Inspiring the next generation of Arab leaders

Since launching in 2011, Munathara has delivered debate workshops to more than 10,000 participants across the Arab world, received more than 11,000 video submissions, registered 183,000 members on its platform, attracted 470,000 Facebook followers, racked up more than 16 million video views online, and reached countless millions more through its popular live television program.

Today, Arab societies live through a traumatic period of crises, and look towards an uncertain future.

Empowering neglected voices

Founded in 2011 the Munathara Initiative promotes the voices of youth, women and marginalized communities in the Arab public sphere in order to meet their growing desire for participation in society, politics, and governance.

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Reviving Arab debate culture

 

Arab scholars have a long and storied history of debate, and Munathara is building upon this tradition to support all Arabic speakers to participate in shaping the future of the region. We believe it is more important than ever before for rational, reasoned and constructive discourse to be the forge in which ideas are expounded, tested and improved upon for the benefit of all.

Community Participation

Munathara’s certified outreach trainers provide an all-day intensive in which participants learn the value of debate, how to constructively discuss divergent opinions, and how they can shape public discourse. At the conclusion they are invited to submit a video response to a current online competition.

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Online Engagement

Munathara uses the tools of the social web, in combination with our proprietary video debate platform and live webcasting to encourage Arabic speakers across the world to interact, discuss and learn from each other.

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Live debates

The winners on each side of an online debate are invited to partner with a policy maker and engage in a live, televised debate that is broadcast throughout the Arab world. With millions of viewers, the debates amplify the voices of previously unheard members of society. Munathara’s live shows are the only civil society-run political talk program on Arabic television.

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Impact & Influence By Numbers

 

600

WORKSHOPS

 

10,000

VIDEOS

 

183,000

PLATFORM MEMBERS

 

470,000

FACEBOOK FOLLOWERS

 

16 Millions

VIDEO VIEWS

 

6

BROADCAST PARTNERS

Broadcast to millions

At a time of hyper-partisanship and ever-intensifying polarization in the Arab media sphere, Munathara has built the only independent political talk program anywhere on Arabic television. Through media partnerships, the programs are syndicated in a growing number of countries, rebuilding some of the shared reality that has gone lost in the region’s conflict-ridden information space. Our reach is growing - and we’re just getting started.

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Munathara in the Media

 

Since our inception in 2011, The Munathara Initiative and our Musabaqat participants have been featured in more than 100 interviews in 15 countries, providing inspiration to women, youth and other marginalised members of Arab society throughout the world.

 

Belabbes Benkredda, Munathara Initiative

 

Watch Munathara founder Belabbes Benkredda explain how Munathara is disrupting the Arab public sphere. This talk was recorded at Stanford University’s Omidyar Network Leadership Forum, held in September 2017 in Tunis.

 

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Established & Emerging Leaders

Munathara connects its young online debate winners with established political, academic and cultural leaders in order to expand and enhance participant and audience perspectives alike

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Our team

Belabbes Benkredda

Founder & CEO

Fadwa Zidi

Chief Operating Officer

Baraa Zidi

Outreach Manager

Asma Abbes

Communication Manager

Wassime Zidi

Production Manager

Malek Halila

Tunisia Office Manager

Institutional Information

 

 

HEADQUARTERS:

WASHINGTON,
DC, USA

Non-profit with 501c3 status

FULL-TIME STAFF:

8  

HEADQUARTERS:

TUNIS, AMMAN JORDAN

RESIDENT EXPERTS:

4  

TRAINERS:

53
in 11 COUNTRIES