[9aa]

As a mentor at the very first Startup Weekend Gaza, I was very impressed both at the energy that young Gazans put into their ideas and their optimism that they can build a better, more peaceful world with technology. I mentored one young female entrepreneur who built an Uber-like platform for Gaza using SMS. We spent all of our time discussing the possibilities for market expansion to places where she wouldn't compete directly with Uber, and none of it discussing politics. She was very driven to take her idea to the next level and to travel abroad despite the concerns of her more conservative family.

While many of the entrepreneurs I spoke to were hesitant to voice their political opinions because of the climate in which they live, it was clear that they simply want peace and a chance to be creative with their ideas and lives just like young people everywhere. They did not create the political situation they are in but very much want to change it. They do not engage with the rhetoric of the victim or the aggressor -- which are two sides of one coin-- but simply were focused on the possibilities of expanding their horizons and making something that could advance humanity bit by bit.

I was also impressed by the number of women present, as others have mentioned, as it exceeded the percentages I had seen throughout the rest of the Arab World. That alone is a significant achievement. These women were very motivated to create a better life. And I felt nothing but gratitude and a desire for upward movement and transcendence of conflict from everyone we worked with.

I hope those reading this thread will consider focusing on the future and supporting this initiative to support a positive future in Gaza, with hope for peace.