NYU Florence
La Pietra Dialogues
It Takes A Community: Ruwwad for Development and Community Empowerment in the Middle East

Introduction
Alexander Deng, NYU Florence student

Fadi Ghandour, Co-Founder and Former CEO of Aramex
Samar Dudin, Regional Director of Ruwwad

Ruwwad is a non-profit community development organization that works with disenfranchised communities through education, youth volunteerism and grassroots organizing. Its activities span Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon and Palestine and it operates through a strong network of partnerships with civil society and governmental agencies.
Ruwwad is the brainchild of Fadi Ghandour, serial entrepreneur and founder of Aramex International, one of the world’s leading logistics companies and a strong advocate of a more public-spirited and decisive presence for the Arab private sector in the sustainable development of the region . Its goals include nurturing civic engagement and actively encouraging ground-up solutions.

Fadi Ghandour
Co-Founder and Former CEO of Aramex

Fadi Ghandour is the Founder and Vice Chairman of Aramex, one of the leading global logistics and transportation companies. He is currently Executive Chairman of Wamda Capital, a new Venture Capital fund focusing on technology investments in the Arab World. Fadi is also the Managing Partner of MENA Venture Investments, a seed capital investment company investing in early stage tech companies. He is Member of the Board of Abraaj Capital, Member of the Board of Endeavor Global, Member of the Advisory Council of the MIT Media Lab and Member of the Board of Trustees at the American University of Beirut (AUB). Passionate about social entrepreneurship, Fadi is the Founder and Chairman of Ruwwad for Development, a private-sector led community empowerment initiative that helps disadvantaged communities across the region overcome marginalization through activism, civic engagement, education and financial inclusion with support from the Ruwwad Micro Venture Fund, an equity-based fund providing seed capital and support for micro-businesses and micro-entrepreneurs.

Samar Dudin
Regional Director of Ruwwad

Samar Dudin is The Regional Director and Head of Programs at Ruwwad Al Tanmeya, a Community and Youth Empowerment Organization where she leads and designs youth empowerment programs and organizes and coaches community led campaigns (the 6 Minutes and Safe Homes campaigns). Samar is one of the pioneers of Drama and Theatre in Education in Jordan and a lifelong cultural activist since mid-1990s. In 2006, she founded the youth empowering initiative Takween Open Spaces in Amman, Jordan and has developed several innovative and multi-disciplinary initiatives that integrate education, development and the arts targeting mainly children, youth and their caretakers in local communities. As a city council member from 2003-2006 Samar enabled the creation of the Child Protection Committee and the Executive Agency for a Child Friendly City which launched Greater Amman Municipality’s first child Municipal Councils’ elections. Samar graduated from Santa Clara University in California with a degree in Theatre Arts. She is a member of the Advisory Committee of the Arab Education Forum, a founding board member of Al Balad Theater, a founding member of Mujtama3i an Arab platform for community organizers, an Arab Ashoka Fellow on Social Entrepreneurship, a fellow of the International Women’s Forum Leadership program and trainer on Ways Women Lead and a fellow and moderator of the Aspen Institute Leadership Program. She dedicates her time to developing Ruwwad Al Tanmeya’s Programs and Regional Expansion in the Arab World.