22 years of story sharing & collective action

sharq.org is an ever-evolving series of social impact initiatives grounded in story sharing and collective action implemented across the Arabic speaking region and Europe.

our centre of operations returned to London in 2023 after over a decade grounded in and working in service of the Arabic speaking region. as such, our network of creative comrades is vast in both size and reach.

in 2025, we launched our forth collective cohort. its members are enhancing their capacity and connectivity through co-creation, as did the dozens of women who established the peace-building collectives Collectiva Souriyat and Collectiva Shamila with sharq.org in recent years.

in 2026, we are reviving our inaugural initiative – a magazine launched in 2005 to combat prejudice and invigorate pride among people of Arab heritage.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF SHARQ.ORG

the beginning
sharq.org debuted in 2005 as a publisher of print and digital magazines catering to a large diaspora population of Arabs in the UK and beyond.

the homecoming
in its second coming, sharq.org operated (2012-2022) as a multi-donor funded ngo based in the Arabic speaking region that comprised:

  • a training and mentoring academy from which hundreds of citizen journalists graduated during the decade of revolt and revolution;
  • an archive, recording and cataloguing over 500 interviews with everyday people to support democratic documentation and historical narrative building;
  • a publisher of books, toolkits, campaigns, and policy papers to support activists engaged in socio-political change; and
  • a creative studio that produced films and performances and other artworks to instigate inclusive dialogue.

the return
after re-grounding to London, sharq.org is returning to its roots as a magazine publisher, continuing to instigate and facilitate collectives, and enthusiastically exploring the values that shape us in partnership with individuals and institutions worldwide.

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our vision and approach

sharq.org is a portfolio of social impact initiatives spearheaded by a writer with hopes and dreams of a kind inclusive world where community is valued more than capital (2004-ongoing)

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A small world, full of love

JUNE 2022 - George Marrash was among the socially aware and politically active people invited by Sharq.Org to a governance retreat in Cyprus in April 2022. Here he reflects on his time among kind and generous people.