EWANA stands for Europe, West Asia, and North Africa. It also refers to the Arabic word “Iwan”, which is a traditional architectural element developed in Mesopotamia. The rectangular space or hall can be discovered in religious and secular buildings all around the West Asia and North Africa region. It is used as a place for meeting, which is what we strive for the EWANA Center to be.
vision & mission
The aim of the EWANA Center is to cultivate cultural exchange and understanding between and within Europe, West Asia, and North Africa.
We strive for creating a world in which cultural diversity and development are celebrated and cherished on all levels of society on the basis of mutual respect and understanding. We believe that cultural development takes on a central place in human development and that it can strengthen the inclusion of a wide range of actors in social, economic, and political activities.
Therefore, w introduce a broad conception of culture, meaning: the spiritual, material, intellectual, and emotional practices that are shared by a society or group, including high and popular culture, laws and rights, value systems, traditions and beliefs. This broad conception allows for an interdisciplinary approach that relates the cultural field to that of the political, social, security, and economic.
EWANA people
The EWANA Center was founded in January 2023 in Brussels, Belgium, by a group of individuals from the EWANA region, who strongly believe in the value of culture as a means to human development and communication. Our team is since based in Brussels, Cairo, Berlin, The Hague, Baghdad, and many other places. In addition to EWANA’s core team, the Center has an advisory group made up of individuals who offer expertise in the different fields related to the EWANA region.
All our team members work on a voluntary basis. The executive team is responsible for the implementation of the Center’s projects. The Board is responsible for the EWANA Center’s strategic outlook and vision.
executive team
Desirée Custers
Co-Founder & Executive Director (Brussels)
Desirée has several years of professional experience in the field of international relations, including environmental peacebuilding and track-2 diplomacy. Desirée has a strong cultural interest, manifested among others in her translation of Arabic literature to Dutch and her Arabic-English blog (issabramil), on which she writes about social, cultural, and political issues related to Europe, West Asia, and North Africa. Desirée holds a master's degree in Conflict Studies and Human Rights and Arabic and Islamic Studies.
Walid Al-Aghbari
Deputy Executive Director (Cairo)
Walid, born in Alexandria, is a Yemeni national, who also lived in Taiz and Cairo, and is currently residing in Italy. He earned a BA degree in International Relations and Political Economy and received an MA degree in Comparative Politics from AUC in the summer of 2020. He is currently pursuing a PhD in History at the University of Pavia in Italy where his research focuses on the southern Yemeni coasts of Red Sea late ca. 19th early 20th. He has accumulated more than ten years of experience working with(in) youth leadership settings specifically in student life and student programming.
Mirjam Schmidt
Project Manager Maqha Conversations (Bonn)
Mirjam studied International Relations and Religious Studies with a focus on Asia. In the past years she has been working for the German think tank CARPO, gaining experience in cultural exchange and different dialogue techniques. She has wide experience in moderating different events, podcasting, and lecturing. Her passion is deep diving into topics and making them accessible and inclusive for a wider audience.
Dorith Kool
Founder & Director Grain of Salt Podcast (The Hague)
Dorith has gained several years of professional experience in the field of security, defence and military strategy in practice, policy, and research. She has also worked as an Arabic translator and has hosted and moderated events, podcasts and lectures for civilian and military audiences. Dorith holds masters’ degrees in Middle Eastern Studies and Military Strategic Studies. She is also the founder, director and host of the Grain and Salt podcast, set forth in the realm of the EWANA Center.
board
Laura Bannan-Fischer
Chair of the Board (Berlin)
Laura has professional experience in the field of science-policy relations, global networking, and development cooperation. She focuses on sustainability and the intersections between natural sciences, conflict and peace. Laura has an interdisciplinary education in politology, law, linguistics, social psychology, and regional/cultural studies with a focus on Western Asia. She graduated with a master’s degree in International Studies/Peace and Conflict Research from Goethe University Frankfurt am Main. She is fluent in German, French, English, Turkish, and currently learning Arabic.
Ali Bakht Al-Tamimi
Co-Founder & Vice Chair of the Board (Baghdad)
Ali works in the field of transitional justice, institutional and legislative reform, and institution building. He also specializes in the field of cultural anthropology, in which he holds a master’s degree. He is currently obtaining a PhD degree with the thesis title “Memory and Cultural Rights.” Ali participated in many events and activities, and has authored a number of books as well as programs on development and training. He has contributed to strategies, policies and advocacy campaigns aimed at amending legislation in Iraq to agree with human rights standards.
Hussam Falah
Member of the Board (Baghdad)
Hussam works as a journalist and specializes in content checking (fact-checking) and data journalism. He holds a master’s degree in the field of infographics. He also focuses on cultural and artistic diversity and promoting dialogue between cultures to thwart forms of “intolerance” between peoples of different backgrounds. He regularly participates in campaigns and activities that defend human rights and raise the voice of the victims, especially of the youth. He has worked in several local and regional press institutions and has participated in many conferences, seminars, workshops and study trips related to journalism, cultural and artistic issues.
Annual Reports
We document the activities of the EWANA Center every year and record them in our annual report. This is not only to ensure transparency and information for all stakeholders and donors, but also to understand our reach and the impact of our activities.
Current and past annual reports can be viewed and downloaded below:
Report of activities from 12 January 2024 until 12 January 2025
Report of activities from 12 January 2023 until 12 January 2024
Picture credits
HEADER: Photo by Randy Tarampi via Unsplash, edited with AI-powered products and tools within Canva (Magic Studio™), terms and conditions here.