MEPI Alumni Network Connects those Seeking Change

During the past five years, thousands of people in the Middle East and North Africa have benefited from their participation in MEPI programs and have, in turn, made significant impacts on their families, communities, and countries.

What unites these people and the more than 350 diverse MEPI projects they led or participated in since 2002 is a shared goal of supporting those in the region working to bring about positive changes in the political, educational, and economic situations of their home countries.

In an effort to provide ongoing support and sustainability to this group of democratic reformers, the MEPI Alumni Network was recently launched.  Facilitated by AMIDEAST through a MEPI grant, the Alumni Network aims to accelerate the momentum built by those pushing positive reforms throughout the region.
The Alumni Network’s website www.mepialumni.state.gov – in English and Arabic for exclusive use by alumni members – provides information on MEPI activities, job opportunities, and many other resources, while offering a forum for vibrant exchanges on a host of topics.

Meanwhile, official MEPI Alumni chapters have become active in Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, and Yemen, with the potential for more in the future.  Led by full-time , led by alumni coordinators and volunteer steering committees, these chapters offer MEPI alumni opportunities to network with each other, organize training and development activities, and hold wide-ranging discussions on issues such as unemployment, women’s empowerment, democratic change, and human rights.

In addition, MEPI alumni have started participating in activities designed to enhance their professional development, in areas such as leadership, communications, and finance. Activities also are geared toward personal growth, with topics such as time management, goal setting, and other specific needs of chapter members.

Because participants in MEPI programs range in age from school children to senior opinion leaders, while representing all sectors of society, the Alumni Network is being developed to support a wide array of participants and to encourage their ongoing interaction.
For more information about the Alumni Network and other MEPI programs, please visit the MEPI central website at www.mepi.state.gov.