The U.S. Office of Palestinian Affairs (OPA) Celebrates International Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW)
PRESS RELEASE
November 14, 2022
The U.S. Office of Palestinian Affairs (OPA) is celebrating international Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) from November 14-20, 2022. GEW is aimed at promoting entrepreneurship and encouraging new opportunities for investment, partnership, and collaboration to boost economies and address some of the world’s most intractable global challenges. This year’s GEW theme is on education, ecosystems, inclusion, and policies that support entrepreneurs and start-ups. The OPA will implement a range of programs and grants to promote the advancement of Palestinian entrepreneurship, including by supporting entrepreneurs and building up the sector.
- The OPA is currently establishing the E3 Hub, which will be housed at America House Ramallah beginning in 2023. The E3 hub will be our center focusing on entrepreneurial competencies, economic empowerment, and advancement of employment skills of Palestinians audiences. Through the E3 Hub and utilizing America House programming, OPA aims to provide young Palestinians with the needed tools and support to develop their businesses successfully and have a positive impact on their community. The project also has an online portal, through which Palestinians will be able to access a range of entrepreneurship-related content and opportunities.
- This year, we are working with our E3 Hub partners at Al Quds University to plan a variety of activities and events (virtual and in-person) designed to enhance participants’ skills and connect them to potential collaborators, mentors, and investors in the United States and throughout the world, to introduce them to new and exciting opportunities at home and in the region, and to enable them to create relationships and partnerships with the American businesses.
- In partnership with PalTechUS and TechnoPark, OPA is holding training events and outreach activities to bring together the Palestinian diaspora in the United States, local businesspeople, tech leaders, and young Palestinian entrepreneurs to share knowledge and best practices.
- In East Jerusalem, through a grant to Station Jerusalem, OPA will support entrepreneurs who own micro, small, and medium enterprises to develop digital skills to help grow their businesses and expand into U.S. markets. The combination of training and networking will accelerate the businesses digitalization and build a strong foundation for future success.
- Five Palestinian women entrepreneurs will be advanced to stage three of the Scale Up & Thrive project and will travel to the United States of America to join the capacity building program to get to know the global market first-hand, in addition to meeting business support specialists and potential future clients. This activity is part of an overall OPA Public Diplomacy-funded program in which 50 women entrepreneurs from West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem were trained in further developing their business plans. This customized capacity-building training and mentorship has elevated the status of women in the local entrepreneurial ecosystem and improved the growth of their businesses and meanwhile employing other women in their ventures.
- The OPA’s three American Spaces offer numerous programs to promote entrepreneurship for youth and young professionals. For example, the Skills for Success program targets recent graduates and unemployed youth from Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza and the Start Your Own Business program helps young Palestinians establish and run small businesses or NGOs. The Virtual Global Ambassadors Program provides social entrepreneurs with leadership and mentorship opportunities to develop solutions to community problems relating to the environment, climate change, media literacy, and women’s empowerment. America House Jerusalem offers a suite of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics programs at our MakerSpace to Jerusalem youth, including coding, programming, robotics, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality.
- After participating in an intensive OPA-funded training over the summer, this fall, Palestinian teachers launched the Network For Teaching Entrepreneurship BizCamp The teachers worked with 50 students to develop their unique business idea and participate in the final Student Showcase, scheduled during International Education and Global Entrepreneurship Week.
- Through a collaboration with partners in East Jerusalem and Gaza, Palestinian alumni of U.S. exchange programs are training women through the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs on business skills using Thunderbird Business School (Arizona State University) DreamBuilders They are also learning about local laws and practices, social entrepreneurial concepts, and accessing mentoring and offering networking opportunities with local partners.
- In partnership with Bright Stars of Bethlehem organization, OPA is launching the Palestinian Food Stories project which will contribute to the development of a sustainable and more diversified tourism sector in the Palestinian Territories. It will create opportunities for engagement through offering American-oriented culinary tourism experiences and creating English-language resources.
- Through a diverse set of programs, USAID West Bank & Gaza supports entrepreneurs in the West Bank and Gaza to turn challenges into opportunities to develop social and economic initiatives that improve their daily lives. For stories of some inspiring USAID-supported entrepreneurs who are taking the lead and making an impact, please visit the link. Throughout November, USAID will be highlighting stories of Palestinian entrepreneurs on its blog and Facebook
For more information, contact the OPA at USPalestinianAffairs@state.gov.