Palestinians’ loss of land and homes over the years has translated into a strong sense of determination among them to stand for justice and be an advocate for the cause even in their entrepreneurial journeys, a Qatar Foundation panel discussion on Palestinian social entrepreneurship has been told.

Dania Khaled, a Palestinian-Canadian graduate of Qatar Foundation (QF) partner university Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar, who has extensive experience working with startups and entrepreneurs, highlighted how Palestinians all over the world have always shared a united vision, and how the events unfolding in Gaza have again proved that Palestinians are one of the most resistant people in the world.

“We are the walking-talking representations of the Palestinian cause. And that means everything we do will influence the way people see us,” she told the event, organized by QF’s Student Life team.

“What has been going on over the past month only motivates us to keep our individual and collective responsibility to free Palestine going. The way to do that as entrepreneurs and career-oriented people, as well as parents, is by going back to the basics.

“We can do this by being role models in society: if you have a business, hire people who have values that that are in line with your own. The reason for doing that is not only to serve the higher purpose to free our homeland, but also because it is good for business.

“If we believe in our values and embed them in our businesses, we’re going to be more committed to what we do and that is how we will create strong communities. And there are so many platforms that allow us to hire freelancers in Palestine, Syria and Lebanon to support the people there.”

Piadora El-Chanti, a Lebanese business student at another QF partner university Carnegie Mellon University (CMU-Q) who has been running her own business since the age of 15, reflected on her own values, and her contribution to humanitarian aid through her brand since the 2020 Beirut port explosion.

“Through my business, I managed to raise a great sum for the Lebanese Red Crescent,” she said.  “It was a testament to the power every individual holds in this world. Following that, I managed a donation run for the victims of the earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria, and currently I’m accepting donations for Palestinian relief efforts.

“It is important to give people the space to be able to make these social contributions. And I hope that all the young entrepreneurs use their audiences and the power they have through their business for the greater good of the world.

“There are so many businesses around the world that have a great power and audience. Their silence about what is happening in Palestine is loud, and these things don't go unseen for businesses.”

Dr. Khaled Al-Hroub, a professor at Northwestern University in Qatar – another QF partner university – stressed the individual and collective responsibility to support Palestinians, highlighting the importance of using the term “against occupation” instead of “under occupation”, which he said has a submissive connotation.

“Every little thing you do helps,” he explained. “It’s just like the megapolis of ant. Together, those tiny creatures build kingdoms, and so your contribution, even if it’s as little as hitting the ‘like’ button on YouTube videos or social media posts, can contribute to spreading awareness.”