This builds on President Obama’s speech to the Muslim world in Cairo June 4, 2009. He promised to host a summit on entrepreneurship “to identify how we can deepen ties between business leaders, foundations and social entrepreneurs in the United States and Muslim communities around the world.”

The Mowgli Foundation welcomes this initiative and offers Obama their full support. Already committed to developing entrepreneurs in the Middle East, The Mowgli Foundation has programmes in Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine and Syria, where local entrepreneurs are matched with mentors from more developed countries.

“We exist to help entrepreneurs reach their full potential.” saya Simon Edwards, CEO of Mowgli. “By transferring knowledge and skills across national boundaries and between cultures, we are establishing lasting relationships that everyone finds rewarding. Building business networks in this way fosters understanding and helps economic growth.”

Recent research highlights the importance new businesses have in creating employment and wealth. Mentoring offers a low cost, highly effective way of nurturing small businesses. Most people can think of someone who has helped them on their journey through life in an informal way. For some it might have been one of their parents, a beloved uncle or respected teacher. It may have been a different person at a different stage in their life. People who have had mentors need no convincing that mentoring can be a powerful, life changing experience. It is also a low cost alternative to massive government programmes, training schemes and other ill-conceived charitable endeavours. It offers people who are concerned about inequality a real opportunity to make a difference.

We are keen to talk to business people in the West who believe they could help entrepreneurs in the the Middle East. For more information go to http://www.mowgli.org.uk/