Welcome to The National's weekly newsletter Beshara, where we share the most positive stories of the week.
“Cautious calm” – that’s the closest I can get to describing how this moment feels.
A ceasefire across the region is holding long enough to offer temporary respite, yet remains fragile enough to keep uncertainty close at hand.
Some days, my mind drifts to worst-case scenarios: what if I can’t make it back to Beirut to see my family for Eid again? What if flights are grounded once more? What if this calm is only the prelude to another storm? Buzzkill, I know.
But then there are mornings like this one when I choose to shift perspective, to focus on what could be and to have hope. This, too, shall pass. It will be OK.
Perspective may not change reality itself, but it shapes how we move through it.
That is what this week’s Beshara is about: holding on to hope, however fragile it may be, and choosing, even in uncertainty, to believe in what could still unfold.
Best wishes,
Fatima
Do you have a Beshara you'd like to share with us? You can reach me at FAlMahmoud@thenationalnews.com.
Building hope from rubble
Two sisters from Gaza whose home was bombed last year have set out to “build hope from rubble” by turning the debris of war into bricks. Now they've been shortlisted for the Earth Prize – a global environmental sustainability competition.
Tala Mousa, 17, and her sister, Farah, 15, were left homeless by Israel's war and forced to live in a tent with thousands of other displaced families. But where others saw hardship – and rightfully so – they saw opportunity.
“The view from our tent became the main motivation,” Farah told The National. “When everything around you is debris, you start searching for a way to turn this crisis into an opportunity. That’s how we began thinking about using rubble as a starting point for rebuilding.”
Quoted
'They told Sheikh Zayed the desert can never be green. Do you think that stopped him from planting trees? No, he kept going'
– Sarah Shaw, chief executive of the New Economy Academy in Dubai, on building resilience in the national economy through a training programme for about 1,000 Emirati entrepreneurs
New beginnings
At least 300 couples in Gaza celebrated their love in a mass wedding last week, organised by the UAE, to bring joy, hope and new beginnings to those whose lives have been marred by years of war.
Hamza and Asma, a blind couple, were among the Palestinians who made their wedding vows after long dreaming of their big day.
“Blessed are those who bring two hearts together in marriage,” said Hamza.
“This joyful day marks the beginning of our life together,” said Asma. “Our hearts are filled with gratitude.”
The ceremonies were organised as part of the UAE's continuing humanitarian support to Palestinian residents of the enclave.
Snapshot
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Highlights
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