Ru'a Al-Abweh

Ru’a Al-Abweh is a community organizer, leadership coach, and urban planner based in Amman, Jordan. An independent consultant, she most recently steered leadership development of 30+ young leaders at the Al Sharq Youth Fellowship; provided urban planning consultancy services in the Arab Gulf with Gehl; and worked with organizers and activists around the world to strengthen their storytelling, relationship building, team structures, strategy, and action through the Leading Change Network, Ahel, and as a Teaching Fellow with Harvard Kennedy School. Al-Abweh's calling is to enable self-determination, whether through the co-design of public spaces that reflect people's needs, creating engaging and empathetic learning spaces,  or coaching teams and individuals on their challenges.

 

Al-Abweh holds a BSc in Architecture from the German-Jordanian University, Master of Urban Planning specializing in Community-Based Public Space Planning and Design for Global Challenges from the University of Washington, and an Executive Certificate in Public Leadership from the Kennedy School at Harvard University. 

 

At MIT, Al-Abweh aims to explore strategies that focus on shaping a future generation of "spatial justice activists"—organized collectives that shape public places in line with civic priorities and shift decision-making across sectors that shape our built environment. 

 

Funded by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs under the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program.