HIMMA

By Rasha Al-Bani

The Station Foundation for Entrepreneurship is known for its role as a player in Iraq’s entrepreneurship ecosystem. However, in 2019, we finished implementing our first civic engagement program, funded by International Republic Institute, a nonpartisan NGO working on empowering democracy and freedom of speech across all levels of society. This program, called “Himma”, focused on means of empowering youth in the sphere of knowledge awareness, critical thinking and civic responsibility. A large component of “Himma” consisted of public debates, implemented with the support of “Baghdad Debate Club”, a local community club that teach the art of debating to youth. The purpose of ‘Himma’ isn’t necessarily to shape the thoughts and ideas of others, but to encourage the process of exchanging knowledge and ideas in a setting that is professional, mature and insightful. Learning to be exposed to new notions is a learning curve, boosting one’s confidence in the process; a vital characteristic for entrepreneurs. Additionally, it is an experience that gradually develops one’s leadership skills as it creates better listeners, orators and thinkers. Finally, it can increase the level of civic engagement and sense of civic responsibility as the skills adopted help break down traditional barriers, empowering all societal groups. It is often asked, “how is this related to entrepreneurship”? The question falls short of understanding what it means to be an entrepreneur. It is not merely about creating a successful startup and/or business. Entrepreneurs build character, mindset and skills that provide a basis for productivity, intellect and strong activism. Entrepreneurs make great role models, driving great development in their respective societies.

Entrepreneurship is a field of work that is shaped via top-down and bottom-up approaches, hence the importance of active participation in driving relevant policies. To consider governmental politics a factor completely alien to one’s everyday life is a widely-thought misconception, even in Iraq, as is illustrated by the high number of eligible non-voters. Having taken into consideration that The Station’s target market consists of entrepreneurs, businessmen/women and startups, we centered our debates primarily around topics that expose them to a wide array of new information that can support navigating aspects of their lives. Over the last three months, a number of vital topics were interestingly debated, such as the affairs of Iraq’s economic policies and the role of women in Iraqi society. These sessions helped participants to navigate through multifaceted information, in turn self-directing their learning experience. We received great feedback regarding these debate sessions, and the work Himma is doing. As a result, two members of The Station staff responsible for the implementation of the program, were invited to speak on Al Iraqiya to discuss the details of Hima’s efforts and the impact it can potentially have for youth.