Ten years ago, I took one of the easiest decisions of my entire life: quitting my comfortable job in High-Tech , though right before that I earned a huge amount of money for a patent that didn’t carry my name. Needless to say that this patent was an innovative solution that rescued a project. I argued with my boss, who was extremely arrogant as he smiled at me weirdly saying: “be grateful for what you have. In Palestine you will not find what to do.”

That conversation led me to resign and invest my time in searching for ” what to do”. It wasn’t a surprise to find out that my arrogant boss was right. Aside from few people who exerted some efforts individually; there was not a single institution or an organization in Palestine working sustainably on innovation and creativity giving it the necessary industrial and production depth.

Ten years of many successes; disappointments too. Among the many disappointments I encountered was when I “committed” an attempt to register a nonprofit organization that supports young innovators and their creative ideas and developing them to become competitive ventures labeled with “Made in Palestine” . I approached the Palestinian NGO’s registrar in Al-Ram (north to Jerusalem) at the ministry of interior, the officer then took his time laughing loudly and blowing off his cigarettes to my face. This very incident delayed registering Al Nayzak for Supportive Education and Scientific Innovation with the Palestinian Authority till 2009.

However, the work was not delayed for one single day!

In 2004 we had the first exhibition for young innovators. We only received eight applicants, which by default made the number of accepted applications also eight. I didn’t have the nerve to decline any idea no matter how silly it is. It was obvious that we are attempting to establish a trend that is totally new to our community. One of the most difficult challenges was to invite female talents to participate in this field. For example, in 2003 and while we are preparing for the first training for entrepreneurs, a lady with her father walked into the training hall. When her father noticed the eight participating males, he immediately pulled out his daughter and left. I had no other choice but to organize the trainings in her house converting a space in her parent’s basement to a workshop area. Three years later, the same lady won the third place in the “Made in Palestine” competition, which opened up greater horizons for her!

I believe that one of the most important achievements for innovation in Palestine, which is fundamentally growing with collective efforts during the past few years, is the slow change in the Palestinian collective awareness that started drawing question marks on traditional education. The new trend is trying to position itself in the right spectrum, ensuring that excellence in life is not associated with a great memory capable of retrieving information at a glance in an examination room, and that this person only deserves to be incubated, commended and supported.

10 years ago, no one had a doubt to throw at the known path for success. Likewise, there is no fundamental social or educational investment in innovation and entrepreneurship. But steadily it is a method in progress. I believe we are currently witnessing a historical detour to an innovative path identified with the success to transform the educational system from being only based on strong memory to a more analytical and critical thinking approach. We are not in need to create a generation in competition with the computer’s “hard-desk”. Rather, we are now at a stage to prepare a generation capable of processing, developing and analyzing information, which will lead this generation to become productive and innovative.

76 NGOs were established in Palestine during the recent years. All of them embrace creativity and entrepreneurship and an identified vision and mission. In addition, a presidential decree inspired the establishment of a higher council for innovation and creativity. Numerous awards and competitions were also launched in recognition to innovative and entrepreneurial initiatives, in addition to giving them financial support whether as grants or loans, and maybe integrate some of the successful initiatives in specialized monitoring and follow up programs to ensure continuity. Academia has also shed interest on that field and now we see universities developing specialized courses in that field, opening technology centers and incubators to support undergraduates.

Some say that innovation and entrepreneurship is a trend in Palestine at this time and that it will fade similar to other trends such as human rights, gender and women issues organizations. Only handful of organizations remain till to date, believing in its mission and equipped with knowledge and achievements to sustain. This is all good but it is important to bring innovation and creativity as the number one issue to the community, an approach that will cause the radical change in the culture and of course won’t fade away when a trend dies.

however, and with all these efforts there is still confusion and results are still humble when compared to the quantity of announcements, celebrations and institutions calling for supporting Palestinian innovation?

So, Why?

It is important to look at certain cases in order to review the methodology and strategies adopted to support innovation. Young Palestinian entrepreneurs became a well known classified community whose members have the same applications to who looks for participants and they compete over the same awards and the same media and the same opportunities for incubation and initiative. the Palestinian Community is small so as the community of entrepreneurs, which is a worldwide issue. This is, I recon, is the result of the absence of a structured educational system that enhances individual’s ability to generate new ideas and process them.

Shall we discuss the organizations and institutions launching initiatives to support innovators and creativity among youth? In fact most of them transformed into training centers to build capacities of those who apply to their programs, allocating funds to cover the expenses of trainers and business plans consultants. Another batch of institutions invest its funds in media campaigns and in organizing huge galas in recognition of creativity and innovation. Sad to realize that this wasted fund can cover the expenses of numerous startups, including supporting entrepreneurs technically and financially during the incubating phase. Apparently everyone tends to ignore that these Palestinian innovators and entrepreneurs are normal beings who have commitments to cater for. It is a regret that they are, somehow treated as icons to shine in media and on stages!
As we are analyzing the needs of the Palestinian entrepreneurial system; we have to also discuss the role of investors and businessmen who until to-date prefer to invest in fast winning businesses such as properties. They haven’t yet considered investing in new ideas where the margin of risk is higher regardless of the fact that it also has the opportunity to tap into new markets. We hope that one day Palestinian investors will seize the opportunity in each innovative idea, not only the risks.
Building the Palestinian national economy under the restrictions of occupation requires knowledge creation in addition to supporting and developing young companies functioning in new fields afar from the areas controlled historically by well known businessmen. The new markets must depend on innovation and creativity in handling different ideas with a vision to enter to regional and global markets. It must grow on the norm and depend on modern technologies with a focus on IT and software that can reach everywhere regardless of the restrictions of the occupier.
Palestine will not be a recognized state unless we became knowledge creators and contributed to the human civilization as a people not only individuals, who when they excel they might be identified as “with Palestinian origins” and their success is referred to the country of their residence.
I have faith in the future generations that it will use the technology and information revolution abandoning traditional education and its tendency to only memorize data. I have faith that these minds will become creators for knowledge but we have to give them the space and path they desire. We’re obliged to repair our educational and social systems today so the entrepreneur, the innovator and the talented grants the opportunity to spend his youth years in developing ventures and startups offering more job opportunities and thus contribute to the national economy and its GDP.

I believe that we’ve taken real steps towards achieving our objective. But this is a collective effort and we have the obligation to design a strategy that cater for entrepreneurship in Palestine that invites different institutions to contribute to its success with its knowledge and capacities.

aref.husseini@gmail.com