MENA Initiative

SAVE THE DATE! Film Screening of acclaimed film "As I Open My Eyes/ À peine j'ouvre les yeux"

This music-filled, French-Tunisian production is set in Tunis, summer 2010, a few months before the Revolution, and depicts the clash between culture and family as seen through the eyes of a young Tunisian woman balancing the traditional expectations of her family with her creative life, as the singer in a politically charged rock band. Director Leyla Bouzid's feature offers a nuanced portrait of the implications of the Arab Spring on the lives of young people in the region, while also creating a complex story about a young woman using art to transform her reality.

APRIL 12, 18:30. ROOM S7. See you there.

Happy Iranian New Year! Check out the Haft-Seen at the Graduate Institute cafeteria if you want to learn more about the holiday. Thanks so much to everyone who made our party a great success, and all the best to everyone as we celebrate spring!

Getting ready!!

Are you ready for Saturday?! Food, drinks, dancing!

Food will be first come first serve so get there early!

Vegetarian plate: 4 francs
Meat plate: 5 francs

Beer and wine: 3 francs
Liquor: 4 francs
Tea and soft drinks: Free

PLEASE RSVP so we make sure to buy enough drinks
https://www.facebook.com/events/1738305693146913/

Stay tuned... details coming soon

Don't forget! We're meeting today at 1pm in the Picciotto common room to plan our next big event in honor of Iranian New Year (Nowruz). Swing by to help out and have a say in the event!

Iranian New Year (Nowruz) is next month! The MENA Initiative would like to honor this tradition and celebrate the rebirth and renewal marked by the coming of spring with the IHEID community! Food, Drinks, and Music are in the works but we need your help.

If you are interested in volunteering/ offering recipes/want to play an instrument/etc. join us for an Interest meeting this Wednesday (MARCH 1st) in the common room at 1pm!

We hope to see you there!

Tonight is the night! Take a study break with us and learn more about the art scene in the region.

We will have food!

WHEN: Tonight, December 14 6:30PM-8:00PM
WHERE: Room S7

We know it is a crazy time of the year and everyone is drowning in papers and exams. The MENA Intiative invites you to take a much needed break on Wednesday evening to learn more about the shifting global art and museum scene. Many major art buyers and funders are cited in the Middle East and North Africa, and in the Persian Gulf states specifically. Professor Silvia Naef from UNIGE will discuss with us the Gulf States' influence over the art world.

We will also be preparing some light Middle Eastern-inspired snacks to enjoy during the event. We hope to see you there!

WHEN: Wednesday December 14 6:30PM-8:00PM
WHERE: Room S7

What does the hijab mean to the women who wear it? Whether a woman has decided to wear it or not, the hijab means something different to various Muslim women all around the world. Check out Al Jazeera's new feature to see a few perspectives.

What about you: any Muslim women want to weigh in on what the hijab means to them? We look forward to your comments!

What the hijab means to me From Nigeria to Uruguay, women share their thoughts and feelings about the hijab.

"What does Donald Trump’s election mean for the Middle East? A group of prominent foreign ministers and policy experts gathered in Abu Dhabi last weekend to explore the election’s implications for the world’s most volatile region."

The Middle East has some questions for Donald Trump Iran and Russia were top concerns at a meeting of Gulf Arab representatives.