On August 21, 2025, the U.S. Embassy in Amman and Georgetown University co-hosted the MEPI Student Leaders Program Accelerator Workshop, a landmark gathering designed to empower young leaders from across Jordan and the MENA region.
“Community is not just about belonging—it is about building bridges that carry us toward a more inclusive and connected future.”
I had the privilege of contributing as a speaker, engaging with brilliant young innovators who are reimagining how local communities can act as engines of change. The workshop emphasized that leadership today is not confined to titles or institutions—it is born out of the ability to listen, collaborate, and transform vision into shared impact.
Communities as Catalysts
During my session, I spoke about the power of communities as catalysts for innovation and social progress. Communities, when nurtured with trust and openness, do more than support individuals; they amplify voices, generate opportunities, and create platforms where collective energy is harnessed for meaningful change.
This idea resonates deeply with my own journey of founding Open Circle Community—a space dedicated to empathy, storytelling, and human connection. OC was never intended to be “just another network.” It was envisioned as a safe, inclusive space where belonging translates into action, and where people step forward as co-creators of change.
The conversations at MEPI affirmed this belief: that every young leader needs not just skills but also a community they can grow with, rely on, and lead alongside.
Innovation by Young Leaders in the Middle East and North Africa
MEPI Student Leaders Accelerator Workshop 2025 – Amman, Jordan
The MEPI Student Leaders Program, led by the U.S. Department of State, identifies promising youth leaders from the MENA region to undergo leadership training at U.S. universities and implement civic projects at home. Accelerator Workshops further strengthen these leaders by connecting them with peers, experts, and community partners.
The 2025 Workshop in Amman highlighted groundbreaking initiatives:
Youth Education: Rural STEM programs bridging the digital divide.
Women’s Entrepreneurship: Mentoring and microfinance platforms for female founders.
Environmental Campaigns: Recycling and water conservation projects at the community level.
Social Enterprises: Early-stage startups addressing social issues with the support of MEPI networks.
MEPI Alumni are now regarded as active change agents, shaping futures in youth empowerment, women’s leadership, environmental sustainability, and social innovation across the region.
Becoming Bridge builders
What struck me most during the workshop was the realization that true leadership lies not in standing at the center, but in becoming a bridge builder.
Bridge builders are those who connect people who would otherwise never meet. They link resources with needs, ideas with execution, and individuals with opportunities. In our fractured world, where divides often overshadow shared humanity, the act of building bridges becomes not just valuable—it becomes essential.
When young leaders embrace this role, they expand the horizon of what is possible. A rural STEM education project in Jordan can inspire a similar initiative in Morocco. A women’s entrepreneurship platform in Amman can spark collaborations with networks in Cairo. Environmental campaigns can evolve into regional movements that cross borders and cultures.
Being a bridgebuilder also means embodying humility and empathy. It requires listening deeply, creating safe spaces for dialogue, and recognizing that solutions must be co-created, not imposed. It means shifting from “I” to “we,” from competition to collaboration, and from isolation to interdependence.
At its core, this is the promise of communities: to act as bridges that span divides—between youth and institutions, local projects and global movements, challenges and opportunities.
As I reflect on my time with the MEPI Student Leaders, I carry forward this conviction: our future depends on how courageously we build these bridges, and how generously we walk across them together.
Editor’s Note
At BigC.Works, we believe stories like Odeh Haddadin’s illuminate the essence of leadership in our time: not as authority, but as connection. In a world marked by division, communities become the strongest infrastructure for change. The reminder here is powerful: every leader can be a bridge builder, and every community can be a bridge.