Meriem Bouraoui

My name is Meriem Bouraoui and I am an artist, social activist and recently got into Media Entrepreneurship. I come from a small town in the north of Algeria and have been striving to make positive changes in different domains since I was 17. 

Through Slam Poetry performances, I have treated different topics such as human rights, women’s rights and artists’ rights; I have also managed to put art in the service of humanity especially with the pacific revolution that’s happening in Algeria. As a population we needed more pacific means to express ourselves and art with its different disciplines was and still is in the front of this revolution through which we hope to reach democracy. It is not as easy as it seems because of the repression we are facing, but it is always a beautiful mean through which we reach more audience than political speeches do. 

I have also managed to organize so many events that allowed me to have a big network of change makers; one hand can’t clap and that’s why I try with every event to put in touch different people who can help each other and come up with an effective plan to help and make a change themselves. I personally believe in the human nature and what it can reach, so I try to focus on that point and make changes through people because it is a change that cannot stop, it spreads as leaves on a tree. 

At schools, I had a professional formation in English language and teaching; I believe it is the best job to rise new generations with different mindsets but at the same time I have always been interested in media and cultures so I have recently founded a project called Wechsra. It is a daily web magazine that is a publication of Algerian interest offering analyzes, interpretations and comments on current political, economic, sporting and world news and in addition art and culture. The magazine also provides access to education and employment through opportunities offered to young Algerians. 

We opt to make Wechsra.com an ideal vector for transmitting messages and a privileged support for change as well as to restore credibility to the Algerian media. 

We aim to elevate our audience by questioning, criticizing, deconstructing, and investigating all information. Confusion is caused by exposing the various points of view that everyone may have to reach a conclusion in the form of a question, and the latter is intended to kill the head of linnet and to trigger the reader's thinking. 

We also promote projects, startups, events and any Algerian creation. Through Wechsra, I was able to manage more than 40 volunteers: writers, photographers, video makers and editors and this is the biggest pride ever which is to see Algerian youth working for their country and not for money. 

Moreover, Wechsra is the first analysis magazine in Algeria and works on providing the platform in English by the end of the year.