As a young boy growing up in the Arab village of Sha’ab in Northern Israel, Forsan Hussein had always found himself surrounded at all sides by a troubling narrative. For his entire life, everyone had told him that the Jewish Israelites living nearby were the picture of evil - a malevolent people bent on violence; the harbingers of atrocity and misfortune which had befallen Forsan’s Arab-Palestinian village in the past.

For young Forsan, it was all he knew. Everyone in his world had always said the same thing: Arabs and Jews did not, and would never, get along.

One fateful day, while fulfilling the role of shepherd on his family’s farm, one of Forsan’s sheep wandered off into a nearby Jewish village. The young boy knew he had no choice but to retrieve the animal, but he was terrified. The visions in his mind of what he might see in the neighboring village were traumatizing - fire and brimstone; violence and destruction. His childhood imagination knew no bounds, casting imagery more dreadful than any nightmare.

But yet, through the fear, something within Forsan gave him the strength to go on and see this new part of the world for himself.

Much to his surprise, what Forsan found was a beautiful village - sunny and prosperous, its people welcoming. He saw children who looked a lot like he did playing soccer on a grass field. The people of the village took him in with open arms, fed him, and of course, returned his sheep. Forsan ended up staying late, playing soccer with the children and making many friends. He couldn’t wait to return home to tell his village and tell of the truth he had uncovered.

Before he was even a teenager, Forsan Hussein would go on to help create the first non-profit organization in Northern Israel that supports coexistence, equality, and peace between Arabs and Jews. Later, he would earn a full scholarship to Brandeis University in Boston, Massachusetts - another transformational period of his life - where he would not only expand his mind through education, but further discover the true potential of what he wanted to accomplish in life.

Today, Forsan is one of the founders of Zaitoun Ventures, an investment firm focused on supporting innovative startups all over the world. Though their goals primarily aim to develop a “new", more cooperative Middle East, their reach is truly global, and their network includes people and projects from all walks of life. Forsan and his team strive to change the world by supporting new and interesting technologies that can make the world a better place.

But at the core of their work is a strong set of core values based on the lessons Forsan learned that day, many years ago: look beyond constrictive narratives; dig deep and discover reality for yourself; and always believe in the potential for peace.

For full show noteshttps://www.baktashahadi.com/podcast

Connect with Forsan HusseinLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/forsan

ResourcesLearn more about Zaitoun Ventures:https://www.zaitounventures.com/

Follow/Support Stories of Transformation and Baktash Ahadi

Donate to the production of this podcast https://www.baktashahadi.com/support

Follow us on Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/stories_of_transformation/

Follow us on Facebook 

Stories of Transformation

CreditsProduced by: Joseph Gangemihttps://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-gangemi-audio/

Digital Marketing & Media by: Katherine Anhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/katherine-a-91081b56/

Theme music by: Qais Essarwww.therabab.com

Artwork by: Masheed Ahadihttps://www.LinkedIn.com/in/masheed

Episode Music Credits— “Muslim” by Serge Quadrado— "Finding My Memories - Instrumental Version" by Sivan Talmor, Yehezkel Raz— “To The Strong” by Michael Vignola— “Discovering The Lost City” by Max H.