A Critical Moment for Global Freedom
While others retreat in the face of funding cuts, we press forward, ensuring that vital ideas and opportunities remain available to those who need them most.
Dear Friends and Supporters of IBB,
As U.S. government support for pro-freedom initiatives declines globally, many organizations that once championed free speech, human rights, and civil society are being forced to scale back or shut down.
Ideas Beyond Borders is different. Unlike many others, we do not rely on U.S. government grants. Instead, we are powered by the generosity and commitment of private donors like you. We believe real solutions come from individuals and organizations—not governments.
And so, we continue our work.
What does that mean? IBB stands as one of the few organizations in the Middle East fighting for these fundamental values.
Do you believe in independent media? We are building it.
Do you believe real change comes from empowering entrepreneurs and young people—so they can shape their own futures without relying on Western aid? We wrote a book and gave a TED Talk on exactly that.
While others retreat in the face of funding cuts, we press forward.
Now, more than ever, your support sustains the fight for freedom and ensures human potential is not suppressed.
Thank you for standing with us.
Sincerely,
The Team at IBB
A fresh approach to international development
Money for international development rarely makes it to the people it intends to help, says Faisal Saeed Al Mutar, the founder of Ideas Beyond Borders. Highlighting the inefficiencies of the current system, he proposes a new model for aid that functions like business investments, empowering local entrepreneurs with money to build their communities and create jobs at a fraction of traditional costs.
Under Taliban Rule, a Translator Works to Keep Knowledge Alive
For More To Her Story, IBB’s Lead Editor Reid Newton shares the story of a translator in Afghanistan working from her living room to educate the next generation of Afghan women.
She says the stricter the laws, the more determined she becomes. Her courage not only challenges the regime’s restrictions but also keeps hope alive for future generations of Afghan girls. “This is not our fault—being born female. We don’t get to choose. I am proud to be a woman." Her work allows her to provide information to those now denied formal education. "I want my people to have access to knowledge in their own language," she explains. "I struggled as a student because I didn’t have that. I don’t want others to go through the same experience." Despite the risks, Mariam continues her work from home, careful to keep a low profile. “They can’t control my work because they can’t see it. It’s my personal laptop in my home; only I have control here.”
What does Saudi Arabia need to make a deal with Israel?
For The Hill, Faisal Saeed Al Mutar analyzes what must be true for Saudi Arabia to normalize relations with Israel.
If anything, this moment has reinforced Saudi Arabia’s strategic patience: leveraging its economic and geopolitical weight to demand stronger commitments from Washington while maintaining its firm stance on Palestinian statehood. With the region on edge, and Arab allies pushing back against forced resettlement, Saudi Arabia has an opportunity to reassert its leadership by advocating for a sustainable and regionally accepted resolution, rather than one dictated by external powers with shifting agendas. By delaying normalization, Riyadh retains leverage.
Lessons From Iraq
Faisal's talk, Lessons from Iraq, reflects on his personal experiences growing up under Saddam Hussein’s authoritarian rule, the U.S. invasion, and the subsequent chaos that engulfed Iraq. He argues that democracy cannot be imposed through military intervention but must be built organically through institutions, the rule of law, and a culture of pluralism. The U.S. intervention, he explains, dismantled Iraq’s existing structures without providing a viable alternative, leading to sectarian violence, Iranian influence, and the rise of extremist groups. He emphasizes that real change comes from local movements, not foreign aid, and highlights the work of Ideas Beyond Borders in empowering individuals to fight for freedom and democracy through knowledge and activism. His message to policymakers is clear: interventions must prioritize local voices and sustainable institutions rather than imposing an external vision of democracy.
Meet the Person who would like to Change International Development
Through Ideas Beyond Borders, Faisal hopes to help shape a positive future for the Middle East one innovative person at a time, with the hard-won education, skills, and resources that helped him forge an impressive career. Thus far, Ideas Without Borders has helped create over 35,000 jobs and impacted over 100,000 people through its 200-plus Innovation Hub grants.
Going forward, Faisal hopes to continue equipping entrepreneurs with the resources they need to not only get their ideas off the ground but also prosper. He dreams that the Middle East will become a place where people decide to stay and invest in, not escape.
Under Siege but Unbowed
The Iraqi Home Movement fights for a free and democratic Iraq with IBB’s support.
Threats of assassination, arrest warrants, and constant intimidation are the realities Muhi Al Ansari faces daily. Yet, despite these dangers, he remains resolute that Democracy is worth it. “There are more than five warrants against me, multiple death threats against my team, and constant attempts to silence us,” Muhi shared with a somber, determined voice. But he is undeterred, working tirelessly in Baghdad for a vision of a democratic Iraq.
Innovator Spotlight: Ali Ahmadi
After the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan, the country’s higher education system faced a crisis as professors fled and religious teachings replaced academic subjects. In December 2022, the situation worsened when women were banned from universities, reversing years of progress in female education. Recognizing the urgency, Ali Ahmadi launched an online university to provide Afghan students, especially women, with continued access to education. Supported by Ideas Beyond Borders, the initiative has rapidly grown, reaching over 400,000 students and offering international-standard courses in diverse fields. Despite challenges like poor internet access and the Taliban's restrictions, Ahmadi sees online learning as a powerful tool to counter brain drain and provide opportunities for Afghan youth. He remains hopeful that education bans will eventually be lifted, but until then, this innovative model is ensuring that Afghan students, particularly women, can continue learning and connecting with the world.
Translator Spotlight: Abdulmueen Alsebai
Alsebai is a translator, a profession that, in many parts of the world, would seem unlikely to draw the ire of a dictatorship. But he works for Ideas Beyond Borders (IBB), an organization dedicated to translating and disseminating works on philosophy, political economy, and science—subjects deemed dangerous by the Assad regime. The first time Abdulmueen Alsebai was summoned by Assad’s security forces, he did not sleep the night before. Still, he never stopped translating. Even when the officer overseeing his case tried to recruit him as an informant—demanding that he report any mention of Syria, Assad, or Hezbollah in IBB’s work—he refused, though he knew the risk.