MENA2050 was established as a MENA civil society organization that seeks to solve the region’s problems and formulate and implement development projects that allow MENA’s citizens to live better and more dignified lives. It has members from almost every MENA country, including Arab and non-Arab states. MENA2050’s key characteristic is its homegrown and pan-regional status, which distinguishes it from external civil society efforts, or those that are from within the region but have limited membership.

Most of MENA2050’s members live in the region, and many live in the countries most acutely affected by the ongoing Gazan War. This has created a strong intrinsic desire to prepare for the day when the War ends by proposing and analyzing projects that could contribute to a lasting and prosperous regional peace. A project team has been assembled for this purpose.

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The basic idea of the project is to use extensive stakeholder engagement (via interviews) to develop a list of major post-crisis regional reforms that merit consideration by the major powerbrokers in the region’s conflict. The findings will be released in a series of biweekly newsletters (research notes) that report what the research team has learned from the interviews conducted in that period. At the end of the six months allocated to the project, and after conducting approximately 100 interviews and publishing around 10 research notes, a full report will be produced, along with an accompanying policy brief.

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MENA2050 happily notes that many organizations are exerting parallel efforts to make post-Gaza visions for the region. The complexity of the problems that the region faces means that many minds need to be put to work in developing solutions, and the value of such efforts is amplified by having a diverse range of stakeholders involved. Nevertheless, it is worth highlighting what distinguishes MENA2050’s efforts: its simultaneously homegrown and inclusive nature, as almost all ethnicities, religions, confessions, and nations have representation in the project and the organization. While externally-led projects are welcome additions to the collective efforts directed toward the region’s future, homegrown initiatives have to be at the heart of any long-term solution if it is to be legitimate and viable.

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The target audience for the research notes and final report is - first and foremost - any MENA resident who wishes to contribute to a more prosperous future for the region. Moreover, we also hope that policymakers, practitioners, and the broader research community will find our output useful. Naturally, given how interconnected the world has become, those from beyond our shores with an interest in the MENA region may also find value in our output.