Until then: It was my birthday this week! And I just gave you this free situational briefing. Send me a gift by donating to my team, your donation will go towards our launch. And share this thread with someone, I'm sure they'll thank you
www.paypal.com/paypalme/kaw...
Here's a big-picture geopolitical thread on Israel's war on Iran - its possibilities, impossibilities, dynamics, and delusions. My goal is to give you a full big-picture view in one place, which is why this is a long thread. If you prefer drip-fed updates, skip this thread.
Entire episode here:
youtu.be/M-rdgldE5bM?...
How Israel preys on minorities.
See the entire episode «Why War Between Syria and Israel is inevitable» with @iyadelbaghdadi.bsky.social on EON Podcast, link below.
We’re grateful for the space to be in dialogue - and to witness important contributions.
We especially appreciated talks by Vanessa M. Leon-Sulca on colonial continuities, and Moudou Baqui on movement-building and sustainability in Detroit.
These conversations matter.
Conversations on healing often centre culture, community, or spirituality - but rarely power.
Shefa takes a different approach: it supports individual healing while recognising trauma as a structural outcome of repression - and healing as a political and collective act.
Several talks referenced historical colonial violence—but few addressed ongoing realities.
The silence around current displacement, repression, and state violence—including in Palestine—was notable.
You can’t confront historical trauma while ignoring the present.
After more than a century of colonialism, authoritarianism, and violence, trauma has fragmented our social fabric.
Healing shouldn't be a privilege —it’s a precondition for strategy, movement-building, and any sustainable path to liberation.
Our executive director @gatnash.com presented on behalf of Dr. Leyla Hussein, introducing Shefa—our trauma-informed healing programme for MENA communities and activists.
Shefa prioritizes mental health, trust, and collective coordination in the aftermath of repression and war.
Our Chairman @iyadelbaghdadi.bsky.social shared a personal reflection on healing through spiritual practice and therapeutic tools - rooted in PTSD from exile and shaped by the political fallout of Jamal Khashoggi’s murder, when he became a target of the Saudi regime.
Last week we attended @breakingconvention.bsky.social, Europe’s largest conference on psychedelic consciousness.
We attended as part of our ongoing interest in the use of psychedelic-assisted therapy to treat severe PTSD in activists and victims of violence and oppression in the MENA region.
Check out the full episode where @iyadelbaghdadi.bsky.social presents his analysis on why he believes Israel, as an ethno-nationalist state, is poised to face a deep crisis within the next 15 years. Watch it here: m.youtube.com/watch?v=_0vl...
«But I think that the case can be made that the IDF actually does not know how to fight close quarters, commando-style urban warfare,» says our Chairman @iyadelbaghdadi.bsky.social in his interview with Middle East Eye.
What is the most dangerous disinformation narrative you’ve seen affecting MENA-based causes? Drop your thoughts in the comments!
#RightsCon2025
At our interactive session, we will break down real-world case studies and discuss how activists, journalists, and organisations can identify, resist, and counter deception.
Authoritarian states use disinformation to create division, erode trust, and hinder intersectional solidarity. These tactics, from justifying genocide in Palestine to reshaping opinions on normalising relations with Israel and Assad, silence resistance and distort narratives.
We're at RightsCon!
Our Executive Director @gatnash.com is hosting a panel today at the world’s leading digital rights conference, #RightsCon2025, to tackle a critical issue: How state-backed disinformation is targeting MENA-based movements - and how we can fight back.
The event is a part of the “SAYKOLUHJEE” story, made by Tani Dibasey in the SCENE3 universe.
More info and tickets here: t.co/2wEnoltYxi
Friends in Oslo! Join us for the concert Songs of Liberation with Ramy Essam at Det Norske Teater on March 6th.
Kawaakibi will give a pre-talk about free speech, solidarity, and power.
We hope to see you there!
🔴Trump's Middle East Riviera: What Next for Gaza?
Trump's proposal to physically remove 2.5 million is pure fantasy. But what does it reveal? @iyadelbaghdadi.bsky.social explains the state of play
bylinetimes.com/2025/02/10/t...
Trump's Middle East Riviera has no real chance of happening, but does have the potential to jeopardise the current ceasefire and hostage deal, and further destabilise the region, writes @iyadelbaghdadi.bsky.social.
Read the full piece here:
kawaakibi.org/trumps-middl...
As this year’s Norad conference “Money Talks” took place this week, we’re resharing a segment from a keynote speech by our Chairman @iyadelbaghdadi.bsky.social last year:
“The greatest threat to democracy is not autocracy; it’s hypocrisy.”
www.youtube.com/watch?v=-e5R...
8 years ago, Iyad El-Baghdadi and Ahmed Gatnash wrote this article to make sense of the structural forces behind the global rise of authoritarian populism.
We're republishing it in order to examine what's changed, what hasn't, where we were right and wrong, and where we go from here.
As Trump settles into the White House for the second time, is right-wing populism destined to keep growing?
@iyadelbaghdadi.bsky.social and @gatnash.com explore the structural reasons for its continued rise:
kawaakibi.org/seven-forces...
Kawaakibi congratulates the Syrian people on their historic liberation from the Assad regime!
We stand ready to support the rebuilding process of Syria with the Syrian people and remain steadfast partners in this endeavour every step of the way.
kawaakibi.org/kawaakibi-fo...
Our founder and driving force Iyad El-Baghdadi has stepped down as Executive Director, welcoming co-founder @gatnash.com into the new position.
lyad will remain as Chairman, but has taken a step back from the day-to-day operations.
kawaakibi.org/leadership-t...
Hello, Bluesky!
