What can we do to build towards a future of peace, justice and prosperity in the MENA region?

We're heartbroken by the recent outbreak of violence in the region, the senseless loss of life, and the continued suffering. The ongoing siege on Gaza is a humanitarian disaster, on top of many years of depriving Palestinians of basic rights and dignity. Some of us on the Bloom team have also lost a friend as well, the journalist and non-combatant Issam Abdallah, killed by an Israeli attack on a group of clearly-marked journalists. Everyone in the region, every human, deserves to live in peace, safety, and dignity, with basic human rights and freedoms.

We don't know the answer, but we can't stay silent and do nothing. We're inviting people to share ideas below, we're thinking of organizing some discussions on the topic, and most of all we're here to listen and learn more than give suggestions or solutions. If there's interest, we may organize some online sessions to invite people to join a space of mourning, healing, and hope... as we try to think of how we as concerned humans, entrepreneurs, innovators, activists, and creatives across the Middle East and around the world can respond to this horrible situation, the horrible loss of life on all sides, the ongoing siege, attacks, and humanitarian disaster being inflicted on the Palestinians in Gaza, and the decades of discussions with no meaningful progress towards genuine peace and justice.

How is this relevant to Bloom? We don't know... but the idea of hundreds or thousands of teams, startups and initiatives working towards peace & justice, conflict prevention, wellbeing, widespread prosperity, and human flourishing sounds amazing. Maybe some of that will have an impact, maybe together, we can start building towards a future in the region that is peaceful, just, and prosperous for all.

Please share ideas below, and if you're interested in joining some discussions, panels, brainstorming, and collective healing sessions, please add your name and email.