“Kids have power too”, stated Deka Arab, a 16 year old student at Ottawa Islamic School. Deka and her fellow students Sarah Hussain, 16, and Fatima Kabeli, 17, drafted the proposal for the “Light the Path” project, which has made it to the final round of PeaceMidan's 320Reality Contest. The contest invited people from around the world to submit their ideas for projects that could address the social challenges facing countries in the Middle East. Contest winners will receive $35,000 US as well as expert support to make their project a reality.

Egyptian singer Hamza Namira, who is considered to be the unofficial Artist of the Egyptian Revolution during which he was a fixture in Tahrir Square, performed in Ottawa on Sunday, October 27th to a packed audience. Namira was in Ottawa as part of his first-ever Canadian tour, which is a fundraiser for Islamic Relief Canada's projects in Egypt. PeaceMidan, a non-profit organization which aims to build on the momentum of the Arab Spring in order to foster civic engagement and social entrepreneurship in Arab countries, organized Namira's visit. “Hamza Namira is the voice of hope, not only in Egypt but in the Middle East region,” explained Mohamed Abouelsaoud, co-founder and vice-president of PeaceMidan.