact in their local communities.

Together, we are empowering the next generation of peacebuilders to transform vision into action. 🙌

URI Network United Religions Initiative

🌍 Empowering the Next Generation of Peacebuilders in the MENA Region

How can communities prevent violent extremism before violence ever begins?

This important question guided the 5th training workshop of the MENA NexGen Peacebuilders Fellowship, where young leaders from across the URI MENA network came together to strengthen their knowledge and skills in Preventing Violent Extremism (PVE) through community-led, human rights-based approaches.

Facilitated by Dr. Anwaar Othman, Professor of Faith and Philosophy at Al-Azhar University (Egypt), the workshop explored the root causes of violent extremism, the difference between prevention and counter-terrorism, pathways to radicalization, digital resilience, and practical strategies that empower communities to build lasting peace.

Participants examined how social exclusion, inequality, trauma, and misinformation can increase vulnerability to extremist recruitment, while also learning how inclusive leadership, human rights, dialogue, and positive community engagement can strengthen resilience and social cohesion.

💡 One of the workshop's key messages was clear:

Preventing violent extremism is not solely a security responsibility—it begins within families, schools, faith communities, youth organizations, and civil society.

As the fellowship continues, these emerging peacebuilders will apply the knowledge and tools gained to design and implement local initiatives that foster inclusion, strengthen community resilience, and promote peaceful coexistence across the Middle East and North Africa.

Together, we are investing in a new generation of leaders committed to building safer, stronger, and more inclusive communities.

MENA NextGen Peacebuilders Fellowship – Find Healing Through Peace Circles 🕊

On July 4, 2026, URI-MENA successfully hosted the fourth workshop of the MENA NextGen Peacebuilders Fellowship. Facilitated by Iman Alghafari, Regional Peace Program Coordinator at Creators of Peace International, the session introduced participants to the Peace Circles methodology and explored how personal healing, active listening, and self-awareness lay the foundation for sustainable peacebuilding.

💡 Building Peace from the Inside Out

The workshop encouraged participants to explore their own fears, assumptions, emotions, and values while recognizing that meaningful dialogue begins with genuinely listening to others rather than preparing our own response.

Participants reflected on key principles of the Peace Circles methodology, including:

🕊️ Understanding Peace: Recognizing that peace can have many valid meanings, while ultimately leading toward the same shared goal.

🌿 Facing Inner Worries: Reflecting on fears, assumptions, and emotional burdens to cultivate inner peace.

🤝 Choosing Peace Every Day: Identifying the attitudes and actions that either fuel conflict or create opportunities for reconciliation.

🌱 Becoming a Peacebuilder: Looking inward and continuously developing the values and behaviors needed to lead by example.

👂 Listening with Intention: Practicing active listening, listening to oneself, and creating space for understanding rather than judgment.

❤️ Forgiveness & Healing: Letting go of resentment as a courageous step toward personal healing and lasting peace.

Peace begins within. 🕊️

United Religions Initiative Erasmus+ URI Network

🌍 What happens after an international youth exchange? 🌍

The real impact begins when participants bring their new knowledge and experiences back to their own communities.

Recently, five volunteers who took part in the youth exchange "Common Ground", hosted in Morocco by Coconutwork France, returned to Jordan inspired to share what they had learned. Hosted by URI MENA and Desert Bloom they facilitated a two-hour interactive workshop that encouraged participants to reflect, discuss, and learn together.

The workshop explored two important topics:

⚽ Hate Speech in Sports
Participants discussed how hate speech appears both online and in sporting environments, its impact on individuals and communities, and why creating respectful spaces in sports matters, especially for young people.

📰 The Fake News Trap
Through interactive activities, participants discovered how quickly misinformation spreads, how easily we can unknowingly contribute to it, and practical ways to verify information before sharing it.

It was an inspiring evening full of meaningful conversations, active participation, and shared learning. We are proud to see our volunteers turn their international experience into local action and contribute to building more respectful and inclusive communities.

A heartfelt thank you to our volunteers for making this workshop possible and to the European Union for supporting youth exchanges that empower young people to create positive change. 💚

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