Why connecting ♡s building bridges?
A real connection between people is the basis for positive emotions. Positive emotions allow us to broaden our awareness, see more possibilities and feel more oneness.* This is the approach of the stories, portrays, articles and podcasts spanning cultural bridges between Europe and the Middle East. From the perspective of the Middle East, we learn from stories about people, especially women, artists and talents reflecting on their ways of building bridges and making a difference.
Talent Stories from the Middle East
You have to expose young people to other cultural influences so that they can see and learn something outside their usual environment.
Iman Mahmoud, education specialist UNRWA schools
Follow the journey
The project STJ started in October 2019 in Lebanon. As one could expect, external circumstances heavily influenced this journey. The revolution in Lebanon, followed by the death of his majesty Sultan Qaboos in Oman and then the outbreak of Covid-19 after only one week in Saudi Arabia.
The project continued in 2021 for a short visit in Iraqi Kurdistan and in 2022 for a longer stay in Israel excluding the occupied territories (tbc). The goals stay the same: finding partners for building bridges, identifying and connecting people and gaining new insights into our connections in the Arab-European world.
*Find more about the background and supporting research in the Theory of Change.