The Arab Digital Expression Foundation has accumulated an inspiring body of knowledge on issues and practices around digital expression, incitement of self-expression, collaboration, open-source models of development, arabization of education practices and others. This body of knowledge was constructed around successive educational and residential digital expression camps organized every summer to host from 60 to 80 youngsters and 40-60 young professionals from across the Arab World. It was also constructed through an evolving network of artists, techies, educationalists and activists who worked with ADEF in different forms, from curriculum advising, to training, to supporting institutional building, to weaving connections for the initiative’s outreach to the region and more.Eighteen years on, ADEF believes it is stepping into a new phase, at the heart of which lies the Arabic word that unfolds from the A.D.E.F. acronym. In Arabic, ADEF means “add”. ADEF pounces into existing contexts of education, pedagogies, concepts of collaborations and theories of self-expression to add thoughts and practices, driven by rich and multi-layered experiences. The unfolding of those functions is the product of a continuous collaborative process between a community of artists, activists and techies.As thus, my focal role throughout all these years has been this continuous engagement with this continually growing community as a mobilizer and enabler for individuals and groups. I have been the focal person for the annual organization of both the youngsters camps (completing its 15th year in August 2023) and young professional camps since 2014. As a founding member, I have also continued to be engaged in the strategic development of ADEF which now boasts several programs.

Strategic advisor for ADEF in my capacity as Founder and Chairperson as well as supervising the camps program to support the second generation of camp leaders to run the program independently in its transition to Lebanon. Main tasks are networking and researching to build more creative propositions for sustainability, taking up 60% of my work load. Started in 2018 building Inclusion & Diversity Unit at ADEF. Six years on, ADEF runs an innovative program on digital expression for neurodiverse teens and adults. Continue to consult on alternative learning pedagogies, organizational and development practices for impact, strengthening youth networks in Arab countries.

ADE Berlin (Arab Digital Expression Berlin) a cross-disciplinary platform for individuals, collectives, and organisations working at the intersection of media, art, technology and education to generate progressive narratives in the Arabic speaking regions for the Arab diaspora in Europe and to foster access to knowledge and critical understanding of the dynamics and meta-narratives of knowledge production. Our projects support journalists, artists, technologists and independent media organizations in developing practices around digital sovereignty, censorship, AI and machine learning, algorithmic bias, creative coding and storytelling strategies, resilience in archival infrastructure, and in building curricula for media literacy and for youth education.

Hivos ROOM program supports artists, culture and media producers, and creative hubs in many countries around the world to freely express themselves. R.O.O.M. program specifically aims at diversifying dialogue and debate in society through the power of art to bring about structural social change.

The Arab Digital Expression Foundation (ADEF) builds spaces, fosters environments for expression and learning, enhances skills and develops knowledge tools to support and empower teenagers and youth, groups or individuals, working on the ground to strengthen their practices and engagement with society.