Partners for a New Beginning has encouraged and supported the Local Chapter leadership in Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Pakistan, Turkey, Palestinian Territories, and Indonesia to design and operationalize locally owned and locally driven projects in each country and/or region.

Algeria

• Algeria Start-Up Initiative: The Algeria Start-up Initiative is an in-country business competition that helps young Algerian entrepreneurs to receive training from Silicon Valley business leaders in putting together a business model and plan. These business plans are then evaluated by a team from Silicon Valley and the winners receive $15,000 in start-up funding for the company as well as office space. The Algeria Start-up Initiative would like to expand this model to the region to create the Maghreb Start-up Initiative, in cooperation with Education for Employment.

Morocco

• U.S.-Maghreb Entrepreneurship Conference: The local Morocco advisory board is working in partnership with the General Confederation of Moroccan Corporations (CGEM) to sponsor of the 2nd Annual U.S.-Maghreb Entrepreneurship Conference 18-19 January 2012. The Local Board will handle all logistics, accommodations, transportation, etc. for the entire conference.
• Moroccan-Algerian Business Partnerships: The local advisory board is looking to secure 3-4 MOU’s between small and medium businesses in Morocco and Algeria to be signed during the U.S.-Maghreb Conference.

Pakistan

• Exchanges: The Pakistan PNB Leadership would like to pursue exchanges in the areas of science/ technology, culture, education, media and business.
• Health Projects: The Pakistan PNB Leadership is interested in focusing on healthcare through two priority projects that have been identified, including the Heartfile Health Financing platform and a joint U.S.-Pakistan telemedicine training initiative. Dr. Sania Nishtar, a member of the Pakistan PNB Chapter and leading health policy intellectual met with the PNB Secretariat to discuss the Heart Health File initiatives, and the Secretariat is researching various partners that might be suitable for these projects. Dr. Faisal Sultan, a member of the Pakistan PNB Chapter and CEO of SKM Hospital in Lahore wants to pursue partnerships with U.S. hospitals that would involve joint-diagnostic programs and training seminars. We are in the process of researching potential partners in the U.S. who might be interested in teaming up with SKM.
• School Construction in Flood-Affected Areas: Coca-Cola is funding the construction of one school and its operating expenses for five years. The school, built in partnership with The Citizens Foundation, is under construction in Muzaffargarh. This region is one of the worst flood-affected districts in Pakistan, where more than 700,000 people have been displaced and hundreds of villages destroyed. The school is expected to enroll students in February 2012.
• Rehabilitation of schools with CARE Foundation Pakistan: In a separate partnership with CARE Foundation Pakistan, Coca-Cola has rehabilitated and rebuilt five schools in flood hit areas of Punjab. This initiative launched in March 2011, and 1,000 students are currently studying in these facilities. These schools will address additional community needs, as well, providing space for evening economic empowerment workshops with local women and serving as basic health posts.
• Small Farmers Early Recovery Project in Flood-Affected Punjab: Beginning in January 2011, Coca-Cola Pakistan partnered with InternationalRelief & Development (IRD) to help the recovery of 500 of the most vulnerable small-holder households. The project rehabilitated farmers and distributed seed to restart sugarcane crop cultivation, while temporarily employing 3,500 farmers to repair watercourses and roads. This project has ensured a three-year cycle of sugarcane cultivation, giving families a chance for sustainable livelihoods and recovery from flood-induced losses.
• Women’s Economic Empowerment Program: Coca-Cola is partnering with Kashf Foundation to initiate an economic empowerment program for 365 women in Sindh and Punjab provinces. The project will provide small loans for start-up & existing businesses that are owned or operated by women. Additionally, the program provides training and mentoring to build business management skills. Following repayment, the initial loans will be redistributed to additional women.
• Economic Empowerment through Honey Bee Farming: Launched in September 2011, Coca-Cola has developed a unique honey bee farming project in Swat, in partnership with Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS). This project will empower more than 165 women (1,500 individuals in total) with the tools and techniques to farm honey bees, and it will also provide market linkages and training support to sell honey and additional bee by-products.

Palestinian Territory

• Celebration of Innovation Summit-October 5, 2011: The Coca-Cola system will provide financial and in-kind support to the local chapter’s Celebration of Innovation Summit. The Summit honors young entrepreneurs and fosters connections to mentors, finance and business training. The event will showcase ideas and inventions of 30 young Palestinians, chosen from more than 100 candidates. During the event, participants will present their projects, ideas and inventions in an informal and interactive setting. Five projects will be selected and provided with additional business development skills and financial support. Youth will exchange ideas with business leaders and entrepreneurs from Palestine and its diaspora, as well as with the partners such as INJAZ Palestine.
• Youth Volunteer Connection Program: The Palestine chapter, in partnership with Souktel, is working to create a website that connects youth with volunteer opportunities in the West Bank. Teams will be organized through the website to engage in community efforts.
• Eco-Tourism: The Canaan Fair Trade Company plans to partner with local organizations to expand ecotourism in Jenin.
• Organic Farming Research and Education Center: The local chapter plans to work with the Palestinian Authority Ministry of Agriculture to establish an Organic Farming Research and Education Center in the West Bank.

Tunisia

• On the Road to the Arabia 500: The Maghreb Fast Growth 50 | 100 Initiative: The Local Advisory Board plans to move forward with the Maghreb Fast Growth 50|100 initiative. The annual program identifies and highlights fast growth entrepreneurs in North Africa. Organized by AllWorld, its goals are to drive new investments, raise the country’s innovative capacity
  and generate employment opportunities. The Maghreb 50|100 will establish a definitive record of the fastest growing, most dynamic entrepreneurs. This ranking facilitates access to capital, opens new markets for entrepreneurs, and points the way forward for countries to create growth strategies.
• Education for Employment Regional Project: Objectives for the project include cross-border exchanges for youth, market relevant skills training, job matching & entrepreneurship linkages, entrepreneurship & leadership promotion among youth and support access for young women (with 50% participation target). An MOU is planned to be signed in September, and a partnership has formed between EFE and the Tunisian American Chamber of Commerce that will work to implement the project once it’s been launched.

Turkey

• Fund of Funds: TEPAV is spearheading a Turkish publicprivate partnership on a “fund of funds” to invest in early stage tech companies in Turkey. This fund will look to find financing from both the public and private sectors.
• SPARK for Women: Cisco’s “SPARK for Women” will empower women by providing economic opportunity through IT education and training in Turkey. An initial group of 120 women in six cities will become trainers in these fields, and they will each be responsible for training an additional 20 women, resulting in a community of roughly 2500 women in Turkey.
• Promoting Youth Entrepreneurship: Through their program, Intel aims to build entrepreneurial capacity through education of high school and university students. 5.000 youngsters are planned to be reached by technology and entrepreneurship training programs at the end of 2012 in collaboration with Youth for Habitat Association also helping youngsters form a network of entrepreneurship clubs throughout Turkey. Plans are also made to help create connections between American and Turkish universities through these clubs. Intel organized a
  workshop titled “Innovate, Accelerate and Integrate Your Entrepreneurship Program” for university faculty and entrepreneurship program administrators to help accelerate entrepreneurship in their institutions.
• AllWorld Turkey (TOBB): This project aims to identify a list of 25 high-growth entrepreneurs from Turkey. AllWorld will connect entrepreneurs with financing resources as well as new customers, suppliers and joint-venture opportunities.
• Networking with VC and Angel Investors (Joint PLC Venture): This project will include identifying potential VC and Angel Investors in the U.S. and Turkey and facilitating exchanges and delegation trips.
• The Women Entrepreneurs Training & Grants Program: Coca-Cola Turkey, the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce and TOBB’s Women’s Entrepreneurship Board will formally launch The Women Entrepreneurs Training and Grants Program in late 2011. During the program’s initial phase, it will give 60 women the chance to create new entrepreneurial opportunities and cultivate existing business ideas. Women will receive personalized business development training and coaching, and select participants will be awarded seed grants to support their own enterprise. Women executives from Coca-Cola Turkey will provide ongoing mentoring and technical assistance in areas such as marketing, project management, finance, and human resources.