Do you know who Boyan Slat is?

If I asked you who Greta Thunberg is, you would most probably be able to tell me. The young, dynamic Swedish environmental activist has received a lot of media coverage and been a guest at many large events and initiatives. She has become the voice of a new generation, speaking out against the old economic ways while denouncing the lack of action to address the environmental threats to our planet.
Yet if I asked what you know about Boyan Slat, you would probably respond that you have never heard of him. He is a Dutch inventor and entrepreneur. A former aerospace engineering student, he is the CEO of The Ocean Cleanup, a company that is developing and using innovative solutions to remove discarded plastic from the waters of the world.
Through his company, Slat is actively working to find solutions to problems caused by pollution and climate change. Despite the importance of the work his startup is doing, he is much less well known than Thunberg. While the rest of the world continues to discuss the effect of plastic on ocean ecosystems, Slat is busy working on a solution.
These two examples reveal two differing visions of the world. I agree that we need to hear people, like Thunberg, who ring alarm bells and raise their voices to warn of important issues affecting the future of the world, but there is an even greater need for people like Slat, who look for practical solutions to the problems. Entrepreneurship and private enterprise are the key to positive change.
Unfortunately, most global issues have been politicized and so it can seem that those who denounce the ills of society are not interested in making a real impact or promoting change, but only want political leverage they can use against their opponents.
If we are to bring about change, I believe it is much more important to highlight the efforts of a young entrepreneur who is actively attempting to develop a solution that could potentially solve a huge problem, than it is to continue to point the finger of blame.
It is interesting to note that many people around the world (me included) stopped using plastic straws to save the turtles as a result of pressure from the media and climate change thought leaders. Many people changed their ways in an instant to help achieve this noble goal — yet most of them have never heard of Slat’s ideas for ridding the oceans of all the other plastic that ends up there. Why is that?
A similar concept applies to the problem of inequalities in society. Voices rise to condemn income inequality and fingers point at successful business leaders. It can clearly be seen that these inequalities in the western hemisphere put minority groups at a disadvantage. As a French Muslim, I understand these issues.
Yet the voices that scream the loudest in protest against income inequality, and racism for that matter, never seem to propose solutions to make people’s lives better — they are too busy accusing people.
Others who are out there in the world trying to make a difference do have potential solutions, yet we never hear about them. Some are working hard to create opportunities and enhance the learning potential for people in underprivileged communities. Yet their voices are not heard nearly so loudly as the voices that are busy blaming others for the problems.
Income inequality is, in the final analysis, a “zip code issue” — in other words, it depends on where you live. Whether in terms of health care or security, your address determines what you get.
This should not be the case. If we take France as an example, there are areas in the suburbs where the police will not set foot because the risks are too high. These areas have no business opportunities, broken schools and poor standards of health care.
If we were to encourage and support business and wealth creation in these areas, we would see a difference. However, political leaders in France have left them with nothing. This is what needs to change in France and I am sure it is the same in many other places — we need to encourage investment and create opportunities.
Many political leaders in the West have, in fact, failed on many counts and are now using voices such as Thunberg’s to push unrelated agendas and shift the blame. Instead of bringing people together to find real solutions to real problems, they are putting us on a collision course that could be avoided. Encouraging smart solutions to problems such as climate change or inequality will make a difference in the world — pointing fingers only creates political divisions and endless debates.
Therefore I choose Boyan Slat over Greta Thunberg. I acknowledge we need the voices of Thunberg and her peers to maintain awareness of problems but there is more of a need to work on solutions. We always underestimate the power of private entrepreneurship, trade and exchanges to solve major problems, especially in an age when technological tools are available on a global scale.
Indeed, this advance in technology is a signal that solutions will come from entrepreneurs from all walks of life who are willing to take a risk and put everything on the line to find a big solution to the big problems humanity is facing. The rest is sophism.
Slat might succeed or he might fail, but his attempt to create a solution will contribute more than simply accusing others of doing nothing. Moreover, he is committed to his enterprise and, to coin a phrase, has “skin in the game.” Voices of indignation, on the other hand, do not.
This is the message we need to highlight. We can find solutions to climate change by investing in new companies. We can find solutions to discrimination by supporting and investing in businesses that are minority-owned and based in underprivileged areas. In short, we need to listen more to the people who have skin in the game.
To coin another phrase: You need to put your money where your mouth is. In other words, change is more likely to come from innovation, investment and hard work than from endless debates. This is why when it comes to the Middle East, I have recently become more hopeful that we are on the right track to empower positive change.

Change is more likely to come from innovation, investment and hard work, than from endless debates.

Khaled Abou Zahr

The support offered to the entrepreneurial ecosystem in most Arab countries, and the focus on helping a new, young generation by providing the tools they need, keeps me hopeful. Even as we face a devastating pandemic, programs have been created and resources allocated to startups, and these are key requirements for success.
Beyond climate change, a major threat we face in the Middle East is geopolitical instability. Here, too, I am convinced that the rising number of Saudi, Emirati and Egyptian entrepreneurs, along with others across the region, can help to render geopolitical problems obsolete and make the region stronger.
The chosen path of ambitious support for entrepreneurship is actively cleaning our region of the ills of extremism and instability.

• Khaled Abou Zahr is CEO of Eurabia, a media and tech company. He is also the editor of Al-Watan Al-Arabi.