You are invited to join the World Affairs Council of Miami on Thursday, January 15, from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM for a timely and thought-provoking program, An Interfaith Talk on the Abraham Accords and Peace in the Middle East, featuring a distinguished panel from the NGO Sharaka—representing Israel, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, and Morocco.

Register now. Tickets are complimentary; donations are welcome.

Presented in partnership with Miami Dade College, this program is part of our Mark Samuelian Distinguished Speaker Series and will be hosted at Miami Dade College – Wolfson Campus in collaboration with the Miami Dade College Honors College, Sharaka, and the Jaffer Institute for Interfaith Dialogue & Education. The conversation will be moderated by Aaron Rosen, President & Founder of the World Affairs Council of Miami.

Amid a delicate ceasefire in Gaza, the Middle East is entering a period of enormous transition, marked by the hope for calm but also by uncertainty and fragility. The region is experiencing rapid changes: the setback of Iranian nuclear proliferation; the erosion of Hezbollah’s power; the emergence of a post-Assad Syria; and the accelerating global influence of the Arabian Gulf. These developments, together with ongoing post-Gaza War recovery efforts, create both risks and opportunities that will shape the future of peace and security in the Middle East.

At a moment when many are wondering what this new chapter means for ordinary families, for regional stability, and for the dream of lasting peace, dialogues across nationality and religion are essential. Sharaka—an interfaith and cross-regional NGO created in the wake of the Abraham Accords—brings together young leaders from across the Middle East and North Africa committed to strengthening mutual understanding, fostering people-to-people ties, and advancing coexistence even during periods of profound strain.

Their perspectives will help us explore the future of the Abraham Accords; the opportunities and limits of interfaith engagement during a time of heightened sensitivity; and how grassroots diplomacy can contribute to building trust and pathways toward peace, dignity, and security in the Middle East.

Register now to secure your seat for this important conversation at a defining moment for the Middle East. Seating is limited.

Free guest parking will be available in Bldg. 7 Garage, 500 NE 2nd Avenue, Miami, FL (see below for directions)

11:00am – 11:30am – Registration with light refreshments

11:30am – 12:30pm – A Conversation with Sharaka

12:30pm – 1:00pm – Continued networking to close

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Livestream will be accessible here.
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Speaker bios:

• Noam Meirov (Israel): Sharaka’s Managing Director. Fluent in Hebrew, English, and Arabic, Noam advocates for educational empowerment across Israel’s diverse communities. He founded two ventures to bridge social and linguistic divides: an education initiative that expands digital access within Israel’s Arab community and a digital school that teaches spoken Arabic to Jewish Israelis.
• Fatema Al Harbi (Bahrain): Fatema, the first Bahraini youth to visit Israel with Sharaka, is a trailblazer in promoting women’s rights. A Ph.D. candidate in business management and leadership and an accomplished author, she bridges cultures through her advocacy and storytelling.
• Loay Al Shareef (UAE): Loay Al Shareef, hailing from the dynamic regions of the UAE and Saudi Arabia, is a renowned social media influencer, peace advocate, and linguistics expert. Leveraging his profound understanding of language and culture, he has built a formidable online presence that inspires dialogue and fosters intercultural understanding. Passionate about promoting peace, Loay uses his platforms to bridge divides and champion unity in an increasingly interconnected world. His expertise and innovative communication strategies make him a sought-after speaker and thought leader, continually reshaping discussions on global harmony and cultural diplomacy.
• Youssef Elazhari (Morocco): Youssef is a Moroccan marketing and advertising entrepreneur who is passionate about tech, education, and peacebuilding. He holds a master’s degree in marketing and speaks fluent Arabic, French, and English. He is the founder of Fihria, a non-profit project that works to prevent girls from dropping out of school across Africa. Youssef is also a member of the World Economic Forum Global Shapers program.

Moderator bio:

• Aaron Rosen serves as President and Founder of the World Affairs Council of Miami since 2021. He is a Term Member of the Council on Foreign Relations in New York and a 2024 Eisenhower Fellow. Prior to returning home to South Florida, Aaron researched international technology policy and Russian affairs with the Alfa Fellowship Program in Moscow. He previously worked as a Washington, D.C.-based specialist in U.S. foreign policy for MUFG Bank, formerly the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, and completed a graduate fellowship with the European Parliament in Brussels.

  Aaron has experience working with various legislative and diplomatic bodies, including the U.S. Congress, German Bundestag, Australian House of Representatives, Canadian House of Commons, Luxembourg Chamber of Deputies, Embassy of Mexico in the United States, and the European Parliament Liaison Office to the U.S. Congress.

  Aaron earned a dual masters concentrated on U.S. foreign policy and international history from the George Washington University and the London School of Economics, and holds a bachelors in international relations and comparative politics from the University of Central Florida. Aaron was born in Southern California and raised in South Florida. He speaks German, Spanish, and intermediate Russian.

Free guest parking will be available in the same building hosting the event: Bldg. 7 Garage, 500 NE 2nd Avenue, Miami, FL. The event itself will be held in Bldg. 1.