Set to Initiate Change Towards a More Balanced World

The event was attended by notable guest speakers, and featured a conference on building an inclusive and sustainable future for all

Tawazoun, a pioneering platform dedicated to cultivating and accelerating balance in the Middle East and Africa, launched on December 20, 2021, during a special launch event at EXPO 2020.

Held in collaboration with the Moroccan Pavilion, the event showcased the new model of development for Vision Morocco 2035 that falls in-line with Tawazoun’s mission, while also marking the UN International Human Solidarity Day. The event’s conference that gathered an array of international and local experts who spoke about the importance of engaging multiple stakeholders to bridge the social, economic and wellbeing gaps for a more balanced and sustainable future for generations ahead.

Speakers in attendance included:

Dr. Deena Assaf – United Nations Resident Coordinator for the United Arab Emirates and Deputy Commissioner General for the UN at Expo2020
Asmaa Quorrich – Senior Vice President of Marketing, Jumeirah Group
HE Aarefa Alfalahi – Vice President at Mashreq Bank
Darryl Owen – Senior Sponsorships and Partnerships Manager for Azraq NGO
Noha Hefny – Senior consultant at UN Women, Founder and CEO of People of Impact
Dr. Rachid Yazami -Founding Director&CTO at KVI holdings, Scientist, Engineer and Inventor
Dr. Mohammed Elbouchikhi – Assistant Professor, Oman
Dr. Hamid Bouchikhi – Member of the committee of the Morocco new model of development
Hamdan Al Zaabi- 7th grader representing the voice of youth, youngest Tawazoun advocate

Key discussions from the event focused on topics such as female empowerment, UN International Human Solidarity day and its objectives of bridging gap, and the importance of collective contribution from all, as well as what Tawazoun represents. The panel discussion, The Bedrock of Building an Inclusive and Sustainable Future for All, tackled the issues of balance agenda from different perspectives, including education, life balance, work environments balance, society and environment.

“Tawazoun is a about creating safe spaces, where different individuals explore, exchange and embrace new ideas to co-create a more balanced world for everyone. It empahasizes on shifting the narrative by adopting human centricity.  This is the launch of a global think tank, that gathers people from diverse backgrounds, to devise action plans that aim to build balanced people, workplaces, societies and planet,” said Hanane Benkhallouk, Founder of Tawazoun.

Founded by Benkhallouk to celebrate diversity and cultivate balance, Tawazoun which means balance in Arabic, calls for individuals, organizations, change makers, policy makers, and everyone who feels the need to bring balance to themselves, their surroundings, and the wider world, to share their views for creating a lasting impact with various initiatives.

Join the Tawazoun movement and bring about a better sense of balance by visiting tawazoun.com or keep up to date with the latest news on social media at @betawazoun.

About Hanane Benkhallouk

Hanane is award winning senior consultant with a broad scope of expertise and exposure to international markets.

She counts 20 years of a diverse thriving career journey that started in New York city before moving to Dubai in 2005.  Her multi-industry working experience included being in charge of innovation and entrepreneurship programs across the Arab World, at the Mohammed bin Rashid AlMaktoum foundation, which was the turning point in her career shift.

Today she works as the Executive Director of Sustain Leadership consultancies. A culture change and certified innovation strategist, Hanane supports corporates, government institutions, NGOs and SMEs, in building human centric business models, and creating cultures of innovation in order to sustain their leadership, while maximizing impact.

Hanane pioneered a multitude of initiatives which stemmed from her passion to cultivate entrepreneurial and innovative mindsets, accelerate the gender balance agenda, and advance the MEA region towards a knowledge-based economy.

More recently, Hanane founded Tawazoun, (which means balance in Arabic) the first think-do tank and platform in the Middle East that aims at cultivating balanced people, work environments and societies. Hanane holds several awards including, the Game Changer award in 2019 from the Middle East Institute of Excellence in Dubai, as well as the Saphira award from her native country’s government of Morocco in 2016, to name a few. She is recognized as a thought leader, a global conference speaker, and a published author, with 2 co-authored books, and her own recently published “SEEDS of Change”. Her articles also published in Harvard Business Review Arabic, Forbes Middle East and Arabian Business among others.