IBB Bulletin: 136k Attackers vs 8.6m Supporters
IBB Bulletin: 136k Attackers vs 8.6m Supporters
Our new website saw over 136 thousand malicious attacks since launch in May—but these detractors' efforts are no match for our growing influence and resolve to push forward.
Dear Friends and Supporters of IBB,
Since the launch of our new website, we have faced over 136,000 malicious attacks.
This is just one of the many challenges we face as we continue our mission to promote knowledge, freedom, and critical thinking across the MENA region. However, these attempts to silence us are no match for our determination and growing influence. Every day, more people gain access to our translated material, apply for grants to support their small businesses, and share the knowledge they now have access to with friends and family. Every attack only serves as a reminder of the importance of our work and strengthens our resolve to push forward. Our community of more than 8.6 million supporters and partners continues to expand, helping us reach more minds and empower more people to change their societies for the better—on their own terms. We couldn’t do it without your support.
🎙️ Reminder! Faisal will be speaking at TEDNext in Atlanta and the Global Free Speech Summit at Vanderbilt University this October.
On October 17-18, the Global Free Speech Summit will host discussions about the most pressing challenges threatening freedom of expression worldwide and identify impactful solutions to reinvigorate this fundamental freedom.
Happening October 22-24, TEDNext is a vibrant three-day exploration of what’s next and how to drive change at every level, from personal to global. Faisal’s TED talk will focus on fixing international development—IBB style.
To book Faisal as a speaker for your next event, click here.
In August, we mourned the 3rd anniversary of the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan and the subsequent annihilation of women’s rights by the terror group. As we continue to support our network of underground schools for women and girls in the country, we recently spoke with one of our fearless teachers for her thoughts three years later:
“As a woman who has been working for these past few years, I am really tired of all this suffering and pain, because the situation can change in a second and we don't know what will happen in from one moment to the next. But I will resist until the last moment and I will be with our students and teachers because of the tears that are ready to fall from the eyes of our girls at any moment because of the stupid decisions that have been made for us. Afghan women are currently the loneliest people on earth—please don't leave us alone.”
Between 2021 and December 2023, 8,007 students were enrolled in two covert schools supported by IBB, with 4,615 enrolled just this year. More than 53 teachers imparted education in 38 secret locations, covering 20 subjects. Led by local educators, the Underground Schools initiative offers students access to facilities, educational resources, and a secure environment to pursue their high school education—but we can do more. With your help, we can provide more women and girls access to the vital education they need.
Thank you for standing with us through every challenge, every triumph, and every moment of uncertainty. Your contributions are not just a shield against the attacks we face—but a lifeline to the people we support. Every person enlightened, every barrier broken, and every student empowered demonstrates what we can achieve when we refuse to be silenced. Thank you for being a vital part of this journey. Onward.
With gratitude and determination,
Reid Newton,
Lead Editor, Ideas Beyond Borders
80% of every dollar we receive goes directly towards supporting our programs, including Substack subscriptions!
Obama talent: "The development industry has all too often reinvented the deep dish again and again"
Globalnyt is Denmark's leading news service about the developing world— the outlet covers democracy, environment and climate, international cooperation, art and culture, development cooperation, technology and innovation, partnerships, migration, peace and conflict. Recently, IBB received a shoutout:
What or who in your industry gives you the most hope?
“There are two NGOs that I am particularly inspired by: Ideas Beyond Borders and Atlas Network, both based in the USA. They work to find local initiatives and businesses that they can help scale and reach out more broadly. It is a new way of working with global development, where the focus is on helping the local entrepreneurs who want and can make a difference for their own community.” Richard Walakira, Alliance of Democracies Foundation
Tourism, Tyranny, and the Taliban
We work directly with people who have first-hand stories of the brutal truth, which is far from what the Taliban portray through Western influencers ignorant enough to buy into their lies. The Untold Stories of the Middle East presents powerful testimonies of individuals creating prosperous communities and thriving small businesses through the Innovation Hub. It also details Afghan women’s work running secret underground schools in defiance of the Taliban’s edicts. Those women are the brave ones—not the influencers. The truth matters—Afghan women and girls’ futures depend on it. - Mansoor Ramizy, Afghanistan Program Director, IBB
Our latest House of Wisdom 2.0 video provides a general introduction to classical liberalism in Arabic. It focuses on its implications in politics and economics, such as the presumption in favor of liberty, and the derived political and economic implications, such as economic freedom. Then, the video navigates through concepts related to classical liberalism, such as competition and market price formation. Additionally, it illustrates how classical liberalism advocates private property ownership because of its focal role as a mechanism to disperse political power.
Innovator Spotlight: Enki Book Club
Enki is a book club in Karbala that is carving out space for free speech among those who have been warned to stay silent:
“The grant helped us provide scientific books on psychology, physics, evolution, artificial intelligence, and philosophy of science for the first time in the city of Karbala. It also made us continue for 12 consecutive sessions without interruption. Thanks to the grant, we also succeeded in attracting and reaching more than 100 new young people. We were also able to reach an attendance rate of approximately 45 young people, while our attendance rate was 32 young people before receiving the grant. The money provided to us by the grant was invested in developing our cultural work in the club, developing the club page, and overcoming difficulties in obtaining a place for sessions and logistical difficulties.” - Hameed Majeed, Founder of Enki Book Club
The Morality of Capitalism, authored by IBB Advisory Board member Tom G. Palmer, reaches new audiences thanks to a grant from Atlas Network! We’ve distributed the translated version to Orshina bookstore in Mosul, the Lotus Library at Essyan refugee camp, Dar Al Hadbaa library, Church of the Virgin Mary Library in Sulymaniah, and more! This book is about the moral justification of what philosopher Robert Nozick called "capitalist acts among consenting adults.” It's about the system of cooperative production and free exchange characterized by the predominance of such acts.
