Aspen is a place for leaders to lift their sights above the possessions which possess them. To confront their own nature as human beings, to regain control over their own humanity by becoming more self-aware, more self-correcting, and hence more self-fulfilling.
A guiding purpose of the Middle East Leadership Initiative is to energize exceptional leaders across the region to translate their Fellowship experience into action that addresses the most pressing challenges facing their communities and the region.
As they enter the Fellowship, each Fellow makes a commitment to action and embarks on what we call an Impact Journey: an expression of alignment between who you are and how you lead. Over the course of the Fellowship, each Fellow develops concrete initiatives guided by a fundamental question: Where should I direct my unique gifts to address what the world needs?
The answer rarely comes all at once. Through the seminar arc, Fellows discover the intersection of what drives them, what they are uniquely positioned to contribute, and where the world needs action most. That convergence, between drive, capacity, and need, is where the most meaningful and durable impact tends to emerge.
MELI Fellows have pursued their Impact Journeys as entrepreneurs launching new ventures, intrapreneurs reshaping organizations from within, and systems change agents influencing policy, shifting narratives, and building movements. From supporting Emirati youth to launch their careers in the private sector, to improving the capabilities of teachers in Lebanese public schools through a digital training platform, MELI Fellows are moving the needle on their communities’ most complex challenges. Below is just a sampling of the initiatives MELI Fellows have brought to life with the support of Fellowship.
Fellows in Action
Youth Local Councils: Lana Abu-Hijleh (Palestine)
Concerned that Palestine’s youth needed greater opportunities to shape their communities, international development expert Lana Abu-Hijleh founded the Youth Local Councils (YLCs) in Palestine. YLCs are elected bodies of young leaders whose structure mirrors that of local governments, enabling youth to identify community priorities, engage with decision-makers, and lead local development initiatives.
As the movement grew, Lana recognized the need for a permanent platform to sustain and expand youth leadership. This led to the establishment of Shiam – Youth Make the Future, which initially supported the YLCs before expanding its work to youth volunteer groups, entrepreneurship, employability, civic engagement, and community development across Palestine.
Today, Shiam empowers youth to become positive leaders while working alongside women, persons with disabilities, older persons, and other marginalized groups to build stronger and more inclusive communities. By connecting young people with opportunities to lead and serve, Shiam helps ensure that youth become an integral part of the social fabric and long-term development of their communities.
Lana, a Fellow of the inaugural MELI class, won the 2017 John P. McNulty Prize. The award helped transform the YLCs into Shiam, enabling the model to expand its impact and continue investing in future generations of Palestinian leaders. See the case study of her leadership venture here and watch the mini documentary here.
TheOtherForest: Adib Dada (Multiple Locations)
Award-winning Lebanese architect Adib Dada is transforming one of the world’s least green cities through TheOtherForest, an innovative urban reforestation initiative that empowers citizens to reclaim neglected land through micro-forests. With Beirut offering just 0.8 square meters of green space per person against the WHO’s recommended 12, the need could not be more urgent. Adib’s solution draws on the Miyawaki method, in which densely planted native trees compete for resources and grow rapidly, becoming self-sustaining within three years and thriving even in Beirut’s challenging climate.
By targeting marginal urban land — small triangles between roads, unused verges, and barren public spaces — TheOtherForest delivers numerous benefits: reducing the urban heat island effect, cutting particulate pollution, improving flood resilience, and creating vital community gathering spaces.
Since its founding, the initiative has grown to 26 forests across Lebanon and is now scaling its impact across the region, particularly in Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi, where nature-based urban solutions are especially valuable given the arid climate. To date, theOtherForest has planted more than 5,400 square meters of urban forest, fostering ecological restoration, climate resilience, and both environmental and psychological renewal in the communities it touches.
For this bold leadership, Adib was chosen as a 2023 McNulty Prize Catalyst Fund Awardee.
Syria Direct: Amjad Tadros (Syria)
Throughout the Syrian Civil War (2011-2024), most major news organizations were unable to adequately cover events due to the dangers posed to journalists in the country. Building off of decades of state-controlled totalitarian censorship, there was a dire absence of objective reporting in Syria, prohibiting the rest of the world from understanding the complexities of the conflict.
In response, Amjad Tadros launched Syria Direct in 2013, a nonprofit media and training organization with a mission to produce high-quality, in-depth reporting on Syria and to develop independent media in the country by training, platforming, and mentoring journalists.
Today, Syria Direct continues to produce original news reports, investigations, and multimedia content on Syria and the Syrian diaspora. They also deliver training and workshops on journalism skills, including investigative, conflict-sensitive, and remote reporting.
As Syria enters a new era, the organization is relocating its operations to Syria, bringing the organization home after more than a decade of reporting on and supporting the country from outside its borders
For this bold leadership, Amjad was chosen as a 2017 Laureate of the John P. McNulty Prize. See the case study of his leadership venture here.
